My word of the year is "cute-i-fy." Yes it is a word I created. It means take the skeleton of something that is un-cute, make it cute, remembering to give credit where credit is due! 

I really enjoy our Georgia Math frameworks. Our department of education cuts down on the time that you have to go searching for good math materials and puts them all in one place.

The one problem with them (at least for me) is they are not ready to go straight from the printer to the copier. For example, what does a 10-year-old really want to learn about math by solving a problem about a 60-year-old's birthday party? NONE! 

So I spent my break "cute-i-fying" and making a few other changes to the multiplying fractions unit materials (click here for a link to the Georgia framework) for better use in my room. (BTW...if you want a copy of how I modified these lessons feel free to email me! I can get them too you!)

Well, as I was re-creating, I was inspired. So as soon as the have-to work got finish, I got busy creating something else. I am so proud to share with you…

I created these cards to provide additional practice with finding the fraction of a number. Here are some examples of the kinds of questions I included…

 These cards are meant to be used with manipulatives, and I will use actual pasta. But if you don’t know what kind of pasta you are looking for or where to find it, guess what!!! I included pasta manipulatives with a key to identify each kind...

You can purchase a copy of these cards by heading to either...      
I hope you enjoy!

So, I think I may have told you that I use these Caught You Being Good coins (if not, now you know...) for positive reinforcement in my classroom.

Do you like these coins? 

Click on the picture to go to Oriental Trading Company to get some for yourself!

My students can earn these in many ways...good behavior... classroom jobs...and for completing some voluntary extra at-home study! 

One way my students can earn extra coins is through completing math fact practice at home through the Math Stars program.

Students can earn one coin for twenty minutes of math fact practice (flashcards, math app on an iPad/Phone/Pod, online practice, or timed-tests packet) on Monday through Thursday and two coins for practice on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

Another way to earn extra coins is through Read to Succeed.

I require my students to read 20 minutes as part of homework on Monday through Thursday.  But, I will reward students who read beyond that time.  Like Math Stars, students can earn one coin for an additional 20 minutes on Monday through Thursday.  They can also earn two coins for reading at least 20 minutes on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

My students rack up the coins with these two programs.  But so can you!  Surprise! 

Below you will find copies of these bookmarks in color and black and white. 



You can use my rules or set up your own...but having a reward of some sort will cause more students to want to participate!

What incentives do you provide your students?  I would love to hear about them!

Math happens to be one of my favorite subjects to teach...mostly because I have learned so many fun new ways to teach and practice math that wasn't part of my own math education.  And since I just used this resource in my classroom, I thought I would share it with you.

 

We have just finished up multi-digit multiplication.  Due to implementing the Common Core this year, this topic was moved from a midyear topic to the beginning of the year in my school system's instructional calendar.  Eeek!  It is difficult enough at this time of year to get 4th graders to remember to put their names on their papers let alone the steps and procedures in long-multiplication!  So this means lots of practice, practice, practice but I'm not one to tell my students to pull out the practice book or copy a packet of worksheets.  I think it is more fun to play some games instead!

 

So while I work with small groups of students...guiding some practice or enriching others...the rest will complete practice in other ways...on iPods or task cards or games.  Multiplication Three-in-a-Row is one of the games my students played this week.

Multiplication Three-in-a-Row is similar to tic-tac-toe, but there are no x's or o's.  Played with two to three players, one player will choose one number from box A and another number from box B.  They will then multiply these numbers.  The opponent will check the player's multiplication on a calculator.  If the player is correct, he or she can place a marker on the board.  If incorrect, then no marker can be placed.  Then it is the opponent's turn.

 

Now is when the math thinking and strategy gets a little more interesting!  The "brighter" math thinker will use some estimation to help them find the products that will make three-in-a-row.  Those that do not figure out that strategy right away will randomly pick numbers from the boxes hoping to make the product they need.  Either way, they are getting the multiplication practice they need!

 

You can get your own copy of Multiplication Three-in-a Row for free!  Click on the icon of your favorite teacher resource website below to download two game boards: one gameboard multiplying a 1-digit by a multi-digit number and another game board multiplying a multi-digit number by a multi-digit number.

 

         

Enjoy and happy multiplying!

First, I was so excited when I logged in today that...get this...I have had over 100,000 page views!  Wowwweee!  So exciting!  I love that you like what I have to say!  Thank you for looking, reading, pinning, and coming back!

 

Right this second, I really should be working on setting my beginning of the year goals...but I would rather tell you about a brand new iPad App that I was asked to look at called...

 

Here is a little video summary of what the app can do from their website...

 

This is a great resource designed for math teachers, and I think especially helpful for those teaching kindergarten through fourth grade. 

 

Here is what the Teaching Table app looks like when you open it up...  

This is a tutorial lesson, so you can learn all about the available resources and widgets that are inside the app...And as far as tutorials go, Teaching Table's tutorial is very helpful and interactive...just like the app!

 

The learning curve is not too steep...you simply have to learn all that is available to use!

 

There are counters, counting boxes, and quiz box widgets.  See how you can use Teaching Table to help your students move from concrete to abstract thinking...

Each widget is customizeable.  Look at all the color counters you can make...and this isn't all of the possibility of colors!

 There are fabulous fraction resources...see how you can even layer the wholes to compare fractional parts!

And since you can push out your lessons to other iPads with the app...look at the practice your students can get! 

 

You also get dice...and they even roll!  Oooo! Small group game fun! 

And shapes...I was reminded of The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns because you can add so many sides your polygon will look like a circle!

Teaching Table also includes base-ten blocks in units, tens, hundreds, and thousands. 

So you can create arrays for multiplying.  There is a limit to how small you can make your base-ten blocks, so this app is better for multiplying 2-digit by 1-digit factors.

 

But look at how you can set up for problem solving...

In the future, Teaching Table will have more online resources where you can share the notebooks that you create or download from others...more collaboration fun!  You can click on the picture below to go to the website...

I think there are so many possibilities for this app outside the math classroom.  I can't wait to see what else the developers have in store as the expand to a web-based version then hopefully in the future an iPhone/iPad version!

 

And guess what!!!!

When Teaching Table gave me a copy of the app to look at, they generously gave me a copy for a giveaway to my readers too!  So let's get a little Rafflecopter action going...

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway ends on Friday, so be sure to enter and spread the word! :)

This past week I have finished my first lesson for my school system's new online campus.  While I wish I could share the whole lesson with you, I can't figure out how to do that right now!  I can give you a little peek...

I am developing the first quarter of fifth grade math with the new Common Core standards, and, since I teach fourth grade, I am having to do a little searching on the best resources to use to teach these standards.  Another little speed bump in the road is we have to use resources that are available under Creative Commons licensing...unless we create them ourselves.

One resource that I used is to help me, and would be great to assist your students, is called

You know how sometimes you can teach a student over and over the same concept, but it is only when a friend explains it that it makes sense.  This site is a kids-teaching-kids project from Mr. Marcos at Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica, California.  Very well made videos...and it's FREE!

I found another online resource that helped me create this...

this subscription website lets you create comics. It is called Pixton for Schools...

I created my comic during my free trial, but I am seriously considering signing up for a subscription for the fall.  Can you imagine all you could do here?  I am thinking reading responses, end of unit assessments, or even just an alternative writing piece!  How would you use this resource?

One final tool is Voki!  Have you used this?  Voki lets you create an avatar and either record or input text so your little character can talk!  Here is an example of one that I created...

There is a classroom subscription version of the site I am going to check out because it has more security options.  Students could use this to record responses to literature, explain math thinking, or have digital discussions.  Pretty cool!

I will try to share with you some of the other tools and resources that I find!   But please share with me some of the digital tools you use in your classroom...I will need plenty of ideas!