One of the struggles I have as department chair is coming up with what we should be doing in our PLC time. I decided that we needed to start examining the CCSS much closer, and really start implementing things this year that we are going to be asked to implement next year. Why? Because if [...]
When I last left this topic, I had a rather different arrangement of the Essential Understandings based on a theme of graphing, algebraic arithmetic and solving. We took this to our department head, and had a discussion with her about these. Her very valid concern with that arrangement was that the learners may not see [...]
Okay, I have to admit, I haven’t really designed my own curriculum for algebra 2 before. I just looked at the district blueprint, saw what chapters they expected me to cover, and did that. Sometimes I figured out homework assignments the morning of. Sometimes I had homework planned out weeks in advance. But I had [...]
I really find the concept behind the site Maths in the City to be very interesting. Real world math, based on the urban environment around us. It is a British site, but that does not mean it will not end up with some really cool pictures and videos from around the world. Now, what can [...]
This week I downloaded a free piece of software from Microsoft. Actually, 2 new free pieces of software. The first piece was the new Microsoft Mathematics “calculator”. I put calculator in quotes because it is so much more than just a calculator. For instance, it is a calculator and a grapher. If you click on [...]
An accident happened to me while teaching Algebra 2 this year. A very good accident. I was teaching solving equations, and I always tell my learners that solving equations is about looking for 1′s and 0′s. I stress this fact, and point out the 0′s and the 1 every time we solve something. And of [...]
Well, I have gotten into the school year, and I am getting comfortable in the routines. It was more difficult this year with three preps, so I have spent some time getting more prepared and have had to focus constantly on how I am planning. Some things I have done to make sure I am [...]
So one of the biggest problems with using skills based assessment, or standards based assessment, or any of the other names that can be given to the process that Dan Meyer has been educating us on is that Alg 2 is just way to darn big. I mean, really. Rational functions? Composition of functions? If [...]
Before I really get into this one, I must first say that I will use the terms Alg 3 to mean the first semester and Alg 4 to mean the second semester of my District’s second year algebra class. I am specifying this because as I have talked to and grown in my understanding of [...]
H tried this with Intermediate Algebra (my district’s Alg 3-4) and found it to be lacking. That makes sense to me, because Alg 3-4 is more complex. At least Alg 4 is. The first semester of Alg 3 is really just a review of Alg 1-2. Well, not to be discouraged with what H found [...]