What will I take from this class?

Coming in to this class I was terrified. I have always been the worst in my class in math, and have shared with you a number of instances where this deficiency has been embarrassing. But, I can honesty say that I do feel more equipped to teach math now. 

I know now that maths can be taught as creatively as any other subject: aids can be used; it can be integrated cross-curricularly to make it less painful. Maths needn't be taught and learned by rote and I need have no fear that I can make it work. I can learn as I go if I need to. If I approach teaching it as I do other subjects, with interaction and comprehension as the aim, rather than regurgitation of formulae and facts, I can do it. Thanks for the creative skew to my view! I wish I had had you as a teacher in school!   

History is Everywhere!

I came up with an idea to use Facebook in the classroom. The aim is to get middle school and high school students to see history everywhere around them. Everyday, everywhere, we see remnants of the past and the past is being formed around us. This project hopes to make students take notice of it. 

They will be asked to upload photos of historical sites they visit or come across in day to day life. Since most kids that age have a Facebook account and a phone with camera capabilities this should be no difficult task. They should include a blurb, just a sentence or two, about the site they have posted. Each will be given a quota of pics to upload, and above that they will have to add information to others' posts. What they add made be common knowledge or information they have researched, and must be in their own words. Myself and a couple classmates have been modeling this and have shared about 10 photos each. Truly, it has been educational. 

Cancellation of Bill 115

This week the Ontario government imposed the most recent and very highly disputed contract on Ontario teachers. Under Bill 115, strike action is illegal so the teachers unions are reluctant to call for strike in protest of the loss of bargaining rights. The students returning to class will still have no extra-curricular activities, and the demands of the teachers are still being egregiously ignored. Even with the bill's imposition, the tenuous situation has not been alleviated at all. 

This is a very sad situation for teachers and also for those of us who have currently chosen this profession. It seems we will not be given special privileges any longer, although our behaviour is expected to reflect a higher standard of grace.

The government has said they will repeal Bill 115 by the month's end, but this just after they have used it? What is the sense in that? It seems this is being used as platform for posturing in the current Liberal leadership race, but hopefully the government is not allowed to keep its place in power after such abuses. Workers do not exist in the same climate that called for unions to begin with, but with governments like this it is clear there is still a need for them. Public workers have it much better than those in the private sphere for sure, but they are subject to the whim of the government of the day and some surety is necessary.   

Futaba

This is a pretty special application that can be used cross-curricularly in the class. The game was developed by INKids, which produces various kids' apps, some of which are entertaining and some also educational. The developers have many free apps, though this one is $4.99. There are some stock materials included in the purchase but Futaba allows for content to be personalized and edited to suit the materials of a class. If the teacher doesn't take the time to customize the material, additional data packs may be purchased to keep it fresh. 

Up to four players can interact on one iPad, which is great if the class doesn't have one unit per student. Team play can increase participation on one unit, and if there were a Smartboard available, the whole class could be engaged in one game. A special classroom version is available for the same price, that supports several simultaneous games. The information inlcuded is geared to grades K to 5, but again may be customized. There are three rounds in each game, with three points (seeds or futabas) available per round. The winner of the most futabas wins. It looks really fun!

Market Day

A market day is a really good opportunity to cover a lot of different curriculum points. In an elementary school I worked at, they had one bi-annually and it was a great time. The students were asked to bring in any old toys they no longer wanted to use, as well as any handmade crafts. They could price them for sale and/or barter. The kids learned the principles of value pricing based on demand, as well as the importance of recycling and reusable items. 

J.E. Benson

I was placed in  Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary for my first practicum. Because this was by and large seen as a blunder on behalf of the faculty, the 15 of us that were placed in so-called alternative placements were offered choice in our next practicum. 

Not being from Windsor, I have no clue about what schools are where, what reputations they have nor any connections to any. I live about a kilometer from the university and when I walk down to Walkerville along Wyandotte, there is this building that caught my eye every time. "That can't be a school, can it?" There is no playground. Instead, there are fences. The absence cheer is palpable. I checked the area map and indeed it is a school: J.E. Benson. The online rating is poor, as are the students who attend.   

This is the school I have chosen for February's practicum. It is just 10 minutes on foot, which is great since I have no car. But moreover, I chose it because I think I will learn a lot. The school is under capacity, perhaps meaning a better student-teacher ratio and more access for me to get involved. There isn't much glitz in terms of classroom materials (based on the online commentary). I know a few people who volunteer for the lunch program and they have said, "It is ghetto, but the kids and staff are super sweet". I plan on teaching in northern communities for at least a year, so I think this will be a great introduction on how to make the best of a lean situation. 

Accountability not Accommodation

I visited an old friend in Halifax this past winter break. It had been about 3 years since we last met so we had lots of catching up to do. We were talking about her 12 year old son, and she relayed a pretty powerful story. 

Last year, he was having extreme trouble in class. His teacher was convinced that he had a learning disability. he was inattentive in class. He didn't do well on tests. With further investigation, the teacher found that when doing tests he was not reading the questions. Her response was to make an accommodation, and read him the questions, thinking that he had reading trouble. 

My friend was perplexed by this. When she checked his reading skill at home she was convinced that there was another explanation. She asked him about the teacher's actions and he said that she was willing to read the questions, so why would he read them? My friend was dumbstruck. It was a case of a student doing as little work as possible to get by. He could read well, but knew if he didn't he wouldn't be called on his laziness. There were no repercussions for his lack of effort. 

This year, the boy's teacher is rather authoritative and her son has never gotten better grades. If there is a piece of loose foolscap, it will be binned. No homework? No excuses. Agenda blank? It is your fault. You got an A? You know you earned it and the teacher is proud. Students are 100% accountable for their successes and failures. My friend noticed that her son has a healthy fear of his teacher, that he strives to please him and excel in the class. She feels this year has redeemed him and that he may stand a chance in junior next year, whereas last year, she was sure he was getting lost in excuses and unnecessary accommodations.  

"You need to be a teacher like that! Reading is necessary - if you don't read the question, you fail the test!"

Motion Math

There is a free iPhone application that is being presented in my Tech class this week called "Motion Math". The site claims that kids who played their game improved fraction estimation 15%, and math attitudes 10%. It looks really fun. They can practice adding, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and decimals.

Motion Math

Unfortunately, it is only available for Apple products, of which I have none. It is a great premise however, so of course it has imitators that have produced versions that are available for Android products. It is also free, but seems less interactive, covers less material, and does not offer much encouragement when they get correct answers. 

Math in Motion

In researching this, I noticed just how many apps there are for this type of activity. Just imagine how great it would be if every kid that was quieted by mom handing them her phone were actually playing an educational game! Motion Math is a great example of how learning can be made fun and can be accomplished anywhere. 

Hockey isn't for Dummies

So it seems the owners and the players have reached a tentative agreement! I have to say, I am a little disappointed. I have never lived a winter in Canada hockey-free. Upon my return in 2012, I was amazed at how intrinsic it really is in our culture. My husband and I have a running joke about how long it'll be until someone mentions hockey and then, how often (it usually only takes about 5 minutes). As an Irishman, he has no affinity to hockey and was more than slightly relieved to get away with no knowledge of the sport this far. It seems that may change. 

Drawing on how pervasive hockey-related knowledge is, it can be exploited in numerous ways in math: player stats, player wage increases, profit-sharing amounts, lost earnings per day. But also, the tactile nature of the sport calls for an understanding of mathematic concepts as well. 

I found this list of examples online that helps explain to kids how math is important in the physical play of the sport (e.g. angles of shots and defensive positioning, the speed of the puck and how to skate and stop):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Hockey_math_project.pdf

Budgeting

Lately, I have been planning my wedding and budgeting has become my hobby. If I have X amount of dollars for food, I am learning that I also need to account for Y, in the form of plates and cutlery, and not to forget Z, as in table and chair rentals. 

This whole exercise would be invaluable for students. I though of it this way considering the season we just left:

If your parents gave you $500 to spend as you like on gifts for yourself, what would you buy? 

Students will be asked to account for every cent. If they buy a Wii game system, they should account for the games and any accessories required. If they buy a cell phone, they should give some accounting of the monthly fees. (I accept that electricity costs can be omitted.) Working in teams can help them anticipate some of the related fees and all prices can be found with ease online.  

Financial awareness is a very valuable skill, one I admit I was novice at until I was facing repayment of  undergraduate student loans. Teaching children the value of purchases and their associated expenses is an important lesson.