Class contact list spreadsheet from Gigi

Gigi has kindly volunteered to put together a contact spreadsheet for everyone teaching math on the long practicum (our class and some of the science ed students who will also teach math). Please help build this contact list by filling in the spreadsheet available at this link: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dFZDYzdNcWM3dmJIenBZbzRGcEMzX0E6MA

Template for unit plan assignment

Here it is! MAED314A unit plan template

Wednesday is our term end math party!

Please bring snacks and (non-alcoholic) drinks to share! Math movies, math toys, math songs and musical instruments to accompany them -- all are most welcome.

How to get to the Dec. 12 SNAP math fair at the Aquarium

The Saturday December 12 SNAP math fair will be held at the Vancouver Aquarium http://www.vanaqua.org/ from 9AM -noon. Please email Chris Stroud cstroud@wpga.ca by Dec. 4 to request tickets.

Here is the google map to the site: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=845+Avison+Way,+Vancouver,+BC,+Canada&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=51.887315,114.257812&ie=UTF8&z=16&g=845+Avison+Way,+Vancouver,+BC,+Canada&iwloc=addr

How to get to the Dec. 3 Space Centre math fair

The SNAP math fair on Thursday December 3 from 11AM to 1 PM is at the H. R. MacMillan Space Centre (formerly known as the Planetarium).http://www.hrmacmillanspacecentre.com/

The Space Centre is at 1100 Chestnut Street at Kits Point. Here is a link to the google map, which also has transit information available:http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1100+chestnut+street+vancouver+bc&sll=49.276174,-123.146169&sspn=0.008596,0.018561&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1100+Chestnut+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver+Regional+District,+British+Columbia&z=16

TI-83 graphing calculator guide by Cary Chien (BCAMT)

I want to share this useful document with you -- a teachers' guide to the TI-83 graphing calculator, written by Cary Chien, who worked for years as a math teacher at David Thompson Secondary in Vancouver, and other BCAMT collaborators. It's got lots of interesting info and lesson ideas.
TI-83 guide

You can download a virtual TI-83 "emulator" at this site:
TI-83 emulator download

Circle geometry worksheets using Geometer's Sketchpad

Hi everyone. Here are four guided activity worksheets I wrote as part of a unit on circle geometry (which used to be in the Principles of Math 11 curriculum and has now migrated to a lower grade...)
Lesson 1 Chords
Lesson 2 angles
Lesson 3 tangents

Lesson 4 Cyclic Quadrilaterals
Feel free to use these in your own classes or to share them with colleagues.


I found it best to have kids work in pairs or threes at each computer, so it was actually beneficial to have only 8 to 15 computers available! (That was a good thing when I taught in a minischool that did not have a proper computer lab...) Kids learned a lot more by collaborating on these activities than by working through them individually.

I alternated these 'experiential' lessons on Sketchbook with more traditional lessons involving traditional deductive proofs of the same theorems. My interest was in exploring the idea of proof with my students. I would ask them: which was more convincing to you? Which was more certain, or more logical? Which was more memorable?

Proulx & Pimm article for Dr. Nathalie Sinclair's talk, Nov. 20

Here is the article you should read to prepare for Dr. Nathalie Sinclair's talk in our class tomorrow. Apologies for the late posting!
Algebraic formulas, geometric awareness and Cavalieri's Principle

Powerpoint on assessment

We worked with this powerpoint Nov. 16 & 18 in class:
assessment powerpoint
testing

Brainstorming on why we do assessment Nov. 18

Here are the notes from the whiteboard from today's discussion of assessment.
Assessment brainstorm Nov. 18

Brainstorming on unit planning

Here is the summary of everyone's thoughts on unit planning from the whiteboard on Monday's class (Nov. 16). Unit plan brainstorming from Nov. 16 class

Math history in the math classroom: resources from Dr. Irene Percival

Irene Percival has offered us a number of great resources for planning lessons and units that connect with the history of mathematics.

Links between IRPs and math history, Gr. 8-12
Links between IRPs and math history, Gr, K-7
A Chinese visual proof of the Pythagorean Theorem
A Babylonian 9 times table

Please use these when you work on your unit plan for class!

Instructions sheet for Assignment 3

Here's a copy of the Assignment 3 (Math projects) handout.
MAED314 math projects assignment

Powerpoint from Nov. 13 class on Thinking Mathematically

Here is the powerpoint we saw in class on Friday -- on Mason, Burton and Stacey's book, Thinking Mathematically. Thinking Mathematically powerpoint

Textbook assessment powerpoint

Here is the powerpoint that will be discussed in class on Monday Nov. 2.

- Susan

textbook assessment powerpoint

A list of blog items to date

While you are on practicum, I will be marking your blog assignments to date. I'll check your blog for completeness (see list below) and send each of you and email with detailed comments on some of the entries you have written, along with a mark for Assignments 1 and 2.

Here is the list of entries to date. If any are missing at this point, you still have time to catch them up, but all of these must be complete by November 16 at the absolute latest.

October 19 /09

MAED314A blog items to date:

1)   1) Skemp article response

2)   2) Individual microteaching BOOPPPS lesson plan

3)   3) Individual microteaching reflection

4)  4)  Most memorable math teachers

5)  5)  Robinson article response

6)   6)  Assignment 1 summary and response: Conversations with math teachers and students

7)  7)  Battleground Schools article response

8)   8)  Dave Hewitt video response

9)   9) Letters from future students, with your brief reflection

1010) 10 comments/questions in response to pp 1 – 32,  Art of Problem Posing

1111)  Reflection on pp. 32 – 65, Art of Problem Posing: “What-if-not” approach

1212)  Simmt article reflection

1  13) Group math microteaching lesson plan

1414)  Group microteaching reflection

1515) Division by Zero poem: timed writing, poem and reflections on this as a pedagogic exercise. (This last item is due Nov. 2)

Two inspirational powerpoints on the eve of your first practicum

These were presented in class today -- Oct. 16 /09

New teacher survival tips

Inspirational survival tips

Have an excellent practicum, everybody! Feel free to email me with any questions or concerns.

That great "New Math" book Sam brought in!

Here's a look at the cover and a couple of pages from the New Math for Parents book (1964) that Sam lent me: New Math guide from 1964

NCTM Standards executive summary

The NCTM website is at www.nctm.org

NCTM Standards summary  Principles and standards for math teaching K-12
NEW NCTM Focus in high school mathematics executive summary This just came out -- a focus document aimed at high school math teaching.

Article on Mathematics Education and Democracy by Elaine Simmt

Citizen education in the context of school mathematics

I will be interested to hear what your thoughts are on this!

The Art of Problem Solving website

Thanks and a tip o' the hat to Stan for the link to this interesting website:
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/

It includes some very interesting-looking books aimed at enriching the Grade 6 -12 math, as well as math forums, courses and games. The site is focused on problem solving, particularly in relation to the Math Counts and AMC math contests. Enjoy!

Favourite books about math, for your classroom library: Part 1

Here is the first installment of a list of great books about mathematics that you might want to collect for your classroom. These will help you get ideas for lessons and projects and will offer lots of possibilities for cross-curricular connections for your students.

There are SO many excellent books available that even for a very partial list, I'll have to post it in several installments, so more to come.

Certain very prolific authors are producing whole shelves of excellent books about mathematics for a general audience. Almost any book by the following authors is bound to be interesting and well-written:

Martin Gardner
Ian Stewart
Keith Devlin
John Barrow
Eli Maor
David Berlinski
Clifford Pickover

(and there are others...)

The first title on this list is from Nathan -- thanks Nathan!

Nahin, Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula: Cures Many Mathematical Ills
Nahin, An Imaginary Tale: The Story of "i"
Gardner, Hexaflexagons, Probability Paradoxes and the Tower of Hanoi...
Gardner, The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems
Barrow, Pi in the Sky: Counting, Thinking and Being
Lakoff & Núñez, Where Mathematics Comes From
Fadiman, The Mathematical Magpie
Fadiman, Fantasia Mathematica
Wells, The Penguin Dictionary of Curious and Interesting Geometry
Pickover, Wonders of Numbers: Adventures in Mathematics, Mind and Meaning
Pickover, The Mobius Strip: Dr.August Mobius' Marvelous Band in Mathematics, Games, Literature, Art,...
Devlin, The Language of Mathematics: Making the Invisible Visible
Devlin, The Unfinished Game: Pascal, Fermat...
Devlin, Mathematics: The New Golden Age
Stewart, Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiousities
Stewart, Does God Play Dice? The New Mathematics of Chaos
Stewart, Letters to a Young Mathematician
Stewart, Taming the Infinite:The Story of Mathematics
Derbyshire, Prime Obsession
Seife, Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea
Livio, The Golden Ratio
Maor, "e": The Story of a Number
Berlinski, A Tour of the Calculus

Smart Board notes from Oct. 5 class: BC Math Curriculum overview part 1

Smart Board notes: Curriculum overview part 1

Problem Posing first reading

Here is the link to the first reading from our textbook, The Art of Problem Posing:
Problem Posing pp. 1-32



I've posted this because some people would be unable to get their copy of the textbook in time to do this reading over the weekend. However, you will need to get your own copy of the book for upcoming readings!

Teaching the marked case & notes on Dave Hewitt 'thinking of a number' film

Here are the SmartBoard notes from today's class:

Sept. 30 notes on Dave Hewitt 'thinking of a number' film

Link to the BC Provincial Math Curriculum documents (IRPs)

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/irp_math.htm
Here you can find the IRPs ("integrated resource packages", ie: official curriculum documents) for the BC secondary school curriculum.

The new Common Curricular Framework (aka the WNCP, or Western and Northern Canadian Protocol) is given here, with a timeline for implementation and general notes. This is a huge departure from the earlier curriculum framework that teachers have been used to -- everyone is struggling to catch up with the new courses, names and content.

The Grade 8 and 9 math curriculum has also changed recently. Schools are just acquiring new textbooks and other learning resource materials.

Smart Board notes on fluency and understanding Sept. 21

Smart Board notes fluency and understanding

Free tickets, Sir Ken Robinson at the Chan Centre Wed. Sept. 30, noon - 1

Here is an event that we should all attend next Wed. Sept. 30 from noon - 1PM at the Chan Centre at UBC:

Sir Ken Robinson

TED/Terry Talk

<http://www.bioteach.ubc.ca/sir-ken-robinson-coming-to-ubc/>

Ken Robinson is a terrific speaker on education (he has been a professor of education in England), and this is a great opportunity to hear him!

So we will plan to run our class next Wednesday with a field trip to the Chan Centre from noon - 1PM to hear Sir Ken's talk, and then continuing on with our own class from 1 - 2 PM. That means that everyone should get to the Chan Centre today or tomorrow to pick up the one or two tickets you are entitled to as a student (bring your student card).

Ken Robinson has become famous for his 2006 TED talk in California about creativity and needed reforms to schooling: 

<http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html> I recommend that you watch this fascinating (and entertaining) video. Take some time to think about creativity, making mistakes, and the ways we are traditionally educated in mathematics. Do we, as math teachers, contribute to kids' creativity (including those kids who are not going to carry on to do math specialist degrees)?

Modelling in teacher education powerpoint

Susan'g powerpoint on modelling in teacher education

Informed consent form for Assignment 1

This is the form that teachers, students and students' parents/guardians must sign before you conduct your interviews for Assignment 1.

Informed consent/assent form pdf

BCAMT fall Pacific Northwest math education conference Oct. 22 - 24, Whistler

Here is the link to information about this great conference:BCAMT NW 09 math ed conference site

This is the BCAMT general website -- but it seems to need some updating!
http://www.bctf.ca/bcamt/

You may want to check out UBC student society (AMS) accomodation at Whistler, which is inexpensive and hostel-style:http://www.ubcwhistlerlodge.com/

E-textbooks, creative commons and wiki textbooks

Here is a link to a site promoting free creative commons wiki e-textbooks -- this one called Flexbook:

Flexbook information

I'll look for more information, different software, etc. and post it here.

Let's experiment with building our own e-book resource for secondary math topics -- and maybe the BCAMT members will be interested in picking up on the idea!

A starter list of lesson idea resource books

Here are the books I brought to show you in class. Many of these are math resource books for K-8 -- but you might still find them useful for kids in Grades 8 and 9, especially those who need help catching up on topics they didn't learn fully before high school. (There are often many kids who need to go back and relearn topics like fractions/decimals/percentages and beginning algebra.)

Secondary math resource books:

Brahier, Teaching Secondary and Middle School Mathematics

Elementary and middle school math resource books:

The late John Vanderwalle wrote highly-acclaimed and excellent resource books --
Any of the Vanderwalle books

Marian Small -- an excellent, jam-packed book from a notable Canadian educator
Marian Small, Making Math Meaningful

Social and environmental justice through middle school math from a Canadian alternative school teacher David Stocker, Math that matters

Brahier et al:
Heddens, Speer & Brahier, Today's Mathematics: Concepts, Methods, and Classroom Activities

Smith, Lambdin, LIndquist, Reys, Teaching Elementary Mathematics: A resource for field experiences

Musser et al, Mathematics for Elementary Teachers

Groups for Assignment 1

1) Jan, Rosemary, Chris
2) Erwin, Jill, Caleb
3) Mike, Sara, Alan
4) Paul S., Gigi, Alice
5) Candice, Maryam, Jenny (U Hill)
6) Paul C., Stan, Rong
7) Greg, Ralph, Vincent
8) Min-Chee, Elaine, Laura
9) Amelia, Samuel, Rory
10) Nathan, Enrique, Mina
11) Darshan, Prem

Customize your lesson plans

Lesson planning is a way of thinking through the lesson you are going to teach, to anticipate its course, support student learning and prepare yourself and the materials you'll need. When you are planning your own lessons, you will want to customize your lesson planning tools to suit your needs (and those of your sponsoring teachers and faculty associate).

You will probably need to do more elaborated written lesson plans in your earliest years of teaching. Once you have developed your own repertoire of successful lessons, you will likely abbreviate your written plans so that they are reminders and organizational structures to keep yourself on track.

Aside from the BOOPPPS format, you can find many other lesson planning aids online -- for example, there are many useful ones available at http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/fieldexperiences/nav02.cfm?nav02=25948&nav01=25859 . A google search will reveal hundreds of other options.

Choose one or two that seem almost right for you -- and then customize until you have a template that meets your particular needs. You will need to address some basic questions in any lesson plan:

•what are you trying to achieve? How will you know if it's working?

•what activities will you and the students undertake?

•how do you foresee the timing of the lesson working?

•what do you anticipate happening during the lesson?

•what materials will you need?

•how to start and finish the lesson?

BOOPPPS lesson planning template

MAED314A
BOOPPPS lesson plan template:

1) BRIDGE: “hook” or introductory activity
2) Teaching OBJECTIVES: You own objectives as a teacher, to develop your skills, build a classroom community, address individual learners’ needs,
3) Learning OBJECTIVES: “SWBAT”  what you would like students to be able to do, know, demonstrate as a result of this lesson
4) PRETEST: Meeting your students where they are by assessing prior knowledge and skills
5) PARTICIPATORY Activity Ideas: Activities that promote learning
6) POST-TEST or assessment of student learning
7) SUMMARY or conclusion

Welcome to our class website!

This will be a central place where we can all post links, files and resources to be shared by everyone in the class. You may want to post to your own personal blog, and then notify the rest of the class about something new with a notice here. We will also establish links to everyone's personal blog at this site.

Feel free to explore the many mathematics education resources available online and through the library system, and share the good stuff here! You will be able to use this site even after the course is over, as part of your ongoing mathematics education community.