My Ada is Here!
Our new math curriculum (Big Ideas) is up and ready to go! You will be looking for an app called "My Ada Math" in clever. K - Alg. 2 will be using My Ada!
I'm not seeing the My Ada App: Check to see if you have math rosters with students in IC. Once those are active, it could take up to 48 hours to sync, but most will sync overnight.
Allocating: You will need to assign a book to your class. I have created a video about how to do that and how to add a second book if needed. Until you allocate, you and your students will not see any content. All the videos will also be housed on the Elementary Math Website. (Video is linked below).
Teacher's Editions: Teacher Editions are on the way! Some of the editions are backordered so they are delayed. There are enough for both regular education and special education teachers to have their own copy.
What if I don't have enough student books? Next week, your principal will send out an email to your staff requesting number of books needed for each grade level and subject. Let them know what you need. All principal orders go in at one time, so it may be several weeks until the books you need arrive. In the meantime, you can copy from the student book or print from the online student book.
Training: If you did not get to attend one of the summer training dates or if you want a refresher, we have two more training opportunities via zoom. Please try to attend. There is a lot of information to learn!
- August 20th: 4:30 - 6:00
- August 21st 4:30 - 6:00
Please register using the link below to receive the zoom link.
Canvas: (For 4th - 6th) Right now, we are still working out some issues in Canvas. The most pressing issue is that we cannot crosslist with this new curriculum.
What does this mean for me? If you choose to assign through canvas and use the Speedgrader, you will have to keep your math courses separate and make assignments for each class. The other option is that you can use the My Ada app in clever to make your assignments. That will mean that you cannot use speedgrader. Either way, it does look like more work on the teacher end to assign or put in grades.
Updates: Since this is a new curriculum, please be aware that I may be sending more emails than usual to help convey new information as it becomes available.
Common Thread
Divide students into groups of four and have them sit together in these small groups. Give each group five minutes to chat among themselves and find something they all have in common. It could be that they all play soccer, or pizza is their favorite dinner, or they each have a kitten. Whatever the common thread, the conversation will help them get to know one another better. Check in with the groups after five minutes to see if they need more time. After each group has come up with their common element, have them work together to create a flag that represents it.
Paper Tower
Using creative problem-solving skills, each team of students must build the tallest tower possible with 20 sheets of plain computer paper. The tower must be stable enough to be measured. This activity is not only a great team-building activity, it’s a lot of fun!
Yes, No, Stand-Up (good for younger students)
The version of the game above is designed specifically to help English-language learners, but it can also be used as a good “get to know you” game for younger kids. Prepare a list of yes or no questions to ask your students. For example, do you like chocolate? Is your favorite color blue? If their answer is yes, the student stands up. If their answer is no, they sit down. Pause between questions to give students time to look around and find students they have answers in common with.
Math that Motivates: The Power of Collaborative Conversations
August 20th 12:00 - 1:00 (register to receive the recording)
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
When math creates community, it breaks down walls for students and creates a safe space for them to learn and thrive. Join Kristin Gray, Executive Director of the Math Suite at Amplify, as she walks through strategies for encouraging collaborative conversations in math class, including new routine cards that you can use
Cultivating Calm: Self-Regulation Strategies to Support Children with Big Emotions and Challenging Behaviors
September 9 1:00 - 2:00 (Register to receive a recording)
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
Self-regulation is the ability to remain calm and in control of oneself when faced with big emotions. It is what allows children to remain in control of their emotions and responses when something happens that makes them feel embarrassed, angry, frustrated, or overly excited. Children who are able to regulate their emotions are better able to be in the moment and engage in what they should. This has a positive effect on social interactions, school success, learning, attention, and focus. When children are well-regulated, they tend to exhibit fewer challenging behaviors.
This edWebinar will explore ways to nurture and support the development of self-regulation skills in the school environment with the intention of decreasing challenging behaviors.
Peter Liljedahl Tuesday, August 20, 2024 5:00 - 6:00 PM CDT Register Here Getting Started with Building Thinking Classrooms: Part 3 with Peter Liljedahl
During this Q&A webinar, Author of Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics Peter Liljedahl will share research-based strategies to cultivate dynamic math classrooms that foster student-centered thinking, independence, and teamwork. Learn more about a transformative approach to math instruction that empowers teachers to establish and maintain inclusive learning spaces, where every student is motivated to engage in analytical thinking thinking and collaborative approaches to solving mathematical problems.
Dice War (Pairs)
An awesome game you can play is DICE WAR.
Have students partner up and take turns rolling 2 dice (or use 4 dice and have them roll at the same time) and adding it together. Then, they each write their addition sentence they made on a whiteboard or scratch paper. If their sum was bigger than their partner's, they get to circle it and win that round. Whoever has the most circles when they're done wins. :) I think it's great to have them keep score on the side with tallies which is great real world tally practice as well!
Can also be used with subtraction and multiplcation
Math Maze (solo)
Normally, I'm not a big fan of fluency practice on paper, but these mazes intrigued be because teachers can choose the level of difficulty and the types of problems so it's great for differentiation! It contains a great mix of all operations so it could be used from mid- 3rd grade through 6th grade.
Math Fact Bingo
Bingo is always a fun way to review and practice math facts. Don't have a bingo game? Check out Bingo Baker to make custom cards for your class. They have cards for numbers, number words, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, fractions, integers, and geometry. Not seeing anything for your class? They have a custom bingo card generator to make something just for your class.
I'm Trying to Love Math (3rd - 5th)
Do multiplication tables give you hives? Do you break out in a sweat when you see more than a few numbers hanging out together? Then I'm Trying to Love Math is for you! In her signature hilarious style, Bethany Barton introduces readers to the things (and people) that use math in amazing ways -- like music, and spacecraft, and even baking cookies! This isn't a how-to math book, it's a way to think differently about math as a necessary and cool part of our lives!
The Boy Who Loves Math... The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos (5th - 6th)
Most people think of mathematicians as solitary, working away in isolation. And, it's true, many of them do. But Paul Erdos never followed the usual path. At the age of four, he could ask you when you were born and then calculate the number of seconds you had been alive in his head. But he didn't learn to butter his own bread until he turned twenty. Instead, he traveled around the world, from one mathematician to the next, collaborating on an astonishing number of publications. With a simple, lyrical text and richly layered illustrations, this is a beautiful introduction to the world of math and a fascinating look at the unique character traits that made "Uncle Paul" a great man.
Surrounded by Numbers (Pk - 2)
Surrounded by Numbers is a fun and colorful book that shows mathematics is everywhere, and we all are surrounded by numbers in almost every fact of life, in the home or the grocery store. This story follows Isaiah, a cute little boy who takes the reader on a learning journey full of numbers. He told us that wherever I go, a Number pops out from anywhere, so be on the lookout for numbers in and around your house.
Follow Isaiah and his family in this adorable book of numbers that shows exploring and learning are important for toddlers' overall development.