NCTM in Philadelphia

Here we are again at the NCTM Regional Conference in the city of Brotherly love, Philadelphia, PA! We are presenting Wacky & Wild Workstations for K-2 similar to the presentation we did in Nashville last November but with updated hands-on games with a smaller group and more time.

We are always refining and updating as we find new ideas and have creative inspirations! Even though this session is slated for K-2, all of the activities can be modified to meet grades 3 and up. Here are a few new games! Remember to take the ideas and make them your own. How could you modify these games to fit the needs of your students?


Mystery Number

• For 2-5 players using 1 deck of playing cards
• Jacks are worth 20
• Queens are worth 30
• Kings are worth 40
• Player 1 will use two to three playing cards to determine the mystery number.
• The other players will ask yes or no questions to determine what the mystery number is. Questions could include if it is odd or even, if it is greater or less than a certain number, if it has a 5 in the tens place, etc.
• If after 10 questions the other players cannot determine the mystery number, Player 1 may show a partial pictorial model, one of the digits in the correct place value place, etc. to help the other players determine the mystery number.

Snap

• For 2 players using 1 deck of cards with the face cards removed
• Two players sit side-by-side and divide the cards evenly between themselves.
• The player on the left will deal the cards for the tens place, and the other player will deal the cards for the ones place.
• Players will turn over one card from their stack and the same time.
• The first player to call out the correct number gets to keep both cards.
• If both players call out the number at the same time, players leave their cards in the tie pile.
• The tie pile builds until one player gives a correct answer before the other. That player will take the two cards just turned over plus all of the cards in the tie pile.
• Play continues until one player has collected all of the cards.

Check back for more next week!

Alison & Jennifer

CAMT 2016 is a Wrap!

Thank you to everyone who attended our sessions! We understand the frustration some of you experienced when you were unable to attend the sessions we presented. Have no fear! The CAMT people realized we had massive crowds and made adjustments for our Friday presentation. We were even asked to present an additional session after our Friday presentation for those that waited. They have assured us we will have bigger rooms next summer at CAMT in Fort Worth!

Update & Our Next Presentation

We have had a lot going on since we last presented at CAMT in June! Alison took a position as a K-8 Mathematics Initiative Consultant with ESC Region 11 in Fort Worth which meant packing and moving the week we cam back from Houston.

Although we may be miles and miles apart, we are continuing to pursue on new endeavor which in the fast few weeks has been pushed to the side. We are committed to it and are trying our best to keep it a focus!

With that being said, we are reuniting next week at the TEKS Resource System Conference in San Antonio to present a session over using interactive notebooks so come check us out! We are presenting during Session 6 in Room 217C.

Check back later this week for freebies from our presentation!

Survey Says!!! Interactive Notebooks Boost Student Thinking!

Okay, okay...so you have probably heard of Interactive Notebooks if you've been teaching in the past ten years. But why are they such a BIG deal???  Well, not only can the use of such notebooks create independent student thinkers in your classroom, but they are so FUN and who doesn't want to have fun with their kids???

Now, here is the skinny on the notebooks. There are no rules when it comes to using them or getting your students to use them. However, if you want them to work without breaking the bank, and show student success in your classrooms, here are a few tips from us:

1. First, think about what type of notebook you want to use. 
     Some primary teachers (kinder mainly) like to start by using a class interactive notebook. This allows for opportunities to model thinking using think alouds and for shared writing experiences. If you are wanting to use a class notebook, try using chart paper folded in half and put together to look like a book. If you are having individual student notebooks, try using composition books, spiral notebooks, or even a folder with some loose-sleeve paper in it. Really at a loss for materials? Try having students create their own notebooks using the Dinah Zike Mini Book foldable. Something is always better than nothing!

2. Make sure you understand the purpose and setup of the notebook before teaching it to the students.
    Okay, this one is HUGE! You must make sure to understand the setup, use, and purpose of the interactive notebook before you teach the students how to make one. The setup is simple: Left-side pages are always for student thinking and reflection of learning, while right-side pages are for input (materials, notes, or items the teacher gives the student). If you are unsure of what goes on each page, here are some ideas for you:

As far as the purpose of the notebook, well that is personal to your classroom, but we believe the purpose is to demonstrate knowledge and thinking, organize information and thoughts, and to communicate both orally and written on a daily basis in that subject. The setup of the notebook is also personal to you, but we do believe that your students should have a chance to make it their own in some way: a personalized cover, Math About Me page, How I Use Math, My Numbers, etc...

3.  Be sure to use the notebooks with fidelity, and model by creating and keeping a teacher notebook!
    Your students want to see you modeling, whether on an ELMO or document camera, in front of them, or even just using one yourself day-to-day. Keeping a teacher notebook is also extremely useful for catching students up that were absent! Just let them take yours to copy or create pages that they may have missed. Sure, they may not have the same type of thinking that would have been facilitated if they had been present, but it's better than not allowing them the same opportunity as your other students.

Finally, if you are looking for ideas, examples, or just wanting to know more, we are always an email away! And, if you happen to be traveling to San Antonio this week for the TEKS Resource System Conference, well...we will be presenting a session on Math Interactive Notebooks!

We hope you found these tips useful! Have a Mathtastic week, and keep checking back with us for more posts and updates! :)

Houston, CAMT, and Guided Math...OH MY!

Wow! Welcome to our first official blog entry! What a whirlwind we experienced in our 3 day adventure to Houston and the George R. Brown Convention Center for CAMT this year! From seeing friends at our TASM Business Meeting Tuesday night, walking into our first session (which was completely full already with a line outside) on Wednesday morning, to "selling out" each of our sessions and having to turn away hundreds of educators, this experience is definitely one that will never be forgotten!

Just as an overview, in case you missed us, we presented sessions on the following topics: An Overview of Guided Math, The 1st 20/30 Days of Guided Math, Wild and Wacky Workstations, and Math Interactive Notebooks. We were so blessed to be able to share our ideas, thoughts, and resources with math educators who are currently, or are trying to overhaul the traditional math classroom, and provide a student-centered learning environment that is based on the needs of each of their students. So, let's talk Guided Math!

What is Guided Math?
Guided Math allows you to provide scaffolding and assistance to all students, whether your GT student, or a struggling learner. But, let's be real...setting it up and finding success is NOT an easy task. It takes planning, organization, and time- something most teachers will always tell you they never have enough of. So, this is where we come in!  Here are some quick tips to setting up your classroom for Guided Math:

1. Rome was not built in a day, and neither is a successful Guided Math classroom. It takes time! So, some of you may be asking, "Where do I start?"  Easy. At the beginning. In order for any new structure to be effective, the students have got to truly have time to practice it and understand it. Modeling is a teacher's best friend, and it will take a lot of that. We cannot expect children to be able to do something they have not had time to readily practice. So, decide what expectations are crucial for your success at this. Some things we consider to be fundamentally necessary here are routines and procedures for whole group, small group and workstations. These are your BIG 3, and they are the glue that truly hold the model together.

2. Don't be discouraged if it isn't pretty. This is HUGE! Remember, you are overhauling your classroom in a sense. Does a kitchen remodel look clean and perfect, with no mistakes? Hardly. So, as you remodel your math block with students, get ready to get messy! Mistakes are how we learn, and this goes for students as well. If they make mistakes when reviewing or practicing your routines and procedures, it is going to be okay. Revisit the things that didn't go so well and discuss, but don't forget to praise what went right! If you have a classroom community of learners, they are more likely to work together to get it right. Because, let's face it, kids LOVE their teachers and seek their approval, and the last thing they want is to disappoint you.

3. Finally, consistency is key. You MUST stay consistent in your expectations, and if things are not how you want them, have fair and just consequences for all. Students will easily pick up on things they can get away with, such as playing around in a workstation, if you don't do anything about it. But, if you truly own the closure model of guided math- meeting as a group for 5 minutes at the end of the block to discuss roses (highlights) and thorns (areas to improve), your students will continue to realize that they must be accountable. If not, there are consequences. Before you know it, those meetings will focus solely on roses, with thorns few and far between!

If you are looking for a way to plan for your future Guided Math classroom, click the link below for our FREE planning tool.

Guided Math Planning Sheet

We hope you enjoy and that you will come back and see us! We have BIG things in store for this blog and will continue to update and improve it weekly! :)