Check out this class website I created: http://mrsgray3rd.weebly.com/
Flipped Lesson on Sophia.org
I used Sophia.org to become Flipped Classroom Certified. In order to get certified, I created a online lesson for learning how to multiply by 6. I created a video using my iPad that details two strategies to solve these problems. I also created a graphic (to the left) that shows the strategies. My online lesson also includes a Schoolhouse Rock video to give students another mode (music) to learn from. My lesson has a built in assessment and an at-home assessment for students to print off.
Check out the lesson here: http://www.sophia.org/tutorials/multiplying-by-6s
Check out the lesson here: http://www.sophia.org/tutorials/multiplying-by-6s
Tree Octopus Lesson
Before a research unit, I asked my students to do a mini-research project on the Tree Octopus. I gave them this website (http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/) and asked them to create a data sheet to record their findings. After about 20 minutes, I asked students to do a Google search of the Tree Octopus. They found that the site was a hoax and that the Tree Octopus did not exist. They were outraged! Students were writing letters to the creator of the website and were very upset. We talked about how we could have avoided being tricked by the website. Students generated a list of things they should look for to see if a website is legitimate.
Number Pieces Small Group Instruction
I used the iPad app 'Number Pieces' to work with a small group in mathematics. These students were having trouble with regrouping in subtraction problems. The app has Base Ten Blocks that can be broken apart or put together to regroup. The students were able to see a concrete example of why we regroup and what is happening in the regrouping process. In my classroom, we only had 2 iPads so this activity was perfect for small group instruction.
This is a free app that can be downloaded here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/number-pieces-by-math-learning/id605433778?mt=8
This is a free app that can be downloaded here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/number-pieces-by-math-learning/id605433778?mt=8
Number of the Day Lesson
We asked students to explore all the ways they could represent the number "222" using manipulatives. Instead of physical manipulatives, students were able to create using virtual manipulatives from Glencoe Virtual Manipulatives. Students were able to post screenshots of the different representations on a Google Drive Presentation. We sequenced the different representations and used them to get students thinking about the place value. Students were able to see their own work presented to the entire class. Google Drive is a great resource for collaboration.
Wikispaces Election Inquiry Lesson
This lesson focused on using inquiry to learn. Inquiry is an approach that allows students to learn through asking questions that interest them. We used a Wikispace to compile information about the 2012 Election. We then asked students to investigate a question they had about the election. Perhaps they wondered why President Obama won? Why Romney lost? Did Hurricane Sandy influence the results? We asked students to find evidence from the Wikispace to back up their answers. Students researched questions ranging from "What would have happened if Obama hadn't won the Popular Vote?" to "What makes a state a 'swing state?'" Wikispaces is a great resource because students can also add to the content. Students posted their findings for other students to learn.
Smartboard Literacy Lesson
To help my student learn the Long-E Rule, I modified a Smartboard presentation I found online on Smart Exchange. The presentation I found, allowed students to use the Smartboard to create words. It had all the letters and students could touch letters and move them to create words. I wanted my student to create words using certain letters, so I took the presentation and inserted un-moveable blocks on to the letters I did not want the student to use. The student was then able to create words with only the letters I had chosen. This is a popular technique for getting students excited about making words. All the letters together spell a "super" word.