Algebra App: First Impressions

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Cathy Yenca

I have the privilege of using the HMH Fuse Algebra I Common Core app with my algebra classes this year.  I am only just beginning to learn how to unleash the power behind this app, but even at first glance, my students and I were very impressed.  This souped-up interactive textbook app has a lot to offer.

First, it provides a one-stop shop for resources.  Rather than sifting through the typical textbook website for extra resources, the FUSE app tutorial videos are embedded in the “book” exactly where and when you need them.  The “View in Motion” option is also quite handy for the lesson examples.  I have always said I have a hard time using a textbook to teach math because the textbook just “throws up” on students… which is my crass way of saying that the examples are already all worked out for students, and it’s tough to interact with material that’s just splashed in all its completion on the page – a page,  I might add, that students typically aren’t allowed to write on.  Rather, the “View in Motion” option in the FUSE app pulls the examples from the page with a clever slider option, so students can reveal the steps to the problem at their own pace, processing each step before revealing what’s next.  “Check it Out” problems follow each lesson example and give students the opportunity to pause and apply the new skills before moving on.  These problems are presented in multiple choice format, but I have my students trained to use the built-in “scratch pad” to hide the answer choices like a window blind.  Then, once students use the “scratch pad” to work the problem, they reveal the answer choices and pick the right one.  Immediate feedback either affirms or denies the student’s answer choice.  Even this feedback goes well beyond, “You’re right!” or “You’re wrong!”  Rather, complete correct work is revealed when students make the right answer choice, and if the wrong answer is chosen, guiding questions or suggestions are provided to help students rethink things and try again.

Once a lesson is complete, the app provides a “Guided Practice” problem set, with odd problems’ solutions right there in the app – all a student has to do is touch the problem number for any odd problem, and he or she can see the whole thing completely worked out.  Assessments such as those entitled “Ready To Go On?” are sprinkled throughout the chapters to assess student progress along the way.  Student responses to such assessments (including what students write on the “scratch pad”) are accessible from the teacher login side of things.  A built-in student response “clicker” system is something I have to explore more, and look forward to using with my students (though, I am a little spoiled by Socrative and the amazing data report it provides… so I am not sure how this FUSE app will compare!)

I am one of those teachers who can’t be bound to any one teaching resource to the exclusion of all others, so I can’t say I use this app exclusively, or even every day.  However, having such a comprehensive resource in all of my algebra students’ hands makes me ponder how I might moved toward a “flipped” classroom.  Students will have a unique opportunity this coming week, learning from this app without having me around as I attend a regional NCTM conference, and they have a substitute teacher and this app to guide their way for several days.  We’ll see how it goes!

All in all, students seem to be enjoying this app much more than a traditional textbook – and they are not alone.  Read more about other students’ experiences with this app here.  See some of the app’s features here.

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Strategy Swap… Part Deux

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Cathy Yenca

My Algebra students recently experienced a “QR Code Cooperative Problem-Solving” experience, so I tried a similar task with my pre-algebra students today.  Students “zapped” various QR codes posted around the classroom, then solved various problem sets using a template for their work.  Students could opt to work alone or with a partner (though sometimes loners and pairs end up working with other loners and pairs… I just let things happen organically!)  The focus today was simplifying and evaluating expressions with rational numbers.  The potential pitfalls included sign mistakes, decimal errors, and fraction flaws.

 

I made the materials a little more colorful this round, remembering that I am not actually printing any of the PDF problem statements (why stay boring black-and-white if you don’t have to?)  Students were amazingly on task throughout the activity, and the sense of mystery associated with the QR codes kept their attention and curiosity.  The communication that happens during these tasks is unmatched – I literally walk around my classroom with a cheesy grin on my face the entire time.  I love it.  I love hearing students coach and correct one another.  Time and again, I am reminded how important it is for students to have a voice in the mathematics classroom!

Most students finished by the end of the class period, and for those who did not, the problem sets were safely stored within each student’s Qrafter app for reference later – a benefit I hadn’t anticipated!

I also created QR codes that linked to enrichment and extension materials, though none of the groups utilized them because they were so focused on working together on the primary task of the day.  What’s great about that is… I can keep those QR codes hanging on my wall for another day, perhaps for students who finish a test or quiz early.

 

 

It would be wise for me to compile neat enrichment tasks that I always *want* to do but don’t often *get* to do due to time constraints, and just generate QR codes to leave on my walls year-round as “anchoring activities…”  hmmm…!

 

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Strategy Swap

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Cathy Yenca

 

My pre-algebra students had an “Explain Everything” review before their last test, so I took what I learned from that experience and used “EE” with my Algebra students to help them prepare for their test tomorrow.  I made some changes to help guide students to make a quality product in a short timeframe, and I liked what I saw!  I chose 8 problems from the chapter, addressing each of the learning targets, and assigned one problem to each of the 8 random groups.  Students followed the Explain Everything Jigsaw Review Template I created to help them focus their preparation time.  Each student worked out the assigned problem on the handout first, talking through the steps along the way.

 

Then, students wrote out a brief “script” to help decide who was explaining each part of the problem before creating the screen recording.  Next, students followed the plan they’d designed to create the recording.  Finally, each group showed their “video” to the class.  The back of the student handout provided a space for each problem to be solved as students watched one another’s videos, giving every student a tangible study guide as a resource, as well as helping students focus on the mathematics being presented by their peers.

It was so fun to see leaders emerge within these random groups, helping to delegate roles and responsibilities within the groups.  Talking through the problems, students clarified misconceptions and caught minor errors (like sign mistakes or decimal placement issues).  As is the case with teaching, the most time consuming part for these students was spent on the planning!  In the end, I saw quality products and heard every student voice explain something!  We may not be able to truly “Explain Everything” in 52 short minutes, but this task was worth it!

 

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A Spontaneous Songify

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Cathy Yenca

While generalizing rules for multiplying rational numbers, a student had a memory of a little saying:

“Multiplying Fractions, that’s no problem!  Top times top and bottom times bottom!”

While I am not the biggest fan of gimmick-y math phrases, I seized the opportunity to use  an app during this teachable moment.  I told the students that it was time to Songify!  They hadn’t heard of the app (which totally surprised me) so I opened the app and had the entire class repeat the chant as I pressed “record”.

Songify takes spoken language and sets it to a beat in auto-tuner fashion.  We listened to multiple versions of our quick creation (that is to say, we re-songified, tee hee) until we were pleased with the results.

What a fun way to end class on a Friday, and I think I will be hearing our song in my sleep tonight!

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Error Analysis and Role-Playing

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Cathy Yenca

Sometimes, it’s better to let the students do the teaching.

That’s how I approached today’s lesson on adding and subtracting rational numbers.  I know these lovely folks have added and subtracted a few fractions in their time, so I started today with an error-analysis twist.

First, I grabbed a stack of papers and told the students they were going to grade them, so they had better find a red pen.  Next, I handed out a curious paper with “student work” on it – four problems to be exact – that had already been worked out.

Student: “Who did these?”

Me: “Well, they are technically in my handwriting to protect the identities of the students who originally worked the problems, but you are grading real student work.” (True story.)

Another Student: “How many points are these each worth?”

Me: “As many points as you want, you are the teacher, Miss ________!”

Furiously, the students began writing on the already-solved problems.  Two problems were correct, so students gushed with praise over those… but the problems that were wrong?  For those, they showed no mercy.  None.

“SEE ME!”

“You NEVER, EVER add the denominators!”

“SEE ME!  -1,000,000 points!”  (This student was having just a tad too much fun being in charge of the point values, ha ha!)

“This is fun!”  one student exclaimed, literally bouncing out of her seat.

Next, I had my “teachers” present their graded papers using the document camera, referring to each student as “Mr. ________” or “Miss ________”.

Amazing what a little role-playing can do to motivate students!  It was fun  to see their enthusiasm, and even better to see them identify correct and incorrect processes, giving constructive feedback that demonstrated procedural and conceptual understandings.  Kudos to the teachers these students have had in the past – students’ prior knowledge has followed them to my class, and this activity brought that knowledge right out in the open in a fun way!

(Shhhh!  A little secret – 8th graders still like to play!)

P.S. Thanks to a little app called Skitch, I can add the cool, colorful notes and arrows to the classroom photos I post here.  Thanks to Lisa Johnson for introducing me to this handy, dandy freebie.

Here’s an error-analysis resource using QR-codes for feedback!

 

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I Love When That Happens

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Cathy Yenca

I stumbled upon an app last evening that was right on time – the freebie entitled “Number Line” was just what I needed for today’s scheduled “no homework night”.  I had a worksheet planned on “Comparing and Ordering Rational Numbers” that has worked fine over the years, but before I filed it away, I thought I’d dangle a carrot…

After our daily “homework huddle”, I told the students I had prepared a Socrative quiz for them.  If they did well, I’d introduce them to a new app.  If they didn’t do well, the worksheet would reign!  Today, I chose to “Hide Live Results” for the 8 question teacher-paced Socrative quiz, until every student weighed in.  Oh, the pressure!  I watched students toil and squirm before covering their eyes to touch their iPad screens, in hopes they had chosen the correct answer.  When they received the instant feedback that they had chosen wisely, a resounding “Yes!” was heard!  For those who answered incorrectly, there was hair pulling and gnashing of teeth… and that is not much of an exaggeration!  The air was thick with anticipation as I revealed the live results for each prompt.  All in all, they did well enough to earn the new app, and the worksheets went back on the shelf.

Which brings me to this curious “Number Line” app – what a neat, interactive way to compare rational numbers!  A series of “bubbles” containing decimals, percents and fractions comes floating across the screen, as if to tease.  Once the bubbles stop moving, the clock starts ticking, and students race to drag each value onto the number line, ordering them from least to greatest as they go.  Green bubble = good number placement.  Red bubble = wrong order, please try again for green.  It’s that easy… and addicting!  Points are scored by racing the clock, so accuracy and speed both matter.

I will say that I wish the app had more settings, and after playing up to level 17 myself, I was disappointed that there weren’t any negative values (which is what my students could probably benefit from most) but all in all, I am confident that, even on this “no homework night”, a student is at home, playing this game right now!  *UPDATE*

 

I just checked my e-mail and have an artifact to share – proof that, indeed, on this        “no-homework night”, at least one student is still learning!  😉

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Assessment FOR Learning

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Cathy Yenca

My Algebra students have been solving multi-step equations for a few days, and I knew it was time to assess.  I designed some interactive paper “foldables” to organize student work for each problem type, as well as model my expectations for their work during lessons.  I knew I wanted the assessment to be a paper-pencil task, yet I wanted to include the iPads in the process.  Thus I invented the QR-Code-Learning-Stations-With-a-Partner-and-Foldables-Assessment.  Kinda rolls off the tongue, eh?

So maybe the name isn’t catchy (back to the drawing board on that one) but I will say one thing – the strategy caught right on!  I posted six “stations” around the classroom, labeling them (A) through (F) and included a QR code that linked to a specific problem type we had solved together, as well as a paper template for student work.  Each student had to submit his or her own work, and could choose to work alone or with one “learning partner”.  As long as students solved every problem by the end of the period, they could work in any order, and work at their desks, in the hall, on the floor – whatever they preferred.  Students nearly bolted out of their seats to get to a code and scan it!  Immediately I heard comments such as:

“This is fun!”

“I think we should take more quizzes like this!”

“This is SO MUCH BETTER than having to just sit in a desk!”  (What’s funny is, students walked to a “station” and scanned the QR code, which took maybe 20 seconds, and then sat for 5 minutes or so, solving the problems, only to stand up and move for maybe 20 seconds more to scan the next code… amazing what just a little kinesthetic flavor can do to refresh a student!)

If you haven’t caught on by now, I think communication in the mathematics classroom is kind of a big deal.  I love listening to “learning partners” talk through the steps to solve the equations, and even argue!  The best sound is the, “A-ha!” that occurs when both students come to a consensus.  Love that.

Were the usual careless mistakes present on this assessment?  Yes, folks left negatives by the wayside halfway through the problem, or forgot to distribute a time or two, but overall, grades were good.  Even better, students told me they felt they had learned.

Assessment FOR learning – you and I both know this assessment won’t be the last time these students solve multi-step equations.  Yet, this format for assessment motivated and de-stressed my students while encouraging communication and accountability.  I feel the foundation has been set for the rest of this year, and that mastery is achievable!

I think I shall use this format again!  🙂

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Empowered

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Cathy Yenca

After using thatquiz.org yesterday to “pre-test” my students for an upcoming unit on rational numbers, I knew some basic number theory concepts were lacking.  So today, I took my first venture with Socrative, a free app that simulates using “clickers” in the classroom.  I searched through countless Word files for a worksheet I created at least a decade ago that presented students with True or False questions like:

  • Prime numbers have exactly two factors.
  • The first five multiples of 16 are 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16.
  • The only even prime number is 2.
  • Some factors of 8 are 8, 16, 24 and 32.

I brought this worksheet into the 21st century by converting it to a 10-question True or False Socrative “quiz” for my students to try today.  I projected the teacher view on my Smartboard while students used their iPads to weigh in on this 10 question “Teacher-Paced Quiz” in real time.

It rocked.

Watching the bar graph move and dance around as each student answered the question was just plain neat-o.  The mini-teaching I did between questions dispelled misconceptions.  The best part was, when the quiz was over, they wanted more.  “Mrs. Yenca, please?!?  One more question?”  Or, even better, “Can we do it again?  I’ll do so much better next time!”

Wow.

I promised them, since tomorrow is Friday and all, that I will allow them to take the “quiz” again.

Does anyone else find that last sentence a wee bit bizarre?  Students who are grieved when a quiz comes to an end…?!?  The fact that I am giving a quiz as a privilege… a reward?!?!?  Because they asked for it?!?!?!?!?!?!!!

Even more fun, Socrative e-mails me a report of all of my students’ responses during the quiz, in detail.  I can see what every student responded on every question.  Incorrect responses are shaded red and correct ones are shaded green in the spreadsheet.  I couldn’t help but feel empowered when I saw that the first few questions were shaded mostly red… and by the end of a simple 10-question quiz, the tables had turned to mostly green.  There, in all its color-coded splendor, was evidence of learning.

Thanks to the iPad, I think I am slowly but surely becoming addicted to formative assessment.  I feel like I am catching glimpses of what’s in my students’ brains in ways I’ve never been able to before.  I am learning to know my audience better.  I am empowered.

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A “Big” Thank You to “techchef4u” Lisa Johnson!

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Cathy Yenca

Wow, I am feeling a little like a celebrity today!  😉  The ever-so-tech-savy Tech Chef Lisa Johnson featured my latest iPad resource and Teachers Pay Teachers freebie on her jam-packed-with-good-tech-stuff blog TechChef4u!  It has been a pleasure bantering with the Tech Chef since she joined our staff, and I am so happy to be working with her!

TechChef4u!

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iPad and thatquiz and QR Codes, Oh My!

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Cathy Yenca

Formative assessment – what a wonderful idea, but one that is not always easy to implement.  Well, today I feel like I had a formative breakthrough!

When my students were done with a unit test today, I projected a QR code for them to scan, which linked them to one of my favorite free sites for math skill help, thatquiz.org.

This past weekend, I used thatquiz.org to “create classes” and password-protect them.  Next, I assigned some “quizzes” that thatquiz.org generates on the spot, based on my constraints.  I chose some upcoming concepts and prior knowledge skills that would help with those concepts, namely, number theory, simplifying fractions, and fraction and decimal conversions.  Then, I used qrstuff.com to make the QR code for students to scan, linking them straight to their class’s thatquiz.org homepage.

When students finished their unit 1 tests, they tried a few of these “quizzes” at their seats, using their iPads.  I logged onto the thatquiz.org site from the teacher side of things, to “spy” on their real-time progress.  They thought it creepy that I could see just exactly what they were doing… I thought it fabulous!

I truly feel like I know what I’m in for as I start a new unit tomorrow.  Factors and multiples are all mixed up, though simplifying fractions is a strong skill.  How do I know?  I can see it right here on my iPad!

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