There’s no app for good teaching

Number Worlds Griffin, S. (2005). Teaching mathematics in the primary grades: Fostering the development of whole number sense. In J. Griffin, S. (2004). Griffin, S. (2004).Teaching number sense. Griffin, S. (2003). Griffin, S. (2003). Griffin, S. (2002). Griffin, S. (1998). Griffin, S., Case, R. (1997). Griffin, S. & Case, R. (1996). Griffin, S., Case, R., & Capodilupo, A. (1995). Griffin, S., Case, R., & Siegler, R. (1994). Griffin, S. (2005). Griffin, S. (2004). Griffin, S. (2004).Teaching number sense. Griffin, S. (2003). Griffin, S. (2003). Griffin, S. (2002). Griffin, S. (1998). Griffin, S., Case, R. (1997). Griffin, S. & Case, R. (1996). Griffin, S., Case, R., & Capodilupo, A. (1995). Griffin, S., Case, R., & Siegler, R. (1994).

The Norwegian Secret To Enjoying A Long Winter Editor’s Note: This article is one of the top 10 Leadership stories of 2015. See the full list here. As the days get darker and colder in much of the northern hemisphere, it’s easy to indulge in gloom. For the next few months, you’ll be shivering. You’ll be battling foul weather. The gloom leads to a common question: What can I do to cope with the dark and cold? If you truly want to be happy during winter, though, this is the wrong approach to the season. That’s the takeaway from research done by Kari Leibowitz, currently a PhD student at Stanford University, who spent August 2014 to June 2015 on a Fulbright scholarship in Tromsø in northern Norway. At first, she was asking "Why aren’t people here more depressed?" It turns out that in northern Norway, "people view winter as something to be enjoyed, not something to be endured," says Leibowitz, and that makes all the difference. Lessons From The Far North First, Norwegians celebrate the things one can only do in winter. A Mindset Shift

Odd and Even Numbers - Smart First Graders What Kids Need to Learn First graders will learn to identify odd and even numbers, and they will learn what the words "odd" and "even" mean. Putting the Math in Context In first grade, children are introduced to the concept of even and odd numbers. They will work with small quantities (no more than 20) which can be easily manipulated with counters. Why It's Important It doesn't seem as if the ability to identify a number as even or odd would be that important a skill for kids to learn. Math Challenges Kids Might Face With some hands-on practice, first graders generally catch on to this concept fairly quickly. The real challenge will happen a bit later, when kids are expected to identify larger numbers as odd or even--the ones that are too big to count. Math Help That Could Make the Difference Here is a kid-friendly definition of odd and even numbers: Even numbers can be paired up exactly. Whiz Kids

life lessons from an olympian What does it take to jump from a 40-story building, fly through the air at 60 miles an hour, and execute perfect landings? Courage, character, and confidence come to mind. Or, as two-time Olympian and six-time national champion Nordic ski jumper Jim Holland reveals, it’s a combination of timing, attitude, and focused persistence. A member of the U.S. ski team for 9 years, Holland recently shared with me the lessons he learned training with his brothers, Mike (a fellow Olympic ski jumper) and Joe (an Olympic Nordic combined skier), as elite athletes. “Unravel any great success story in the world,” explains Jim “and the picture is not what you imagine. Ironically, when Jim retired from competing at 26, he felt adrift. “It wasn’t until later, I realized everything that helped me as an athlete could be directly applicable to success in business.” 1) Inspiration. 2) Dogged persistence. 3) A positive frame of mind.

Even and Odd Numbers - Smart First Graders Learning even and odd numbers is tricky. This collection of learning activities will give kids lots of opportunities for practice, whatever their learning style. For tips on teaching this concept, you may also be interested in our page on odd and even numbers. Odd and Even Numbers Even and Odd, Everywhere: Look around to find anything countable: pennies, plants, pillows, windows, dry erase markers, cats, crackers, you name it. The Odd Exercise: Say a number. Odd and Even Boots: Check out this great idea for even and odd numbers! Who Do We Appreciate? 2-4-6-8, who do we appreciate? 1-3-5-7, Can odd numbers go to heaven? Hundreds Chart: Hundreds charts are great for all kinds of number sense activities. AB Patterns: This type of 1-2-1-2 pattern is common in first grade, and matches the pattern of even and odd numbers: Set up various stations, each with a different duo of colors and types of counters: blue and yellow buttons, square and round wooden beads, black and white beans, etc.

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do Mentally strong people have healthy habits. They manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in ways that set them up for success in life. Check out these things that mentally strong people don’t do so that you too can become more mentally strong. 1. Mentally strong people don’t sit around feeling sorry about their circumstances or how others have treated them. 2. They don’t allow others to control them, and they don’t give someone else power over them. 3. Mentally strong people don’t try to avoid change. 4. You won’t hear a mentally strong person complaining over lost luggage or traffic jams. 5. Mentally strong people recognize that they don’t need to please everyone all the time. 6. They don’t take reckless or foolish risks, but don’t mind taking calculated risks. You may be interested in this too: 14 Things Positive People Don’t Do 7. Mentally strong people don’t waste time dwelling on the past and wishing things could be different. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

Linear Arithmetic Blocks Description of LAB Features of LAB as a model How to make LAB Linear Arithmetic Blocks (LAB) can be made at home or at school from ordinary washers and PVC pipe of a similar diameter. A good set for classroom demonstration requires about 7m of 25 mm diameter plastic pipe and contains about 40 thousandthsabout 30 tenths and hundredthsat least two ones. Using LAB as a model of the number line Why we prefer LAB to MAB Research conducted at the University of Melbourne (Stacey et al , 2001) has demonstrated that LAB has a number of advantages over MAB. students get confused with MAB simply because it has been used before with the "mini" representing one;LAB models number with length whereas MAB models number with volume and many students in upper primary do not yet have a strong grasp of volume;the various pieces of MAB seem to be of different dimensions (1-D, 2-D, 3-D ) and this makes generalising to more place value columns difficult. References

Dear Teachers: You're Not Fooling Me | Alamo City Moms Blog Dear teachers, As a mom to a gaggle of kids, I’m a little consumed this time of year. I’ve spent hours at the store going over different school supplies lists and checking off stuff as I throw it in my cart. The total adds up in my head as I travel down each aisle, and I get a little sick to my stomach. We have six kids in our home that we are sending off to school this year—five of whom are girls. My nights for the next nine months will be filled with trying to get dinner on the table at a decent hour while managing piles upon piles of forms I need to fill out, slips I need to turn in, meetings I need to attend, box tops I need to cut, and t-shirts I need to buy. Then there’s the emotional hit I’ll take when I drop my babies off with their new backpacks snugly hugging their bodies. Bottom line, sweet teachers: school just started, and I’m wiped out. Then I see you. I see that you’ve gone all out. I see every detail you’ve added to my child’s learning environment.

Rethinking Concrete Manipulatives Douglas H. Clements Sue McMillen Close your eyes and picture students doing mathematics. Like many educators, the mental pictures may include manipulative objects, such as cubes, geoboards, or colored rods. Does the use of such concrete objects really help students learn mathematics? What is meant by "concrete"? Are Manipulatives Helpful? Helpful, yes... ...But no guarantee. In contrast, students sometimes learn to use manipulatives only in a rote manner. Similarly, students often fail to link their actions on base-ten blocks with the notation system used to describe the actions (Thompson and Thompson, 1990). Although research suggests that instruction begin concretely, it also warns that concrete manipulatives are not sufficient to guarantee meaningful learning. What Is Concrete? Manipulatives are supposed to be good for students because they are concrete. Although manipulatives have an important place in learning, they do not carry the meaning of the mathematical idea.

Coddled Kids Crumble The results of over a decade of nonstop hand-holding and helicopter parenting are boomeranging back to parents and educators. Many college students are showing an alarming lack of even basic internal coping skills. As a result, today’s colleges and universities are becoming equal parts psychologists, in absentia parents, and even academic scapegoats (when students don’t get the grades they thought they would). Related: How to Thrive in College “The idea of fragility is now an overarching theme in kids,” said Lenore Skenazy, founder of FreeRangeKids.com. “This comes from a society that makes adults fear everything, and constantly tells them they are not doing enough and not worrying about enough, so they parent their kids accordingly.” In the continuing infantilizing of America’s young people, colleges report having to warn kids when they are going to talk about something that might be mentally troubling in class, with a so-called “trigger warning.” A world without F.

Fractions Fraction - a rational number of the form a/b where a is called the numerator and b is called the denominator. WOW! I'm having a heck of a time getting this page built, go to my blog and search "fractions" meantime...this page isn't going to look anything like this when I'm done...this week jan 15 2011 this page will transform...hmmm never transformed...lol now it's Dec 2011..this is now top of the list... I have made quite a few blog posts on the topic. (More than 30.) You can start with very young students because fractions are math and math is just counting. You can start the journey here: Soon there will be lots of pictures vids and all the things you find elsewhere here at the house of math. Go here for a simple fraction worksheet. Math Terms/Definitions: Fractions These all need drawings/pictures or examples or video.

Teacher New Year's Resolutions--Version 2016! Where did 2015 go? Seriously. While I try to figure that out…here’s some NEW teacher new year’s resolutions to make you giggle. If you want to see the top 10 from 2015, click HERE. About these ads Like this: Like Loading... Place Value Soon this Place Value page will be more comprehensive. Covering place value from one out to millionths and clearing up the common question "why are there no one-ths..?" We will also talk about getting a grasp of large numbers, which is sorely needed in today's world. This concept along with 'the law of large numbers' is what prompted me to build this website, by the way. Links need to be built etc the page is under construction just like the rest of this website. Meantime, as usual, we will start at the beginning, with lessons for little kids and work our way up. I like to start with a lesson on place value with 111. I start with 111 because it instantly exposes students to the concept that each number can mean something. Universally, each young student who is exposed to 111 on a page or white board will tell you with all certainty that that's the same as three. "Is that true? You will get some variation of "Because one and another one and another one is three...everybody knows that!"