Eureka! Authentic Problem-Based Math Challenges You Can Use Today

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Rachel

Two of our teachers recently challenged me by asking for a resource that would provide great real-life application math projects. There are a lot of such things out there, but none of them have really impressed me, mainly because they all seem like a lot of work to implement. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a source that did all the work for us of creating quality, authentic math scenarios that we could immediately get students busy solving – engaging students’ curiosity and critical thinking while giving them a chance to apply their math skills?

Well, I think may have found it, thanks to my friend and partner in edtech, Amanda Hoagland.

Robert Kaplinsky is my kind of educator! At the time of this writing, he has developed 65 real life problem-based challenges that any student would actually WANT to solve. Let me give you an example…

see the full lesson

Now if you’re thinking that this is WAY too hard for your 3rd graders, have no fear. Kaplinsky has challenges for all grade levels. They are also tied to Common Core Math standards. A simple search for a CCSS indicator will bring up all the lessons that incorporate that standard.

But wait… it doesn’t stop there. If you don’t find the perfect problem-based challenge for a particular math concept in his collection, he has also provided a “Problem-Based Search Engine“ powered by Google on his site. This allows you to search within a huge list of other resources that provide similar types of lessons.

So what are you waiting for, math teachers? Go check it out!

21st Century Math

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Rachel

Change is hard, but necessary. This year, we have made a significant change in our math curriculum. I feel it is important to convey the reasons for these changes, especially to parents who may not be aware of all the behind-the-scenes stuff that we in education work through everyday. Please take a few minutes to view this video explanation of the shift to digital that we have made with math practice. If you are skeptical about a lack of worksheets coming home or technology in general, I hope it will help you see a little bit more of the picture. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions!

2014-2015 First Day Video

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Rachel

I’m finally getting around to posting the first day video I made for this school year (yes… I know we’ve already been in session for 7 weeks!) My hope was that this video would encourage teachers as they head into the new year – showing all the things we’ve accomplished over the last couple of years and giving them a glimpse at how professional development will evolve this year. Most importantly, the video features our teachers and the students that make it all worthwhile, but you’ll also see glimpses of many of the digital tools we use including: My Big Campus, ALEKS, IXL, Achieve 3000, BrainPop, BYOC, Symbaloo, VoiceThread, Class DoJo, Skype, and JoinMe.