Math in Focus Background Videos for Parents

For any parents interested in learning how to help their children with math, click on the links below to the view background videos for each grade level.

Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

5th Grade

New page added: Welcome to "Bar Model of the Week"

In an effort to increase teachers' comfort and familiarity with bar models, I will be posting a new bar model problem each Monday for anyone to try. Draw your bar model, show your thinking, write your solution, and take a picture of it! Then, e-mail your solution to me by Friday and I will post it the following week. Let's stretch our thinking and grow our brains!

Try this week's bar model.

From NCTM President - To Flip or Not to Flip: That is NOT the Question!

To Flip or Not to Flip: That Is NOT the Question!

By NCTM President Linda M. Gojak
NCTM Summing Up, October 3, 2012 

Over the last three decades a variety of instructional strategies have been introduced with a goal of increasing student achievement in mathematics. Such strategies include individualized instruction, cooperative learning, direct instruction, inquiry, scaffolding, computer-assisted instruction, and problem solving. A recent strategy receiving much attention is the “flipped classroom.” 

Full Article

Join the KPS Math Wiki!

I need your help! Let's work together.
http://kps-math.wikidot.com/start

Perhaps students forget....

Notable quote by Yeap Ban Har, PhD, National Institute of Education, Singapore:

"Perhaps students forget because they learn by remembering."

The Next Generation Assessment - Things to Note

I have been trying to keep up to date with Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium's development of their new "national" assessment. Some interesting things I have read include:

• Assessment items for math in grades 3-5 will be written at a reading level ONE GRADE BELOW the level of the students taking the assessment.
• Assessment items for math will written in such a way that a calculator will not be required.
• Selected Response assessment items will be written in such a way to eliminate the likelihood of getting a correct answer by guessing. They will also be written in such a way that better evidence can be obtained about how deeply a student understands the standard. 

For example, see a traditional assessment item below:

 Now see a possible SBAC item below with its rubric:

source

• Constructed Response items will each typically require 1 to 5 minutes to complete, but some may take up to 10 minutes.
• Some Constructed Response items may be scored with artificial intelligence and will be referred to as CR items. Some will require hand-scoring and will be referred to as ER (Extended Response) items.
• Performance Tasks (PT) may require up to 135 minutes to administer. This administration time includes a 45 or 90 minute classroom portion and a 45 minute computer-based portion.

For more information: http://www.smarterbalanced.org/smarter-balanced-assessments/

N Ways to Apply Algebra

with the New York Times