I just sat through a great presentation from Jon Leister and Paul Devoto educators from the Jonas Salk High-Tech Academy in Sacramento. During the talk they shared their experience as an Apple 1:1 school and Paul shared some of the innovative strategies he is using in his math class. Many of these resources anyone could use regardless of the grade level or subject area they teach. When you have a moment take a look at the following websites and ideas.
Joe
That Quiz
That Quiz is a a great website that allows you to create and maintain math quizzes on a variety of math content for your students. Students receive instantaneous feedback and teachers receive results in a easy-to-read, concise report.
Illuminations by NCTM
Are you have trouble explaining to your students what happens when the value of fraction when the denominator increases? This website has tons of great animations to help explain even the most challenging math concepts that students have trouble picturing.
Timed Warm Ups
Using PowerPoint or Keynote slides, timed with transitions, students walk in the room and complete a warm up activity. Meanwhile the teacher walks around, assessing homework and checking for understanding. For another level of support Paul provides audio tips and hints on each slide. Imagine PowerPoint slides asking students to use the Identity property to solve a problem with a jingle helping them remember how the Identity Property works.
Race the Teacher
Race the Teacher is just that – students race the teacher to solve a problem. Paul creates a video of him solving a problem on the white board. Whenever he has a few extra minutes of class time he replays these videos and students race him using individual white boards.
Video Procedures
Are you tired of repeatedly explaining the same classroom procedure to your kids? On days where his students work in stations Paul has created a short 4-5 minute video reminding students what needs to be done at each station. His kids are engaged when watching this video because it stars fellow students.
Comic Life
As a review strategy students create their own comics to explain mathematical concepts in their own words using Comic Life. This program has a free 30-day trial (purchase price is under $30) and is Mac or PC friendly
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Thanks for the write-up, Joe! Thanks also for providing a resource page where we failed to. The things you learn not to overlook when presenting! Paul will be producing a series of podcasts in the near future that highlight and explain some of the techniques he uses. We will keep you posted so you can keep your readers posted. It was great meeting you and I know we’ll be able to collaborate in the future. Thanks for being such an inspiration.
-Jon
Of all the instructors at this Monterey CUE Conference, you’re by far the best! It’s refreshing to have a real world presenter that isn’t teaching based on some theory or because they’re just tech geeks showing off their skills. I discovered you were still teaching in the classroom and that means a lot. You get it. There is a lot of information to absorb, from Google Earth to Blogs to these Wiki’s (whatever they are) and you make it not only easy but fun! Thank you Joe, you’re an inspiration. I hope we can see you at future conferences.