I researched the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). I found my information at http://www.nctm.org but you may also learn more from their twitter, @NCTM. Full membership costs $90 a year but it costs an additional $27 for their research journal. Student e-membership is $45 per year or $60 with the research journal. Members receive access to the latest research and exclusive resources. Additionally, there are over 70,000 math educators connected in the network. The closest conference geographically is this November in Minneapolis.
I also researched the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics. I found my information at http://www.mictm.org. They are not on twitter or instagram and their facebook page appears to get very little attention as it only has 16 likes and I didn't see any posts. Membership costs $35 or $17.50 and connects teachers with strategies and practices directly related to teaching mathematics in Michigan. Their publications are limited to their newsletter and a workbook. They are having a conference in Macomb, Michigan Monday, the 28th. Furthermore, their website is difficult to navigate and seems like it could use a great deal of maintenance.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Number Line Activity
Last week I developed a lesson for the seventh grade math class I'm assisting. I had to fit the lesson between homework review and a quiz so I only had a 20 minute window to improve the students' conceptual understanding of the addition and subtraction of integers. I heard about a walking number line in class a few weeks prior and I was really excited about the concept as I liked the idea of getting the students to physically act out the process of addition and subtraction. However, given my time restraint, I didn't think I could develop a meaningful activity for the students in which they could all get up and walk up and down a number line. So, after searching online, I found a blog-post about a teacher who minimized the idea of the walking number line so each student could visualize it on their own desks. She accomplished this by creating a desk-sized number line and providing a little stick figure man for each student. I used this template to develop my own activity.
So, after the students went over their homework, I began by reviewing what they already knew about the addition and subtraction of integers by asking one student to give me an addition problem, and another to answer it. After we did a couple of these to remind students of what they learned, I began my activity, offering that it would give them some extra help before their quiz. I explained that the stick figure they all had could be used to walk up and down the number line. The figure would start wherever the first number is and then face the positive side for an addition problem or the negative side for a subtraction problem. Lastly, the figure would walk forward the number of steps indicated by the second number. If the second number was negative, the figure would walk backwards. The number the figure ended on would be the answer to the problem. Once they were finished, I would go over the answers and ask the class if they had any questions on any of them.
What I learned from this activity was the importance of checking students' understanding as I taught. I feel like some students didn't fully comprehend the concept of the walking number line. A solution would be to have a couple students come up to the front of the class and demonstrate how to solve a problem using the method I described. This would allow me to walk students through the process, explaining common misconceptions in a way the whole class may see. Further, if students still had questions after I explained the process to the whole class a few times, I can call on students who seem to grasp the concept to answer these questions to develop a student-centered discussion.
Additionally, I felt like I could have improved my timing and clarity in teaching this lesson. I felt like it was a great educational experience for me and I know the experience helped me as the lesson went more smoothly and effectively after each hour that it was taught. Furthermore, it was a great way for me to see visualize where my strengths and weaknesses currently are in my teaching.
So, after the students went over their homework, I began by reviewing what they already knew about the addition and subtraction of integers by asking one student to give me an addition problem, and another to answer it. After we did a couple of these to remind students of what they learned, I began my activity, offering that it would give them some extra help before their quiz. I explained that the stick figure they all had could be used to walk up and down the number line. The figure would start wherever the first number is and then face the positive side for an addition problem or the negative side for a subtraction problem. Lastly, the figure would walk forward the number of steps indicated by the second number. If the second number was negative, the figure would walk backwards. The number the figure ended on would be the answer to the problem. Once they were finished, I would go over the answers and ask the class if they had any questions on any of them.
What I learned from this activity was the importance of checking students' understanding as I taught. I feel like some students didn't fully comprehend the concept of the walking number line. A solution would be to have a couple students come up to the front of the class and demonstrate how to solve a problem using the method I described. This would allow me to walk students through the process, explaining common misconceptions in a way the whole class may see. Further, if students still had questions after I explained the process to the whole class a few times, I can call on students who seem to grasp the concept to answer these questions to develop a student-centered discussion.
Additionally, I felt like I could have improved my timing and clarity in teaching this lesson. I felt like it was a great educational experience for me and I know the experience helped me as the lesson went more smoothly and effectively after each hour that it was taught. Furthermore, it was a great way for me to see visualize where my strengths and weaknesses currently are in my teaching.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Technology in my TA Classroom
As I mentioned earlier, I am currently doing my teacher assisting at Oakridge Middle School. The purpose of this post is to identify the kinds of technology this school has to offer its students. So, I will begin with the technology that is in the classroom and continue with what the rest of the middle school has to offer.
In the classroom:
In the classroom:
- One cart with 40 Chromebooks.
- Teacher's desktop
- Overhead projector (connected to teacher's desktop)
- Elmo (connected to teacher's desktop and displayed over projector)
In school:
- Two more Chromebook carts
- Computer lab in library (30 desktops)
What is listed above is the extent of the technology the students are provided in the classroom. They are not permitted to bring their own devices into the classroom as even their phones must be left in their lockers while in class.
In the classroom the students use the laptops to do Delta Math, which is an online assessment program. For this program, the entire class takes the same test and students have either 1 minute, 45 seconds, or 30 seconds to answer each question. After answering the question, the student must wait for the time to pass before moving on to the next question to ensure the entire class is moving at the same pace. For each question, the teacher reads aloud the prompt on the students' screen and sets the timer. There is usually close to 40 problems, so it typically takes about a half hour to take these assessments. Additionally, these tests are required for all grades K-8 to identify which students need extra attention in math.
Below is the stated "Technology Vision" for Oakridge posted on their website here,
"Oakridge Public Schools will integrate a technology-rich environment that transparently accelerates learning, enabling our students to flourish in a competitive global economy."
I believe that a goal of the Delta Math program described above is to provide this "technology-rich environment" so that even the students who come from homes without computers may find themselves proficient in their use.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Classroom Layout
The classroom is laid out in a very typical fashion. The rectangular desks are aligned in a 4x4 array with two chairs at each desk. There is a whiteboard in the back of the classroom acknowledging the assigned homework for each period. Also in the back of the room is a bookshelf full of star wars and super hero figurines and memorabilia. The side of the room with the door also contains a student center, where students may find staplers, paper clips, and scrap paper. There is also a shelving system for the third hour class to place their classwork.
Sunday, September 6, 2015
About Me
Hello, I am Brian Normandin and I am going into secondary education with a math major and history minor. I grew up in Holton, MI and graduated from Western Michigan Christian High School. I am currently doing my teacher assisting at Oakridge Middle School.I have a passion for basketball and hope to coach it at the high school level. I am a big fan of the Indiana Pacers and also root for the Detroit Lions and the University of Michigan. The extent of my knowledge about planning and using technology in the classroom probably doesn't exceed what I learned in my "Teaching Middle Grades Math" class in which we learned about programs like geogebra tube that provide visual representations for geometric concepts. Below is a picture of me with my siblings and baby niece.
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