I have dedicated a significant amount of time over many years to helping students with math questions when I am not on campus. I have used a Smart Pen, Jing, YouTube, … Last semester I started helping my students using Instagram, and it has been an effective tool. I give my students my Instagram username (which is in the Social Media links on this blog), and when they are having difficulty with a problem they simply take a photo and…
In all of my classes I have been focusing on sending the right messages to my students. I have become more aware of the importance of this through Jo Boaler (Mathematical Mindsets) and Carol Dweck (Mindsets). HereĀ are the messages I have been stressing. Speed is not important. Math takes time, and you want to work at a pace that leads to your understanding. Praise effort, not ability. For example, I told my statistics class how proud I was of how…
Yesterday was the first day for my intermediate algebra class, which meets for a 2-hour block. Students spent the first hour solving linear equations (a review topic) with no instruction. We followed up with a class discussion regarding which problems they struggled with, and got students to offer their advice for those problems. It was a great start – students being responsible, communication, positive classroom atmosphere. I also had opportunities to sneak in some growth mindset ideas: speed is not…
Each Thursday this semester I will be blogging about a technology related topic. If there is a technology question, or if there is a technology post you’d like to make (guest bloggers always welcome!) please leave a comment on the blog. One of our favorite TV shows to watch as a family is ABC’s Shark Tank. (My family always asks how I calculate the valuation so quickly, and that gives me an opportunity to remind them all that speed is…
I have decided that each Wednesday on the blog this semester will be “Wildcard Wednesday”. In other words, there will be no theme. Instead I will write about whatever happens to be on my mind. I’ll begin by sharing two books that apply to all math instructors. The Fall 2017 semester starts next week for us at College of the Sequoias. One of my favorite summer pastimes is to read books on instructional strategies and books that inspire my teaching…
This semester on the blog Tuesday will be “TeachBetterTuesday” or TBT. I will be posting articles focused on getting the most out of your teaching by focusing on new approaches and student-centered instruction, as well as looking for areas to improve my own teaching. I’ll begin this series by sharing my approach to the most important day of the semester: the first day of class. On the first day of class, especially in a developmental math class, our students are…
One of the highlights of the recent ICTCM conference was Eric Mazur’s keynote address about “Assessment For Learning.” He mentioned an assessment technique known as IF-AT (Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique) that reminded me a great deal of the review strategy I have been using in my intermediate algebra course. (Here’s a blog on that review strategy.) I thought it was a great idea to try, so immediately postponed my elementary algebra exams on systems of two linear equations in two…
Today in my elementary algebra class we were reviewing solving systems of equations by addition or substitution. We were going over a system where students were having trouble determining what number to multiply each equation by in the system in order to eliminate the variable x. We had been discussing that the goal is to find the LCM of 12 and 14, but I told them that on exam day they could always fall back on multiplying each equation by…
This semester I am teaching two sections of elementary algebra using a flipped classroom model. The approach is different than the way I have flipped my statistics course, but has been very effective. I am relying heavily on MyMathLab outside the classroom. For each section that we cover … Students complete a “Flip” assignment before the material is discussed in class. The assignment contains conceptual videos that introduce each topic as well as videos of examples where problems are worked…
This semester I am teaching a short term intermediate algebra class. I taught this last year, and I taught a chapter each week followed by a week to review for the midterm. I repeated the same schedule for the final. This semester I have changed the schedule and have had great success. After I finish covering each chapter, I devote a day to reviewing that chapter immediately. I bring in an old copy of a chapter exam, and the review…