3D Pyramid Models

This morning, my students are creating 3D models of pyramids as one of their learning activities in solving surfaces of right-angled pyramids, wherein they can also apply the lessons we just had about trigonometric ratios and Pythagorean theorem.

My Good Old Mac

Last night, I went home tired and hungry. My laptop, a MacBook Pro 2012, is successfully formatted online for the whole afternoon till at night. It's full of files already and still using the Mountain Lion OS, I decided I need to upgrade my system because some of the features in iPhone 6s is not compatible. I haven't upgraded the OS since my computer is used only for writing and making lessons, and storing pictures of my travels. So last week I asked a student to get me 1 TB hard drive since I don't wanna order it online because I can't talk in Chinese with the seller. Kanan got me the hard drive and right after the staff meeting I was transferring files. Around 2 pm, I started reformatting my Mac online and it really got into my nerves. I will post the pictures tomorrow since I'm using my phone to write this entry tonight. I left my laptop at school because it takes ages to download the new OS, agh!

Before I went to bed last night, I was pretty sure that there was no post yet in the online discussion for my Educ 5203 course. This morning I continued to install new apps of my computer and had 6 classes up to 2:15pm when I realized I have online discussion. When I opened my Acorn, there were like 13 posts already. I love the topic of this discussion - collaborative learning which I currently practice in class. Anyways, I'll talk to you more about it later. Back to my Mac, I left it at school as I was saying since it's still downloading the new OS. I don't think I can work without my Mac. I do have a Windows desktop at school but I seldom use it because the operating system of the installed Office 2016 is Chinese and it's so hard to guess the new features. 

I need my Mac to be working properly tomorrow. I don't think I can write too long with my phone. 

Teachnology in 90s

This video reminds me a lot of my childhood memories. Definitely more fun! Technology does transform people.


https://www.facebook.com/SmetanaTV/videos/228390944230670/

Student-Centered Classroom

I like to brag that my classroom is student-centered. Within 2 period of 45-minutes classes, I will only use 10-15 minutes for class discussion and instruction and the rest, my students do the talking or perform activities in class. I seldom sit in my desk and usually, I go around the classroom to check their works or follow up in case they need help or clarifications. In the article link below, Mark Barnes stated 5 steps in creating a progressive, student-centered classroom. These are:

1) Create ongoing projects.

2) Integrate Technology.

3) Replace homework with engaging in-class activities

4) Eliminate rules and consequences.

5) Involves students in evaluation.

I fully support the first two steps but for the last three steps, I have my own version. I explained to my students that homework is not necessary unless I feel that they don't need to do it to support or review our lessons for the day. Sometimes, I gave half of the homework to be work in class and if they can't finish it, then it will become their homework. I like homework sometimes in a way that the next day, I like asking students if they had a hard time answering some problems or if they encounter something that we need to discuss before going to another lesson. For rules and consequences, for Math teachers we are bit stricter than other teachers. Maybe because in Math, answers are either right or wrong, and if not, then there's something wrong in the process. For us, it is very important for the students to understand fully the rules and because if they don't follow rules, then the probability is they'll get wrong answers. And they have to live with the consequence with that mistakes. We don't imply that they're not allowed to make mistakes but then if they do things right in the first place, then they don't have to worry about making mistakes later. Also, setting a classroom rules with students' output is the best way to do it since they know exactly how does it affect the learning-teaching environment. As for the last step, indeed we need to involve students in the evaluation and at the same time, they should know in the first place how they'll be marked before going further in an assignment.

Reference:

http://inservice.ascd.org/five-steps-to-create-a-progressive-student-centered-classroom/

Project-based Learning

Perhaps one of the most successful teaching styles I incorporate in my class is project-based learning. 

Earlier today, I gave the design of the unit project which is a pet house model for the application of measurement, trigonometry, and geometry concepts in Math. I explained the process, the curriculum outcomes they need to cover, rubric, report template, and what possible ideas they could bring into towards the realization of their project. In one of the classes, I asked if someone knows how to draw using CAD or any software for drawing blueprint. Unfortunately, nobody raised a hand. I was going to introduce it class but due to the week-long holiday in October, I find it hard to include. I told them if they wish to use any technology to their project they must inform me beforehand so I can check or recommend something. To be honest, I already told the students about the idea and in fact lat Monday I had one student who already made a model. I told him to wait till I explain it to the whole class. I even had a student who asked me if he could create a model together with his father and I said no.

Project-based learning in Math engage students to learn and apply what they've been learning at school to real life situations. Students are more motivated and they get to enjoy doing it while learning something. It does leave some good memories too, even some silly mistakes while doing the projects.

   (Pet house models of Math 10 - three years ago)      

  (Mousetrap Cars in my Physics 11 class, evaluated by Getrag-Ford mechanical engineers.)





If you want to learn more about project-based learning in a math classroom, read these articles below:

https://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/2013/10/27/part-1-math-and-project-based-learning-22-amazing-resources/

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/project-based-learning-math-standards

http://www.ct4me.net/math_projects.htm

Technology VS Manual Calculation

We had a very interesting discussion in class today. After marking the quiz, I gave it back to students and we double check the answers and possibly, discuss what went wrong with their answers or solutions.

During the quiz, they're allowed to use TI-84 calculator. Students were taught how to convert manually by proportional and unit analysis reasoning as well as to use the unit converter in the calculator. In the multiple choice part, students will tend to use calculator to save time or double check their answers. One of the questions in the multiple choice has two options that could be right. If we use the calculator, the accurate answer is 1613.08 while if we use approximation using the table value provided in manual calculation, the answer is around 1638. The options are 1598 and 1659. As a teacher, I need to know if the students know hot to use calculator since it's one of the curriculum outcomes so I was looking at 1598 as the right answer. But then one student (3 later on) proposed that they were using approximation and that the answer should be 1659. They can justify their answer after the quiz which makes sense but when I was marking it, I can not because solutions are not necessary in the multiple-choice questions. I followed my intuition and considered their answers as right as well.

No doubt that technology does help but we should always make sure that our students know the basics so they can assert that their ideas are right with or without technology.

Educational Technology Course

I decided last May that I should take EDUC 5203 - Educational Technology course. Why did I pick this one instead of some other available courses? Simply because there's no denying that technology integration in class is becoming essential to teaching and learning for the 21st century learners. And I made the right decision ; )

This blog is actually created for Educ 5203 course and I'm so glad that I eventually wrote something about my teaching experiences despite of my busy schedule. I know I have been thinking about writing my ideas in teaching and what I think of education as a whole. As a matter of fact, I already created two blogs about teaching and guess what, the sites were created few years ago but nothing has been written. I might want to move to that site since Blogger does have a free app from the mobile phone that let you write and edit easily. I started to write in Evernote before I transfer it to the dekstop version in my phone. So I'll think about the transfer later.

If you read from the beginning posts, I started right away about my class. My mind was still in the work mode since it's the first week of the new school term. Then ideas start pouring in and I can't seem to organize properly the whole set up in blogging. Hopefully, as time passes by, I'll get to write more stories, ideas, and other stuff about teaching Math in an English Language environment to Chinese students. 

I would really like to talk more about sound pedagogy and classroom management ideas. So watch out for more blog posts in the future!

All the best,

Lilian 

Dance Like No One is Watching

I was on my way home when I passed by a group of Grade 10 students practicing for some dance competition for the coming sports meeting. I can't help but notice one student who was dancing in his own moves. He nailed it!

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

We got a day and half day off for the Mid-Autumn Festival, yay! I'm spending my afternoon marking. Tomorrow, I will be putting up students' designs on the wall tomorrow. I'm reading "An Hour of Coding" in the Educ 5203 Forum last night and it got doing the Disney Elsa Coding Exercise. It was fun, I did it this morning again and I almost forgot I had a class. It reminds me of my computer engineering days. It has been 20 years since I studied computer programming and I did not practice it anymore after I left school. I'm looking forward learning more about it. One of the Exploring Technology teachers is going to help me out learning how to create 2D games. In fact, I was thinking of using the coding of Elsa for Trigonometry unit of my class if I can. Getting excited!

Long Weekend - Should we give students homework?

I don't know what's trending in Canada right now but in China, teachers give homework for the students to complete during long weekends or holidays. The parents like the idea to see their kids working on something. But for me, it really depends on my lessons.

This coming weekend, is the Mid-Autumn Festival so we got two days off plus the weekend. My students asked me already if I'm giving them homework. I told them for now, I can't think of any since our lessons is very easy for them. At least they get time to relax or do their Chinese homework. Sometimes, I give homework during longer holidays like Chinese New Year or the October holiday. But mostly their homework is mostly related to their English improvement in Math like posters or Powerpoint presentations of their favorite Mathematicians and their achievements or favorite math topics and examples. If they are working on a project, half of the project is done before the holiday and the rest can be finish at home but they have to check in with me at least twice online for follow-up.

What's your opinion?

Clubs Clubs Clubs!

It's my favorite past time - Math Tutorial Club. Weird ey? I had been doing this for 4 years now and definitely I will keep doing it.

What's in my Math Tutorial Club?

It's a weekly meeting every Thursday after class wherein I stay at school for up to 3 hours in my classroom. Any students are welcome to drop by if they need help in their Math courses. I also send some of my students here whenever they have some assignment or journals to finish for the week. I use it for review time whenever we join Math Olympiads. Or if some students have difficulty in class and we don't have time to discuss, I ask them to come and we can continue discuss it in the club.

One good thing I like in this club is I can pull out my best students from previous year and let them tutor struggling students with my supervision. Sometimes, we play strategy games such as Monopoly, Settlers of Catan, San Guo Sha, and others if we have nothing to study about. And sometimes, we watch Blue Jays game too!

What club are you in?

Just Because I can....

Just because I can, doesn't mean I will.

I need to write about what just happened an hour ago. Instead of getting lunch at school cafeteria, me and my brother went to the school shop instead and buy some stuff. I badly need a pen because I'm marking my first quiz in Math and so I decided to pick a pen. I looked at the prices at it ranges from 8 or 15 yuan. I was shocked at the prices, it's very expensive I think. I know how much the prices more or less in China since I had been here long enough to know, a pen should be worth 1-4 yuan but a 15 yuan pen? I was whining loud at the shop and some of my students heard me and asked why. I told them the price was just ridiculously high and I refuse to buy it even I can afford it. It's a rip-off.  So I left the shop and I was thinking of buying out later on. Half an our later, I was sitting in my classroom and one student - Peter Hu (who probably heard me earlier) gave me a red pen. And he said it's only 2.5 yuan and he gave it to me as gift for Teacher's Day. Definitely, this made my day.  

I've been telling my students about wise shopping in Finance Math - just because they can afford to buy things, they will buy stuff because I#they can. They should learn about critical thinking and how important to check on prices and everything about a product because even if they have money, other people will take advantage of the costumers some times.

What's on my board?

So, what do you write on your board? I do write some stuff in the white board such as:

Math Porfolio

One of the greatest idea that I had implemented in my Math class is probably keeping math portfolio for each of the students. I know other teachers had been compiling their students' artifacts in portfolio and like them, I believe it's truly useful.

Here's what I think of the use of Math Portfolio:

1) It's a organizational tool for students to collect and put all their works in one folder.
2) When parents want to know about their kid's achievement, you can use this as evidence of what they do in class.
3) The portfolio is good tool for self reflection for students about their work.
4) This will be a very good review tool for Final review (which I think is the most important use.)

Do you use portfolio in class? What does it looks like? This year, I want to work with their Exploring Technology teacher and let them create an e-portfolio where they can take photos and videos of their work or while their doing their work. What do you think of this idea? Do you think it will work?


Here's some photos of my students's artifacts on their Math portfolio: