Sample unit plan 1: Inequalities

HI all. Here is a unit plan exemplar: not perfect in every aspect, but it ought to give you some idea what I'm looking for. In your unit plan, please do not include a test day and a review day in your ten lessons. The template is somewhat changed this year as well.

Those of you doing your own unit plan on inequalities: please don't look at this one! I don't want you to feel constrained by someone else's ideas on your topic.

sample unit plan; inequalities

George Hart's mathematical sculpture workshop: a truncated icosahedron

Here is a link to our page on George Hart's website: http://georgehart.com/UBC/ubc.html

The detailed lesson plan/ instructions for the workshop are here:CD sculpture workshop detailed instructions

And here is a time-lapse video tape of some of us making the sculpture, from <mathfest.ca>: http://www.edu.uwo.ca/mathscene/gerofsky/sculpture.html

Math Fair information, links and handbook

Hi everyone. Here is the information about the two Math Fairs we can attend:

Tuesday Nov. 30 /10, 10AM - 2PM

H. R. MacMillan Space Centre (formerly known as the Planetarium) http://www.spacecentre.ca/
Contact person: Trish

HR MacMillan Space Centre 
1100 Chestnut Street
Vancouver, BC
V6J 3J9 604) 738-7827
Google map to Space Centre

9:30 - 12:30 Saturday Dec. 11 /10
Vancouver Aquarium http://www.vanaqua.org/
Contact person: Jennifer
http://www.visitvanaqua.org/visitors/getting-here
845 Avison Way (map) in Stanley Park
Vancouver, BC
V6G 3E2 604-659-3400 


Here is the Math Fair Booklet, with a good selection of interesting, non-arithmetic puzzles: Math Fair Booklet

And -- the video of the math fair at John Oliver Secondary a couple of years ago: Mathfest.ca -- video of JO math fair 2008

Enjoy!

Our Math Fair!!

Hi all,

A few of us have discussed co-ordinating a math fair involving all of our schools. We hope to take over science world and get the media involved!

If you wish to participate please comment below and I shall compile a list.

Deb

Matt William's presentation to our class on technology in the math class

Hi everyone. Matt Williams sent a copy of his presentation on technology and his list of interesting and useful internet links. These look very interesting -- be sure to check them out and give them a try!

Matt Williams' presentation: technology in the math class

Matt Williams: Links to great sites for math education

Unit planning assignment, due Fri. Dec. 10

Here is the information sheet and the unit planning chart for Assignment 4, your math unit plan. This must be your own unit plan, and you cannot use one you have developed for another course.

Please choose a topic that you expect to be teaching in your long practicum, so that this will be a useful planning tool for you. To standardize the assignment for the class, I have asked you for ten lessons (exclusive of any unit review and unit test days). Your actual unit might be slightly longer or shorter than that, but for the purposes of this assignment, please plan a ten-lesson version of the unit.

Math unit plan overview
Unit planning overview chart

From Vincent: BBC link on new ways of doing and understanding multiplication and division

I found this a fascinating story. It gives an interesting point of view on the algorithms we all used to learn in school and shows the simple and (I think) more meaning-making methods now taught in UK schools. What do you think?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11258175

Math history in the classroom resources from Irene Percival

Hi everyone. Dr. Irene Percival has kindly offered to share these great materials with our class!

Babylonian 9 times table

Chinese proof of Pythagoras

Historical background for K-7 IRPs

Historical background for 8-12 IRPs

Enjoy these!

Note from our guest speaker, Matt Williams

Before he left our class today, our guest speaker expressed one small concern he wanted to pass along to you.

He was worried that many of you would think you had to use all the kinds of technology he showed us today on your long practicum in the spring!

He wanted to urge you to concentrate first on becoming a confident teacher, and to use only the technology that fits what you're doing, without adding too much extra stress. He suggests introducing new technology gradually, in a way that is comfortable for you and that fits your teaching ideas.

Reading for our online class: Creativity, flexibility, adaptivity in school math

Here is the 6-page article I'd like you to read and comment on between now and Sunday:

Selter ZDM article on teaching adaptive expertise

Selter talks about teaching kids to be flexible and creative in their approach to mathematical strategies, to develop "adaptive expertise", and he gives some interesting examples and evidence.

He does refer to a group of articles that were published in the same edition of this journal -- don't worry about that part, since you don't have the other articles to look at.

Once you've read this piece, please post your commentary (about 200 words, as full of ideas as possible), and then read at least three other people's commentaries and write your responses to them (as comments on their blogs).

I hope this sparks some interesting thoughts and discussion! See you online over the weekend.

Links to some very interesting TED talks about math classrooms

Here are two of the videos Matt Williams wanted to share with us:

Dan Meyer: "Math Class Needs a Makeover"

Arthur Benjamin's "Formula for Changing Math Education"

These are fascinating and controversial -- well worth watching and thinking about!

Upload documents

Hi everyone,

If you need to upload a document that you can not copy & paste
You need to follow these steps

Go to Google docs

Sign in with your Gmail id

Press “upload” on the right side of the screen

“select file to upload”

Then scroll down and press “start upload”

Press on the file uploaded and select “share”

Then select  ”sharing settings”

Then press “change”

Select “anyone with the link”

The press “save”

On the top of the same page you have the link address highlighted copy that then go to you blog and paste it on your new post  it will appear as a link if you press you get your document.

Hope that was not too confusing

If you have any question I will help you on Wednesday.

Have a good evening
Feda