Just got home from my math conference (CAMT). I am exhausted from a five hour drive, but my heading is swimming with all the great ideas that I got this year and that I hope to implement. I went to several great sessions and several so-so session, but none were downright terrible so I feel the trip was definitely worth the effort I put into getting there.
I had two sessions that I especially enjoyed. The first one was called Algebra I and Algebra II Hodgepodge and it was put on my one of my dear readers! You can see her non-math blog here. She had so many wonderful ideas that I don't even know where to start. I think I might save them and share them as I try them. That way I can get pictures, give detailed instructions, and then reflect on how the activity turned out.
I also enjoyed another session put on by a teacher who has been a faithful attendee of my CAMT sessions over the years. This teacher goes by the name of Gdawg and he has a talent to put math concepts to rap and song form. I was so impressed by Gdawgs passion for teaching low-income, high risk students. It was so evident in his session how much he truly cares for the kids. He took one of the ideas I shared a few years ago at CAMT and put it into video form.
He also has other math DVD's which you can check out at here
If you attended CAMT, would you consider leaving me a comment. You don't even have to give your name, but I'd love your feedback!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Early Morning Blues
I teach Math Models 1st period. I started out with 24 students. I am down to 19. Several have dropped out of school, a couple left to be "home schooled", one ran away from home and landed in Wisconsin with relatives, and one is now homebound because of severe anxiety issues.
Even though 19 are enrolled, on most days there are just 10-11 students present. Where are the other 8 or 9? Who knows. Most tell me, they just can't wake up that early so they show up for school during 2nd or 3rd period. Others don't bother with an excuse.
The state says these juniors, who can't be bothered to show up for their first period class must all take and pass algebra II next year. Yeah right. Make no mistake. Their lack of success in algebra II will have nothing to do with their mathematical ability and everything to do with their lack of perserverance.
On the bright side, I have about 5 shining stars in this class who are absolutely amazing math students and even better human beings. They are a joy to teach and the reason I look forward to this class every day.
Even though 19 are enrolled, on most days there are just 10-11 students present. Where are the other 8 or 9? Who knows. Most tell me, they just can't wake up that early so they show up for school during 2nd or 3rd period. Others don't bother with an excuse.
The state says these juniors, who can't be bothered to show up for their first period class must all take and pass algebra II next year. Yeah right. Make no mistake. Their lack of success in algebra II will have nothing to do with their mathematical ability and everything to do with their lack of perserverance.
On the bright side, I have about 5 shining stars in this class who are absolutely amazing math students and even better human beings. They are a joy to teach and the reason I look forward to this class every day.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Kids Say the Darndest Things
Overheard in the hallway on Friday:
Girl #1: So you're half-and-half cuz your mom's white, right?
Girl #2: What? I'm not half and half cuz my mom's not white. . . she's FRENCH!
Girl #1: So you're half-and-half cuz your mom's white, right?
Girl #2: What? I'm not half and half cuz my mom's not white. . . she's FRENCH!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Don't Laugh!
As most of my readers know, we enjoyed a rare snow day here in South Texas last Friday. As I read the Sunday paper, I was not surprised to learn that the local grocery and convenience stores ran short on many basic supplies.
But when they stated the one item that every single store ran out, I almost spit out my coffee with laughter! What was that one crucial item that apparently no South Texan can live without in the middle of a "blizzard?" Why it's a DISPOSABLE CAMERA!!!
According to the paper, this 1/2 inch of snow was the area's first measurable snowfall since 1985. Wouldn't you want to take a picture too?
Saturday, February 5, 2011
This is the Snow That Shut Down San Antone
What a treat! Friday morning I awakened to a 1/2 inch of snow and learned that school had been cancelled for the day. Before you begin to criticize us South Texans for being weenies in the face of a mere dusting of snow, I must tell you that there was a least another 1/2 inch of ice under that snow that made driving completely impossible.
Most of my students have never seen snow. This was a major event for them. I believe if you gave most of them the choice to go to Disneyland or spend the morning playing in snow, they would choose the snow every time.
Being from West Texas, I am used to a couple of good snows each winter. Not too much to hate it, but enough to experience the joy of waking up to find your world covered under 6 inches of white fluffiness. I've made sleds for my children out of just about everything you can think of. Laundry baskets, cookie sheets, and old tires. Snow days are some of my children's best childhood memories.
Mild winters is one of the many things that drew my husband and I to South Texas but I would be lying if I said I didn't miss waking up to a white wonderland ever now and then.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
You Can't Keep A Good Calculator Down
Folks, I have exciting news for you tonight. I have just resurrected 5 TI-83+ calculators from the dead on my kitchen island this evening. After a short surgical procedure, I am happy to report that all five calculators are alive and doing well.
You see, although my school can afford fancy new red turf for our football field, we don't seem to have the funds to replace any of our aging calculators. I've been nursing my classroom set of 30 ever since I inherited them shortly after being hired at "Paradise" high school.
In case you don't know how to restore dead calcualtors, here are three steps to try. Try the steps in order. Sometimes I get lucky and step one will work and I won't need to use the other steps.
1. Remove all four batteries. Press and Hold the [ON] key for 10 seconds. Then put the batteries back into the graphing calculator and turn on. May need to readjust screen’s contrast again.
2. Remove one of the AAA batteries. Press and hold the [CLEAR] key. While holding [CLEAR], reinsert the AAA battery and then turn the calculator on. The calculator should display the message "RAM Cleared". Release the [CLEAR] key and then press it one more time to remove the message.
3. Remove one of the AAA batteries. Press and hold the [DEL] key. While holding [DEL], reinsert the AAA battery and then turn the calculator on. The calculator should display "Waiting...Please install calculator software now". Follow the instructions for the TI-83 family or TI-84 Plus family to reinstall the calculator operating system.
If steps 1-3 don't work, it is time to resort to step #4 and that is what I did tonight.
4. Remove all of the batteries including the round lithium battery for 5 minutes. After the 5 minute period, reinsert all of the batteries and turn the calculator on. Adjust the contrast if necessary.
Now, drum roll please. . .. . Here are my calcualtors after surgery! Tonight I was successful in restoring 5 calculators that I thought I was going to have to scrap!!!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Final Exam Time!
As much as I hate giving semester exams after Christmas, I love the fact that Wed-Fri of this week consists of half-days. I've been cleaning my room, working on new posters for my word wall, printing out work for our systems unit coming up, and trying to get to the bottom of all my piles. I've also gone to lunch with my coworkers each day and did not have to gulp down my food!
In other good news, I am enjoying teaching in a school where I don't have to curve the hell out of my Algebra I final just to keep 60% of the class from failing the first semester. In fact, I didn't curve them at all. Our final exams are made at the district level, but overall I was happy with this one. The exam grades came out fairly close to their average in the class.
The only thing that frustrated me was the fact that there are some kids who can look at a multiple choice question like "write the equation of the line that passes through the points (0, 4) and (1, 2)" and get the wrong answer even after they plot the two points on a grid and notice that the line is "falling" and therefore must have a negative slope. Or they could notice that the y-intercept was 4 and mark out two of the bad answers. Two popular answers for this question: y = 2x + 4 and
y = -2x + 6. I guess I shouldn't be too upset, 80% of my students got that question correct, but it still bugs me that 20% still don't have enough reasoning skills to eliminate the bad answer choices!
Here is another one that really bothered me. Only 54% of my students got this one correct. John goes to the barbershop for a haircut. His haircut is $15 and he leaves a 15% tip. How much change should John get if he pays with a $20 bill? Oh and by the way, this question was not multiple choice. It was what we call a "griddable" item. I looked through their booklets and saw some pretty interesting methods being used to solve this problem, but not many were correct. I think in middle school, they get so hung up on formulas and the percent ratio that they just don't learn to think a problem through logically.
In other good news, I am enjoying teaching in a school where I don't have to curve the hell out of my Algebra I final just to keep 60% of the class from failing the first semester. In fact, I didn't curve them at all. Our final exams are made at the district level, but overall I was happy with this one. The exam grades came out fairly close to their average in the class.
The only thing that frustrated me was the fact that there are some kids who can look at a multiple choice question like "write the equation of the line that passes through the points (0, 4) and (1, 2)" and get the wrong answer even after they plot the two points on a grid and notice that the line is "falling" and therefore must have a negative slope. Or they could notice that the y-intercept was 4 and mark out two of the bad answers. Two popular answers for this question: y = 2x + 4 and
y = -2x + 6. I guess I shouldn't be too upset, 80% of my students got that question correct, but it still bugs me that 20% still don't have enough reasoning skills to eliminate the bad answer choices!
Here is another one that really bothered me. Only 54% of my students got this one correct. John goes to the barbershop for a haircut. His haircut is $15 and he leaves a 15% tip. How much change should John get if he pays with a $20 bill? Oh and by the way, this question was not multiple choice. It was what we call a "griddable" item. I looked through their booklets and saw some pretty interesting methods being used to solve this problem, but not many were correct. I think in middle school, they get so hung up on formulas and the percent ratio that they just don't learn to think a problem through logically.
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