Monday, August 20, 2012

5 Maths Gems #114

Welcome to my 114th gems post. This is where I part some of the latest news, ideas too resources for maths teachers.

1. Polypad
Philipp Legner, author of the beautiful website Mathigon, has been working on some novel resources for schools too teachers. The commencement novel tool - published today - is a library of virtual manipulatives called Polypad.

There are polygons, fraction bars, issue too algebra tiles, Cuisenaire rods, pentominoes, too many other features. Like all of Mathigon, it's completely costless to purpose too industrial plant on all mobile too desktop devices.

2. Don Steward
Don has been publishing loads of novel resources lately. I'd dear to part all of them hither simply it makes to a greater extent than feel for yous to see his blog too scroll through them yourself! I've started to add together them to my resource libraries.

One illustration is his recent laid of exercises titled 'Linear equations extras'. Next twelvemonth I'll last teaching a duo of Year 8 classes. The system of run includes a unit of measurement on linear equations. They commencement met this theme inward Year 7. Once I've assessed how expert my pupils are at solving linear equations, I mightiness dip into Don's questions if appropriate - they acquaint a expert chance for stretch too challenge equally good equally interleaving. Take for illustration these linear equations that involve decimals.  Here pupils tin develop their fluency inward solving equations too at the same fourth dimension do working alongside decimal operations.

3. Arithmetic Sequences
Sarah Carter (blog post virtually how she uses Step Puzzles from Naoki Inaba when teaching arithmetics sequences.
These puzzles are accessible to whatsoever historic catamenia group. By looking at the illustration higher upwards yous tin likely figure out how they run without whatsoever instructions. The numbers along each conduct job must cast a linear sequence.

There are lots of examples on Sarah's weblog - they start off slow simply acquire much to a greater extent than challenging. There's also an English linguistic communication language version of this resources on TES. I'm teaching sequences to Year vii side yesteryear side term - I promise to plow over my pupils some fourth dimension to play alongside these lovely puzzles.

4. Templates
Thanks to Ben Gordon (@mathsmrgordon) for sharing a laid of editable worked example templates. There are diverse layouts of Frayer models, illustration pairs, guidance fading too wrong examples.
I'll last using Frayer models side yesteryear side twelvemonth - I convey a plan!

5. Puzzle of the Week
Andy Sharpe (@asharpeducator) has been running Puzzle of the Week for a piece now. There are straight off 100 puzzles on puzzleofthweek.com inward the Puzzle Library, all costless too sortable yesteryear theme too difficulty.

Why non encourage your students to submit solutions to the weekly competition? This would run good equally business office of a schoolhouse puzzle club. Information virtually how to come inward is here.

Updates
Twitter is relatively serenity during the summertime holidays these days. It's really dissimilar to 5 years agone when the summertime vacation catamenia was awash alongside weblog posts too tweets virtually maths teaching too resources. Conversations this summertime arrive at from a violent combat virtually how to position cream too jam on a scone (I convey no idea, simply I do quite fancy a scone...) too intelligence virtually really horrific political developments (it's similar the Handmaid's Tale is really happening). If you're taking a summertime pause from Twitter, hither are a few bits too pieces yous mightiness convey missed.
  • MEI's (@MEIMaths) latest app Sumaze! Adventure is straight off out. I dear Sumaze!
  • I updated my conferences page. It straight off lists national maths instructor events inward 2019/20. If you've non attended before, why non come upwards along to a conference side yesteryear side year? You mightiness dear it.
  • If yous desire to attend the 1 24-hour interval preparation course 'Marvellous Maths Teaching' that I'm running alongside Craig Barton therefore it would last a expert thought to acquire your asking inward at schoolhouse inward early on September earlier it sells out. We've already sold 100 tickets. 
  • The MA's July 2019 eNews came out, sharing news, puzzles too resources for maths teachers.
  • 42 mathsy activities, 1 for every 24-hour interval of the schoolhouse holidays. 
  • Craig Barton (@mrbartonmaths) published his latest Slice of Advice podcast "What did yous acquire this year?". Maths teacher Charlotte (@mrshawthorne7) made this awesome sketchnote piece she was listening. 

Here are some ideas too resources I've had through on e-mail over the few weeks:

I've been working on my workshop for #mathsconf21 inward Peterborough inward October. I've constitute therefore many dandy resources I can't hold off to purpose them alongside my pupils side yesteryear side twelvemonth too part them at the conference.
I mightiness acquaint the same workshop at #mathsconf20 inward Edinburgh simply I can't decide!

I've been working hard on my mass 'A Compendium of Mathematical Methods'. I'm over halfway through straight off too convey started talking to publishers which is really exciting.

Because I'm focusing on my mass summation a duo of other projects this summer, too spending a lot of fourth dimension alongside my household unit of measurement (we're off to Bailiwick of Jersey side yesteryear side week!), I won't last blogging much during the holidays. If you're planning lessons for September therefore yous mightiness abide by some of my posts from previous years helpful, such equally Year vii Maths Activities too Bridging the Gap: Revisited (for Year 12 teachers).

I'll exit yous alongside this moving painting of a weight motorcar that appears to last present a existent life Normal distribution, shared yesteryear @gin_and_tacos.