My script calculator

Today I showed the students how to set up an equation so that my script calculator will solve for a variable without the student having to do the actual mathematics.  For instance in a ratio, you can put in 3/4 = 9/  and it will fill in the 12 so you don't have to do the actual math.  I knew that but did not share it with the students until today.  This was in Algebra I class.  In Algebra II, I have been working with the students to get them to learn to use free graph calc to find the values in a polynomial using the table part of the app.  Tomorrow I am going to talk about composite functions etc and then will have the students add to their Haiku Deck presentation on the section.  This is my class full of seniors and I am trying to make them more independent.
Finally, I shared the teaching channel with others in the Technology PLC and we found one that showed a website for students to use because it has audio, buttons with hints.  I will discuss the site tomorrow and figure out if it works on the iPad.

Teaching channel and a reading assignment.

I went to a conference this past weekend and in one of the workshops we were shown several different examples of good teaching using The Teaching Channel.  I saw one great lesson on having students sort equations into always, sometimes and never stacks.  The students were working in groups but they had to support their choice with both verbal and visual evidence.  I liked the way you saw the teacher handling the class, explaining and creating a safe environment for students to try.  That is one lesson I want to try.  I saw another teacher have students work a problem on a paper, turn it in and she looked at the answers, sorting the yeses from no's and finding the best no answer.  She would copy the problem on the board and begins by asking students what is done correctly.  After, she then asked if they could find what was not correct and used this as a way of creating a dialog and assessment.  I think I will begin using this next year in my teaching.  I also plan to watch videos over the summer so that I can improve my teaching.
Today in my College prep math class, I gave students a section to read and create a presentation for using Haiku Deck.  Over the last few weeks of school, I want to have them become even more independent  since they are going to college next year.  If I had I movie on the ipads, I could have them take this a step further by importing the presentation into imovie, add sound and create a great presentation.

Baseball math

Yesterday, I spent the period going over some mathematical formulas for baseball statistics for use in my Algebra II class today.  I've arranged for them to have a statistical lesson via videoconferencing today.  We discovered that the batting average formula is similar to a simple one step equations and can be solved the same way.  The slugging formula is a bit more complex but similar to the formula for finding your GPA.   I was able to introduce the students to statistical deviation which is a topic I don't usually get to so this is really pretty good.
appzest has a EZ statistics lite app which tests students on various topics of statistics.  The lite version is free and has limited questions but has a data base of questions which can be used for students to test their knowledge.  I am going to go looking for apps that might explain more about probability and stats over the summer. 

Appzest EZ radicals

This is a free app which has several chapters.  Each chapter starts with a quick review and then follows with a short quiz.  The app explains the answer either as a reinforcement of the correct answer or to explain why the chosen answer is incorrect.  At the end, the student receives a score.
The app covers an introduction, finding nth roots, simplifying radical expressions, multiplying, dividing, adding and subtracting, using the distributive property, conjugates, radical functions domain and range, radical equations, introduction to complex numbers, adding and subtracting complex numbers, complex conjugates, multiplying and dividing complex numbers, complex numbers with math operations, absolute value of complex numbers and i to the power of n. 
This is really a neat app.  Tomorrow, I"m going to check out another one.  It is sometimes hard to find apps to uses with the upper levels.

Breakthrough

Today I had my algebra I take the 5th quiz in Mathtoons number skills.  Some of the problems required students to divide a fraction by a whole number.  I had several students comment that they didn't know how to do that.  This is really the first time my students have commented on their weaknesses.  The other thing that one of my students discovered is that many of the mathtoons quizzes from the individual apps are in the app called Ultimate Thump.  I'm going to go through the Ultimate Thump to see which of the apps it combines. 
I am beginning to see some good uses for these apps in all my classes next year.  I have to check through the two to three geometry apps to see which have quizzes on quadrilaterals.  The best time for the quizzes is after the warm-up and before the actual lesson. 
Our real life math problem had to deal with some thieves who stole 30,000 liters of diesel from a pipeline.  The theft was valued at $70,000 so I had the students calculate cost per liter, cost per gallon and how many gallons the 70,000 would buy based on the current price of $6.20 per gallon.  The students really were surprised about the amount it came to in US currency.

QR Search and rescue

In the normal search and rescue you put equations on a paper with the answer to a different problem.  So when you calculate the answer, you go looking for the paper with the answer and then do the equation for that one and go find the next answer.  Usually my students end up trying to take shortcuts but if I put the equation in a QR code with the answer written next to it and a letter to identify which problem it was so they can write it on the paper, the kids cannot take the usual short cuts.  They can then take a picture of the finished work and send it all in to me or deposit it in a dropbox.  Next year I am going to figure out a way to have students send in work to me and for me to send them work to cut down on the paper.
I think I'm going to do the QR the final week of April.  I can report back on how it goes.
I can put the QR codes around the room so that students can get up and move.  It is also a way of helping them learn the process so as to become competent in Math.  This can also provide them with a safe way to learn the material.

Mathtoons equations

I just figured out today that I can have my Algebra 1 class take a quiz every couple of days using Mathtoons equations.   As they take the quiz, there is a correcting mechanism that notifies students when they miss a problem and why.  Unfortunately, most of my students just ignore the information and keep selecting answers until they get the correct one.  The only other bad thing, is that the quiz has the same questions so students who redo the quiz will eventually get 100 percent.  Right now I am grading them for taking the quiz, not for their grade.  This is nice because I am getting them used to using the program.
I am thinking of having student write down one problem they miss on the quiz in a QR maker app and then let me scan the problem.  I expect them to copy down the correct answer and explain why they missed it.
Over the weekend I am going to read up on QR scavenger hunts to see how I can adapt the activity as a Search and rescue activity.  I would give them a problem they have to solve and then they have to go find the QR code with the answer written on the bottom.  Then they use that QR code for the next problem.
Over the summer I will be posting actual lesson plans using the ipads so as to keep a log of my ideas so I have  a record of them and perhaps get some feedback on my ideas.