Lesson Design Archives : T³ Learns

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…

09Sep 2015 by Michelle Bonds

CAS with Unit Rates

Mathematics

The Computer Algebra System (CAS) enables students to investigate unit rates, opening up a world of options because the device recognizes words as variables. Teachers can actually enter "one cup of sugar makes two cookies" in fraction form on a TI-Nspire™ CX CAS and get the results shown here. To promote deep thinking about the topic and engage students in a discussion, ask questions like: Why are these equations true? What stays the same? What changes? What other ratios would work? What other ratios would not work? Asking the right questions is key to starting effective discussions, but what then? Multiple representations help students visually see what the math is doing, which in turn leads to better understanding and skill mastery. Look at the following situation: Joe can mow…

28Apr 2015 by Julie Shouse Riggins

The Lesson That Helped Me Be a Presidential Award Winner

Lesson Design

I just returned from the most excellent trip to Washington, D.C., where I collaborated with great math and science teachers and shared practices and needs with people from NSF and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Best of all, I shook hands with President Obama when he presented the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) to me! What an incredible experience, and one that I want all of my science and math teacher friends to experience, so I thought I would share a little about the application process and the lesson that I submitted. Presently the application portal is open for K–six and seven–12 in alternating years. There is talk of combining them, however, so you could apply any year regardless of grade.…

14Apr 2015 by Michelle Bonds

CAS with Percentages

Mathematics

When I was first introduced to a Computer Algebra System (CAS) device, I thought it was a great tool for my AP Calculus class. The more I used CAS activities the more I realized it would be a great tool for all math students. I believe student investigations are key in deeper understanding of mathematics. CAS devices such as the TI-Nspire™ CX CAS handheld and the TI-Nspire™ CAS App for iPad® give students the opportunity to investigate the why's and how's of math. As I think about important skills for students, percentages stand out to me as an important skill for both elementary and middle school students to learn that is not understood completely. The students memorize the algorithms we set before them but never really reach the mathematical understanding…

04Mar 2015 by Jennifer Wilson

Trig Ratios

Lesson Design

How do your students experience learning right triangle trigonometry? How do you introduce sine, cosine, and tangent ratios to them? NCTM’s Principles to Actions includes build procedural fluency from conceptual understanding as one of the Mathematics Teaching Practices. In what ways can technology help us help our students build procedural fluency from conceptual understanding? Until I started using TI-Nspire Technology several years ago, right triangle trigonometry is one topic where I felt like I started and ended at procedural fluency. How do you get students to experience trig ratios? I’ve been using the Geometry Nspired activity Trig Ratios ever since it was published. Over the last year, I also read posts from Mary Bourassa: Calculating Ratios and Jessica Murk: Building Trig Tables about learning experiences for making trigonometric ratios more meaningful…

17Feb 2015 by Steve Phelps

Visualizing 3D Shapes in Algebra

Mathematics

For the past few years I have taught an advanced Algebra 1 course. Some students in this course may have taken Algebra 1 in eighth grade and maybe did not do as well as hoped, while others may have taken Pre-algebra and did extremely well. In any case, these students typically had a good grasp of linear functions; they understood slopes and intercepts and constant rates of change. I was looking for ways to extend these topics and also integrate them with geometry. It was through the 3D graphing features on the TI-Nspire, using the cross-sections of a cube, that we could integrate geometry and algebra and extend their understanding of key concepts. If you have never used the 3D graphing features on the TI-Nspire, I have created a short…