I came across ScootPad, while looking for ideas for my math students to do besides MobyMath. ScootPad is grounded in Common Core reading and math and FREE. ScootPad is a really cool because its based on skill mastery but unlike MobyMath there is no pretest. The creators of ScootPad recognize that no two students are alike and that they will master skills in different ways. ScootPad helps students gain mastery through gradual and thorough practice.

I can finally relax after a long week of parent/teacher conferences. Next week I have to start on progress reports and report cards. Perhaps something I can get done Wednesday afternoon. I want to share two free apps that I found early this month and have been trying out on my students. Both apps are free and you have to use both to get the program to work. Its Socrative Student and Teacher Clicker.

My 4th graders have been working on their basic multiplication facts. We're taking our time moving through the facts--well more like moving as fast they mastery them. They have been taking multiplication games to play with their families and the practice is showing. We have to do through 12s. This array chart that I found on Pinterest has helped them understand the concept behind multiplication.Click on the picture to get a free copy of Dragon's Multiplication.












What tricks do you use to teach kids multiplication? Have a great weekend.

I think the iPads will be up and running by mid-week. It seems like it has taken forever to get them up and running but what can  you do when iTunes crashes after an update. My building computer techs work Friday on getting the VERY long list of apps on to them. I wish share a couple of discoveries. 

In my app store wandering I came across several for preschool/kindergarten. They have been the hardest to shop for. Since, my main goal is to find apps that work within the Blooms Taxonomy and are not games.



ABC Alphabet Phonics asks students to identify letters by name. Little Sorter is even lower:  students discriminate between several letters, puzzle style.  As they matched each shape to it’s spot, the app announces the letter name.   Beginning Sounds allows users to choose three letter sounds by picture. 

Early last week I was at a class, "I have an iPad...Know What" hosted by my district. The presenter pointed out two apps that I love and can't believe I didn't know about them earlier. It takes only having one iPad to a new level. Students can interact with the apps without being tied down to my doc camera. 

One is Airserver. This one mirrors the iPad through my computer and onto my SMART board. There are two levels: one free (for 7 days) and a paid down that you can use on 5 machines. It replaces the VGA cord. One thing to keep in mind its that your iPad and computer  you download the software to need to be on the wireless network. In my building we have three wireless networks--iPad connects to one and my laptop a different one. To get it to work they both have to be talking to each other on the same channel. 

The other is Splashtop Streamer.  This one mirrors my computer on iPad. So if I'm running a power point on my laptop and displaying it on my SMART board, I can walk around the room and not be tied down to my laptop. It works like a remote. So very cool. This one you have to pay for but if you have only one iPad; just think of the ways you can engage students.

My sixth graders are working on fractions, decimals, and percents. They have to be able to smoothly translate fractions to decimals to percents and back again. The more fluently the better. Here's a sample that you can download at my store and pick up the at 32 pages if you like. Be sure to stop by my store for all of them and other great small group activities.  



Have a fabulous week. Thanks for stopping by. What apps have you found that your students love or ones that your can't leave with lot?

Last week, a group of my fourth graders started down the road to learning their multiplication facts. In theory, they should have a working knowledge of multiplication but in this case they must have been out for the unit. Which means, I get to have all the fun!!!. I came across this pin and thought with a sneaky smile that they would love this.

The last year or so, my school has been working on making sure students have their basic math facts down pat. Every teacher in the building has taking the responsibility  for their students to know those facts. The hope being in a year or two our students know them and teachers will not have to find time to teach the skill. In turn it will mean as this skill moves from a core instruction problem (because more than half the students don't have the skill) to one that only a few have that I can create intervention groups to teach the missing skills. This comes from Colorado State Standards and what other districts are telling teachers about when basic facts have to be mastered by. The building grade levels then planned forward what would make the most sense for students. I hope you have a great week as we enter beautiful September.



End of year fact fluency expectations.pdf

Now, that groups are formed, I can begin planning. To start the year off, I'm pulling out a small group of 4th graders for math during the last half of the block. I need to create a differentiated math units. Easier said than done. But this summer I came across any other book written by Robyn R. Jackson "The Differentiation Workbook." Its been very helpful full in pulling apart my districts Curriculum Alignment Project (it's tells us what to teach when) but doesn't do much in the way of differentiation.


I've adopted pieces to meet my needs and have shared a couple. I'll share more as I work through my unit planning.

I start by determining what all students Need to Know and list them out. I then figure out what my criteria for mastery is and what my evidence is that they have it. The Needs to Know become the over arching lessons that I'll shoot for. This is where I what my group to be at the end of the month. These are the grade lesson standards that they will be tested on in the spring. I think with this unit--I will not be doing tons of modifications for students. But this forms makes it clear what the learning targets need to be.

Math for many of my students is like going to the dentist. They either love it or hate it. Sometimes it depends on the teacher and how much time they spend teaching the skill vs having time to just practice it. Many times students with disabilities need lots to time to practice the new skill and then they need to see it over and over again. I don't know about you-but mine are really good about knowing it at school and when they get home well:)  I like using a warm-up as a formative assessment and create small groups for remediation.

Incorrect

Correct

Making 10 Goldfish Math

I wanted to share about a great giveaway that Heather's Heart is having. This giveaway has several Pete the Cat units, that have been created by several wonderful bloggers. Make sure to pop by before this Wednesday Midnight.
Making 10 Goldfish Math

Grab your highlighter and stickies. Bring your questions. Get ready to join myself and a fabulous group of bloggers to take an in-depth look at Laney Sammons's "Guided Math." I'll be co-hosting Chapter 5. Head on over to Primary Inspired this week to get started.





I've create a new basic addition math game that can be used at home or at school. My students love playing anything "High Speed."  This game has helped my students learn the basic addition facts and master them. Once my students learn how to play the game, ask to take it home and practice so they can "beat" someone in class. The progress monitoring tools help them to see their progress and its easy enough that they can track their own progress each week. With them doing their own progress monitoring, I have seen more growth and way more by-in, than when I do it myself. They own the data and celebrate their progress. For more on progress monitoring see my previous post last Friday.  Here's a sample for you. You can find the full version at my TpT Store.

High Speed Plus 5 Addition Facts

Last year I went looking for a new math curriculum, that had strong number sense and would work in either small groups or one on one. I had been using Saxon Math but I was finding that it align so well with our Curriculum Alignment Project (CAP). CAP outlines what needs to be taught when and for how long-its the curriculum and Investigations is the resource. CAP ensures that every student in the district is getting the same thing regardless of what building your in. The problem with Investigations is that it doesn't translate well to small groups or one on one, so it's not used frequently for interventions. We do use it for double dosing students (students getting the same lesson twice).

I found Singapore Math. It came from a recommendation because they had seen improvements in their intensive math groups. Here's what I love about it. It's deceptively thin text books were created with an understanding on how students actually learn. The lessons are structured with the gradual release model(which is huge in my district) which allows students to learn mathematics meaningfully and talk about it like mathematicians. It also aligns better with what they are learning in class. Students love this program because of all the hands on work they get to do. They have said way more tha what they get in class. The girls that I work with in math need all the hands on and language support they can get in math and then some. The down side is the language skills students need to work independently. One way I have worked around in more language supports is creating mini-anchor charts as a visual reminder of what key words mean.
Graph Key Words Math Key Terms

A change that Common Core has brought to teaching math is helping students understand the relationship between numbers and quatities and connect counting to cardinality. I created Match Me a Turtle for my students to count a set (dice dots) and see sets and then match the digits to the turtle. Then they can match the digit and turtle with the number word. By using dice students learn that no matter how you arrange a number of dots, they will digit doesn't change.

These connections are higher-level skills that require students to analyze, reason about, and explain relationships between numbers and sets of objects. Once they have mastered numbers and sets to 10, they will be comfortable with working numbers to 20. Common Core states that students should have this skill mastered by the end of Kindergarten.

Students implement correct counting procedures by pointing to one object at a time (one-to-one correspondence), using one counting word for every object (synchrony/ one-to-one tagging), while keeping track of objects that have and have not been counted. This is the foundation of counting.
 

Students answer the question “How many are there?” by counting objects in a set and understanding that the last number stated when counting a set (…8, 9, 10) represents the total amount of objects: “There are 10 bears in this pile.” (cardinality). Since an important goal for children is to count with meaning, it is important to have children answer the question, “How many do you have?” after they count. Often times, children who have not developed cardinality will count the amount again, not realizing that the 10 they stated means 10 objects in all.

Young children believe what they see. Therefore, they may believe that a pile of cubes that they counted may be more if spread apart in a line. As children move towards the developmental milestone of conservation of number, they develop the understanding that the number of objects does not change when the objects are moved, rearranged, or hidden. Children need many different experiences with counting objects, as well as maturation, before they can reach this developmental milestone.

The first math game is to 10 and the second to 20 also includes base 10 blocks along with the number word. Match Me a Turtle

Fall Couting to 20 With Base 10 and Words

The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.

In August 2010, Colorado rewrote the State Standards from preschool to twelfth grade to reflect that adoption of Common Core. The state standards and Common Core define mastery and help students and teachers achieve clearer results in order to guide schools to greater outcomes.

State academic standards are the expectations of what students need to know and be able to do. They also stand as the values and content organizers of what Colorado sees as the future skills and essential knowledge for our next generation to be more successful. State standards are the basis of the annual state assessment. Standards are not the same as lesson plans or curriculum. They are the content understandings and abilities that lead a student to success beyond school.

The content areas include Mathematics, Science, Reading and Writing, Social Studies, Music, Visual Arts, Theatre, Dance, Comprehensive Health and Physical Education, and World Languages. In addition, the state had developed standards for Expanded Benchmarks and English Language Learners.

Colorado Academic Standards are created to support an aligned P-20 system which provides an inclusion of early school readiness expectations and postsecondary competencies. Historically, these standards have been organized by grade spans but have evolved to be articulated by grade. Additionally, state standards reflect workforce readiness and 21^st century skills such as critical thinking and reasoning, information literacy and invention. The ability to take responsibility for additional learning, self-direction and interaction with others to learn new information quickly and more naturally is the new emerging direction of our work.

What is P-20 Education?

P-20 Academic and Career Pathways in the following areas:

• Arts & Communication
• Business
• Health Sciences
• Science, Technology, Engineering & Math

What are P-20 Academic and Career Pathways?
Academic and Career Pathways are an integrated collection of learning experiences intended to develop students’ core academic skills; and provide them with continuous education and employability credentials; in order to place them in high-demand, high-opportunity jobs.

Common Core Standards-Reading Foundational Skills

K-2 Math Common Core