Wednesday, August 22, 2012

An Olympic Look at Numbers

Locating open ended tasks can be difficult. I attempt to find as many free resources as possible, but many times those resources are not exactly what I am looking for, so tweaking must be done. In this case, I used something that occurred recently that the students had interest in, and turned it into a thirty minute activity. When talking with my students, almost all of them had a connection to the London Olympics in some way. Many families took this special event and turned it into a bonding experience. A few students sought out specific events or athletes, like volleyball, Usain Bolt, or Michael Phelps. I did not want to let the excitement of the Olympics pass, so I tried to think of a question to ask the students that would invoke discussion, and require my students to utilize past mathematical content in a unique situation. The question I chose was as follows:

Which country performed the best in the 2012 Olympics?

Most people would instantly think of the country with the most medals. While that could be one way to look at the situation, many other factors could come into play. My only requirement was that the ranking could not be done by total medals. Anything else was fair game. I wanted to make this open ended, but I also felt the need to provide a few starter resources to start the conversation. I gave my eighth graders twenty minutes, the following websites, and let them explore. 


My job in this process was to walk around the room, listening to conversations, and offering clarifying questions to either propel a group who was short on ideas, or help a group think through their current goals. After the twenty minutes, we discussed the findings.

Some ideas were simple, such as creating a weighted system, awarding gold, silver, and bronze medals a certain number of points. Those students were able to create a simple algebraic equation to display their learning. Many of the other options hinged on percentages, or unit rates. Here are a few examples:
  • Price per medal (GDP)
  • Medals per participant
  • Medal per person living in the country
  • Percent of participants winning medals
  • Percentage of gold medals out of the countries total
We discovered some interesting findings. Of the countries who at least won two medals, New Zealand and Jamaica had two of the highest medals per countries population ratios. Great Britain did as well, but we discussed how those numbers may be skewed because the host countries qualifies for events regardless of performance. We also talked about how Jamaica may not have as high of a ratio when focusing on Olympic participants and medals, because of the amount of relays Jamaica medaled in (the same goes for any country who won multiple team events).

Another surprising finding was that many African nations received the most medals for the money (GDP). Students were interested to see that China actually topped the list of medals per dollar of GDP because China is a bigger country, yet still relatively low on the GDP list. We were able to discuss cross curricular ideas by having a conversation dealing with communism and how economies can differ.

My goal was for students to be able to dig deeper into the numbers, not taking data at face value. I felt my students worked hard to uncover hidden anomalies in the data, using a context they enjoyed. I was also pleased to see that they had retained their knowledge dealing with rates and percentages, and were able to apply their previous understandings to a unique situation. 

Please feel free to comment on this activity, ask any questions pertaining to this activity, or leave ideas on how to expand on this activity. 


Monday, July 23, 2012

1 to 1 Schools Part Three: 3 Tips to Begin the School Year

Picture this situation...The school year is almost here. You are worried about starting the school year effectively with your districts newly implemented 1 to 1 program. All summer, you have worried about the school year starting miserably. Do you have reason to fret? Of course you do! If the school year does not start smoothly, you could be in for a long year. Do not take that chance. Follow these three simple suggestions, and your 1 to 1 experience will kick off right!

Expectations


Having an iron clad set of expectation would be essential even if this was just a regular school year, but with the addition of a 1 to 1 program, expectation become that much more important. Even though I enjoy how the technology enhances learning in my classroom, it can hinder the overall experience if expectations are not implemented properly. The following are a few suggestions, but expectations will ultimately include what is most effective for your specific situation.
  • If someone is addressing the class (discussion, announcement, etc.), teacher or student, all attention should be focused on the speaker. Students should be prompted to shut screens completely to alleviate any potential distractions. Eventually, students will close their computers out of habit.
  • Students should only be on websites, applications, or documents pointed out by the teacher. Boundaries must be set. This process becomes much easier when classroom tasks are interactive for students, and not worksheets put into PDF form. BE SPECIFIC.
  • When the students are working on tasks that do not involve the computers, they should be shut. 
  • Have the students face their computers in a uniform fashion. In all honesty, you are not going to be concerned about each individual screen, because hopefully you are walking around questioning students about current class work (helping them reach a higher level of understanding), but this at least discourages students who slouch in the corner or try to twist their screens attempting to get away with being off task.
THESE EXPECTATIONS BECOME MUCH EASIER FOR STUDENTS TO ACCEPT WHEN CLASSWORK IS MEANINGFUL, EXCITING, AND THOUGHT PROVOKING!

Room Design


In most cases, whatever furniture you have in your classroom is what you are married to. I have desks, and they are functional. I was actually asked if I wanted tables, but turned that idea down because desks are more versatile (in my opinion). In my classroom, students are free to collaborate at all times. I created a seating chart, but students moved so frequently that it was unrecognizable by the end of the year. Students could shift desks around into table arrangements to collaboate, and still revert back to individual desks for discussions. Whatever you decide to use, encourage the benefits of collaboration. Lastly, do not concern yourself with the students' proximity to power sources. Normally, I would only have one student per day who required charging of their computer. Be a flexible teacher. Trust students to be responsible enough to change seats, relocating near a power source for the period. 

Parental Involvement


At the beginning of the year, open the lines of communication with your parents so they understand the types of work to expect at home in relation to technology. From talking with parents, frustration in the home occurs when students convey the requirement to be on the computer for everything, when this is not the case. If parents are aware of the normal items their students will be using the computer for, and receive an occasional email outlining an online project or specific website, the anxiety level will drastically reduce in the home.


Final Thoughts

Starting out the year correctly with technology will make the remainder of the year much more efficient. Time can be spent offering rich learning opportunities as opposed to being the technology police. These three items helped my year go smoothly, and hopefully they will aid you as well. Please feel free to comment below, or ask clarifying questions about this important 1 to 1 topic.



Clayton M. Edwards
Middle School Math
Grundy Center Middle School
MA Middle Level Mathematics
Ed. D. Curriculum and Instruction (current)

Thursday, July 5, 2012

1 to 1 Schools Part Two: 3 Things I Would Have Done Differently

To be honest, my 1 to 1 experience was fairly positive the first year. I had really taken the summer to play out what would work, and what would not. Much like any lesson or activity you do in your classroom, there are always items that you wish you would have done differently. Here are my top 3.

1. Easing the Students Into the 1 to 1 Environment


When I find something that I think works in the classroom, I can tend to jump right in. Usually this eagerness works out well, but in the case of 1 to 1, I wish I would have spread what we did the first few days into a week or two.

Common knowledge tends to suggest that middle school age students are technological wizards who will dazzle you with their knowledge of anything electronic. In my opinion, that could not be further from the truth. Each of the students I have may process a specific technology skill that is unique to other students depending on their previous technological experiences at home or in school. For example, one student I had in eighth grade had an extensive knowledge of Quicktime, and in fact, showed me a different way to make my online videos for my YouTube channel. Excellent, right? Well, it turns out that same student had never used email before and took twenty minutes to figure out how to log in. This is what you get with middle school students and technology...a lot of skill, but not a lot of consistency across the board.

On the first day of school, I went over my expectations, and with the last thirty minutes of class, I gave the students a list of items they would need to do with a computer. This list was lengthy, but consisted of tasks that I assumed that middle school students could do already (log onto email, save a file, share a Google Doc, upload a video to a practice YouTube account, etc.) What I ended up doing was unleashing a beast that took a week to corral (maybe a month for the sixth graders). This is normally how I operate in my self-paced classroom, but that responsibility and modeling of collaboration takes time. My decision to open the flood gates gave me a migraine for a few weeks, and it all could have been prevented if I would have implemented the new technology at a slower pace.

2. Parents and the Computers at Home

Our school hosted a 1 to 1 rollout for students and parents, and many topics were covered. The local authorities discussed cyber bullying and the danger of sharing information online. Our principal talked about different school policies and the purpose of having our 1 to 1 program. The technology coordinator went over how to properly take care of the laptops. Each discussion was very thorough, and one would think that everything was covered.

When all the paperwork was signed, students took the computer home, and for many parents, the dynamic of the home instantly changed. Granted, most of our students probably already had a desktop computer somewhere in the home, but having the portable laptop caused problems for families. I am certainly not here to tell anyone how to be a parent, but from what I gathered from parents who saw their 1 to 1 experience as a success, these would their echoed suggestions.

A. Do not leave your student alone with the computer. Have students do their work in a place where family congregates.

B. Always ask your student what school related activities they are currently working on with the laptop.  The laptops can be used for recreation, but school comes first.

C. Create set times where students are using the computer for school work. Do not be afraid to take the computer away at other times.

This laptop should not change how a family operated previous to the 1 to 1 initiative.

3. Planners and Organizers

In previous years, students have used a physical planner to record assignments and other notes of interest. Parents got into the habit of asking students to see there planner, and in many cases, signing it. With the beginning of the 1 to 1 initiative, planners were not purchased, and student relied on their laptop to record assignments.

At the end of class, I would ask students to close their computers to make sure I had their attention. At this time, we could go over anything that was due, and to reflect on the class period. After we had our short discussion, I would dismiss the students, often assuming that they were going to type the assignments in later. I did not give them enough time to record assignments in class, and that is a problem that I need to fix for next year. With the paper planners, they could listen to me and have the planner out because the planner did not serve as a distraction, where the computer option does. I need to come up with a better system. My idea is to have the students keep their computers open, but have whatever they use for a planner to be open on their screen. I talk from the back of the room, so seeing their screens is not a problem.

Another situation I faced with the online organization tools was making sure every student had a system that worked for them. I thought about recommending that every student use the same recording tool, but with such a variety of options, I did not want to restrict anyone from finding something that worked well for them individually. We started the year mostly using the sticky note problem included on the laptops, or Google Calendar, but expanded as new programs or apps were located. I like the variety, and I need to spend more time in class explaining each new online organization tool as it is discovered.  I need to personally validate that each student has a method of recording that is effective as well.


Final Thoughts

As a district begins to implement a 1 to 1 program, there is no possible way to brainstorm every peril or pitfall that will occur. Research and discussion can help, but each school's situation is slightly different. Each of these points seem like a common sense item to me in hindsight, but what is important is that you learn from past mistakes, and make improvements every year for the sake of your students. Please feel free to comment below and start the discussion about these unforeseen events, or anything else relative to 1 to1.



Clayton M. Edwards
Middle School Math
Grundy Center Middle School
MA Middle Level Mathematics
Ed. D. Curriculum and Instruction (current)

Monday, June 25, 2012

1 to 1 Schools Part One: 3 Worries About 1:1 That Never Came to Fruition

In the months leading up to the anticipated roll-out, many teachers had concerns as to how giving a computer to every middle school student would actually turn out. There were so many different senraios to considered, something horrible was bound to happen. Sure, a lot was learned from our first year with the 1 to 1 program, and suttle changes will be made for next year (will be discussed in part two of this series), but overall, the year was extremely successful. The following is a list of the top 3 teacher worries, and how they never really played out as feared.

1. The computers will get broken or destroyed by the students when they have them at all times.


Picture a 4' 2", 65 pound sixth grade student trying to navigate the hallways, dodging monstrous eighth graders, while lugging around an expensive machine. That seems like a recipe for disaster. I also have witnessed how poorly students take care of school property, as well as their own to be honest. How easy would it be to accidentally knock a computer off a desk, or step on a computer that has been placed on the floor? Most middle school students are hitting that awkward stage in life, and are not normally confused with having the coordination of that Niagara falls tightrope walker.

With all of those negative thoughts swirling through my head, I was surprised to see that the computers were very well taken care of. The students acted like the laptop were treasures, and to some they probably were. Random repairs will always have to be made, but if you were to compare the students 1 to 1 laptops to the classroom cart I used to have in my room, there would no longer be a concern.

A lot of credit goes to the students for being responsible, but do not leave out the teachers. We made sure that the computers were in bags to and from class. We used advisory time to look at the computers, and give tips to the students to better take care of their prized possession. Our technology coordinator also helped the process by fixing small problems before they escalated. An overall team effort resulted in a fleet of computers that will be operational through the end of the lease.

2. The students will not do any school work in class. They will be too busy surfing the Internet and playing games.


This was a problems that I was not concerned with given my history with using a laptop cart in my classroom everyday. The key to students not getting distracted and off task is actually more on the teachers shoulders than the students. We hope that our students are responsible, but there are a few things teachers can do to help their cause.

A. Make sure what you are doing in class is something that is interesting that students will enjoy or find challenging. If the students are hooked on the curriculum, they will not be concerned with being off task or playing the latest Internet game.

B. If you are not using the computers, make sure the students have them closed.

C. Set expectations ahead of time. Stress the importance of the work you are asking the students to participate in.

D. Form quality relationships with your students. The students will work for you and stay on task when they trust you and enjoy coming to your class. This works the same whether we are dealing with technology or not. Find something that you can talk about with each students so they can connect with you on a personal level.

E. Have a computer monitoring system in place. In our district, we use LanSchool. Notice how I put monitoring systems last because this should only be in place for piece of mind for the teacher, and NOT the answer to all the world problems. Teachers who rely solely on a monitoring system end up sitting at their desk the entire class period and never interacting with the students because they are so worried that they are going to be off task. One way that I use LanSchool that I have found helpful is to put the program on my iPad. I can see the students' screens while I am walking around. I do not use it often, but I have it just in case.

3. The students will show up to school with dead computers.


I found that many students did not like carrying their chargers in their bags because the chargers protruded out too far. Even so, 95% of all students had there computer charged, and they lasted all day (the jury is still out on whether this will still be the case when the batteries are three years old). For the other 5%, they normally borrowed someone's charger and plugged it in during class. Although I only have a few pluggins in my room, it was never a problem because I never made a big deal out of it. Students quietly borrow chargers form other students, and if they were not next to a pluggin, they asked another student to switch seats, and they sat their for the day. The key is to be flexible.

Final Thoughts

I often laugh a little to myself when I think about how I was concerned with some of these situations. That being said, my fears were real, and I can imagine how someone who is entering the world of 1 to 1 feels. These three ideas represent the top worries of our district. As a reader, do you have additional fears that I did not mention? Do you have any questions or concerns about my ideas? Please feel free to comment below and start the discussion.



Clayton M. Edwards
Middle School Math
Grundy Center Middle School
MA Middle Level Mathematics
Ed. D. Curriculum and Instruction (current)

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

1 to 1 Schools: A Mini-Series From A Math Teacher's Perspective

Our district (Grundy Center) has been 1 to 1 in the high school for two years, and one year in the middle school. People have varying viewpoints with how this plays out in the schools, whether they have experienced 1 to 1 or not. Some educators are concerned/interested from a curricular standpoint, while others worry about behavioral or logistical aspects. I have been a presenter at a few 1 to 1 conferences (Iowa 1:1 Institute and the AEA 267 Regional 1:1 Conference), and will share my thoughts on this phenomenon.

As part of an upcoming series, I will be posting about the following topics in the coming weeks.

*Worries about 1 to 1 that never came to fruition


*What I would have done differently


*Tips to begin the school year


*1 to 1 in a mathematics classroom


*Laptop or Tablet? What device is most effective?


*Questions and thoughts of my readers answered by @Doctor_Math


If there is anything you are particularly interested in knowing about that could fit into one of these sections, or stand alone, please include your ideas in the comments section and I will include those suggestions in upcoming posts.



Clayton M. Edwards
Middle School Math
Grundy Center Middle School
MA Middle Level Mathematics
Ed. D. Curriculum and Instruction (current)

Monday, June 18, 2012

Bland Mathematical Internet Games: Uninspiring, Yet Useful


Inspired by a past blog post by Dr. Scott McLeod, I wanted to take a look at mathematical Internet games and discuss a few ways that even a seemingly boring game can have some value.

In my middle school classroom, I use games on a weekly basis. Sometimes, these games are fairly basic, and at first glance, one might wonder why something this unappealing would even be used. Dr. McLeod's first example was the infamous Math Baseball. When I first saw this, I chuckled a little to myself because a lot of my students actually enjoy this game for whatever reason. They like the reward system of scoring runs for getting questions correct. Even so, this game is very limited.

I have found a few uses for games such as Math Baseball. In this case, Math Baseball is focusing on computation. When we take five minutes out of a period to work on computation, I like the fact that the program tells students whether they are right or wrong. I wish it went a step further and gave an example of how you could come up with the solution (many games include this), but that can be left to the teacher. I can easily walk around and see who can decipher a large multiplication problem, and who still needs some extra practice. Everyone is showing their work, and I can go through and help to find the problem, or find a peer to offer guidance. This is a small formative piece of data, but very useful in helping me individualize for each student down the road. This could also be used as a pretest as well.

From a student perspective, one of the drawbacks of typical book work is the lack of any sort of timely feedback if students are working alone, or even in groups. It is entirely possible for a student to have a slight misconception, and go through an entire assignment without even knowing that something in their understanding is flawed. This is unfortunate because it can waste a lot of time and energy from the student, and can also cause headaches for the teacher when the problem could have been fixed ahead of time. I do encourage students to look in the back of the book to see if they are on the right track, but using the slightly underwhelming mathematical game can also serve the purpose. Students can know instantly whether they have the basic knowledge for the concept presented in the game, or if they should seek out assistance.

The following are a few examples out of thousands that focus on a certain concept and can be used for quick teacher and student feedback:

Algebra vs. Cockroaches

Catch the Fly

Numbles

These types of games are all over the Internet, and frankly much easier to find than games that focus on deep levels of mathematical understanding in a fun and creative way. By no means am I saying that this should be a large portion of your curriculum. My goal as am educator is to foster deep mathematical understanding. The bottom line is that there is a time and place in education for these types of games, and when used correctly, they can benefit both students and teachers. 

*Can be used as a brief formative assessment to help a teacher with future educational decisions


*Can be used as a form of quick feedback so students do not have to wait a day, or even five minutes to know how they are doing

Clayton M. Edwards
Middle School Math
Grundy Center Middle School
MA Middle Level Mathematics
Ed. D. Curriculum and Instruction (current)