Blackboard Notes

  I have been very remiss about keeping up my blog (mainly for me), but you have not yet checked Mathbits from MCTM, I highly encourage you to do so (not just because there is an article from me about my last plug for spring conference). Why the picture?  It represents some fundamental changes at our house.  My daughter, as pictured, has been interning out in the Chicago area to develop her media production skills to get better at her trade.  Most recently, her dog, Brice, has also (more recently) made that transition by riding back out there with her.  It makes me reflect and wonder what's the point of what I am doing right now? Do I have a mission to do other things and work with others since I no longer need to "watch over" the dog, nor tend to any immediate needs of my daughter.   I think most frequently, especially because of the pandemic, school students have developed this attitude, "What's the point? Why do we have to have math class?"  I...

This may sound like a bit of a to do list, but there are several items to look through as we (educators) get closer to the MCTM Spring Conference.  Since I am an exiting region director, I thought I should try to find info to get everyone aware of resources, especially with the change in our 2022 MN Math Standards. There is a group called MN Math Leaders, which meets regularly...if you want to know more about them you can check out more info at http://www.mctm.org . Some of the To-Do's I'll list here: 2023-24 MN Math Leaders Book Club Series (more information coming soon) Building Thinking Classrooms (Peter Liljedahl) - Led by Jessica Strom Choosing to See by Pam Seda and Kyndall Brown - Led by MCTM Regional Directors Everything you wanted to know about being an Indian but were afraid to ask. Junior Edition by Dr. Anton Treue r - Led by Laura Wagenman & Amy Nolte 6 Tools for Collaborative Mathematics Coaching by Nicora Placa Led by  Megan Schmidt🐶 2024 MN Math Leaders ...

  I used to DESIRE to dig into research and to experiment and try a hypothesis in my classroom.  Since COVID I have felt complacent and unsupported to try anything.  This is the danger of not just the pandemic, but ANY major situation. Then I also became involved with MCTM and worked with people whose desire was to make math more connected again.  There were several feeling the same way as I did, and for once that gave some comfort.   I've discovered through personal study and investment in my thinking habits, (as mentioned in previous posts) that I am an Architect.  Not by trade, but by mindful construction of the "Big Picture" and commanding the tools, resources, and assets I am connected to make it happen. Not to brag, far from it, for Architects also are behind the scenes people, and some have the opposite of superiority complex; that is to say, an inferiority complex.   This is a dangerous feeling to have, especially if one is in a competiti...

  Though the picture represents a different reason for my mug smile (taken in May 2022), it makes me feel the same way to try to continue to hope for the future of math standards.   Currently we are working underneath the 2007 Minnesota Math Standards, and version III of the new standards have been out for comment by the public.  Before, there were general ideas what was supposed to be presented to Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, upper standards (advanced data and statistics), but yet did not account for the College Now or other preparatory math many schools have implemented to be competitive. Here's a case example of hope for improvement.  Currently I teach Algebra 1 to the eighth graders in our district.  The curriculum we have is very rigorous (that is to say, the book focuses on rational exponents), and gives students little practice with integer exponents to build their confidence.  This gap, paired with a low numeracy and low fraction exposure fr...

I am trying new things.  For example, the picture you see is my front door surrounded by leaf bag pumpkins.  Decorations seem to be so expensive after  post epidemic, I decided to be more crafty. While not as fancy as the neighbors, it worked.   That got me thinking because of the changes I've had to go through since coming back to my home-district as a math teacher.  It was a desire to almost create a Brand , something that made my classroom and routines unique, while not trying to piggy back off of someone else's style, as I had done in the past.   Most teachers know this as a "steal and adapt" method, but it seems to be a Frankenstein creation without developing your purpose and meaning for your classroom. Teachers, YOU decide how you are going to start the class period. Make it relatable, base it off your current work and/or topics.  In fact, I make warm ups based on Notice and Wonder (see previous posts on Sara Van Der Werf's references) or c...

 By reading several posts this summer, and being busy I have not made a post till now, I’ve come to realize that adults have suffered greatly in the week of the post epidemic season. They have been largely neglected to focus on the students and their feelings and their recovery, but it’s the teachers who need to be refilled and re-fed and revitalized. Many districts have been stretched to the breaking point, needing substitutes, needing extra adults to serve And it’s not fair to say that these adults don’t deserve mental holidays, something that we used to joke about in the past, but now become a reality. This blog was intended as an experiment in community communication and awareness about mathematics, but now it’s also become an awareness of those who need that extra encouragement and support in a time where you really have to make a show and dance to get kids to pay attention. They actually do care about special effects, behind the scenes, not that you can use the commutative pr...

 This was supposed to be my last post at the end of May,  but I got myself looped into teaching summer school at HLO for those needing Math recovery credits.  So I am a "little" late. I have just completed my first year back at HLO during "COVID season." --Whew.  With a week break, I stepped right into shaving cream. With as much satire that Mark Twain and Doug Johnson would enjoy, I set myself up to grade strictly on progress,  rather than accomplishment.  Using ALEKS, and a combination of reminders/peering over their shoulder when I see a Stop sign alert, I try getting them into a conversation about the "lame" rules they have to follow in order to complete the problem or task. This has reinforced what I have felt about for years; the students who are uninspired by traditional math tactics now have my undivided attention, and can speak at length why these "lame" rules work.  ALSO, I find that the atypical student who (I won't say is a failur...

 While this may ring up visions of Guardians of the Galaxy and/or Marvel Comics,  this actually relates to teachers as they have been meticulously creative collecting whatever content they can muster to make sound lessons for their students.  One of the things I have thought back to, was when Numb3rs was popular on CBS.  So I did a little digging.  I found a few links like http://mathstrategies.wordpress.com/numb3rs-activities  and http://pi.math.cortnell.edu/~numb3rs/lipa/Episodes .  It helped me reminisce why students are attracted to these dramas more than they are ACTUAL MATH CLASS!   With the group that I have this year who appears to have NO academic interest in math, let me make a similar suggestion from a mistake I already went through; Don't show them Flatland: A tale of many dimensions.  I should have done a a Lexile score before presenting it.  It failed the first week. Miserably.  The old English used, (keep in min...

 Some of the business trainings I listen to, (Fairchild & Associates), my mentor, Rick, talks about that you don’t have to be perfect in your profession, but you need to have purpose. That really resounds a definite “ding” for math teachers during COVID-19. I have seen during my PD (online of course), good teachers that struggle because of the new forced measures, as well as mediocre teachers levying busy work and other measures to keep students “learning.” I acknowledge not being a really good teacher, at least with how I ranked, as well as not understanding what teaching really was in my first ten years as an educator and a tutor. The good teachers I emulate go after good relationships, they seek the best endpoints, not the standards, they feel the students can attain (especially during pandemic). They contact and nudge (dare I say inspire) those students not engaging, and at the same time fuel the fire that heats the students’ achieve machine. I have noticed however, a growi...

 It seems that everyone has exhaustively talked about it. But has the exhaustion been talked about?  having to spend time at home because you were exposed to potentially contagious pathogens or virus strains.   Having to work like you have two jobs because you have to do your regular face to face job, and now oh--you have to tend to those now home you worked with before and make sure they receive their materials, attention, and (learning) interaction because they have a right to it (though I have strong ethical doubts) as much as the people you are working with face to face.  Though it puts much on you as a stakeholder (parent, teacher, administrator, community care person) you can try (and cannot guarantee) ways to try ways of developing your online presence in a way that would make Tomlinson proud.  I've heard teachers use following: Email - pretty standard and does communicate, but can pile up when you have 70+ students Messaging - as long as it is in th...

Some of you may be wondering, "What is he talking about?   PGT?" Although I hear the term PD used with great enormity, it has become almost a transparent cliche.  If you are like me, I find studying various things quite fascinating, so spend a lot of time reading and studying online. A great mentor of mine, though he may not realize it, takes a lot of his own time to jot down his thoughts and his philosophies (of business), so that it helps other entrepreneurs who are developing their skills and their businesses.  Many of the things he discusses in his posts (which are private, only to those associated with his business group on What's App) are related to his PGT, so it inspired me to talk about it here. PGT stands for "Personal Growth Time," and it really helps me put in perspective a lot of the things I study from, such as articles over the Internet, inspirational books such as The Magic of Thinking Big , or even gleaning moral insights from st...

One of the things I had mentioned in my LONG ago post, was. that I would post my activity more with updates how this year went.  That didn't  happen. What did happen was one long test (for me), trying to dive into a different culture so different  from what I am used to, it took me aback and made me realize a few things. Dislocated students or students of migrant workers are under a stress load different from residential / citizen students These students consciously or subconsciously discriminate (white) skin/gender. The culture developed a value set and behaved in a way I would not permit my own children to act. I do like to modify stuff, but most of these students were not at grade level as I was told in my candidate interview.  There were also ethical conflicts I experienced, but will not focus on it here.  After my first week and after I did find out the following: No matter the student, they like play. It's important to understand what teach...

What?  How can you be so excited for math?  Well, for one thing I am starting at an awesome district in southwestern Minnesota (Butterfield-Odin).  It's a new opportunity for sharing my love of math with how I struggled with math (I was considered too simple to understand programming by my math professor at MSU who worked with NASA). Secondly, in my last post I listed my summer goals, which I have accomplished 90% of them!!  I am now a Level 2 Google Certified Educator.  I've also learned, as I have been transitioned into this phase (not exactly a voluntary choice), to be excited for others and their accomplishments.  If for example, an acquaintance shares their enthusiasm for a dream job or moment, share in that celebration!  Kayla Delzer promotes, promotes, promotes this; just find @topdogteaching.  Another one to check up with is May Vang @vangmay1.  When you watch her talk on video, or read her blog, you would NOT guess she's be...

Since I started blogging (not as well as others I admit-- see my first post HERE ), I have tried improving communication about what math is (and IS NOT- wish I could remember that post by Tracy Zager).  My new focus involves what I have found successful in students (while not necessarily successful by the district standards I've had to work with).  The students crave something new, not something old, while inspirational storytelling can get the job done no matter how old the story is.  Also, I am focusing more on intuition, reasoning, and sense making and not just the "rules of mathematics," which many students have turned off to once they hear Theorem, Proof, or Justify. I admit I have not researched methods lately, but have kept in contact of people whose pedagogy and scholarship I trust to do that.  As mentioned before, I have outsourced ideas from Making Math Moments , Lane Walker's Blog , NCTM , and many of the resources listed in my previous blog. My pla...

While I had quite an experience getting to get the students at Martin County West to see math in terms of problem solving, and not routine exercises, I will not be returning. My season there is done, and I can only hope students gained a better understanding, and that he mission God sent me there was completed. (Maybe more for the struggling students than the “good” ones?)  It seems my method of productive struggle was not well received. This is understandable if they have been hand-fed from elementary on up. It’s not their fault, nor is it necessarily the teachers’ who had them previously. This is an industry standard which companies look for in potential employees. I can attest to this given my years of experience in (and leading in) the manufacturing and farming industries. Therefore when I implemented it in terms of games and intuition, it was initially accepted; however, when I threw in Algebra vocabulary, they acted like it was completely different! (It doesn’t help if the...

I decided to try the beard again, especially since we have gotten cold weather this last month. I used this picture to create a composite pic that Richard Byrne recommended (look up Practical Ed Tech). I used the Hawaii beach background to create it after running the pic through remove.bg. Then put it into a Google slide over a background of your choice, and depending on the lighting, voila! However, that’s not the reason for this post. I’m trying new things, decreasing the amount of work students do (though I’m sure they’d tell you no), and increasing critical thinking. This seems to be (slowly) working, though some of the better students would rather have it back to traditional way of doing math.  It is given the students that don’t normally like math, or normally have a voice in their learning to express themselves better.  I’m working with sources like Jo Boaler (youcubed.com), Kyle Pierce and Jon Orr (makemathmoments.com), and Jennifer Gonzalez (cultofpedagogy.com)...

I am working like a 1st year teacher, having a new district to work at. As challenging it is re-establish my set of curriculum, procedures, and communication habits, it’s refreshing to form new ideas. It just takes time to hammer out the new things I’m trying....and I am teaching subjects I have not looked at for six years (Algebra 1 and Geometry). The students are excited to try new things (at least until the honeymoon phase wears off). Update: for some reason this never posted, so will post now and put in a new post.

Coming back to the classroom is always a refreshing challenge. As a new teacher to Martin County West, I had to rebuild the tools I will use in the classroom.  After saying goodbye to Heron Lake-Okabena, I also said goodbye to the materials I developed, NOT because they weren’t any good, but because they catered to HLO, not MCW. Each culture deserves material that suits them, and I’m going to make curriculum work for my new assignments, Intermediate Algebra and Geometry. I am not sure why the district wants to focus strictly on the standards, but I think I can get what I want, weaving them into the lessons I’ll give.  The students have given feedback already what they feel would work for them, and I’ll try to incorporate these ideas as I lead them. They (my students at MCW) are definitely hungry for ways of learning.  Many have not had consistent instruction, not due to any fault of their own (or the district's).  Can't really go down that road without divulgi...

“Digital leadership requires connectedness as an essential component to cultivate innovative practices and lead sustainable change.” from Digital Leadership , Eric Sheninger @E_Sheninger. That IS my new challenge: connectedness. I’ll be in a new environment, I’ll have new (& more) students than I’ve had in five years. Not with the content, though I can always improve on that. I have yet to know what they are like, but I already know they yearn for stability and creativity.  I have done minimal to share my ideas, but now have a fresh slate to record them and use this platform as my reflection. I’ll also have new books, new classroom managemnt system, and new way of requesting time off. I realize I cannot replace the exiting teacher, nor can I imitate her. I do know by perusing through the old materials she kept that we share the same philosophies about math, regardless of technology. I also know I’m not the sharpest tool in the math department, and I’m okay with that, as...

In all that I have studied, the "science" of math has driven the technology industry, especially in education.  I like to also use technology (apps like Desmos, devices like iPads, SMART boards, etc.) to relay conceptual foundations for the math topics. I also like to frequent Richard Byrnes' site for ideas on teaching mathematics to middle and high school students ( Free Technology 4 Teachers -see Math Games and Resources) I have seen many on #Twitter and other social media provide their own recommendations for some of their favorite things they used in the last year.  In my own reflection for 2017, I would say Desmos definitely rocked.  It also helped me find different ways to teach, especially smaller groups. Fezzik: Well, I haven't fought one person for so long. I've been specialised in groups, battling gangs for local charities, that kind of thing. Westley: Why should that make such a [squashed painfully] Westley: difference? Fezzik: You use dif...