Aim to Be Awesome, Not Perfect

Last year, as an end of year project, my students used a bunch of skills we had learned over the course of a year to create a Humongous Hero project. It was suggested by a fellow math teacher that parts of the project might be good as an inquiry project or as practice thinking proportionally. We spent a day looking a ratios around our school and a day looking at basic proportions, since the idea of ratios and proportions are new to 6th graders. However, next time, I might just start with this first. When they entered the classroom, there were multiple large hands around the room.  I told them a giant had broken in during the night and had left fingerprints in my room.  And I wanted to know how tall he was.  The only directives they had was that they could choose who they worked with and they use anything in the classroom in order to solve the problem.  As you can see, they used each other, meter sticks, their own bodies, rulers, and even me to help so...

There is an app that might have changed my life.  I had been looking for one like it, and hadn't really found it yet.  But then this app was recommended to me by another teacher and once I started using it, I was hooked! The app is called Scan Pages and it is by Ricoh.  Here is its icon: Once you open it up, this is what you see:  I love how I can either take pictures in the app (that is the lens icon) or use pictures that I have already taken (the picture icon).  Another great feature is that you can tag the items (see my accel, decimal, etc above the files) and then filter what you see by that tag.   After class, I take pictures of my interactive notebook and share them in my Google Drive folder.  Once the picture are in the app, then they can be used a pictures or scanned into PDF format.  This works great too for any worksheets or meeting notes that I need electronically.   And the best part, it is free! This ...

So this year I started using an "Interactive Notebook". First off, I think my decision to keep a separate notebook per class period was a good one. I think I am doing okay with it, as the kids seem to like the foldables, the occasional coloring and keeping things organized. And I have been perusing my photos of my notebook pages, trying to figure out which one I like best so I can share it here on my blog. Problem is... there isn't anything I feel like I can share. Half of the pages are okay - but not worth sharing. The other half I have seen on the blogosphere or on Pinterest and the versions out there are way better than mine. So I thought I had nothing to share.... but then the lightbulb came on. One of the questions that come up about interactive notebooks is what to do when a kid is new or absent. Some teachers make extras or have a student copy theirs... but I teach middle school and one of my goals is to help students become responsible for their own...

Math is Real Life!  It is the first Wednesday of November, which means it is time for Math is Real Life! I actually had an recent experience in my house that I shared with my students how my husband and I used the skill they were learning to make waffles. On Saturday morning tradition is to have waffles or pancakes for breakfast. A couple weeks ago, my husband and youngest daughter decided to make waffles and to use what pancake mix was left in the box.   I was in another room, but when I heard my husband say " 2 times one and a half equals 3", I ran into the kitchen and said "What did you say?" He replied "The recipe calls for 2 cups of mix, but there is 3 cups, so I figured out that 2 times 1 1/2 equals 3, so I will multiply my other ingredient amounts by 1 1/2 to determine what I need".  Well, I was a giddy mess, because in my ACCEL class I was introducing Multiplication of Fractions on Monday.  This is a topic that the kids always question me wh...

Follow my blog with Bloglovin I have started a blog! This will be about my adventures as a sixth grade math teacher.  I am trying to integrate technology and interactive notebooks... so we will see how this goes!