Math Stuff

Objectives

• Consider the possibilities for enhanced instruction.
• Examine "stuff" that supports and enhances "chalk & talk" teaching.
• Play a fraction (or other) game.
• Watch an algebra I (or other) animation.
• Physically complete precalc "Math Exercises." [time permitting]
• Complete a calc (or other) connect-the-dots [in the handout]
• Consider how to easily digitally record and organize and distribute daily class notes.

Outline

    Think of a math file cabinet endowed with the properties of Mary Poppin's magic carpet bag -- good stuff ready for preplanned or impromptu use. It includes class notes, preplanned lessons, animations, Sketchpad stuff, spreadsheets, assignments, thousands of graphics, a dictionary, cheat sheets, old quizzes and tests, announcements, documents, a platform for displaying student work, and, it's a mouse-click away for students’ and colleagues’ use as well. It is www.mathnstuff.com and this presentation is a guided tour of some of it.

• Begin by playing a "Who Has Game."
• Progress through the presentation and links posted on a web page.
• Include samples of graphics, animations, cheat sheets, manipulatives, "digital manipulatives," games, puzzles, assignments, labs.
• End by singing the "Three Times Tables."

    The presentation includes audience participation in leader-conducted activities supplemented by lecture.

    The audience would gain an unusual and rich perspective on teaching math and hopefully be the motivation to continue to their own grow and experimentation as teachers.

Games

• Who Has -- Primes to 101

  Leader Material    

  Participant Material

  primes in green

  numbers, primes not in green

  spreadsheet for use today

  More Who Has

• Game for Two Players

Graphics & Animations: Traditional & Updated

• Graphics

  Conics

  Unit Circle

• Animations

  Point Plotting

  Factor a Trinomial where the Leading Coefficient Is Not 1

  Sketch a Polynomial

• Updated

  Sine and Cosine on Sketchpad

Cheat Sheets & Reference Pages

• Fraction Page
• Logs in Words & Symbols & Sounds

Assignments, Puzzles & Practice

• Connect-the-Dots

  

• Height at Birth & Adulthood
• Inverse Functions - Visually, Aurally, Symbolically, Kinesthetically

  Notes

  Problems

• Signed Number Drill Pages
• Writing to Learn

  Arithmetic

  Algebra

  Precalc

  Calc

• Coordinate Pictures
• Labs

  Build a Web Page or Site

  Create a spread sheet

  More Excel Spreadsheets

Manipulatives & "Digital Manipulatives"

• Coins
• Multiple Strips & Fraction Bars
• Liter Box
• Fraction Tiles
• Term Tiles
• "Digital Manipulative" Library

Finish with a Song

• "The Three Times Tables" to the Tune of "Frére Jacques"