5 Maths Gems #7

Common practise of successful departments' too 'What I learnt today' - both are good worth a read, especially for teachers of Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marker maths.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of the inspiration behind today's maths gems has come upward from teachers' blogs - I'm incredibly grateful to those who convey the fourth dimension to part their ideas too experiences for the create goodness of others.

1. Interactive Areas
Computer-based tools receive got made it easier to explicate some mathematical concepts too generate interesting questions. It's fantastic when technology enhances too enriches mathematics education.

I of late tweeted this colourful example which shows that nosotros tin cutting a circle into sectors too rearrange them to create upward one's hear the expanse (taken from @edfromo's Google+ post). @fmaths42 replied amongst this vivid applet which illustrates the same matter inwards really clear interactive steps. Never earlier receive got I seen the formula for the expanse of a circle explained so clearly (and did y'all run across the 'proof without words' video inwards Maths Gems 4? That was skillful too).

Another fantabulous interactive tool is 'Investigating Triangle Area' (via @mathslinks). My students are ever happy to convey that a right angled triangle is one-half a rectangle, but are non so easily convinced for non-right angled triangles. The tool illustrates the fact past times allowing students to rearrange triangles into rectangles (click on subdivide too and then rotate too interpret the exceed sections).

2. Estimation

Examples from estimation180.com

I've seen a lot of American teachers tweet close Common practise of successful departments' too 'What I learnt today' - both are good worth a read, especially for teachers of Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marker maths.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of the inspiration behind today's maths gems has come upward from teachers' blogs - I'm incredibly grateful to those who convey the fourth dimension to part their ideas too experiences for the create goodness of others.

1. Interactive Areas
Computer-based tools receive got made it easier to explicate some mathematical concepts too generate interesting questions. It's fantastic when technology enhances too enriches mathematics education.

I of late tweeted this colourful example which shows that nosotros tin cutting a circle into sectors too rearrange them to create upward one's hear the expanse (taken from @edfromo's Google+ post). @fmaths42 replied amongst this vivid applet which illustrates the same matter inwards really clear interactive steps. Never earlier receive got I seen the formula for the expanse of a circle explained so clearly (and did y'all run across the 'proof without words' video inwards Every Math Teacher inwards the World Should Do This...Right Now!' by @nathankraft1 (shared amongst me past times @DianeMaths) y'all tin run across students working on whiteboards but about the classroom (I wishing my classroom was this big!).

Nathan enthusiastically says, 'When students are working on the whiteboards, I tin run across everything happening at once. It's similar I'm looking at the freaking Matrix. With a quick glance, I tin run across which students got it, which students are making kid mistakes, too which students receive got no sentiment what's going on. I tin apace position errors for students. I tin inquire a stronger educatee to help a struggling one. Once a educatee has the right answer, I yell, "Great! Erase it! Next problem!"'. His enthusiasm has rubbed off on me. I desire to endeavour it! And earlier y'all disregard this sentiment because y'all don't receive got a room total of whiteboards, deport inwards hear that whatever vertical surface will create - endeavour writing on windows or using Common practise of successful departments' too 'What I learnt today' - both are good worth a read, especially for teachers of Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marker maths.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of the inspiration behind today's maths gems has come upward from teachers' blogs - I'm incredibly grateful to those who convey the fourth dimension to part their ideas too experiences for the create goodness of others.

1. Interactive Areas
Computer-based tools receive got made it easier to explicate some mathematical concepts too generate interesting questions. It's fantastic when technology enhances too enriches mathematics education.

I of late tweeted this colourful example which shows that nosotros tin cutting a circle into sectors too rearrange them to create upward one's hear the expanse (taken from @edfromo's Google+ post). @fmaths42 replied amongst this vivid applet which illustrates the same matter inwards really clear interactive steps. Never earlier receive got I seen the formula for the expanse of a circle explained so clearly (and did y'all run across the 'proof without words' video inwards related post summarises the benefits of 'Vertical Non-Permanent Surfaces':

• Improves visibility.
• Allows for transfer of noesis but about the room.
• Non-Permanent removes fearfulness of writing.
• Formative assessment past times instructor at all times.
• Teacher tin respond questions past times having students await at others work.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 related sentiment comes from Common practise of successful departments' too 'What I learnt today' - both are good worth a read, especially for teachers of Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marker maths.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of the inspiration behind today's maths gems has come upward from teachers' blogs - I'm incredibly grateful to those who convey the fourth dimension to part their ideas too experiences for the create goodness of others.

1. Interactive Areas
Computer-based tools receive got made it easier to explicate some mathematical concepts too generate interesting questions. It's fantastic when technology enhances too enriches mathematics education.

I of late tweeted this colourful example which shows that nosotros tin cutting a circle into sectors too rearrange them to create upward one's hear the expanse (taken from @edfromo's Google+ post). @fmaths42 replied amongst this vivid applet which illustrates the same matter inwards really clear interactive steps. Never earlier receive got I seen the formula for the expanse of a circle explained so clearly (and did y'all run across the 'proof without words' video inwards Improving students' collaboration using acrylic sheets'. Jeremy suggests investing inwards clear acrylic sheets that students tin write on. Diagrams, pictures, axes etc tin live on seat underneath. Read his post service for to a greater extent than on this, it actually is a vivid idea.

Next week
A lot of my readers volition live on at La Salle Education's maths conference adjacent week. I’m actually looking frontwards to it. Please come upward too tell howdy if y'all location me. Bear inwards hear that I receive got a 3 calendar month quondam babe who rarely sleeps, so if y'all run across me doze off at whatever betoken too then but laissez passer me a nudge.

I withal promise to write a maths gems post service adjacent week, it volition live on a twenty-four hours belatedly but hopefully total of ideas shared at the conference.

By the way, if y'all didn't grab my concluding post service 'Common practise of successful departments' too 'What I learnt today' - both are good worth a read, especially for teachers of Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marker maths.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of the inspiration behind today's maths gems has come upward from teachers' blogs - I'm incredibly grateful to those who convey the fourth dimension to part their ideas too experiences for the create goodness of others.

1. Interactive Areas
Computer-based tools receive got made it easier to explicate some mathematical concepts too generate interesting questions. It's fantastic when technology enhances too enriches mathematics education.

I of late tweeted this colourful example which shows that nosotros tin cutting a circle into sectors too rearrange them to create upward one's hear the expanse (taken from @edfromo's Google+ post). @fmaths42 replied amongst this vivid applet which illustrates the same matter inwards really clear interactive steps. Never earlier receive got I seen the formula for the expanse of a circle explained so clearly (and did y'all run across the 'proof without words' video inwards Practical tips for a (newly) qualified maths teacher' too then create receive got a look.  It was a pop post service inwards which I shared some ideas for getting organised, so it's non but for NQTs.

5 Maths Gems #20

Hello. I'm pleased to introduce my 20th gems post today - a milestone! Twitter has been repose this calendar week because Christmas took our minds off travel for a span of days, but I've nevertheless got around nifty ideas for you. The Christmas holidays are curt in addition to busy therefore it won't live on long earlier you're dorsum to planning lessons - I promise this post gives you lot around inspiration for the Spring term.

1. Factorising Quadratics
You know questions like this:

In Question 1 above, you lot tin give notice run across that the travel past times left jail cellular telephone has to incorporate a iii because it's a element of both iii in addition to 6. The residual of the cells tin give notice live on completed speedily 1 time 1 mutual element has been established. This is a unproblematic instance but Don develops the questions to choke increasingly difficult, around having multiple solutions. 

The adjacent prepare of activities extend the same sentiment to algebra, starting amongst this:

There's lots of these to consummate - first-class practise of factorising linear expressions.

The adjacent phase of this exercise is factorising quadratics.

Conveniently I'm currently planning a Year 10 lesson on factorising quadratics. I desire my students to create a lot of practise therefore volition definitely live on using this activity. The questions construct upward to a suitably challenging degree of difficulty, ending amongst this one:

I desire to encourage my students to factorise 'harder' quadratics (ie a > 1) past times inspection. This is my preferred method (ie 'guess in addition to test') but my students ever need that I instruct them a to a greater extent than structured approach (eg 'the Grouping Method') which frustrates me. Their insistence on next an algorithm suggests a lack of confidence. I intend the inquiry inward a higher house turns factorising quadratics into a form of logic problem. Tackling this inquiry without an algorithm powerfulness aid my students educate the confidence to factorise harder quadratics past times inspection.

One final sentiment for a lesson on factorising quadratics - I similar the occupation below from openmiddle.com. There are a publish of possible solutions therefore you lot could challenge students to discovery a dissimilar solution to the someone adjacent to them. 

2. Angle Sense amongst the Interactive Whiteboard
I've been planning a Year vii lesson on angles inward which I'd similar my students to approximate angle sizes. If you lot were asked to to pull an angle of 210^o freehand, how would you lot create it? I'd intend of it equally a guide business addition a 3rd of a right-angle. If you lot choose proportional reasoning skills therefore it's pretty slowly to brand an educated guess. An angle estimation activity would travel perfectly good without applied scientific discipline (read out a serial of angle sizes in addition to enquire your students to pull their freehand estimates on paper. They therefore depository fiscal establishment jibe their estimates using a protractor - around other useful skill). But if you lot desire a similar activity for the interactive whiteboard therefore you lot powerfulness similar this fun here. Some of these angle games are quite funny - Banana Hunt in special made me chuckle.

If you lot similar these interactive whiteboard games therefore you'll discovery loads at Sheppard Software. It's amusing that there's an Absolute Value Number Balls game - this concept isn't covered until Year thirteen inward the United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland but I bet my students would honey to play this game - 5 minutes lite relief inward a C3 lesson!

FlashMaths.co.uk is around other nifty website for interactive whiteboard activities. Flash Maths was created past times Jonathan Hall (@studymaths) who brings us a plethora of fantastic tools on StudyMaths.co.uk. If you lot haven't seen it before, depository fiscal establishment jibe out MathsBot.com which is his unproblematic (but brilliant) worksheet generator.

3. Big Questions

Billy Adamson (@Billyads_47) shared a fantastic prepare of mathematical thinking prompts 'The Big Questions'. Here's a few examples: 

Lovely opened upward questions from Billy to generate intelligence in addition to educate understanding. There's around to a greater extent than expert examples of opened upward questions here:

4. Trigonometric Problem Solving

Our Year 13s' occupation solving skills are tested when they're asked to simplify expressions involving trigonometric identities inward C3 (like the example below).

I discovery that my students acquire frustrated when they can't topographic point a 'way in' guide away. They surrender quickly. There's genuinely a pretty criterion prepare of starting points, equally described on www.intmath.com (@intmath). 

I combat to aid my students experience confident inward tackling these problems, therefore I genuinely similar this activity from @mjfenton. Here's an extract:

The sentiment is that nosotros offset amongst a lot of construction in addition to gradually give fewer hints until students are able to solve the problems themselves. The steps powerfulness appear logical to us, but we're experienced occupation solvers. 

It's a expert sentiment for maths teachers to attempt to solve unfamiliar problems every at 1 time in addition to therefore (like the instance below from ‏@dannytybrown) to remind ourselves that mathematical occupation solving oftentimes requires patience, inventiveness in addition to multiple attempts. We all experience frustration inward occupation solving, merely similar our students do, but nosotros know that the satisfaction of eventually finding the solution is good worth it.

5. Dividing amongst Decimals

I've mentioned earlier that I honey MathsPad's resources - enough of them are complimentary in addition to the residual come upward at a terms of alone £3 per month. Whether your schoolhouse subscribes or not, it's worth registering for electronic mail updates inward companionship to proceed rail of all the novel resources. This month, the interactive resources on Decimal Calculations caught my eye. It ever surprises me how many students volition happily nation that forty divided past times ½ equals 20. Activities similar the 1 shown below volition aid tackle this misconception in addition to encourage students to intend earlier they answer.

That's it for this week. I'll travel out you lot amongst a video from 1977 - 'Congruent Triangles' past times Bruce in addition to Katharine Cornwell (another precious rock found on @MathMunch). Happy New Year!