Tomorrow

Beginning tomorrow, Sept. 15, 2014, I get to use a classroom set of iPads.  I plan to use a QR code with the warm-up, assign a note taking app to each class and begin having them use it this week.  Some of the note taking apps have a voice recorder so students can add verbal notes to their written notes.  In addition, I hope to introduce them to a mind mapping app so once the graphic organizer is finished, my students can take a screenshot of it and import it into the note taking app.
I will be setting up schoolboy classes with due dates, etc. for all the classes and start issuing exit ticket quizzes later in the week.  I want to decrease my work load a bit and help students who have lousy handwriting, learn to take and keep notes without losing them.
I started the process last year and want to take it one step further. I will keep you posted on how well  it works.

5 dice app and warm-ups

Due to some strange things happening at the last school board meeting, the high school is changing from a 8 period day to a shorter 6 period day and there was some training for both teachers and students.  This means that for two days, I was missing half my students and since we are changing schedules, I needed something to have students do during class as warm-ups.  So Wednesday, I opened the game and copied the first screen under + and - up on the board for the warm-up. It was amazing how involved my students were with this warm-up.  After about 10 min, my first student found the answer and I had them write it up on the board.
Yesterday, I chose the first screen under multiplication and division and put that on the board. Again, they were so involved that I told them to think about it over night and we'd try again on Friday (today).  I have study hall every Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  I had several students come in and work on it.  The reason I told them to think about it, was simply that I had not figured it out.  I finally came up with the solution at the end of the day.  Today I gave them about 5 min and then placed a hint where I rearranged the dice into the proper order. After another 5 min, I showed them the solution.
This was a really great activity and I may do it again.

Inequality Kickoff

This is a lovely app that took me a few days to figure it out.  I do not know how intuitive it would be for my students but it is good practice.

This game has ten levels which go from simple problems to more complex inequalities.  This game is set up as a football game where the kicker sets up on a certain yard line to make a kick.

You are given a specific inequality to solve by placing the football on the proper yard line.

Then you make the ball solid if there is an equal sign involved or translucent if not.  This is done by using the change button.  The next step involves setting the direction of the ball so it goes left or right based on the inequality.

I like the way it gives the student a chance to try several more times if they do not get the correct answer the first time.  I look forward to trying it with my students.  I also like that the app has a multitude of levels to meet the needs of students from pre-algebra on up.

A way of teaching order of operations.

Today, my algebra I class practiced using order of operations.  What I noticed is my students could tell me the Order of Operations but they had trouble applying the rules.  They seemed to want to do which ever operation came first as they worked left to right.  Many times they ignored the multiplication when a number was located right next to a parenthesis and do the addition or subtraction first.
So I got the bright  idea of having my students take the longer more complex expressions and work the problem out in detail with one step per line.  Then I had them identify what operation out of the order of operations.  This made them slow down and think about the next step.  It was awesome because it made them really think about the order of operations. 
I am still waiting for my ipads to begin integrating them again.  I am thinking that I can have students do their work, snap a shot of the work, annotate it by writing down the operations and submitting it to  me. 
I think I could also have them comment in their journals about what they leaned through this exercise. 
On a side topic, I am creating an interactive book on triangles using iBook Author. It is about 3/4 done and when it is ready, I have an apple trainer, someone who works for the state school board and my principal who all want copies.  This is something I did not expect and it means I have to get it finished sooner.  I'll keep you posted on its progress.

Algebra with linear equations.

 This is a lovely app.

There are three levels of play that range from solving one step equations to more complex equations.

Each level is timed but you add time with every correct answer.  The idea is to get as many correct answers as possible.

This program is a nice way for students to practice their mental math in solving equations. I am not sure I would have labeled these problems as linear equations because there were several problems with cubes or squares mixed in with linear equations.  By definition, linear has a power of one.  Other than that, it is a nice program as it goes from solving one step equations to multistory equations.

Diamond factor

This is a lovely app to use for practicing the diamond method of factoring.  

The top blank is for the product of the factors while the bottom blank is for the sum of the factors.  The factors are a and c from a standard trinomial.

If a student fills in the blanks correctly, they are told they did a good job.  If not they are told to try again.  The nice thing about this app is there are 7 levels which progress form simple to complex. 

This is a sample of a more complex problem.

In addition, students have a choice of practicing where there is no time limit and the iPad does not keep score.  Once a student selects play, there is a time limit and it keeps score.  This means the students who struggle can do the problems without the pressure of time.  

I plan to use this app for both my algebra 1, algebra 2, and college prep classes.

Coverup math

This app is put out by the center for algebraic thought.  The author is The same one who made the lovely algebraic tiles math app with the blue face that says Algebraic Tiles.  This app has five levels to choose from.  When you choose a level, the face spins like a slot machine and at the end there is an equation to solve. First level problems are the simplist while the level five are quite complex. The problem in the illustration is a level 1.

Students have the choice of solving the problem two ways.  They can solve it using the tradition way.

Or with the variable covered up so you can solve the problem by seeing what is missing.

This next shot is from level 5.

So this app would work for students from pre-algebra to algebra 2 or even higher.  It will work for practice, remediation or reinforcement.

They are still preparing my iPads and the tech dept requested a list of apps so I went looking and found several new apps that look really nice by the center for algebraic thought and these apps are free.