Blended Learning: Redefine Your Classroom

Introduction to Blended Learning Series

As more and more people recognize the importance of incorporating online technology into our classrooms-- more opportunities and resources become available to teachers.


This is, especially exciting for MATH, because blended learning opens up an environment for different learning styles and especially for the different paces of concept understanding.

In MATH, each student reaches mastery in different ways and at different times. Blended learning strives to give students resources so they can build knowledge, at their pace, both inside and outside the classroom. It removes traditional constraints on math skills acquisition because students have multiple resources available to them, including lectures that can be revisited at home for understanding. 

In math it can be really stressful when the lesson "goes" too fast.  And if we can't keep up with what the teacher is teaching, we get lost; this may cause us to shut down, which further delays our ability to get the important math concepts we need to build on.
Blended learning give the student a lot more control over the resources they need to learn.

PODCAST: What.About. EUREKA Math

PLEASE CLICK ON MY POD CAST BELOW

This is a podcast where I talk about my experiences using Eureka Math.  I give an overview of a second grade geometry lesson and talk about working with elementary students last year. I tell about their responses to the curriculum. Using this curriculum students thought hard and worked hard.  They developed growth mindset and gained a better attitude about math.
Please click on the link below to listen to the podcast.

first.podcast.what.about.math

Mathematics Curriculum
: Composite Shapes and Fraction Concepts
This work is derived from Eureka Math ™ and licensed by Great Minds. ©2015. eureka math.org

It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution.

Partition  circles and rectangles into two, three, or four equal shares, describe the shares using the words halves, thirds, half of, a third of, etc., and describe the whole as two halves, three thirds, four fourths. Recognize that equal shares of identical wholes need not have the same shape.

Identifying, Composing, and Partitioning Shapes

PODCAST are a GREAT IDEA:  Teachers can communicate with students and provide content the students can assess 24/7.   Education re-defined.

MATH STORIES...

Word problems are so intimidating?  I hate them.
Besides,  "What do they even want to know? Why don't they just give me the numbers so I can solve it, already?"     

 I always ask myself, when faced with a word problem, "What is the point of doing a WORD problems? They're so hard."
           Well, it turns out, you need a method, a strategy, or a system ---You need an  approach!  SOMETHING that walks you through with baby steps!  So, here it is. As taught in college.

          1. READ   (do I have to?)
          2.THINK (I don't want to)
          3. ASK    (What do they want to know?!#@%??)
          4. Draw a Picture:  (What?!)  THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART  (Its a college skill)
          5. Decide:  What does the picture tell  me?  How can I solve this. What can I do?
          6. Write out the Equation. Now, Solve.  Is it wrong?   No Problem...
                -- GO BACK AND DO IT AGAIN!    (What? #$%@?)

          7. Back to the Drawing Board.... (I love math) (this is fun...)
          8. YES.  NOW Solve  it again. Victory.
          9. Check  your work  (WHAT! #%@?) omg

That is a long list.  My biggest problem with WORD problems is: They take time.

Unless it's easy, I don't like it: WE HAVE TO GET OVER THAT.
    That's the mistake we make in MATH:  Thinking we can cut corners, and cheat our way to the answer... Doesn't work like that..   ..that voice: " I don't want to do this. I can't do this" ---
It's the obstacle standing between us and crushing it in the math world. WE CAN DO It;  We do know it.. We just have to buckle down and draw a PICTURE

THIS SPRING
I needed to build three composting worm boxes for red compost worms. I ordered them from Pennsylvania... Now, I had to figure out how to build a worm box.  I suddenly realized: "This is why we have word problems."  Building worm boxes was a word problem.
TURNS OUT, LIFE IS A WORD PROBLEM!!

 
HERE'S A FUNNY VIDEO  about MATH,  that I LOVE

                             Mathematics:   Is a science.

 It describes shape, quantity, and arrangement.

 Math explores the world around us.


     Who was Pythagoras? A teacher. What did he teach us?

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