Week 5 Math Reflection

©Breakey, D. 2015. Math Blocks 1.

©Breakey, D. 2015. Math Blocks 2.

©Breakey, D. 2015. Math Blocks 3.

In Week 5 of Math class we explored the unit on integers. Student presenters once again took turns teaching a specific focus of integers such as division, multiplication, square roots and perfect squares.  The presentation on square roots and perfect squares by my classmate Bennett specifically interested me. I thought he was an example of what a good presentation should look like. He was clear, concise and well informed on his topic. He understood how to use the tools he was incorporating into his presentation, such as the smart board, and he had an excellent activity for the class.

I took away some tips about what I would want to do in my presentation and feel that picking an engaging activity for the class is key to keeping their attention. His locker problem activity had us solve the problem of which lockers would remain open after following several steps (shown below). The first thing I liked about this problem is that it was relatable. Lockers are something students will use everyday and it is a visual they can have in their head and something they can understand manipulating. The second positive piece about this problem is the fact that you could play it out in real life. If you wanted to make this more active for your students you could have them act out the real problem on a real set of lockers. This would not only get the students up and interacting with their environment but it would also keep them involved in solving the math problem. 

The other very important thing I reflected on this week was the lack of technology we used. So much focus has been placed on bringing media into the classroom. As a teacher in the 21st century it is important I explore and use new tools and applications to engage my students. Exploring the great games in an example of how we are learning about math technology for future use. This week we didn't need to use technology to be engaged. In fact, shown in the pictures above, we used regular snap cubes to demonstrate square roots and perfect squares. Using a manipulative was a great way to explore the unit and help in solving some of the math problems we examined in class.

With all the focus on technology I think it is important to remember that manipulatives, and other physical resources, are just as useful and important as technology and mobile devices. Everything has its place and it is up to the teacher to create an engaging and creative lesson. Technology does not automatically equal better. The presentations this week proved that as they used very little technology but were very effective in teaching their respective units. 

Finally, we touched on lesson planning last week. Lesson plans will become a main focus throughout my teaching career. They are designed to ensure you have planned explicitly which areas of the curriculum you will focus on, how you will execute your activity or lesson and demonstrate how you will evaluate you students. I know I am going to need to gain experience creating strong lesson plans but I look forward to my placement where I know I will get to practice and prefect lesson planning.

©Breakey, D. 2015. Locker Activity.

Techknow Teacher

©Breakey, D. 2015. Genius Hour Worldle.

I've said it before, I feel very comfortable using technology. I'm young enough that I still grew up with media being apart my life and my schooling. At least that's what I thought! Laptops were just starting to come to school with students when I was in high school. University was my first big introduction to online learning. We used a forum called CourseLink where I would login and see all my courses displayed. Each of my professors would add things to their course page that students needed to know. I could find my course syllabus, powerpoint presentations, class notes and whatever else the professor felt was important. Some classes would have videos of lectures posted while others were sparse and rarely used. For the first time I completed quizzes online and submitted assignments to an online dropbox.

It was efficient but at times isolating. In university I took my first completely online classes. The irony is that those classes were more expensive even though no class time was required! I'll save that rant for another day. Online learning was great because I could do it from anywhere at any time. While volunteering for a summer in Dominican Republic I was able to access my courses online and complete summer school. That being said, it was difficult at times as you had very little access to a professor. The technology overwhelmed me and exploring these tools alone was tough.

Now that I'm in teachers college I'm learning about a whole new world of online learning for students as young as grade 1. Technology, for them, is second nature and there is so much access to applications and tools that directly relate to specific ages and learning levels. I thought I was ahead of the game but I am just beginning. The good news is, my students do not have to feel alone in navigating technology! Using mobile devices doesn't have to mean being far away and separate. By bringing media into my classroom and apart of our world I can connect my students with one another and with me.

They can use so many learning platforms that meet their learning needs. Today, in class, I discovered a number of new tools that will make teaching so much more interactive. The days of boring powerpoint presentations are out and the days of interactive PowToon presentations are in! I'm looking forward to making use of these tools and applications in my classroom in the very near future.

Media Studies Reflection

For the past several weeks my language class has been examining media in the classroom. We've looked at the benefits and some of the challenges that may arise when using technology. In particular, we have focused on how media in the classroom will impact us as teachers. Are we prepared for the digital classroom? Can we adapt and make technology a useful tool for our students? Are we comfortable enough when using technology ourselves and how might we adapt our lessons to include more tech? All of these questions revolve around the theme of digital literacy which is a key focus in the Ontario Curriculum. 

This week I explored Edutopia which is a website designed to share educational knowledge with an online community for the purposes of adoption in the classroom. Specifically, I read a blog post called "Social Media Can Be Your Ally" which discusses using social media in the classroom. The big question is, should teachers be communicating with students outside of the physical classroom? The answer I've come to after reading the blog and watching the TVO video above is YES! Using social media can be a great way of connecting with your students in a way that is both comfortable and convenient for them. A majority of students are comfortable using devices and are familiar with social media. They probably know more about the digital world then we do!

As an educator I want to connect with my students and cultivate connections between them and their learning. This is challenging while students are hidden behind computer screen and mobile devices. We have to get creative and make those connections on a platform they understand. Twitter is an excellent tool for reach students at home. Teachers can post homework, class reminders and tips for homework. Blogging is another effective tool for teaching. Students not only write blogs but comment on them. It becomes an online forum where students and educators all over the world can interact and learn from one another. 

The easy access to information and online tools has created an endless possibilities for students and teachers alike. It has become critical to understand how to use media effectively. So much so that the Ontario curriculum sets media literacy expectations for each grade. In grade 6 students have to be able to create a variety of media texts for different and audiences. Social media is the perfect forum to teach this. 

Social media is an ally. Teachers have to recognize it and be willing to embrace it. If we can do that we can reach our students and take educating to a new level of success. I want to reach students on a level they understand and if that means adapting my teaching style to embrace media then I am willing and ready! 

The Great Games - Puppy Chase

©Arcademics. 2015. Puppy Chase [online screenshot].

This week I examined a math game that students could use to practice a specific unit or skill. The first game I played was Puppy Chase. What initially drew me to trying this game was the name. For kids, puppies would be a great way to hook them into a game. This game revolves around decimal conversion. Students create a username and are assigned a puppy. Students then race against other puppies to complete the race first. The more answers they get correct in the shortest amount of time leads them to win. The game is fun, engaging and uses something that kids love to get them excited to play (i.e. puppies). 

I enjoyed playing and felt the interface was great for young students. This game targets grade 5's and along the way they can level up and achieve the power to unlock new characters. A challenge to this game is the time factor. Students are under pressure to decide on the right answer and the math is done purely in your head. For students, the time crunch could create stress and result in them choosing the wrong answer because they feel rushed. The multiple choice option allows students to make educated guesses or discover patters in the game. For example, when a student sees 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 they will start to realize they are looking for .5 as the decimal. I think this is a positive thing because conversion will become innate and they will learn to calculate simple decimals more quickly.

This game is not ideal for working through a problem or showing your work.

What it does do is allow students to get more comfortable at recognizing patterns and consistency in conversions. Educated guesses and estimation is a critical tool in mathematics and the good news is, the game tells you what answers you got wrong at the end allowing you to review your mistakes. Seeing where you went wrong is another great way to fix mistakes in the future. If students get comfortable with changing 1/2 into .5 or 1/4 into .25 they'll be more equipped when it comes time to showing their work in class. Mental math is important and the strength of this game is providing a tool for students to practice that mental math in a really fun and engaging way. I could see students playing this outside of class simply because they enjoy it and because you can play other people such as your classmates!

Team Building at Teen Ranch

©Breakey, D. 2015. Team Building.

Last week I talked about applying the Genius Hour concept to my hockey team. This past weekend I got the chance to put it to the test. I designated 20 minutes of my practice for "Gryphon Time". During this time players got to decide what they needed to practice and were given the freedom and support to focus on that. Coaches went around assisting players, giving them instruction and observing their collaboration. Each player had set individual goals for the season and they are rarely given time to work on these individual things. Applying the concept of Genius Hour into my practice was a great way to get the girls excited to learn about something they felt was important.

By now, if you've been keeping up with my blog, you know I am exploring how team building impacts the success of a hockey team. This past weekend I used my own team as research! The team travelled to Teen Ranch where they stayed as a team in a beautiful cottage, rode horses, did team building activities and spent time establishing what they wanted for the upcoming season. If you've never heard of Teen Ranch check them out because this place is amazing! The property is beautiful and big enough to host several teams. There is a hockey rink on site and there are plenty of fun activities to choose from.

Getting away from the hustle and bustle of home was a great way for the girls to focus solely on the team. We had a campfire one night and even did a fun relay race where half the girls were blindfolded and the other half had to lead them by only using verbal cues. They had to tape a hockey stick, lace a skate and find a hidden hockey puck! They had to learn to use clear communication and trust their teammates. It was a great team building activity and without a doubt the girls came away feeling closer and more united. I noticed a difference in our next practice as the energy seemed higher and the intensity was better. I attribute this to the team building weekend. My team is ready to tackle this upcoming season!

Before our first season game the girls have one more team building day to complete. On Sunday they will travel to McMaster University where they will spent a day at Altitude. This is a day spent completing trust activities. The girls will climb a rock wall, complete a high ropes and low ropes course, make their way up the " Alpine Tower" (a 52 foot climbing tower) and spend the day getting through challenges as a team. I bet that our next practice after we complete Altitude will be even better. Stay tuned!

©Breakey, D. 2015. Horseback Riding.

©Breakey. D. 2015. Relay Race. 

Week 4 Math Reflection

©Breakey, D. 2015. Jessica's Presentation. 

Week 4 was filled with more student presentations. This week our topic was fractions and decimals. I am still really enjoying learning from my fellow classmates and I am learning a lot about what makes an effective lesson. My presentation isn't for a few weeks but seeing the different strategies my classmates are using is certainly helping me decide what I want to include in mine. The smart board seems to be an essential tool. There are so many ways you can use this tool to further the lesson. At first, I felt some hesitation in using the smart board because it seemed like using technology just for the sake of it. What can I do on a smart board that I can not do on a white board? This week I was shown exactly that when my classmate did her lesson on adding fractions.  

The photo above is blurry but I managed to snap it with my iPhone during the presentation. Jessica (the presenter) used images of lego blocks to demonstrate how to add fractions. Different sized lego blocks represented different fractions and she was able to layer the lego pieces on top of one another simulating what students would do with lego in real life. She took into account students potential interests, used a visual they could relate to and used it to explain a unit in math while making it entertaining for her students. I could not draw this on a white board but the smart board added was the perfect too to add an entertainment factor that kids need to stay engaged.

Another presenter this week used manipulatives to demonstrate the subtracting of decimals. She used base 10 blocks for her example but I realized that teachers can be more creative. The virtual lego blocks got me thinking that lego would be a great manipulative to actually bring into the classroom to tie into what was being taught and shown on the smart board. Having students solve certain problems by showing their work through lego would be a great way to get students excited about math and a good way to see if students are understanding the concepts being taught. One suggestion by our textbook was to use money as the manipulative. Money is something that students already have some understanding of and so it would be applicable in teaching a unit such as decimals. Students are able to understand cents in the decimal place and use this concept when adding or subtracting decimal places. 

More and more I am realizing that teaching math is really about being creative and finding ways to engage students in their learning. The more ways we get students interested in what their learning the more successful we will be as teachers! Using real world examples is another great strategy for teaching. Students are more likely to build on information they already have. Odds are students haven't made the connection between money and decimals but once that connection is made the understanding will be that much better. If you want some creative ideas to use on the smart board check out this Pinterest account. 

Week 3 Math Reflection

Small. (2009) Place Value Riddles.

This week was another action packed class in math where we discussed operations with whole numbers. Presentations started this week and, to my surprise, I really enjoyed learning from my peers. They were able to break down topics in a very simple way. You'd think whole number operations would be a piece of cake considering the many years of schooling I've experienced. Truth be told, I forgot more than I thought. It's amazing how quickly you can forget simple math strategies that you used for so many years. With that said, it also amazes me how quickly that information comes back to you while listening to some of the excellent presentations. 

I found the presentation of place value to be excellent. Not only were the fundamentals covered, but strategies for teaching place value were also introduced. We used riddles to solve for certain place values as a technique for teaching. Not only was I completely engaged in the activity, I can honestly say it was fun! One of the goals I have for myself is to find ways to make math fun and engaging for my students and using riddles as a way of teaching a math concept such as place values is a prime example. For more lesson plan ideas using riddles and place values check out Lakeshore Learning.

I also used this week to explore online learning resources. Riddles are one type of activity to engage students but I wanted to look further. I didn't have to go far to find Adapted Math Mind. This website has something for every learner. You begin by picking your grade and then choosing a subject. I went into grade 5 math and chose factoring and multiples. You then pick from a variety of monster characters and make your way through an animated world by completing math problems. Students are given the opportunity to level up each time they successfully complete a section of the game. Below is a screen shot of the interface used in the game. Using technology and gaming to engage students in math is a great idea and one that I believe could be very effective.  I could use a game like this in my classroom to get my students involved in their learning. I'll also admit that I found playing the game extremely useful in refreshing my math skills for a specific grade. This website is also a rich resource because it covers many areas of the Ontario curriculum for mathematics. 

This course continues to show me new and innovative ways to engage my students in math. I'm also continuing to redevelop my own understanding in math along the way and thus far, I'm feeling pretty successful. 

Adapted Mind. (2013). Grade 5 Activity Screen Shot.