Poll Everwhere

Based on it's relevance to our curriculum and student interest, Poll Everywhere is a smashing success.

Most of the readers to this page already know how much interactivity and peer audiences matter to students. Many of us remember slogging through hand-made graphs when we were younger and the frustrations that our teachers expressed at incorrectly-reported rough data. By the time that students figured out that they were drawing their hash marks in the wrong region of their T Chart, it was too late to fix it becuase the period had already expired.

If your secure goal is teaching students how to interpret a graph, this free service can harness student interest and tie it to math and science. See how we used Poll Everywhere above along with a sample of our practice for an upcoming school-wide Sock Hop.

Science Isn't Always Easy

This video is about a man who uses science and estimation every day.

I posted this here because sometimes we forget how science and math support each other like teammates on a football team.

I wish him the best of luck! Please post your feedback in our wikispace.

Math Podcasts

Based on an inquiry from a colleague of mine, here's how I have structured my daily math podcasts that I post to my wikispace:

1. One student per day chooses a word from the math section of their vocabulary notebook (student self-selected words are less anxiety-provoking). Most students choose a word that has been defined via a Frayer Model during earlier class discussions.

2. The student creates a script that they will read out loud for their selected word. Script guidelines include a salutation, accurate spelling of word, student definition of word, non-examples of how word/concept is used, and how the word/cpncept is used in "real life." A short closing wraps up the script.

3. Student practices reading their script to themselves and revises for clarity/meaning.

4. Student then performs their script live for a "trained" peer who listens for accuracy in meaning, then offers just-in-time feedback for their oral performance (pacing, enunciation, etc.) .

5. Trained peer then assists student with the recording process. Both students review the recording for accuracy and can be completely redone if anything needs to be changed.

6. Recording is then reviewed by the class (peer audience = motivation) at the end of the math period for accuracy. Feedback can be either private via stickynote or by wikimail.

7. Successful podcasters then earn a leveled certificate from me that recognizes their effort for each time they are recorded.