Open publication - Free publishing
Monday, August 9, 2010
Testing...
I'm trying something out that @ehelfant suggested last night (this morning? It was a late one) on twitter. This is from a site called issuu - it's another way of presenting pdfs so they look like magazines. Just thought I'd give it a shot!
First Day ... I think.
Just came up with this. Any thoughts?
Also, can anyone tell me how to embed/share Smart Notebook files? I ended up saving it as a pdf and uploading to scribd. I'm sure there's a better way to do it!
Precalc First Day preso
Also, can anyone tell me how to embed/share Smart Notebook files? I ended up saving it as a pdf and uploading to scribd. I'm sure there's a better way to do it!
Precalc First Day preso
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Warm-Ups?
I decided against doing Problems of the Week this year after years of doing them, so I have a nice little stash of random problems stored up. In thinking that I'll use them either as warm-ups or post-test activities, some organization might be helpful. So in the last hour or so I went through each of the documents and copied the problem into a google spreadsheet (unless there was some sort of diagram involved... guess I'll have to figure out what to do with them!).
Here's the link to what I ended up with.
Here's the link to what I ended up with.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Diigo Updates (weekly)
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849 Castlebay Dr Pierce Twp. OH Listing Details: Sibcy Cline Realtors® Cincinnati Real Estate - Annotated
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Shot from top of Vulcan Monument may be longest ever made - The Dagger - NCAAB - Yahoo! Sports
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Gregson - Algebra II - Folder Shared from Box.net - Free Online File Storage
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Jane's Pick of the Day: 15 mind blowing facts about the Internet
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Chipping Away
I feel like I'm very slowly becoming ready for the new school year to start. Now if only the weather would cool off a bit I'd be a very happy girl! (We have no a/c at school, so going back in August is often very painful.)
With all thanks to @jamierykse, here's my adaptation of his first day quiz. I feel a little weird about having so much focus on me, but maybe it'll help break the ice a little bit. :)
First Day Quiz
I think I'll also do the index card birthday idea and find a "good" problem for the kids to work on in pairs/triples. That should do it!
With all thanks to @jamierykse, here's my adaptation of his first day quiz. I feel a little weird about having so much focus on me, but maybe it'll help break the ice a little bit. :)
First Day Quiz
I think I'll also do the index card birthday idea and find a "good" problem for the kids to work on in pairs/triples. That should do it!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
First Day Solutions?
I asked on twitter what other people do on the first day and got these replies...
from @JackieB: Have kids do "about me" sheet, hand out syllabus (without going over), get started on a "good problem" in groups (such as this) (I also like this problem that I have saved)
from @jreulbach: Do learning style survey (pages 18 - 23 ) and birth-order activity
from @MisterLemus: Changes yearly. Has given math attitude survey, introduce themselves by picking a fraction that describes themselves, frequency table of birth month, name tag activity (good for homeroom?)
from @ecmorrell: Complete get-to-know-you sheet, then teach lesson (in 90-minute block period)
Pretty good responses for a mid-Sunday afternoon query!
My evening update:
I had a few more responses this afternoon! Some great ideas...
from @Stelladuma: Give this problem to Algebra 1 and discuss strategies
from @AmberDCaldwell: This numbers "quiz" about the teacher
from @park_star: A math bingo review sheet; students work with other students to get answers to squares
from @jamierykse: A pop quiz (again, about teacher) - looks fun!
from @JackieB: Have kids do "about me" sheet, hand out syllabus (without going over), get started on a "good problem" in groups (such as this) (I also like this problem that I have saved)
from @jreulbach: Do learning style survey (pages 18 - 23 ) and birth-order activity
from @MisterLemus: Changes yearly. Has given math attitude survey, introduce themselves by picking a fraction that describes themselves, frequency table of birth month, name tag activity (good for homeroom?)
from @ecmorrell: Complete get-to-know-you sheet, then teach lesson (in 90-minute block period)
Pretty good responses for a mid-Sunday afternoon query!
My evening update:
I had a few more responses this afternoon! Some great ideas...
from @Stelladuma: Give this problem to Algebra 1 and discuss strategies
from @AmberDCaldwell: This numbers "quiz" about the teacher
from @park_star: A math bingo review sheet; students work with other students to get answers to squares
from @jamierykse: A pop quiz (again, about teacher) - looks fun!
First Day Blues
I was just reading Steven Anderson's post on what people do on the first day of school.
Have I told you how much I hate the first day? Days 2 and 3 (and so on) are fine, but I absolutely detest the first day. It's not even the physical aspects of it - I have to get up before the crack of dawn (instead of sleeping until 8:30 or so) and it's usually 90+ degrees in an un-airconditioned school. My nightmares start in August (though they came early this year) and miraculously end after that dreaded first day.
I hate going into my classroom and having 12 - 30 unfamiliar kids stare at me. By 7th period, they've heard the "spiel" 5 - 6 times already... what are your names? here's where you're going to sit. here are my rules. blah. blah. blah. I usually go for 20 minutes or so (with the previously mentioned boring stuff) and then give them something mathy to work on. For Algebra 2, a solving equations review. For Precalc, a factoring/solving quadratics review. (For Algebra 1 - who knows?)
I have a survey embedded on my class blogs that I'm going to get the computers in class for the kids to fill out (therefore showing them that there is a class blog, so someone isn't surprised by it in April (true story)), but I don't think I want to do that on Day 1. I'm thinking more along the lines of Days 2 and 3 (depending on how many kids are in the class - our mobile carts only have 15 computers in them).
I want to get beyond the boring. Does anyone out there do anything fun? I want to keep the math in it, but how can I make this a class that after day 1 they're excited about coming to?
Have I told you how much I hate the first day? Days 2 and 3 (and so on) are fine, but I absolutely detest the first day. It's not even the physical aspects of it - I have to get up before the crack of dawn (instead of sleeping until 8:30 or so) and it's usually 90+ degrees in an un-airconditioned school. My nightmares start in August (though they came early this year) and miraculously end after that dreaded first day.
I hate going into my classroom and having 12 - 30 unfamiliar kids stare at me. By 7th period, they've heard the "spiel" 5 - 6 times already... what are your names? here's where you're going to sit. here are my rules. blah. blah. blah. I usually go for 20 minutes or so (with the previously mentioned boring stuff) and then give them something mathy to work on. For Algebra 2, a solving equations review. For Precalc, a factoring/solving quadratics review. (For Algebra 1 - who knows?)
I have a survey embedded on my class blogs that I'm going to get the computers in class for the kids to fill out (therefore showing them that there is a class blog, so someone isn't surprised by it in April (true story)), but I don't think I want to do that on Day 1. I'm thinking more along the lines of Days 2 and 3 (depending on how many kids are in the class - our mobile carts only have 15 computers in them).
I want to get beyond the boring. Does anyone out there do anything fun? I want to keep the math in it, but how can I make this a class that after day 1 they're excited about coming to?
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