Classroom Practices Archives : T³ Learns

11Aug 2020 by Karen Campe

How to Use the TI-Nspire CX for Geometry

Classroom Practices, Geometry, Technology

Dynamic geometry software allows users to construct, measure and manipulate figures to explore geometry concepts and properties. This power gets combined with linked multiple representations on TI-Nspire CX handhelds and software, enabling students to make rich mathematical connections in Geometry. Read on for some ways I use TI-Nspire in my Geometry class. To Visualize Concepts Many geometric concepts are difficult to visualize, especially in a static paper-and-pencil environment. Dynamic geometry software, such as the TI-Nspire geometry app, allows for motion that clarifies properties for students. Students do not need to be expert users of TI-Nspire to work successfully with these ready-made documents; in many cases, knowing how to grab and drag a slider or object is sufficient. To grab an available object, swipe on the Touchpad to move the cursor…

11Aug 2020 by Karen Campe

How to Use the TI-84 Plus CE for Geometry

Classroom Practices, Geometry, Technology

When students interact with dynamic geometry software, they can construct, measure, and move figures to explore properties, confirm theorems, and visualize geometric situations. Lessons using this technology allow students to create their own geometry knowledge and are also more fun than reading properties and theorems out of a textbook. Here are some suggestions on how to use the Cabri Jr. App on the TI-84 Plus CE in your geometry class. Getting Started First, a quick “how-to” if you aren’t familiar with Cabri Jr.—the small but powerful dynamic geometry App preloaded on your TI-84 Plus CE (note that Cabri Jr. is available for the entire TI-84+ family). Press the apps button and select Cabri Jr. The menus F1 through F5 are accessed using the five keys under the screen: y=,…

02Jan 2018 by Kevin Spry

#T3Learns Slow-Chat Book Study: Visible Learning for Mathematics

Book Study, Classroom Practices, Professional Learning

#T3Learns Slow-Chat Book Study: Visible Learning for Mathematics What Works Best to Optimize Student Learning by John Hattie, Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey with Linda M. Gojak, Sara Delano Moore, and William Mellman Again this year we want to kick off the new year with a book study through the T3Learns community. We are excited to select the book “Visible Learning for Mathematics” An excellent opportunity to discuss “what works best to optimize student learning”. T3Learns instructors who have read the book have commented "Visible Learning for Mathematics helps you understand the impact of your teaching strategies on student learning. As someone who always valued discussion based classrooms, the exploration of high quality tasks, and understanding student thinking, this book had a huge impact…

04Aug 2017 by Jennifer Wilson

Blending Technology with Paper and Pencil

Classroom Practices, Geometry, Technology

My geometry class is 1:1 this year; each student has her own MacBook Air. Students share responses to questions digitally in class using TI-Nspire Navigator for Networked Computers. Students explore mathematics using TI-Nspire dynamic graphs and geometry software. We use Canvas, an online learning management system, for assignments. We use Google Drive for sharing electronic documents with each other, and we use MathXL, online homework with built-in learning help, to practice mathematics. What place does pencil and paper have in my students’ learning and understanding of mathematics? Even though many of the tasks that my students do for geometry take place digitally, I am convinced that pencil and paper plays an important role in how much mathematics my students not only learn but also remember. In a Wall…

19Jun 2017 by Karen Campe

In The Zone

Classroom Practices, Lesson Design, Professional Learning, STEM, Technology

Teachers Teaching with Technology International Conference I attended the Teachers Teaching with Technology (T-cubed) International Conference this past spring in Chicago, and my four days were chock-full of thought-provoking sessions and conversations. As expected, there was much talk about technology in math and science classes, but there was also a great deal of discussion concerning thinking about teaching and learning in math and science classes. Here are some of my take-aways: 1. Get out of your comfort zone into the “learning zone" In order to learn something new, get out of established routines (about doing math, about teaching math) and try another technique or perspective. I pushed myself to learn about topics that are not my specialty, things I might have otherwise avoided.I tried coding some…

13Jun 2017 by Gail Burrill

Handheld Graphing Calculators Still Make a Difference!

Classroom Practices, Professional Learning, Technology

As Schools Adopt General-purpose Technology for Classrooms, Handheld Graphing Calculators Still Make a Difference in Math Instruction A career spent teaching high school math can bring about some revelations. You’ll start to notice patterns over the years: math content remains unchanged (although statistics did sneak in a bit); students’ fashion trends fade away and return; and the latest way to improve learning becomes a big focus in schools one year, but disappears completely the next. Still, year after year, for over 30 years, I have considered graphing calculators as core to my instruction. The best teachers around the world use graphing calculators in their classrooms, so I typically don’t have to defend their purpose to math educators. Yes, you can crunch numbers and display graphs; those are certainly…

03Jan 2017 by Kevin Spry

#T3Learns Slow-Chat Book Study – “Balancing the Equation: A Guide to School Mathematics for Educators and Parents”

Book Study, Classroom Practices, Professional Learning

With just over two months until the T3 International Conference in Chicago, we are excited to introduce the #T3Learns slow-chat book study on Balancing the Equation: A Guide to School Mathematics for Educators and Parents, by Dr. Matt Larson and Dr. Tim Kanold. All educators are invited to participate in this discussion. Join Dr. Larson, president of NCTM and author of several key books on mathematics education, as he introduces Balancing the Equation during a T3 Professional Development Webinar on January 10th, 8 PM EST. Dr. Larson will be delivering a session at the T3 International Conference based on the book with co-author Dr. Kanold, who is the conference keynote speaker and an award-winning educator and PLC expert. Slow-Chat Book Study We will cover a chapter…

07Apr 2016 by Kevin Spry

#T3Learns Slow-Chat Book Study: 5 Practices for Orchestrating …

Classroom Practices, Professional Learning

After the success of the slow-chat book study on Embedding Formative Assessment we plan to engage in another slow chat book study. A few years ago, as we embraced focusing our classrooms on the Standards for Mathematical Practice, a number of our community began reading and using the book by Margaret S. Smith and Mary Kay Stein, 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions. This book has been transformational to many educators, and there is also a companion book focused on the science classroom, 5 Practices for Orchestrating Task-Based Discussions in Science, by Jennifer Cartier and Margaret S. Smith. Both books are also available in pdf format and NCTM offers them together as a bundle. Simultaneous Study As our community works with both math and science…

24Feb 2015 by Jeff McCalla

Classroom Routines That Enhance Learning

Classroom Practices

I start every class with a PSAT practice problem. Every school has a standardized test that is important to them: ACT, end-of-course exam, SAT, etc. I teach at St. Mary’s Episcopal School, a high-academic all-girls school in Memphis, TN. We find that focusing on the PSAT during the student’s sophomore year helps prepare them for many of the standardized tests they will take. Some teachers never use multiple-choice questions when they teach, thinking that it doesn’t challenge their students as much as an open-ended question. Actually, there are a lot of advantages to asking multiple-choice questions in a class. There are a limited number of choices, and the wrong answers are intentionally meant to be distractors. If you are using a standardized test question, you can be assured that a…