Instructional Technology Specialist » math

Virtual Dice

seamanits — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:34:07 +0000

This virtual dice give you options on how many faced you use and what you put on those faces. Yes, you can customise your dice. I can see the possibilities in language arts (figurative language, story elements, vocabulary etc), science/ss (content vocabulary), and of course math.

Image Source: http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks1/maths/dice/

GPS Across the Curriculum

seamanits — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:15:16 +0000

I have caught the GPS bug. GPS hunting (also can be called geocaching) is great fun! I’ve even purchased a unit for my family to use. The traditional geocache is a great way to teach latitude and longitude. Teachers can hide containers with objects for the students to find. Teachers supply the students with coordinates and a GPS unit. Children use the coordinates to find the containers.

There are many ways this technology can be integrated into the various curriculum areas. Here are a few. I welcome more ideas!

Traditional geocache
Treasure Hunt – Each container gives the next set of coordinates to find. The treasure can be a creative writing prompt.
Hide and Seek – one class/group hides a set of math problems. The other group/class find them and answers the problems.
Logic Challenge – children have to find coordinates in order. Each find gives them a clue to a logic problem they have to solve.
Mystery Person – similar to the logic challenge but with clues to the identity of a famous historical figure.
GeoTrooper – Each container has a puzzle piece that when all found and put together create a geographical location the class has been studying such as a region of the US
Figurative Find - The children have the task of finding one example of the various types of figurative languages. Each type of figurative language is in a container at a different location. The examples are on strips of paper. The children collect one strip from each container.
Amazing GPS hunt - take off from the Amazing Race. Children have to find details about the type of habitat/biome they are studying. Each group has cards of a different color. Each container has a card for every group. When the child finds the coordinates they have to do a physical fitness challenge in order to get the card in that container. This is done on the group’s honor. It is just a fun way to incorporate fitness into the activity. When they have all the details the kids take the information inside and create a powerpoint about their habitat/biome.

For details on how to set up your own hunt you can check out this fantastic website. http://www.alicechristie.org/geocaching/steps.html

Math Games

seamanits — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:50:55 +0000

Are you looking for fun math games to play at school or to send home for your kids to do on their personal computers? Here is a group of more than 30 math games. There is truly something for everyone. If you have a game that isn’t on this list and you think it would apply please let me know. I’ll gladly add it to the list.

Math Games Jog

http://www.jogtheweb.com/play/1NJhMR6H1CSD

Here is a downloadable document of the links.

mathgames

2D and 3D shapes

seamanits — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:44:24 +0000

Shapes!

There are a couple of great websites that allow you and your students to learn about 2D and 3D shapes interactively.

2D and 3D Shapes
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/3d/index.htm

Image Source: http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/3d/index.htm

Interactives: 3d Shapes
http://www.learner.org/interactives/geometry/3d.html

Image Source: http://www.learner.org/interactives/geometry/3d.html

Our tech department also has a set of 5 cameras available for checkout. Your kids could get into small groups (with an adult helper) to go on a Shape Safari. You could give them a scavenger hunt form for them to take a picture of each shape you are learning. Those pictures can be shared in a PowerPoint, glog (refer to previous post on glogster for more information), slideshow, Animoto, VoiceThread, printable poster on Excel (which can be made into a big book)

There are also shapes in the Kidspiration 3 image gallery. Younger children can categorize shapes into 2D or 3D.

Image Source: Kidspiration Template

Projectors In Education

seamanits — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:56:09 +0000

We have a wikispace that may be just what you are looking for. We have developed a place for educators to go find websites that would lend themselves to use with a projector. The websites are categorized by grade level as well as content. There is also a section for websites that span all grade levels. This wiki has resources for grade levels K-12. If you would like to add resources you may request membership. You can also just go on and find all the resources already there.

This is one worth bookmarking!

Image Source: http://seaman-pie.wikispaces.com/

Intermediate Word Problems

seamanits — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:51:00 +0000

Here are some sites that provide word problem practice. Some are in the form of storys that you have to answer problems to advance. Some are isolated problems with various operations.

Image Source: http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mesg/html/math6web/math6shell.html

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/me3usa/flash/index.html?goLesson=5

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/me5l/html/math5.html?goLesson=1

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mesg/html/math6web/math6shell.html

http://www.berghuis.co.nz/abiator/maths/sa/saindex.html

http://www.quia.com/pop/13193.html

Woodlands Maths Zone

seamanits — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:36:06 +0000

Found through: Kevin Jarrett

This site is a wonderful and interactive site for learning and practicing math concepts. It can be used in small groups, in the computer lab, or as a whole group activity (especially if you have an interactive whiteboard).

Image Source: http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/index.html

***If you are a member of my school district and have not already done so will you please take a quick moment to let me know you saw this post? You can either add a comment at the bottom or shoot me a quick email. I would like to identify about how many people are viewing this blog from my district. Thank you!!!

Class Tools

seamanits — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:10:25 +0000

ClassTools.net is a tremendous site with tools that are very easy to use and educationally sound. They are tools that can be integrated into any curriculum area and any topic. Some of the tools are more primary based and some are more for intermediate. If you don’t take a moment to check this one out you will be missing a gold mine!

http://classtools.net/

Mean, Median, Mode

seamanits — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:02:55 +0000

Graphing and interpreting data are concepts found on state assessments as well as local assessments beginning with primary grades. Here are some online resources to help teachers cover and revisit this topic.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/maths/activities/modemedianmean.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/numbers/handlingdata/numericalanalysis/mean/
http://www.hbschool.com/activity/elab2004/gr4/25.html
http://tinyurl.com/cff7qd
http://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/toc_vol8.html
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/03/lp293-02.shtml
http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/book8/bk8i5/bk8_5i2.htm

http://math.pppst.com/dataanalysis.html PowerPoints as well as interactive sites for kids and lesson plans for teachers. Thanks to my twitter friend, @celestehopkins for bringing this one to my attention!

If you are a member of my school district will you please take a quick moment to let me know you saw this post? You can either add a comment at the bottom or shoot me a quick email. I would like to identify about how many people are viewing this blog from my district. Thank you!!!

Symmetry

seamanits — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:17:53 +0000

Here is a resource for some math lessons. The one on symmetry is especially fantastic.

Image From: http://www.linkslearning.org/Kids/1_Math/2_Illustrated_Lessons/4_Line_Symmetry/index.html