Some More Online Math for the Work Centers

Now that work centers are underway in 8 math we're on the lookout for engaging activities that help to develop math skills. Not all work centers involve online activities, but it's helpful to have a few up our sleeve:

Math magician Games

ThatQuiz

Maths Files

Math Reflections and Shout outs

Two of the grade 8 Math classes (807/808) are about to launch into work stations, thanks to a great deal of planning from Ms. Heiser and Ms. Lovett.

To enhance students' learning, blog posts will be used for weekly reflections and 'shout outs'. There's no need to create new student blogs as each student already has his/her own from the ELA online media unit in February. Additionally, teachers have already subscribed to these blogs so they can continue to track work easily using Google Reader.

The four work stations will be focused on:

• Percentage Project (with Ms. Heiser)


• Math-ography (the math extended writing pieces)


• Targeted Re-mastery (with Ms. Lovett)


• Self-guided Interactive Online Work (using either mathscore.com or mysavingsquest)
  

To reflect on their work (and to keep their international readers satisfied), students will reflect on these prompts at the end of the first week:

1. Which work station do you think is helping you to learn most effectively?


2. What do you think this tells you about the type of learner that you are (for instance, you prefer to

work independently,

work in a group,

have a teacher helping,

be using the computer,

work at your own pace,

be challenged,

be able to visualize through diagrams,

others?

3. To whom would you give special mention (a shout out) for

making a big effort this week,

achieving something that presented a big personal challenge,

or being a great team member or teacher?

4. What are your goals in math for next week?

Online Math

I commenced my teaching as a high school English and mathematics teacher, so I understand the differences in teaching in these two areas. As a result, I've often sympathized with mathematics teachers in terms of lack of ease in using computing in classrooms, due to the difficulty of communicating math symbols and computations.

However, I'm really pleased to see so many great online resources for math practice now. Grade 8 students at CIS 339 have been using mathscore.com all year, and they seem to really enjoy it. The math teachers have been incredible in their use of shared Google Docs, Google Groups, wikispaces, and SMART notebook files for collaboration on lesson plans, unit plans, and assessments.

Now the math classrooms can also utilize great sites such as:
math playground
word problems
digitallesson.com
project skymath
Arithmetic Problems and Kids Math Practice Exercises
Online Basic Skill Games
thinkquest problems home page
mysavingsquest
Working on Algebra
Working on fractions
Multiple Choice questions – all strands of math
Unit Conversions
Decimals to Fractions
Percentage Word Problems
Online Basic Skills Games
Step-by-step word problems