Math Textbook — Online Student Edition

The online student edition of our textbook is an excellent resource! I strongly encourage both parents and students to use the online edition, especially the “Resources” tab. One of the best Resources that accompanies each lesson is the “Personal Tutor”, where real teachers have created videos that walk you through an example problem for each different concept in each lesson. Please make use of the online student edition — the web site is http://www.glencoe.com/ose, and if you’ve lost your access code, just e-mail Mr. Smith to get the code again. Enjoy!

Sudoku + Math =

I just heard about a new twist on Sudoku, called KenKen. Created by a math teacher in Japan, the basic rules are similar to Sudoku (no number can be repeated in any row or column), but with an extra challenge — you have to plan out a specified arithmetic problem with the numbers you put in each darker box. Check it out at http://kenken.com/index.html. Once you’re used to how the game works, try making a puzzle of your own. See me if you need help with a strategy for how to make your own game.

Equation Projects

Students completed these equation projects earlier in the year, mostly on the SMARTBoard. I finally got a chance to convert most of them into PowerPoint slide shows so that you should be able to download and view them. Check out their good work!

PowerPoint downloads:

• Akilah Shawnae Victoria
• Bobby Alek’s math project
• Dalton Math Project
• Darian, Alec, Blake, Wyatt
• Dylan Justin
• ERIN AND STEPHANIE SLIDE PROJECT FOR MATH
• Haley Victoria
• henne
• MackenzieP
• Maggie[1]

Screencasts (require Flash player):

• abhinav_austin_ryan_add
• abhinav_austin_ryan_-
• abhinav_austin_ryan_X
• abhinav_austin_ryan_2step
• Jesse equations
• KristenAudreyHayley add
• KristenAudreyHayley-
• KristenAudreyHayleyX
• KristenAudreyHayley2step
• Tanner Danni Lily Tori Madalynn addition
• Tanner Danni Lily Tori Madalynn subtraction
• Tanner Danni Lily Tori Madalynn multiplication
• Tanner Danni Lily Tori Madalynn 2step

abhinav austin ryanabhinav austin ryan

Applegate Grant

As we close out the school year, I would like to thank the John Russell Applegate Fund for Teachers at Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation, based here in North Platte, for funding Adams Middle School’s “Interactive Technology for Math Students” grant.  Through the funding they provided, our school was able to purchase two Elmo TT-02s document cameras and two SMART Airliner wireless slates to increase student engagement in the mathematics curriculum.  (To see just a few of the products we digitally photographed, visit these links: http://madmathteacher.wordpress.com/2009/04/02/tessellations-symmetry/ and http://madmathteacher.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/circle-graph-winners/.)  Students were able to share their work much more effectively and more engagingly using these tools — the days of recopying their work onto the board or overhead projector are gone! — and as the teacher, I was able to write on the digital chalkboard from anywhere in the classroom, enhancing my ability to support students throughout the classroom even during whole-class instruction.  We are very grateful to the Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation for the learning opportunities they have helped to provide and expand, and so we publicly thank them for funding our Applegate Grant application.