Teaching Math in Context

This semester I piloted a new class for my county.  I taught a section of algebra 1 using an integrated math approach and using the Core Plus Mathematics textbook.  This book has served as the anchor for my course.  The main difference between the Core Plus book and traditional math texts is the way that each topic is introduced. 

In a traditional math class, the students are taught a topic and the rules that apply to that topic.  After the rules are "mastered" students are taught how to apply the rules to real life situations through word problems. 

Research shows that students, especially students with disabilities, have a hard time making the transition from algorithms to application.  The Core Plus math book approaches teaching math using the complete opposite strategy.  Each topic is introduced through a real life scenario.  The students then use investigations to discover the rules about the topic and transition from word problems to problems without context.  I feel that this gives the students a much better understanding of the mathematics. 

My county is offering a training session this summer for other algebra 1 teachers from different high schools so that next year there will be at least one section of math taught with this approach at each high school across the county.  This is an exciting time for math education and math teachers in Onslow County!

Social Bookmarking

Social bookmarking is a way to create bookmarks that you can share with others.  I used a site called Delicious to create my own free account and create my list of bookmarks.  So far, I have bookmarks saved that are related to digital literacy.  I plan to continue working with this site and bookmark some pages that will be helpful specifically for math teachers. 

Check out my bookmarks at https://delicious.com/simmonsj93

Foldables

I teach high school mathematics.  For years I taught geometry using what I consider very "traditional" methods... I taught by writing notes on the board, and the students would copy them.  I gave definitions, formulas, theorems, examples, etc... and they would write everything down in their notebooks.  The problem was, that whenever a student asked for help, I would refer them back to their notebook to look for help.  I was trying to teach them to use their notebook as a reference tool to help them solve problems.  But, I generally found that the information in the notebooks was all blurred together, as pencil has a tendency to blur on the page over time.  It was very difficult for the student, and even myself to find any important information in the notebook.  Then I stopped teaching geometry for several years, because there were other courses that required my attention.  About four years ago I found myself with a geometry teaching assignment again, and I knew that I could not approach it the same way as I had before.  So, I began to look for new strategies, and boy did I ever find a good one! Foldables! Dinah Zike wrote the book on Foldables, literally.  She has several books published that you can purchase on how to use Foldables for almost any subject area.  My current school uses the Glencoe Geometry textbook, and the resource material came with a copy of her book on how to teach mathematics with Foldables.  And so began my new era of teaching! Foldables are an interactive way to help students organize their notes.  Basically, it's a graphic organizer made from folding one or more pieces of paper and making different types of booklets to write their notes on.  This helped my students to better organize their notes.  Also, when helping students I could say, "Where's your flipbook?  Let's look there for the information," or "You can find the formula in the pink foldable."  The students really enjoy using the Foldables in class.  You can find more information about Foldables by clicking on any of the following links:

• Foldables are wonderful!
• Dinah-Might Adventures
• Math=Love

Below you can see a sample Foldable that I made with my geometry class.  This is a Flipbook used to organize all the information that students must learn about right triangles.  Click on the picture to see more Foldables that I have created with my students.