Not all students grasp the key concepts of algebra with ease. The learning process becomes even more challenging when students have gaps in their school history. So, what can teachers do to motivate students to actually enjoy learning algebra? Tie it to the real world. Give students real examples of algebra beyond the textbook. When such context is fully incorporated into the lesson, algebra becomes more accessible for all.
In the New York Times learning blog (free to join), teachers will find great strategies to turn the complex into the accessible. The blog also supports the new Common Core Standards in all content areas (middle school and high school are the audiences here). For this post, the teaching of algebra is addressed through 10 real world applications. What examples are chosen?
A favorite is comparing the speeds of 21st century athletes with those of past events. This could also be applied to any sport for that matter. If students are not interested in sports, then what about recipes? Or, mortgage interest rates? Or calculating car rates? Tie algebra to areas of interest for them and the lesson will have meaning.
Denise
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Showing posts with label common core math. Show all posts
Showing posts with label common core math. Show all posts
Monday, May 20, 2013
Monday, October 22, 2012
Common Core: Trigonometry in the REAL WORLD
With common core assessments taking on real world applications, teachers will need to find creative ways to apply core content material to life outside the classroom. For math, this connection would dramatically raise the test scores for many of the English language learners currently failing those classes.
Is it a difficult concept to build that bridge to real world applications? No, not at all. Once students see that the letters and numbers serve vital functions in the real world, they see the content in a whole new light. From this point, college and career counselors can tap that understanding and guide students to colleges where their skills will be honed and that will lead to solid jobs in the work force.
TRIG IN THE REAL WORLD Though trigonometry is a course which many students try to avoid, it is one required for entrance to many major institutions of higher learning. What can a student use trig for? What purpose does it serve outside the classroom? This video clip goes into detail on what areas of public life trig fits neatly into. Students will be amazed, and, with the new common core performance based assessments, students taking trig will be able to use their creativity to use their knowledge of trig to solve engineering problems.
The video is actually fascinating. Students will probably have many questions to pose. This is where it would pay to bring in some guest speakers who use trig in their line of work:)
Denise
ELL TEACHER PROSTexas Instruments Dual Power Scientific Calculator - Calculators (Google Affiliate Ad)
Is it a difficult concept to build that bridge to real world applications? No, not at all. Once students see that the letters and numbers serve vital functions in the real world, they see the content in a whole new light. From this point, college and career counselors can tap that understanding and guide students to colleges where their skills will be honed and that will lead to solid jobs in the work force.
TRIG IN THE REAL WORLD Though trigonometry is a course which many students try to avoid, it is one required for entrance to many major institutions of higher learning. What can a student use trig for? What purpose does it serve outside the classroom? This video clip goes into detail on what areas of public life trig fits neatly into. Students will be amazed, and, with the new common core performance based assessments, students taking trig will be able to use their creativity to use their knowledge of trig to solve engineering problems.
The video is actually fascinating. Students will probably have many questions to pose. This is where it would pay to bring in some guest speakers who use trig in their line of work:)
Denise
ELL TEACHER PROSTexas Instruments Dual Power Scientific Calculator - Calculators (Google Affiliate Ad)
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Great Common Core Math Lesson!
Many educators around the country are following common core lesson deliveries and their students are enjoying the process. Students are now actively engaged in learning. This approach involves all including the ELLs.
In this clip (about 10 minutes) COMMON CORE MATH LESSON, classroom management is not an issue since kids are excited about the lesson. Notice how the teacher gets students to focus on the lesson objective. By having them say what he has left out in reading the lesson objective, he has their full attention. This is explicit direct instruction in action. Students fully understand what they will be working on and how this will be carried out. With this type of extensive frontloading of the content and the teacher's repeated checks-for-understanding to make sure that everyone is clear on the upcoming class activity, students are prepared to complete the tasks he has engineered to teach the standard. Students are ready to not just solve math problems, but discuss multiple ways to arrive at the same answer. They also know that they may go about achieving this end in any way they wish. There is no one right way!
Though this lesson is aimed at elementary school, the techniques work at any grade level. Validating all the learning styles and encouraging different ways to view a problem opens up the class to lively academic discussions where even shy students can feel safe enough to talk. Pairing students up is a way to also offer support to the ELL. In this setting, the ELL receives practice in discussing the task while using academic content vocabulary. With random call-ons, the ELL would be ready to share out if selected since the ELL had time to practice with partners first.
Learning should have a discovery element to it and common core supports this. To see the whole lesson, just click this link: ENTIRE LESSON
Common Core will definitely transform education as we know it.
Denise
ELL TEACHER PROS
Student Dry-Erase Boards, Melamine, 12 x 9, White, 10/Set (Google Affiliate Ad)
Expo Original Chisel Tip Dry Erase Markers, 16 Assorted Markers (Google Affiliate Ad)
In this clip (about 10 minutes) COMMON CORE MATH LESSON, classroom management is not an issue since kids are excited about the lesson. Notice how the teacher gets students to focus on the lesson objective. By having them say what he has left out in reading the lesson objective, he has their full attention. This is explicit direct instruction in action. Students fully understand what they will be working on and how this will be carried out. With this type of extensive frontloading of the content and the teacher's repeated checks-for-understanding to make sure that everyone is clear on the upcoming class activity, students are prepared to complete the tasks he has engineered to teach the standard. Students are ready to not just solve math problems, but discuss multiple ways to arrive at the same answer. They also know that they may go about achieving this end in any way they wish. There is no one right way!
Though this lesson is aimed at elementary school, the techniques work at any grade level. Validating all the learning styles and encouraging different ways to view a problem opens up the class to lively academic discussions where even shy students can feel safe enough to talk. Pairing students up is a way to also offer support to the ELL. In this setting, the ELL receives practice in discussing the task while using academic content vocabulary. With random call-ons, the ELL would be ready to share out if selected since the ELL had time to practice with partners first.
Learning should have a discovery element to it and common core supports this. To see the whole lesson, just click this link: ENTIRE LESSON
Common Core will definitely transform education as we know it.
Denise
ELL TEACHER PROS
Student Dry-Erase Boards, Melamine, 12 x 9, White, 10/Set (Google Affiliate Ad)
Expo Original Chisel Tip Dry Erase Markers, 16 Assorted Markers (Google Affiliate Ad)
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