I like to use online applets and manipulatives for virtual algebra tiles, but before kids get the hang of it, you really need something that everyone can see and touch.
These giant ones are easy to use on a magnetic whiteboard. After a few demonstrations, students can come up and work through a few practice problems to learn how these manipulatives work. After that, of course they can get into a technology version of some kind, but I have found that the first introduction just has to be hands-on. Printable Tiles - Download
Download the algebra tile pages.
So far, I have only assembled positive sets to demonstrate the basics, but if you want them to be reversible like regular algebra tiles, just print a set of red tiles too and place the card stock pieces back-to-back with the magnets between the layers. (Make sure your magnetic tape is double-sided.) a few Ways to Use Algebra Tiles
Links & Resources
This online file shows how to model different concepts with algebra tiles:
http://www.eastside.k12.ca.us/commoncorestatestandards/Using_Algebra_Tiles_Effectively.pdf This hands-on applet is a great way to let students explore as a follow-up to using the giant board tiles together: http://illuminations.nctm.org/activity.aspx?id=3482 Here is a free download of standard-sized printable algebra tiles for student desks: http://www.regentsprep.org/regents/math/algebra/teachres/ttiles.htm You May Also Like...
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3 Comments
11/22/2015 Mindsets in Your Classroom
What intrigued me most after reading was a shift in the concept of what intelligence is.
I was fascinated to see data showing that intelligence has now been proven to be changeable. Ricci described a test that was done as part of a study on IQ. Participants played a brain-boosting game over a long period of time. They got better and better at the challenge, and improved in game performance. When IQ was re-tested afterward, the scores increased! Like many teachers, I did not realize how truly fluid our IQ levels can be. We were taught as kids that the IQ was the part that you could not change, even as you acquired knowledge. It turns out that most teachers do not even know what the IQ and cognitive tests even measure. Ricci explained in the book that as we look at our students' scores, most of us do not even know what is being measured! I enjoyed taking a deeper look into my own mindsets regarding intelligence. This led into a comparison of growth and fixed mindsets, a very popular idea in education these days:
I had already seen this comparison all over the place lately, and it's really important to develop these mindsets. I know it is something I need to work on, but what intrigued me even more was learning about neuroplasticity.
New evidence gives more and more emphasis on neuroplasticity. Our brains are constantly forming new connections, and clearing out old unused ones.
I realized that it's important to show students some of this research, because as they get older, they start to settle into concepts of who is smarter or more capable in different subject areas. I have seen it lead them to give up.
Some of these messages are more subtle than others, but you hear them CONSTANTLY, especially in math class. Even some parents at conferences tend to shrug off being "not math people" or categorize the child into the "smart, high-scoring group" or the "low group." We are surrounding our students with these messages, and it can be really hard to adjust the way we talk to shift these mindsets.
These comments reflect a mix of different parts of both growth mindset and fixed mindset. Our challenge is to help students develop a healthy mental approach to learning.
In the Mindsets in the Classroom book, Ricci showed her data from observing students in different grade levels. It was interesting to see that students in kindergarten displayed 100% growth mindset! Each year of primary school, it dropped lower and lower, until in 3rd grade, growth mindset dropped to 58% and fixed mindset was 42%. Obviously, teaching teens, we really have our work cut out for us. Our students have spent years settling into their ideas of "who is smart at what." Here are a few things we can do to get more students aware of their own mindsets and try to shift them a little more towards the growth mindset side.
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11/19/2015 17 Comments Introducing Exponents
-- a complete, free lesson on exponents --(with a collection of all the resources you need)
Grade Level: 5/6
Skills: understanding & simplifying a basic exponential expression (b^n) Materials: colored pencils, calculator, 1 computer with youtube access, Exponents "Doodle Note" sheet, Exponents worksheet, Exponent card sets, and "Understanding the Power of Exponents" half sheet (all free downloads) Time: 60 min
1. Start with the basics - vocabulary and concept. Distribute the Exponents "Doodle Notes" worksheet. Remind students that when they first learned multiplication, it was represented as repeated addition. Now, the concept of simplifying an exponent can be represented like repeatedly multiplying.
Guide the class to complete the note sheet, and allow time for students to embellish, complete the examples, color, and answer. (See the benefits of this format here.) Emphasize the difference between the "base" and the "exponent" and discuss special situations, like powers of 1 and 0. Stop after 15 minutes, as students will have more time to work through the problems and color later (or they can finish for homework). -- 15 min --
Click the image for the free file download.
2. Stations - Split your students into groups that will rotate through three learning stations. At each station, they will practice or investigate exponents further.
Some take longer than others, so it is a perfect time for them to continue the independent portions of the note sheet at any station that they finish early. -- 10-15 min per station --
When students finish the task at a station, they can continue working on the "doodle note" sheets until it is time to move on.
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