Reflection of semester's work with Calculators in the Classroom

 

I think that we learned a lot as a PLC, both individually, and collectively.  The most important thing to remember about achieving success in the classroom, is creating a minimal level of comfort and confidence, not only with your content, but the technology that you use as resources to supplement that content.  How can we expect our students to develop technological skills and content proficiency if we, as teachers, are not fully comfortable with our own skills and proficiencies?  Honestly, in my mind, we are really not that much different from our students when it comes to our attitudes towards change and adaptation to a changing academic environment.  If we truly classify ourselves as “lifelong learners,” then we need to hold ourselves accountable for exceeding our current technological skill levels.  The hardest part for any of us is admitting that we may need a little extra assistance when it comes to meeting new challenges.  Once we begin accepting these challenges and facing our fears, we can get a glimpse into what our students face on a daily basis.  We can become more empathetic and understanding of the reasons for the resistance and failures of students.  Finding common ground with students is a huge step in the right direction for all parties involved.  Especially when it revolves around calculator use in the classroom.  We must overcome our innate fear of Mathematics, calculator skills, etc., and embrace the challenges it presents.  Once we accomplish this, I think that we will be amazed at the positive results, both with the staff and students. 

Showcase Supplies??

I don't see that you are requesting any supplies for your Showcase presentation.  If this changes, please see me by Nov 30th.   We should still be able to accommodate your needs.

PLC Showcase

At the end of our semester of work, all PLCs will be showcasing their work at the Wyandotte High School PLC Showcase on Wednesday, December 12th in the Social Hall.  The showcase will be a public demonstration of our learning, collaboration, and results.  Each PLC will showcase work that reflects how your learning and collaboration has impacted student learning.  Each PLC is encouraged to be creative and innovative in their demonstration (student examples would be highly encouraged); however, please be sure the following are addressed through your presentation -
    PLC Focus

Collaborative Actions   

Summary of PLC Learning

Impact on Student Learning

Connections to Future Teaching and Learning

In addition, all staff will have an opportunity to visit each demonstration during the Showcase.  Many outside guests will also be in attendance.  

If your PLC requires any kind of additional resources, please submit any requests for those materials via the comment section to this blog entry by NOVEMBER 9th. You will receive these materials by or before your November 28th meeting, so you will have AT LEAST two weeks to work on organizing your demonstration.

Today we spent time investigating one of the websites provided by Mary Stewart.  I am currently determining how I can incorporate the training into the classroom.

Graphing Calculators

I had the opportunity of being a part of this PLC last Wednesday, October 17th.  After spending time with everyone, I found a couple of links that could be helpful as the defining purpose of the PLC becomes more clear.  Hope they can be of some use!

http://mathbits.com/MathBits/TIsection/Openpage.htm

http://www.nhti.edu/learningcenter/resources.html

http://hotmath.com/help/gt/gc_alg1_ot/

P on these two Ps

I know this particular blog is suppose to be devoted to technology and graphing calculators, etc...but reading the article that Katie sent us regarding the 6 Ps nearly sent me into a blind rage while reminding me of a few things.  The first of the two Ps that struck me oddly is "Profit."  In my mind the public education system is about investing in our students' futures,  hoping that their successes after they leave school will contribute to the returns on investments made years prior.  Yet there are billions of dollars to be made off the exploitation of the public school systems in online resources, textbooks, calculators, etc...Everything that we "enjoy"  in the public system (each child/teacher has a laptop, ipad...) has been strategically put in place by companies for profit under a facade of helping each person, but always with an ulterior motive, PROFIT.   You couple that with another "P," Politics, and it immediately makes a bad situation worse.  In my mind, a tough economy should have very little impact on public education.  How can you increase demands on the public system while taking away valuable resources?  It's the same story, do more with less.  People that have no experience in the classroom are legislating from the top down, not the bottom up, and have no idea what their decisions are doing to a system already under pressure.  Take away either of these components from public education and the other is surely to follow.  Great article! 

Week of 9/5-9/12

Our goal for the next week is to reinforce calculator skills that display visual representations of equations (graphs) of various linear & non-linear functions as well as incorporating table values that may lead to identifying specific characteristics of the graph: Vertex, Axis of Symmetry, X-Y Intercepts, Max, Mins, etc...

This contributes to student learning by forcing them to make connections with the graphs and their characteristics to the algebraic equations and formulas involved to solve for their matching counter-parts from graph to equation, and vice versa.

We will measure the impact of this week's work by checking how effective the correlations of the students success by:  Presenting a graph and asking them to construct and equation and also by giving them an equation and asking them to construct a graph via...input/output table values and plotting points, or by using known formulas to substitute values from given equations to identify key characteristics of graph. (Aforementioned)