Digital Math Resources - Summer

Wondering what digital math resources are available this summer to our learners?  First, check out the recent post on Digital Math Resources: iPad Apps. Then, explore these three *free* digital math resources for personalized learning:

Think Through Math will be available for use through the summer for learners in Texas currently enrolled in grades 3 - 8.  Educators with learners planning to utilize TTM through the summer should set up/verify their learning pathways are appropriate and ready to use all summer.  More information for parents is available here: http://texassuccess.org/support/parent–corner.

CK-12 Brain Flex offers learners an opportunity to get active and happy this summer.  Build your math and science skills with daily practice. 

Available free this summer, Ten Marks from Amazon offers personalized learning for each child with a diagnostic assessment that individualizes the program and on-demand instruction with video lessons and hints.

Digital Math Resources - iPad Apps

This post includes some of my favorite *free* apps for math learners.  I am not a fan of in-app purchases for children, so those were avoided if at all possible.  

The apps I have included can be used by learners to explore and educators to model concepts from counting to graphing. I encourage you to explore a few new apps and let me know if you have a new favorite.  Enjoy!

Apps for Young Learners

• Counting Board

Counting Board is a colorful hundreds chart for kids to use to learn the basics of numbers.

• Telling Time Quiz

Learn to tell time in 18 levels. Once you master the basics, the game will automatically advance to the next level.

Apps from The Math Learning Center

• Geoboard

Geoboard is a tool for exploring a variety of mathematical topics introduced in the elementary and middle grades. Learners stretch bands around the pegs to form line segments and polygons and make discoveries about perimeter, area, angles, congruence, fractions, and more.

• Pattern Shapes

Students use Pattern Shapes to explore geometry and fractions, creating their own designs, or filling in outlines. As they work with the shapes students explore geometric relationships, think about angles, investigate symmetry, and compose and decompose larger shapes. Many of these explorations lead naturally to thinking about fractions as parts of a whole.

• Math Vocabulary Cards

Math Vocabulary Cards help students deepen their conceptual understanding of key terms in mathematics. Each card features three sections: a math term, a representative example or model, and a concise definition. Each section can be hidden or revealed providing multiple options for practice. Vocabulary cards can be selected individually or by category and switched seamlessly between English and Spanish.

• Number Pieces Basic

Number Pieces Basic helps students develop a deeper understanding of place value while building their computation skills with multi-digit numbers. Students can use the number pieces to represent multi-digit numbers, count, regroup, add, and subtract. The drawing tools allow students to label representations and show their understanding.

Apps from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 

• Deep Sea Duel

Challenge Okta or a friend in a duel! Collect cards with the specified sum, and you win. But you better do it before your opponent does!   Choose the number of cards and type of numbers. Can you figure out a way to guarantee your win? We hope so! 
Practice your strategy by playing against Okta. We hear she’s great competition. Okta learns as you do. She gets smarter each time you beat her! 

• Equivalent Fractions

Create equivalent fractions by dividing and shading squares or circles, and match each fraction to its location on the number line. Check your work, and use the table feature to capture results and look for patterns. Got a particular value for which you’d like to make equivalent fractions? Use “Build Your Own” mode.
This app was developed by Illuminations, a project of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. It is also available as an online activity along with many other free math resources for teachers and students at http://illuminations.nctm.org.

• Math Concentration

By yourself or against a friend, match whole numbers, shapes, fractions, or multiplication facts to equivalent representations. Practice with the clear panes or step up the challenge with the windows closed. How many socks can you win?
This app was developed for children in grades preK–5 by Illuminations. It is also available as an online activity along with many other free math resources for children at http://illuminations.nctm.org

• Pick-A-Path

Help Okta reach the target (maximum, minimum, or a specific value) by choosing a path from the top of the maze to the bottom. Seven levels with seven puzzles will test your skills with powers of ten, negative numbers, fractions, decimals, and more. How many starfish can you earn?
This app was developed by Illuminations. It is also available as an online interactive along with accompanying lesson plans and guides. Visit illuminations.nctm.org to access these and more!

Graphing Calculator by Desmos

• Desmos

Explore math with Desmos! Plot functions, create tables, add sliders, animate your graphs, and more -- all for free. 

STAAR Data - Looking at Reporting Categories

Question: We don't know yet if our learners met standard on (passed) STAAR...What DO we know????

Answer: We know how the learners performed in each reporting category!

Now that our Spring 2015 STAAR data is in Aware, we can analyze the information by Student Reporting Category.  Once you log in to Aware through eduphoria!, select Student Reporting Category Breakdown from the drop down menu in the top, right side of the screen.

This will allow you to see the overall percent correct in each reporting category.

To clarify what this data means, look at the TEKS in the reporting categories...The STAAR Standards Snapshots from Lead4Ward allow you to see the TEKS organized by reporting category in a clear, organized format.  Go to http://lead4ward.com/resources/ and choose the Snapshot for your grade level.

I encourage you to reflect on this school year in light of this data and other quantitative and qualitative data collected in your classroom.  In what area did your learners' strengths lie?  Weaknesses?  How will this influence your lesson design for 2015-2016? 

Remember that we will only have raw score data (total number correct and number correct per reporting category) until the fall when TEA releases our performance standards and the pass rates are set.  At that time, we will know whether each child met standard or not.

The Met/Satisfactory column in Aware will reflect 0% or No for all learners until the fall when the performance standards are set.

As you review your data, I encourage you to ask questions rather than seek only answers.  More questions will uncover more data, and more data will paint a more accurate picture of our learners. 

CISD Long-Term Transfer Goals

Coppell ISD Long-Term Transfer Goals for Mathematics

According to the work by Wiggins and McTighe in their book Schooling by Design, transfer goals aim to the most important long-term performance outcomes we desire of our learners.  

These goals:

• require application (not simply recognition or recall),

• the application occurs in new situations,

• with the application, some strategic thinking is required,

• learners must apply their learning autonomously (on their own), and 

• transfer calls for the use of habits of mind (such as persistence).

The CISD Long-Term Transfer Goals were identified by a committee of educators challenged with designing a macro-level mathematics curriculum for our district.  The committee selected the 8 Standards for Mathematical Practice which originated from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) process standards and the strands of mathematical proficiency in the National Research Council's report, Adding it Up.

Learner understanding of the Transfer Goals is demonstrated through Transfer Tasks.  Ultimately, the tasks are aligned vertically, beginning with our youngest learners and extending to those applying their understanding abstractly, building throughout as the sophistication of mathematical thinking is developed.

As educators analyze tasks and use the standards (TEKS) to understand desired outcomes, the vertical alignment of the learning experiences is clarified.

One possible example of a transfer task related to a long-term transfer goal, model with mathematics, is stacking cups.  Explained here: http://www.estimation180.com/stackingcups.html, the task has been revised and shared on blog posts by Dan Meyer: http://blog.mrmeyer.com/2008/linear-fun-2-stacking-cups/ and Alex Overwijk: http://slamdunkmath.blogspot.com/2014/05/open-strategy-cup-stacking.html.  Since then, Andrew Stadel has shared how to extend the task vertically: http://mr-stadel.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-ultimate-task-for-vertical-planning.html#comment-form.

If you are interested in designing a learning experienced based on the stacking cups task, please let me know.  This can be done K-12.  I would love to come to your classroom to help!  --- Mary

TEA Documents for Revised (2012) TEKS

Currently, high school math educators are preparing to implement the first year of the Revised (2012) TEKS while K-8 math educators are preparing to wrap up their first year with these new standards.

Whether you teach elementary or secondary, a strong understanding of the TEKS is important when designing learning experiences.  The following documents from TEA support educators' understanding of the Revised (2012) Math TEKS and are useful tools in planning:

1.  Side-by-Side TEKS Comparison Documents

These documents present a side-by-side comparison of the previous TEKS and the revised mathematics TEKS for kindergarten through high school courses. 

Side-by-Side TEKS Comparison Documents

2.  TEKS with "Such As" Statements

This document contains the “such as” statements that were included in the review committees’ final recommendations for revisions to the mathematics Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Such as statements are possible illustrative examples and are not required to be included in instruction in the TEKS. This document is intended to serve as a resource for teachers in designing instruction for the revised mathematics TEKS. 

TEKS with “Such As” Statements

Response to Intervention (RtI) Webinars

Response to Intervention (RtI) Webinars

You are invited to participate in a series of webinars designed to share information about implementation strategies for RtI. National experts in applying the principles of RtI in reading, writing, mathematics, and behavior and a respected Texas administrator who has successfully implemented RtI on her campus will lead the one-hour webinars hosted by Southern Methodist University (SMU). Each free webinar offers one hour of professional development continuing education credit (CEC) awarded by the Simmons School of Education & Human Development at SMU. The webinars will provide a preview of information to be shared through TEA’s RtI Guidance app, scheduled for release in August 2015.

The first in the series, RtI & Administrators, is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2015, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Registration for the April 14^th webinar is now open.  

Other webinars are scheduled as follows:

• RtI & Reading                    April 28, 2015, 3:30–4:30 p.m.
• RtI & Mathematics          May 5, 2015, 3:30–4:30 p.m.
• RtI & Behavior                  May 12, 2015, 3:30–4:30 p.m.
• RtI & Writing                     May 19, 2015, 3:30–4:30 p.m.

To register for future webinars, click the webinar title. To learn more, contact RtI & Texas.

Opportunities for Educators and Learners through the Perot Museum

Discovery Corps

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is accepting new students for their Discovery Corps.  The students will assist educators in summer camp programs for young children and support a special summer exhibit experience.

The Discovery Corps application requirements include: students should be entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year of high school in the fall of 2015, demonstrate positive communication skills, ability to work with children, make good decisions, and be a positive and contributing team member.

For more information about the Discovery Corps, please click on the link below.

Discovery Corps Flyer


Kosmos Energy STEM Teacher Institute

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science has transformed its current professional development offerings for educators through the launch of the new Kosmos Energy STEM Teacher Institute.  Benefits of involvement in this institute include professional learning opportunities, a growing network of STEM education professionals, access to resources at the Museum, and mentorship opportunities.

For more information about the Kosmos Energy STEM Teacher Institute, please click on the link below.

Kosmos Energy STEM Teacher Institute Flyer