Real World Math via Menu Math

Every school year, I begin my Algebra class by introducing the concepts of symbols, math sentences, and math stories by using Menu Math from Brad Fulton and Bill Lombard.  Menu Math helps kids understand math symbols such as X and Y.  In addition, this lesson teaches students to think of Algebra in real world contexts.  Using a menu to help students understand how to create and interpret math sentences via "orders" just like at a drive-thru.

My students are easily able to understand that "h + c" represents hamburger plus fries and determine the sum.  We constantly build upon their understanding to include solving problems like: 

Working within teams, I have students develop a business and create a "menu".  Each student creates math sentences from the orders placed by students throughout the room.  These are included on the poster.  The posters (menus) always blow me away because they are so creative and artistic.  As an assessment, I provide math sentences and make students write about how they can use menu math to develop a story for the sentence, create symbols, and solve.  Furthermore, students may be given a scenario and write about the symbols they would utilize as well as demonstrate what the mathematical sentence would look like.  Using writing in math class is often new to students but an excellent way to interpret their level of understanding.Menu Math Link 

Parent Guide: How to Help Your Child be Successful in School

From a teacher and parent perspective

I always hope for a large turnout for Back to School Night because I value this opportunity to let

parents know how instrumental they are in their student's success.  Students see education, for better or worse, as a high priority when  parents attend such school events. Obviously, this is not the only cue but it starts the year off right and is a relatively painless experience.  Back to School Night allows me to provide valuable contact and academic information. I also try to give parents some keys to helping student(s) be successful in middle school.  I do not pretend to be an authority on the matter but I have had 2 of my own children go through middle school successfully (but not somewhat painstakingly) and I have had over 100 students every school year for quite some time.  So, I am just giving them my interpretation of the essentials.

Attendance is crucial.  If I could only do one thing for my child and nothing more, I would make sure they are present as much as possible. There are not only statistics that correlate absences with dropout rates but quite simply - it is difficult to teach students who are not at school.  Every day missed effects at least two days due to mathematics being a sequential course and content builds upon prior concepts.  Attendance should be given highest priority!

Check student grades weekly.  If I could only do two things to support my student in school, I would ensure good attendance and I would check their grades once a week. Again, students pick up parental cues regarding education.  Checking student grades once a week and discussing the positives (and celebrating) and negatives gives students direction for the following week.  In addition, if a student reflects weekly on their grades there is a conscious effort to fix problems before it's too late.  Parents, in most districts, can access grades online.  In my school, parents simply fill out a short form in the front office to set up a username and password. It takes less than 5 minutes. Checking grades is a simple process each week and there are links for emailing teachers when necessary.  County and local libraries offer access to computers to check grades.  When necessary and upon request, teachers will print progress reports weekly.  However, parents must ensure they receive the report from their child.

Communicate with teachers and counselors.  Another parent intervention that is essential is communication. Most teachers want parental involvement and prefer parents ask questions, get support, and/or check-in routinely. Students sometimes discourage communication for various reasons. I utilize Back to School Night to confirm my availability and willingness to communicate with parents. In fact, this venue enable me to address my preference for communicating via email or through Edmodo.  Since I am never at my desk, I rarely see the blinking light indicating I have a voicemail and I cannot make a phone call as quickly as I can respond to an email.  I warn parents that even my own children attempt to talk me out of contacting their teachers.  This should not deter but encourage communication!


Homework checks before bed!  Finally, parents can support students by checking their homework.  This is not always easy for all subjects but still encouraged.  Many parents confide in me, as an Algebra teacher, about their inability to help their children complete Algebra homework.  Teachers do not expect parents to be experts. In fact, I do not expect parents to know Algebra at all.  However, they can help their student and me by simply verifying completeness, organization, and neatness.  Also, prompting their student to ask for help when they are experiencing confusion.  A little goes a long way with homework checks by parents.  Again, students interpret homework checks as a cue that education is a priority when parents take time out of their busy schedules to talk with them about school and progress checks.

Coming from a household where both parents work full time and there are three kids who all play sports, I understand busy schedules and the sometimes overwhelming feeling that accompanies.  So, hopefully this will help prioritize parent efforts and get the year off to a successful start!

Touchcast App

Wow, did I stumble upon something amazing? Indeed. Touchcast is a video platform that combines teaching, storytelling, reporting, tv, and the web all together. After downloading and registering for free, you are ready to be creative. There are several templates to get you started or you may opt to start out with a blank template. I especially like the How To template but also find the Newsbroadcaster template pretty cool!

Along the bottom of the screen are several icons to help you add material. The camera icon lets you actually read from a teleprompt, adjust the microphone, and recording speed. The effects lets you adjust the color of the recording and the use of a green screen. There is a whiteboard for writing, drawing, and creating which is a necessity for teaching. But, the greatest part of Touchcast is the video applications, known as Vapps.

As you can see, there are so many possibilities using the Vapps in Touchcast. Using the start/stop recording button allows students and teachers to add various aspects to their videos behind the scenes. But, incorporating a poll or newsfeed into the presentation just makes this video platform feel informative and creative. I can't wait to have my students create their own videos to demonstrate content they have learned. It is going to be an exciting year and I think Touchcast will be playing a huge part. Here are a couple Touchcasts to review:

Overcoming Gender Stereotyping in Education

I just read this article What stops girls from learning math? and it gave me chills. I can remember being 1 of only 3 girls in my high school calculus class, always feeling like the boys were all that mattered, and never even considering a major in math. Don't get me wrong, my math teacher was a nice guy. But, when I earned the highest grade he complemented me by stating that he could not believe the highest score did not belong to John (guy in my class). I do remember having female math teachers however, so I knew girls could be good at math. But, what I don't remember is ever being asked what I wanted to do or having someone say "Hey, you're really good at math. You should consider these careers." I never talked to a counselor at all. As a teacher, I obviously try to be a good role model for my students. However, even that is not enough. I have to work hard to encourage all my students to persevere in mathematics. I get frustrated when parents tell their children they were bad at math- as if it is hereditary. The fact is, my parents were not good at math and never took Algebra. I had to work hard on my own. If I had struggled, I would have had no one to help me. That would have been an excuse I suppose. But now, there are classes to help "at-risk" students, mentor tutors, after school tutors, and help via the Internet. Finally, I believe that most teachers are better trained to differentiate instruction and meet the needs of most students.

So, while the opportunities are growing for all students, I really hope that the perspectives are changing fast enough to reflect the need for women in math and science fields. We must give young ladies the opportunity to know how math and science are used in today's jobs so they do not just envision a lab coat and thick glasses. We need role models in math and science careers to come speak at schools. Educators need to be careful to avoid gender stereotyping and recognize that was is good for the goose is equally as good for the gander!