virtual manipulatives
4 Must Have Math Workstations: # 3 The Digital Workstation
July 30, 2013
The students that we teach are known as “Digital Natives” by Prensky (2001). We on the other hand, are referred to as the “Immigrants.” They were born in the 21st century. We were born in the 20th century. We teach the way we learned. So, many of us are still using 20th century ways to teach in the 21st century. I am not suggesting that we throw out all of those ways. But, WE MUST add to them. We must expand our own repertoires of teaching. We must learn some new ways. We must step into the 21st century.
I had the honor of working with Heidi Hayes Jacobs for years at Columbia during the summers. She would always tell teachers to upgrade just 1 thing in their classrooms- Just 1. I think that works. That way, we don’t become overwhelmed and and simultaneously we don’t underwhelm our students with our teaching. Learn just 1 new thing that reflects that we live, learn and teach in the 21st century.
Here are 5 great sites to get you started!
#1: Have the students watch or make a glog: (check out the glogopedia to get ideas)
#2: Have the students watch or make an animoto as a hook into a lesson.
#3: Play games on Math Playground, Cyberchase, BBC, Johnnie’s Homepage,Harvey’s Homepage, Math Play
#4: Use virtual manipulatives (NLVM, Glencoe, Math Playground)
#5: Show education video clips to teach a concept (teacher tube, school tube, learn zillion, Math Playground)
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
Teaching the Area Model for Division
The CCSS Math Practice 5 talks about different tools that students will use to solve problems. Here is a great digital tool from the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives that helps students to learn and practice division using the area model.
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Great Resources for Digital Math Centers
Here is a resource that you can use to get good sites for the computer math center!
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Math Resource Bank
Here is a wide variety of math resources by standards. Rockingham school district has found a very interesting and helpful way to set up a resource bank.
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )More Math Center Websites
Here are some great math center websites! It says 2nd grade but spans various grade levels. You could get lost on here! BE VERY CAREFUl! It’s loads of fun standards based activities for the students.
Happy Mathing
Dr. Nicki
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )More Great Math Games
Here is a great site for math games. I like the interactivity and the fact that they use different models and strategies in the games. Watch the videos for each game to understand how they work. For example, in the alligator subtraction game, the students see a fact like 8+9 and then they are encouraged to think 9+9 and take away 1. They do this by looking inside the alligator’s mouth and then pulling a tooth. They have a bunch of games that use the open number line as well. For example, in the Catapult Castle, students have to figure out how many to the next ten and then adjust the target by pulling on a line that moves that many. They also have the beadstring for teaching various number facts. This is an interactive model for teaching “the dolch words of math” – illustrating facts through 20. They give you the choice of one or two strings. Try out the games. Let me know how you are using them.
Sometimes, for a guided math group, I will sit with the students at the computer center and have them play the games and talk about what they are doing. I can see them use virtual models, question them about the strategies and models they are using and really bring out “the math” in the game.
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
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Division Strategies and Algorithms: Great Guided Math Lessons
Can you show your thinking about 250/50 in more than one way? What about your students? Can they discuss this problem with numbers, words and pictures?
Division with Virtual Manipulatives
More Division with Virtual Manipulatives (I would use real base ten blocks and then show the process with virtual manipulatives).
Short Division (Notice the use of her language? How could you help describe this process by using language that is descriptive of the actual place of the numbers?)
Be sure to look at all the Schultz videos on different strategies and algorithms for division (scroll all the way down). Also take a look at the other posts on strategies and algorithms in this series on operations. I always encourage teachers to do this type of work in small guided math groups so that students can get a chance to explain their thinking and listen to the ideas of others. Also remember that the new math common core is encouraging us to build a repertoire of strategies and algorithms for the basic operations. Of course, teach the traditional algorithm as well, but teach it with conceptual understanding as well as procedural fluency!
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 2 so far )Rich Math for July: Great Center Activities
This is a great site for rich math activities. Here is what they are doing in July! These are great thinking activities for kids. Be sure to make the students talk through what they are doing and why they are doing it! We need to do more of this type of stuff where our students really have to problem solve rather than just calculate!
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Another Great Angle Site: Great for Whole Class Smartboard Work and Center Activities
Here is a great site that teaches about protractors and angles! Students get a chance to show, make, measure and estimate angles! Great fun! Be sure to have your students talking about the math as they are working with the game. This math talk is where the learning takes place because as they talk through their work, they are making sense of the math.
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
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