Common Core Math Standards + Graphing Stories Site = Student Access to Content

Through this site, students are presented with real world applications to math.  Graphing tied to scenarios which are familiar to students leads to a far better grasp of content than relying on textbooks.  This is not to say that textbooks have no value, but for many students (especially language minority students with limited reading and writing skills), the reading level of the text is several years above theirs.  How does a teacher bridge the gap between what students bring to class and the grade-level content of the text?  Practical real world applications allow students to access math and more importantly build self-confidence in tackling math in any scenario.

GRAPHING STORIES

With all the mathematical concepts and vocabulary being tied to short simple video clips, the teacher provides access to both content and language development.  For ELLs, every teacher must be a language teacher and that includes math teachers at any level of mathematics.  In GRAPHING STORIES, ELLs learn key vocabulary in context while they learn to enjoy math!

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS

FREE Multimedia Approach to Supporting ELLs in ALL Levels of Mathematics

With the new common core standards in mathematics, teachers will need to have students address ongoing problem solving in all areas of math.  The book alone will no longer drive instruction.  High stakes tests will soon take a back seat as students apply all areas of math to life beyond the classroom.  In such a learning environment where students are encouraged to work as teams in finding multiple solutions to real world problems, math will become relevant to all including the ELL.  Word problems will be ones encountered in business.  Team problem solving will take precedence over struggling in isolation.  With such a radical transformation of the classroom, ELLs will develop more confidence in dealing with math since it will finally be accessible.

This site is an excellent multimedia resource covering all areas of math through trigonometry.  Each level of math is accompanied by videos of real world application.  A video often times makes a world of difference to an ELL.  The visual component allows them to SEE the problem and hear the problem discussed.  Once the task is assigned by the teacher, this background information along with the low anxiety of working within a small group (or partner) has the potential to build an ELL's confidence in offering her/his ideas to solve the problem or task.  With a team work approach, students quickly learn that there is more than one way to come to an answer.  Isn't that the goal of team work in the real world?

MATH INTERACTIVES

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS


Texas Instruments TI-1795-SV Desktop Calculator TI-1795SV
Sharp EL377TB 10 Digit Basic Calculator
Casio FX-9750GII Graphic Calculator FX9750GII-WE