A couple of months ago, I wrapped up our Expressions and Equations unit and realized that I had not shared these resources out with my I EDU community. So, I thought I would share one of my favorite introduction activities that I created for this unit…a Solving Equations HyperDoc!

Every Monday, my students are introduced to a topic through an activity. This could be an activity through HyperDocs, PearDeck, Desmos, BreakoutEDU or a variety of other instructional (and usually techy) strategies. In this way, students are introduced to the material before they take formal notes on it that night. (As a reminder, I have flipped my classroom and my students take formal notes every Monday night.)

Since most of my students were very familiar with solving equations, I felt that a HyperDoc would be a great way to remind them of what they know and challenge them to deepen their current understanding. Here is the breakdown of the HyperDoc:

• Engage – Students are challenged to write down the steps to solving an equation – without actually solving it!
• Explore – Students use their whiteboards to solve equations and drag/drop the steps on their Slide Deck.
• Explain – Students watch a flipped classroom video and take notes.
• Apply – Students participate in a “partner play” activity in Google Forms where they each have a problem to solve. Each problem will produce the same answer. Response validation is used to provide students immediate feedback.
• Extend – Students are challenged to create their own “partner play” game with new equations.
• Reflect – Students reflect on their learning.

Interested? Check it out below and/or make your own copy!

To create your own copy, click HERE. (Note: If you create your own copy, you will also need to create your own version of the partner play activity on Slide #11.)

What kind of activities do you use in your classroom to introduce lesson concepts? Share in the comments below! 🙂

A few months ago, I accepted a position as an Integrated I Math teacher at Oak Hills High School. Integrated I is a semi-new course to our district. It’s also a course that I have never taught which means I have very little resources for it. While this might sound intimidating, it is actually one of my favorite parts of my new position. I get to start completely from scratch. I have the opportunity build and create new curriculum, activities and projects for my students.

Below, I am sharing all of my resources for our current unit on Functions and Interval Notation. We actually covered functions in our previous module, as well, but I only taught a couple of those concepts since I came in midyear.

As you look through the resources below, you will see that it contains the following resources:

• Introduction Lessons
  • These lessons are used to introduce the topic as a “mini” lesson. Students are not always required to take notes until their flipped lesson for homework. This way, students are taught the material twice in one day.
• Flipped Classroom Presentation, Video & Foldable
  • I attempt to give very little homework in my classroom. Therefore, the main homework assignment for my students is to complete their formal notes at home.
• Collaborative Tasks
  • These are tasks that students are given to deepen their knowledge of the material. They are required to work together to break down information or solve tasks.
• Misc Activities
  • There are multiple other activities, such as BreakoutEDU and Desmos, to engage learners in a more hands-on interactive way.
• Skills Practice
  • Students do need to practice skills but, if they do, it’s important that they receive immediate feedback and have the opportunity to improve. With Google Forms, students submit their responses to improve their grades.

Identifying Functions

Flipped Classroom Presentation (View) (Copy)

Flipped Classroom EdPuzzle Video (View Link)

Interactive Notebook Foldable (Purchase Link)

Collaborative Task (View) (Copy)

Skills Practice (View) (Copy)

Writing in Interval Notation

Flipped Classroom Presentation (View) (Copy)

Flipped Classroom EdPuzzle Video (Video Link)

Skills Practice (View) (Copy)

**This section is a bit short since the following section expands on it in great detail.

Features of Functions in Interval Notation

PearDeck Intro Lesson (View) (Copy)

Flipped Classroom Presentation (View) (Copy)

Flipped Classroom EdPuzzle Video (Video Link)

Interactive Notebook Foldable (View) (Copy)

Collaborative Task (View) (Copy)

Graphing Stories (Desmos Activity)

Skills Practice (View) (Copy)

Evaluating Functions

PearDeck Intro Lesson (View) (Copy)

PearDeck Foldable (View) (Copy)

Flipped Classroom Presentation (View) (Copy)

Flipped Classroom EdPuzzle Video (View) (Copy)

Interactive Notebook Foldable (View) (Copy)

BreakoutEDU Activity (Website Link)

Evaluating Functions Scavenger Hunt (View) (Copy)

Skills Practice (View) (Copy)

Phew! Lots of stuff to share! Do you know a Math teacher? Share this post with them!

Happy Pi Day! Well – almost. Pi Day is coming up on March 14 and I thought, “What could be a fun way to celeberate Pi Day with students?”

Enter…”Pi Day!” BreakoutEDU Digital!

The Topics:

In this BreakoutEDU, students will learn:

• About the number π.
• Trivia facts about the number π.
• About radius and diameter.
• How to calculate circumference and area.

Age/Grade Levels:

The above topics most relate to the 6th-8th grade CCSS Geometry standards.  However, I designed the game to be an introduction and contain very basic skills to allow more ages to participate, particularly students who have no knowledge of this topic.

Digital Tools Used:

In this BreakoutEDU, I have used the following digital tools and resources:

• Google Forms (of course!)
• Google Sites
• Google Drawings
• Hidden/Embedded Links
• Letter/Number Ciphers

Most of the BreakoutEDU requires students to answer problems on Google Forms but they do have to find the forms and/or break into the forms to solve the problems.

To access the “Pi Day” Breakout EDU Digital, click HERE.

Will you be celebrating Pi Day with your students? If so, what are some other ways that you celebrate this math-y day?!

After working in a 1-1 school district for several years, using technology in the classroom has become second nature to me.  It’s integrated into nearly everything I do in my classroom and with a specific purpose – to create meaningful and engaging learning experiences for students.  Although technology is used in my classroom on a daily basis, it doesn’t mean that we do not do any low-tech activities.  Technology is amazing and can be transformational.  However, I do think that it is okay to have times where students take a step back from technology and do something low-tech and different.

Currently, my students are going through our second unit, Expressions and Equations.  Last week, they learned about the difference between equations and expressions, how to solve one-step equations, and how to solve and graph one-step inequalities.  This can be a heavy week for my students because these concepts are completely new to them.  Throughout our first unit, the students mostly reviewed concepts that they had learned in elementary school.  Our second unit is where we start to introduce concepts that expand off the first unit but also require them to learn new skills.

Since there is so much to learn, I have found that my students need different ways to review concepts that have been taught.  Most of the time, this consists of BreakoutEDU games, a PBL in HyperDoc form, etc.  Usually, it is something technology based.  However, there are times when they need to get up and get moving.

Enter…A Scavenger Hunt!

In a scavenger hunt, cards will be placed around the classroom.  Students will select a starting point and solve the problem.  Once this problem is solved, they will find their answer on another card that has been placed somewhere else in the room.  They will repeat this process until they are back to their original card.

Although this is a low-tech and not necessarily high DOK or 4 C’s activity, I truly believe that this is okay for students from time to time.  Sometimes our students need the opportunity to play games, work with other students, and move around the classroom.  Sometimes it’s okay to just let them have some fun…but maybe I’m crazy. 

Solving One-Step Inequalities: A Low-Tech Scavenger Hunt

Objective: Students will use their knowledge of solving and graphing one-step inequalities to complete a scavenger hunt.

Groups: Individual or Small Groups (2-3 Students)

Tasks: Students will:

1. Select a starting card – it doesn’t matter which one!
2. Write down the name of the superhero and answer the problem on a separate paper.
3. Walk around the classroom and find the answer to the problem that they solved.
4. Answer the problem on the new card.
5. Repeat until they are back to their original card.

View the template and a sample below:

One-Step Inequalities Scavenger Hunt (Link)

What are some of your favorite low-tech activities to do with your students that gets them moving and increases engagement?  Share in the comments below!

At the beginning of this school year, I introduced my new students to BreakoutEDU and they loved it!  The first BreakoutEDU Digital that they completed was the “Catch the Bus” breakout that is available on the BreakoutEDU website.  So, I decided it was time to create a new BreakoutEDU Digital for my students to review integers and fractions, which is a large portion of our Number Systems unit.

Enter…”The Locked Boxes” BreakoutEDU Digital!

The Storyline:

Since this was only the second BreakoutEDU that my students have completed, I did not have a complex storyline.  The storyline is simple:

You are presented with five boxes – four small boxes and one large box. The large box has a hidden secret but you must break into the other boxes first.

Can you unlock the box and find what is inside?!

As my students move through the year, the storylines tend to get more complicated and require the students to pay careful attention to detail.  In this one, they will work through the “locked boxes” that will lead them to questions that they must answer to unlock the codes.

In this BreakoutEDU, students will:

• Add, subtract, multiply, and divide positive and negative integers.
• Add, subtract, multiply, and divide positive and negative mixed numbers.
• Solve complex world problems.

Digital Tools Used:

In this BreakoutEDU, I have used the following digital tools and resources:

• Google Forms (of course!)
• Google Sites
• Google Drawings
• Hidden/Embedded Links
• Google Slides
• Letter/Number Ciphers

Most of the BreakoutEDU requires students to answer problems on Google Forms but they do have to find the forms and/or break into the forms to solve the problems.

To access the “The Locked Boxes” Breakout EDU Digital, click HERE.

Final Thoughts:

I was very excited to see how much my new students enjoyed BreakoutEDU.  Every group of students is different and, as a teacher, it is important to know what will engage and inspire them.  I’m looking forward to them participating in more BreakoutEDU activities and, eventually, creating their own!

Over the years, my students have participated in a variety of activities and projects on converting between fractions, decimals, and percent.  They have conducted surveys, designed pictures on graph papers, and designed and built Post-It Murals.  It is one of my favorite units to design because the possibilities are endless!

This year, I wanted to expand the project into some “game design” since many of my students have mentioned their interest in video games.  I remembered that our Math 8 department had created an “8-BIT” project so I researched ways to create 8-BIT characters/designs online.  This is when I found Piskel – which is amazing!  Piskel is a “free online editor for animated sprites and pixel art.”  If you haven’t heard of it, you have got to check it out.

Once I had my content focus and technology tools, I started to focus on how to design this learning experience by using HyperDocs.  As they say, the rest was history…!

8-BIT Project: A Fraction, Decimal, & Percent HyperDoc

Objective: Create an 8 Bit Character in Piskel and determine the fraction, decimal, and percent of each number.

Groups: Individual or Small Groups (2-3 Students)

Tasks: Students will:

• Create a two frame 8-BIT character or design in Piskel.
• Download the frames as a JPEG and upload into their Project Deck.
• Download the frames as a GIF and upload into their Project Deck.
• Determine the total of each color of their 8-BIT character/design.
• Estimate the percent of each color of their 8-BIT character/design.
• Calculate the actual fraction, decimal, and percent of each color of their 8-BIT character/design.

View the template and a sample below:

8-BIT Project Template (Link)

8-BIT Project Sample (Link)

What do you do teach students about fractions, decimals, and percents?  Have you used Piskel in any other classroom activities and projects?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

It’s hard to believe that I am writing a blog post on techy ideas to start the school year strong.  Didn’t I just write a blog post on finishing the race strong?!

Nevertheless, the new school year is quickly approaching – like, in less than 48 hours.  Over the summer, I spent a lot of time brainstorming ideas for using technology to foster strong relationships and increase communication with parents and student to set a strong foundation for the school year.

Here are a few of my ideas:

#1: Personalize a Student Survey with Google Forms & FlipGrid

At the beginning of each school year, I have my students complete a “Student Survey” so I can get to know them.  In the survey, I ask questions to help me understand their academic ability, as well as their interests outside of the classroom.  It’s always been a great way to get to know my students.  The survey is created in Google Forms and is embedded to our classroom website.  I can view the results in Google Forms or in Sheets.  In the resources below, I have linked to the “view” form so you can experience it as a student, as well as a link to create your own copy.

One section that I added this year was a “Questions/Comments/Concerns” section that utilizes Flipgrid.  In this section, students will be able to go to our classroom grid and will respond to the following prompt:

Share any questions, comments, and/or concerns that you have about Math 8. Or, just share something fun! Remember, you can also view other student’s videos and comment.

Although I haven’t done this yet, I am hoping that it will open the door to some communication within our classroom.  In this Flipgrid, students can ask questions, comment on the classroom, share concerns, or simply share anything they want about their day.  In addition to this, students will also be able to view and respond to other students.  Overall, my goal is to increase communication and build a strong foundation for our classroom culture.

Resources:

• Student Survey Sample
• Copy of Student Survey

#2: Use Google Forms & YouTube to Create a Parent Survey

In the same way as the Student Survey, I have also created a “Parent Survey” for parents to complete in the first week of school.  In this form, I am able to gather parent contact information, ask questions about their student, encourage them to join Remind, and allow time to ask any questions and/or express any concerns.  In the resources below, I have linked to the “view” form so you can experience it as a student, as well as a link to create your own copy.

This year, I have added a couple of new features to the parent survey.  First, I have put in a section on photographic and video permissions, which also links to my blog and Twitter, so parents will better understand the purpose behind these permissions.  Second, I have created a YouTube video for parents that discusses the course, our classroom, and is a general introduction to the year.  For my Math class, my students are Honors students and I always want to create a strong line of communication since it tends to be a fast-paced and rigorous course.  In addition to this, I also want the opportunity to reach any parents that may be unable to meet or attend back-to-school night.

Again, my whole goal is to increase communication which, in turn, will create a strong foundation for a positive rapport and school year.

Resources:

• Parent Survey Sample
• Copy of Parent Survey

#3: Create a Remind Account to Increase Parent Communication

Remind is one of my favorite resources as a teacher.  Remind is a “communication tool that helps teachers reach students and parents.”  Basically, it is a safe and secure way to text students and parents information about the class without ever sharing personal contact information (i.e. phone numbers).  I started using Remind last year and it was a great way to send a quick message to parents if there was anything I needed to discuss.  As an example, if I saw that a student’s grade was dropping, I could send the parent a quick text.  If the student was upset or having a bad day, I could quickly inform the parent.  More importantly, I also found myself sending more positive notes to parents since I could quickly send messages through the app on my phone or my web browser.

This year, Remind is going to be (unofficially) mandatory for the parents of my students.  Obviously, if they do not want to join, I will not force them.  However, if they have not joined after two weeks, I will be personally calling parents to encourage them to join Remind.  Creating an environment of communication is crucial at the beginning of the year.

Resources:

• Remind

#4: Create an Interactive Classroom Syllabus with PearDeck

As I begin each school year, I provide my students with a paper (digital and/or physical) that contain classroom information.  I hesitate using the word “syllabus” but, in a sense, that is very much what it is.  And – it’s dreadfully boring to review.  However, there is some really good information to share with students and conversations that can be formed from it.

This year, I will still provide them with this information, but I want to integrate it into PearDeck.  I want to create a presentation that is interactive and engaging to students.  A presentation that asks the students question about what we have discussed, as well as opens the door for them to share their own ideas about how they would like to see their classroom structure.  Voice and choice are essential for student buy-in, so I want to use PearDeck in a way to introduce myself, the classroom, the course, and open communication among myself and my students.

Resources:

• PearDeck

#5: Review Classroom Information with BreakoutEDU

In the first week, the students are given so much information about what they can expect during the next year.  However…sometimes I worry that they do not always retain this information.  Again – it’s because it can be boring.

One goal I have this year is to create a BreakoutEDU Digital on the information my students receive in the first week – classroom and course information, school information, expectations, etc.  Not only would this be a fun end of the first-week activity, but it would also be a great way to solidify any important information that you would like students to remember.

Resources:

• Breakout EDU Digital

How do you use technology to foster relationships and increase communication at the beginning of the school year?  Share in the comments below!

Unless you have been living under a rock, you might have noticed the latest trend among students: fidget spinners.  Fidget spinners are “stress-relieving toys” for individuals who suffer from ADHD.  These toys come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.  Fidget spinners are selling online, in malls, and on street corners.  These toys have taken the world (and our classrooms) by storm.

Let’s be honest, though, the majority of students that are using fidget spinners do not suffer from ADHD.  To them, it’s a fun toy that looks cool spinning and something to show off to their friends.  Due to this, the fidget spinner has received mixed reviews in the educational community.  Some educators have even gone as far as to ban these toys from their classrooms, sites, or even districts.   Pretty intense, right?  As educators, I feel like we have two choices: 1.) Close our minds and our classrooms to new trends and fads or 2.) Embrace the fad and find an educational purpose behind it.

For myself, I have decided to embrace the fad.  Bring on the fidget spinners!

Fidget Spinners: A Measures of Central Tendency Activity

Objective: Students will build fidget spinners and use the measures of central tendency to compare the length of the spins.

Group: 3 – 4 students

Directions: Students will design and build fidget spinners.  They will make assumptions about the slowest/fastest fidget spinners in their groups and conduct an experiment to gather data.  Students will spin their fidget spinner five times each, record the data, and use the measures of central tendency to analyze the data.  Students will analyze the data to determine the fastest fidget spinner, make claims about the data, and discuss ideas for future fidget spinner designs.

Click HERE for a link the activity.

Reflection 

A few ideas that worked:

• Building the fidget spinners was not as difficult as I imagined it might be.  I showed some YouTube videos to the students, challenged them to find household items for supplies, and asked for donations from parents.  The students had immediate buy-in, so they found all of their own supplies.  The fidget spinners they developed were SO impressive and much better than anything I had attempted to create before I introduced this idea to them.
• The measures of central tendency was a good, starting topic for the fidget spinner activity.  The students were familiar with the concept and could apply their knowledge of these math concepts in a hands-on, creative, and meaningful manner.
• Grouping the students allowed them to compare their fidget spinners which sparked great conversation among the students.

A few ideas for next time:

• 3D Printer! So many educators on Twitter had their students design their fidget spinners on a 3D printer.  Although I have not used a 3D printer, it is a challenge I am giving myself for the next year.
• It would be beneficial to expand the math concepts in this lesson.  For my students, they were very familiar with measures of central tendency, so I would like to find some material that could be more challenging to them.  Geometry may be an excellent place to start.
• When I sent out the information about the project to parents, I was truly surprised at how interested the parents were in the project.  My greatest regret is that I did not invite parents into our classroom to participate.  It would have been a great way to show parents what is going on in our classrooms and increase communication and rapport.

Overall, I felt like this was the perfect end of the year project for my students.  At the end of May, the students tend to be tired and burnt out from state testing.  As educators, we must find a way to encourage them to continue learning.  By finding their interests and creating educational opportunities around those interest, I believe that we can continue to engage our students at all times of the school year.

Tell me about how you have been using fidget spinners in your classroom in the comments below!

Every year that I have taught, there have been new fads or trends that has captivated the interest of my students.  This year, I have noticed that the top 3 fads of my students are:

• Fidget Spinners
• Bottle Flipping
• Slime

I have never been a teacher that has been bothered by the fads and trends that come around our campus.  In fact, I am pretty sure I am that weird teacher that enjoys them just about as much as my students.  As the end of the school year approaches, I started asking myself the question: How can I use the fads and trends that interest my students to encourage learning opportunities?  With less than week left of school, I knew that I needed to create an activity that would capture the interest of my students and…Well, to some extent, “trick” them into continuing to learn and engage in math practices.

Enter…Bottle flipping with probability!

Bottle Flipping: A Probability Activity

Objective: Calculate the probability of successfully flipping a bottle and having it land upright.

Group: 3 – 4 students

Directions: Each student will be given one minute to flip a water bottle as many times as possible.   The students in the group will log how many times the student flips the water bottle into the upright position.  Students will complete this process three times with different water levels – 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4 full.   Students will log the information and determine the probability of each student successfully flipping the water bottle and compare the results of the different water levels.

Click HERE or on the image below to view the activity.

I am sure there are so many more ways to use bottle flipping in Math.  Off the top of my head, I think that there could be a lot of great activities using measures of central tendency and comparing the average number of successful lands per water bottle level.  Next year, maybe?

If you have other ideas on how to use bottle flipping for educational purposes in your classroom, please share in the comments below!

As I mentioned in a previous post, Statistics & Probability is one of my favorite units to teach during the school year.  One of the reasons is due to the Statistical Research Project that my students complete each year.  In this activity, students are tasked with creating a survey question and surveying 50-100 students on campus.  Students will gather and organize their data, then they will use this data to determine the measures of central tendency, create graphs, and analyze their data.  Since students are creating their own questions, they have immediate buy-in to this project.  The students have created their own question and they want to gather data to see if their hypothesis about their question was correct.

Although I have been using this project in my classroom for several years, I have revamped it each year based upon the experiences of the students in the previous year, as well as ideas I have picked up on Twitter or at conferences.  This year, the project underwent a major revamp due to the use of HyperDocs and Smashboard.  HyperDocs, which was created by Lisa Highfill, Sarah Landis, and Kelly Hilton, is a transformative, interactive Google Doc that supports significant lesson redesign and the blended learning classroom.  While modifying this project, I realized that it was lacking an engage, share, and extension activity.  So, I added in a YouTube video to initially engage the students in the upcoming project, as well as an extension activity.  The extension activity is something that I am really excited about but did not have the time to complete this year.  In this activity, students would be paired with students from another school and would create a question, poll their school site, and compare the results between the two sites.  Although I did not have the opportunity to do this part of the project this year, it is definitely something that will be a part of our project next year.

Next, my project went under some significant redesign due to the smashboard concept that was created by Dee Lanier.  A smashboard is “a Hyperdoc that leads students through the design-thinking process, involves app-smashing, collaborative goal-setting, and iteration. The main objective is for learners to create a unique product that solves a real-world problem.”  While I was redesigning this project, Dee gave some great advice on designing the gameboard to create a board that would be appealing to students.  Honestly, I have a tendency to be a bit “wordy” sometimes.  (Can’t you tell by my blog? ha!)  He encouraged me to use icons to represent tasks that student need to complete and now I love the look of the gameboard!  In addition to this, I also incorporated the app-smashing dice to encourage and challenge students to find new ways to showcase their projects.  As I revisit the definition of a smashboard, I think that the idea of having them solve a real-world problem is lacking from this project but could be easily incorporated.  When I revamp the project again next year, I want to look into some ways to incorporate solving a real-world problem into their question development.

The Statistical Research Project

Objective: Students will create a survey question, survey students on campus, and analyze the results of their survey.

Math Concepts:

• Students will be able to determine the population and sample of the data set.
• Students will be able to organize information into a frequency table to create a bar chart and pie chart.
• Students will be able to calculate the measures of central tendency and create a box-whisker plot
• Students will be able to calculate the probability of events occurring in their data set.

Extension: Students will have the opportunity to develop a question with students at another school site, preferably in another part of the country or world.  They will go through the same steps of the project but will compare the survey results of the two sites throughout the project.

End Results: Students will have an analysis of their data and will display that information in a creative and visual manner.  Students can use the “app-smashing” dice that is located on the gameboard to discover online applications that they can use to create this visual.

Important Considerations:

• Students must create a question that produces a numerical number.  Such as, “How many times per week do Cedar Middle School students visit Starbucks in a week?”  Without the numerical value, students will not be able to calculate the measures of central tendency and create the box-whisker chart.
• The gameboard guides them the project and gives them videos resources.  However, most of the work will be done on the Google Doc found under “Create”.
• Students can use Google Sheets to compile data quickly – it’s a great resource!
• Google Drawings can be used as a way to create the box-whisker plot.
• If doing the extension activity, try to find a teacher that has the same number of students as you and/or multiple teachers.
• Give the students deadlines for each step of their project.  There are quite a few pieces to the project and deadlines will help keep them on task.
• This is very similar to a project-based learning activity (PBL) so should be completed throughout the entire unit.

To access the project, click HERE or on the images above.

Student Samples

Student Sample #1                                       Student Sample #2

Three Things to Do Next Time

1.) Extension Activity – Collaborating with Another School

The extension activity is my big “must do” on this project next year.  I was really disappointed that I didn’t have the opportunity to do this part of the project this year but it would have been rushed if I had attempted to do it.  I have a couple of teachers that are interested in participating in this project with my students, so I think it should be very feasible to have students collaborate with students from other schools next year.

2.) Real-World Problem Solving

The smashboard idea had me thinking…Could the students create a question that points out a real-world problem?  As they survey the students on campus, could this guide them towards creating a solution to the problem?  I think that this could be a possibility but I would need to find a way to embed more time into the project to truly allow them the opportunity to solve the problem.

3.) Small Groups

This project is one of the only projects that I have students complete individually.  Mostly, I think it allows the students to be creative with their questions and cater it towards something that they truly find interesting.  However, I always think it is better to have students collaborating.  In particular, if I am going to add pieces to this project such as the extension and real-world problem solving, then the students will find more success when they are able to discuss and collaborate with other students.

I hope you enjoy this activity and feel free to ask questions and offer feedback in the comment section below!