Forward Together just put together a little PR video about the grant that allowed Juda to install Phase 2 of their solar array (all project management done by students). The applicant has to be a teacher on the grant so I was too much of a main character, when the students should have been, but it came out great (outside of how old I look).
Again - every school, every student should experience this during their K-12 schooling -- it can be done. It is problem solving, it is real world. It is just selecting great projects over good curriculum.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Hour of Code
So there are times where you just take advantage of opportunities and this week there is the Hour of Code. And since my school doesn't have a Computer Science Teacher I try integrate those skills into our math curriculum - and this week makes an easy start. In the past I have had units using Alice and it has always been a good project -- but the Hour of Code seems to be a much better way to start.
Programming is a chance to apply our problem solving skills that we continually work on in math. I think it is great fit with Algebra through Pre-Calculus. And curriculum-wise I am willing to trade a couple of topics for the students to have this skill.
It is not too late to be part - just go to Code.org\learn. It is worth an hour of time from the math curriculum.
Programming is a chance to apply our problem solving skills that we continually work on in math. I think it is great fit with Algebra through Pre-Calculus. And curriculum-wise I am willing to trade a couple of topics for the students to have this skill.
It is not too late to be part - just go to Code.org\learn. It is worth an hour of time from the math curriculum.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Teaching with technology versus using technology to teach
Was at the WTI conference today, it was a good day -- a good PD day. It really made me think how I use and need to use technology for creating students ready for the world. My prior belief was reaffirmed --- the device is not important, the project is. Devices are simply tools - it is the set up of the project and direction (or in my case lack of direction - I like making students decide their project's fate) of the work.
The keynote, Kristen Swanson, spoke about what learning really is. Students doing problems in class then on a test is not learning; the point of education is "transfer" and that is what I need to continue to locate for my students. A way to use the math, the problem solving on real world projects. To take the skills and use them in a context outside my classroom.
A really good problem, with a really messy answer and a chance for students to attack and learn. Empower students to be persistent and let them own their project. That is the goal I am walking away with - get the problem and give them the tech.
Use the tech to focus on instant access, to find real authentic audiences -- that empowers the students to work on the problem to show persistence, to do - which all means to learn.
I feel re-energized to find ways to take the math to the world. Because I want to make sure my students are able to use their skills in the world. I want them to be problem solvers, so I want that transfer (I also want them to be ready for college math - so again it is a blend).
Finally the keynote spoke about unleashing student's superpowers, which made me think what is mine - and I think mine is my commitment to finding the messy problems, leaving it open ended with multiple solutions. The problems and projects that stretch students. My students would call it Captain Annoying most likely at first - but in the end it makes them (and me) better.
Again, overall a good PD day.
The keynote, Kristen Swanson, spoke about what learning really is. Students doing problems in class then on a test is not learning; the point of education is "transfer" and that is what I need to continue to locate for my students. A way to use the math, the problem solving on real world projects. To take the skills and use them in a context outside my classroom.
A really good problem, with a really messy answer and a chance for students to attack and learn. Empower students to be persistent and let them own their project. That is the goal I am walking away with - get the problem and give them the tech.
Use the tech to focus on instant access, to find real authentic audiences -- that empowers the students to work on the problem to show persistence, to do - which all means to learn.
I feel re-energized to find ways to take the math to the world. Because I want to make sure my students are able to use their skills in the world. I want them to be problem solvers, so I want that transfer (I also want them to be ready for college math - so again it is a blend).
Finally the keynote spoke about unleashing student's superpowers, which made me think what is mine - and I think mine is my commitment to finding the messy problems, leaving it open ended with multiple solutions. The problems and projects that stretch students. My students would call it Captain Annoying most likely at first - but in the end it makes them (and me) better.
Again, overall a good PD day.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Best Algebra 2 course
So I have been putting a lot of thought into what makes a great Algebra 2 course (or maybe just a better course than we currently offer). How it aligns to standards but more importantly how it makes sure students are ready for secondary math and career.
My school has the sequence of Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 -- an important fact when reading what I am considering/debating/generally thinking about. Also they may be named by the "college admission's math Triforce names" but it really is more of a Math 1, 2, 3 - integrating Algebra and Geometry in each course.
My courses proceed more slowly and have a greater emphasis on understanding than a lot of syllabuses I have reviewed. That coupled with high expectations of learning material once and using often means my year begins with very little review ---- cause what they have done they know and relearning (re reviewing) does not need to happen.
And this year after 6 weeks - I am already about ~40% completed with our Algebra 2 text (because it simply has so much review). This pace did not happen all at once, it happened slowly. This process has taken 6 years (when I started nine years ago - this material took nearly 6 months). Now when we do a topic/subject in Algebra 1 or Geometry we commit to learning it deeply (and thus slowly). We learn, understand something once and then use it recursively. And now I don't re-teach Algebra 1 or basic Geometry or Trig in Algebra 2 and that raises the question - what should I be doing now?
Hind sight is always 20/20 -- and I could have easily done the material covered in Algebra 2 in less time - but now I am getting the exciting thoughts of other things I can do. Now in the past my Math 1,2,3 sequence has just covered the basics of statistics and probability. Which my text does a poor job with too.
Like a lot of Algebra 2 texts there is review of exponents, elimination/substitution/graphing -- what I really want to add is real life stats and probability (more than the odds of pulling a red ball out of a urn). So now I am searching for materials to integrate....
And as I find materials - I will start making changes, because it is just part of the long term mission to improve each course each year - by just a little (2% better every year is my mantra). Because true improvement in curriculum takes years not months.
My school has the sequence of Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 -- an important fact when reading what I am considering/debating/generally thinking about. Also they may be named by the "college admission's math Triforce names" but it really is more of a Math 1, 2, 3 - integrating Algebra and Geometry in each course.
My courses proceed more slowly and have a greater emphasis on understanding than a lot of syllabuses I have reviewed. That coupled with high expectations of learning material once and using often means my year begins with very little review ---- cause what they have done they know and relearning (re reviewing) does not need to happen.
And this year after 6 weeks - I am already about ~40% completed with our Algebra 2 text (because it simply has so much review). This pace did not happen all at once, it happened slowly. This process has taken 6 years (when I started nine years ago - this material took nearly 6 months). Now when we do a topic/subject in Algebra 1 or Geometry we commit to learning it deeply (and thus slowly). We learn, understand something once and then use it recursively. And now I don't re-teach Algebra 1 or basic Geometry or Trig in Algebra 2 and that raises the question - what should I be doing now?
Hind sight is always 20/20 -- and I could have easily done the material covered in Algebra 2 in less time - but now I am getting the exciting thoughts of other things I can do. Now in the past my Math 1,2,3 sequence has just covered the basics of statistics and probability. Which my text does a poor job with too.
Like a lot of Algebra 2 texts there is review of exponents, elimination/substitution/graphing -- what I really want to add is real life stats and probability (more than the odds of pulling a red ball out of a urn). So now I am searching for materials to integrate....
And as I find materials - I will start making changes, because it is just part of the long term mission to improve each course each year - by just a little (2% better every year is my mantra). Because true improvement in curriculum takes years not months.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Projects or matrices
So I spent 12 years working as an Engineer - designing packaging equipment, doing projects, managing people -- high level responsibility - pay matched. And guess what? I never did matrices - not one single one. Yet it is a requirement for high school now in most Algebra 2 courses? Does that make your typical Algebra 2 student better that they know Cramer's rule? Or are we (teachers) just making ourselves feel good by having students pump and dump (memorize and forget) one more thing.
Don't get me wrong - I think it has a place in high school - PreCalculus, a class for students who want a STEM career but if I have to really make students understand matrices in Algebra 2- that will take at least 5 class periods - nearly 3% of my year.
I can teach about stocks and its math, loans or how to use math to solve open ended problems - but that takes time. So.... how valuable are matrices? Because choices need to be made, and as a group we are picking matrices.
So are matrices more important than stocks (401k 403b anyone?) or loans (buying a house and car is a little more common than matrices)? The point is we have a limited commodity - time!
There is simply not enough time. And if I hear one more expert answer my question of how we are supposed to do it all - say "When you have a unified K-12 curriculum it will happen." - I may seriously crap myself.
I love matrices- there is really vision for programming and problem solving with Cramer'r Rule. Looking for patterns - using to simplify repetitive problems - but if you do it in 5 days in Algebra 2 do you make it to the level of discovery and struggle students need for growth as learners?
I keep thinking the experts forgot we have only 180 days when planning my curriculum - which I lose at least 15 a year to trips, etc. (and those trips need to happen). So in 165 days in 4 years I have to teach and lead student's discovery of math's interconnections and uses - a standard every few days. Ugh.
Now common core haters should not be smiling - we need a national set of standards and math does need multiple solutions not just memorization of algorithms. We just need to make sure what was published in 2010 is not written in stone. We need to allow for creativity and paradigm shifting thoughts -- they should be reviewed and revised every few years. That is real progress.
When I was in industry my simple goal was slow constant sustainable growth - I never said lets be 15% better next year. We moved for 2-3% growth year after year - and once you do that you get long term amazing results. There is too much change too quickly - half the initiatives I have seen in my limited time of 9 years never got the chance to work - not enough time or belief by anyone that they would work.
So there - projects or matrices -- it is really the question of how we make problem solvers.
Don't get me wrong - I think it has a place in high school - PreCalculus, a class for students who want a STEM career but if I have to really make students understand matrices in Algebra 2- that will take at least 5 class periods - nearly 3% of my year.
I can teach about stocks and its math, loans or how to use math to solve open ended problems - but that takes time. So.... how valuable are matrices? Because choices need to be made, and as a group we are picking matrices.
So are matrices more important than stocks (401k 403b anyone?) or loans (buying a house and car is a little more common than matrices)? The point is we have a limited commodity - time!
There is simply not enough time. And if I hear one more expert answer my question of how we are supposed to do it all - say "When you have a unified K-12 curriculum it will happen." - I may seriously crap myself.
I love matrices- there is really vision for programming and problem solving with Cramer'r Rule. Looking for patterns - using to simplify repetitive problems - but if you do it in 5 days in Algebra 2 do you make it to the level of discovery and struggle students need for growth as learners?
I keep thinking the experts forgot we have only 180 days when planning my curriculum - which I lose at least 15 a year to trips, etc. (and those trips need to happen). So in 165 days in 4 years I have to teach and lead student's discovery of math's interconnections and uses - a standard every few days. Ugh.
Now common core haters should not be smiling - we need a national set of standards and math does need multiple solutions not just memorization of algorithms. We just need to make sure what was published in 2010 is not written in stone. We need to allow for creativity and paradigm shifting thoughts -- they should be reviewed and revised every few years. That is real progress.
When I was in industry my simple goal was slow constant sustainable growth - I never said lets be 15% better next year. We moved for 2-3% growth year after year - and once you do that you get long term amazing results. There is too much change too quickly - half the initiatives I have seen in my limited time of 9 years never got the chance to work - not enough time or belief by anyone that they would work.
So there - projects or matrices -- it is really the question of how we make problem solvers.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Organization -- Not enough, or too much?
Statement of fact - I am not the most "organized" teacher. Maybe I could be - but time is a limited commodity, and I do not like trading teaching time for neat piles. I also don't trade teaching time for homework checking time (on a daily basis), a type of "neat pile." I now check homework once every few days; I used to work hard at checking the work but the longer I have taught - the less I check and the better my students do.
Some of that is simply gaining some experience - I look back and know I do better in year 3 than year 1. But it is more than that too. The experience between year 7 and year 9 is not nearly as dramatic. So student performance is definitely effected by teacher experience but there is point where it does not have a substantial impact. It then becomes how you the teacher lead the class - your expectations, what you demand of them.
In industry you only give power for decisions to those you trust - and then you manage. It is the same in school - a 16 year old cannot be allowed to decide to not be part of school or do school. It is a young person's job, and if they cannot handle the decision to "do school" - then the educator (the senior manager) needs to take over and push. And that is a ton of work - 10% of my students take 75% of my time.
I may not be "organized" but homework is not a cornerstone of what we do (in my math room). We work bell to bell like it is our job. It is non-traditional, but I do not worry about what my class should "look like" either.
We do math from beginning to end. A student is given a plethora of chances to show mastery - but no one is allowed to sit idle. I joke, kid, mentally push them to be part of the class - just being quiet will not save you. And thus everyday, every student has to do math for 44 minutes.
It allows me to ignore the routine of other rooms. It allows me to use homework as practice but not learning. It allows me to push students to mastery - so passing means a student who can succeed mathematically in the world.
And that is powerful.
Some of that is simply gaining some experience - I look back and know I do better in year 3 than year 1. But it is more than that too. The experience between year 7 and year 9 is not nearly as dramatic. So student performance is definitely effected by teacher experience but there is point where it does not have a substantial impact. It then becomes how you the teacher lead the class - your expectations, what you demand of them.
In industry you only give power for decisions to those you trust - and then you manage. It is the same in school - a 16 year old cannot be allowed to decide to not be part of school or do school. It is a young person's job, and if they cannot handle the decision to "do school" - then the educator (the senior manager) needs to take over and push. And that is a ton of work - 10% of my students take 75% of my time.
I may not be "organized" but homework is not a cornerstone of what we do (in my math room). We work bell to bell like it is our job. It is non-traditional, but I do not worry about what my class should "look like" either.
We do math from beginning to end. A student is given a plethora of chances to show mastery - but no one is allowed to sit idle. I joke, kid, mentally push them to be part of the class - just being quiet will not save you. And thus everyday, every student has to do math for 44 minutes.
It allows me to ignore the routine of other rooms. It allows me to use homework as practice but not learning. It allows me to push students to mastery - so passing means a student who can succeed mathematically in the world.
And that is powerful.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
More thans....
I have been putting a lot of thought into the impact teachers have on their students, positive and negative, especially at high school level. We are charged with teaching young adults in math, but we are really teaching them persistence and problem solving skills. We are looking out for their future - arming them with the skills to succeed.
So every week when I am planning lessons for my courses -- I sit back and remind myself that teachers are more than:
Spitters of facts
Demanders of facts
Discipline junkies
Responsibility demanders.
I work for the students (not the 16 year old but the 27 year old future adult) -- and what my time machine tells me is the 27 year old wants to make the 16 year old ready for the world.
That is why I talk truly about the skills the world needs. I worked for over a decade in a STEM capacity and never did Cramer's rule, simplified gigantic exponent expressions or graphed a hyperbola. But the skills of thinking and researching how to find an answer to a problem I did do. The skills of thinking and finding an answer I did use to graph a hyperbola.
So the what I am doing is important, but I am careful not to end on the slippery slope of saying Algebra 2 is real life skills by itself, for most students it is simply not true. That is why I am stuck on the "more than" thought today -- I am prepping students for more than ACT or college math with Algebra 2. I am making students who are able to not only do the basic facts to be successful in college math but also making them work on projects to make them prepared for their future.
More than....
So every week when I am planning lessons for my courses -- I sit back and remind myself that teachers are more than:
Spitters of facts
Demanders of facts
Discipline junkies
Responsibility demanders.
I work for the students (not the 16 year old but the 27 year old future adult) -- and what my time machine tells me is the 27 year old wants to make the 16 year old ready for the world.
That is why I talk truly about the skills the world needs. I worked for over a decade in a STEM capacity and never did Cramer's rule, simplified gigantic exponent expressions or graphed a hyperbola. But the skills of thinking and researching how to find an answer to a problem I did do. The skills of thinking and finding an answer I did use to graph a hyperbola.
So the what I am doing is important, but I am careful not to end on the slippery slope of saying Algebra 2 is real life skills by itself, for most students it is simply not true. That is why I am stuck on the "more than" thought today -- I am prepping students for more than ACT or college math with Algebra 2. I am making students who are able to not only do the basic facts to be successful in college math but also making them work on projects to make them prepared for their future.
More than....
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