Learning at Their Pace

3.19.13

Geometry Honors

Objective: To learn the Area and Perimeter of Parallelograms and Triangles

Differentiation: The lesson was student lead instead of teacher led. Each pair went at their own pace and asked questions as needed.  

Programs/Software Used:

                                      iPads: used the smart notebook app and the Qrafter app

                                      ThinkPads: none (no smart notebook app)

Description: Students downloaded the examples that we would normally work as a class on the smart board. They worked the problem within the smart notebook app and got an answer. They then found the problem on the wall and scanned the QR code that went with the answer they got (it was multiple choice so they scanned answer A, B, C, or D). Then Qrafter told them if they were right (then they moved on to the next one) or if they were wrong (then they found their mistake or asked me to give them a hint).

Reflection: I love love how this turned out. The students were so much more engaged than in a normal lesson setting. How often do you teach a lesson and every student does every problem on their own before you explain it to them? Rare. The students took ownership of their learning and went at the pace appropriate for them. They enjoyed it too! I would and will definitely “teach” a lesson in this manner again.

Dream Home and Circuit

3.1.13

Geometry Honors

Objective: To practice parallelogram problems

Differentiation: Students played a parallelogram game either on their own or with a partner instead of watching the game on the smart board from their desk.

Programs/Software Used:

                                      iPads: used the smart notebook software app

                                      ThinkPads: none

Description: I used the idea for a game called “dream home” from our math technology coach for the district. The students virtually tour an HGTV dream home by solving problems to “turn on the light switch” in each room. The game is created in smart notebook software and includes images and links within the file.

 

Reflection: This will be short and sweet. This activity was greatly enhanced with the iPads. The students were much more engaged than when we go through it as a whole class. They enjoyed it, they learned, and they talked about math. It’s a win win win situation! Students could go at their own pace and could draw on the diagrams with the pen in notebook. Would definitely do this one again.
 

 

Geometry On Level

Objective: To complete a QR code circuit to review Quadrilaterals

Differentiation: The same amount of differentiation as a regular circuit with the added excitement of using the tablets.

Programs/Software Used:

                                      iPads: used the Qrafter app and the skitch app

                                      ThinkPads: none (tried to and could not open the images from google docs)

Description: Students scanned a QR code, took a screen shot of the picture that appeared, opened the picture within skitch, solved the problem, and that dictated where they would go next to begin the cycle all over.

Reflection: Making this circuit was quite a task (thank you Kim and Amber!) They made the lines of the quadrilaterals bolder, then placed the pictures into google docs, then turned them into QR codes and pasted the codes back into the circuit. If I had two wishes, it would be for the students to be able to immediately draw on the picture once scanned and for the thinkpads to be able to open the pictures. We are working on a solution to the latter (upload images to epsilen first instead of google) but the former might not have a solution. I realize students can easily switch between apps but it might get to the point where it becomes too complicated to complete the circuit with tablets which defeats the intent and purpose.

 

                                That’s a lot of tablet usage in one day! I have to admit that my eye was literally twitching from the stress, haha. Next on my to do list is to plan an activity where students are working problems and recording their solutions with a program like explain everything. Should be fun! Maybe I will have them explain a problem they missed on the test… J