Algebra FUSE App Part 2: I Spy

I spy with my little eye… something formative!  Shh… I am spying on my students from home, since I haven’t been in class for several days!  Don’t worry… they have been warned!   I am amazed, yet again, at the empowered feeling I have, thanks to this app and 1-to-1 iPads!

Last week, I missed several days of instruction with my students due to attending a very refreshing NCTM Regional Conference in Dallas, TX.  I seized this opportunity to rely very heavily on the HMH Fuse Algebra I Common Core app as a means to keep my students on track in my absence (knowing I had a different substitute coming in every day I was out).  I am feeling a huge sense of relief going into Monday morning – rather than that dreaded feeling of what-in-the-world-happened-while-I-was-away, I know what I am walking into (at least in terms of content!)

Before beginning the new material, students took a self-scoring pre-test in the app, reviewing key skills.  From the teacher side, I can see each student’s score, and even click on individuals to see a break-down of performance by concept.  Here are several sample reports for individuals – I can see that I’ll be needing to address some pre-requisite skills with these folks:

Next, using their iPads and the FUSE app, students worked through the first three lessons of a new unit on solving and graphing inequalities in one variable.  For each new concept, students watched Professor Burger explain an example through an embedded tutorial video, then tried some “Check It Out” problems as practice.  As students worked through these problems on their iPads, they utilized the built-in “Scratch Pad” feature to show their work.  What’s REALLY earth-shattering is that *I* can see their work from my login view!  Here are a few samples that are helping me analyze student thinking (and students will be viewing this as part of their lesson tomorrow, so my comments below are directed at my students too):

I’ll start with the positive – check out the “Scratch Pad” work shown by these students!

(Way to go – dividing both sides by a negative number reverses the sign!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some issues to address:

What did this student forget to do?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s happening here?  What operation was performed on each side of the inequality?  How about those negatives?  Check the solution – is it true?

 

 

Comments?

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do you like about this problem?  What don’t you like about it?

 

 

 

After the three lessons, some students took a “Ready To Go On?” quiz within the app.  From my side, I can see the results of each class.  Here it goes!

Looks like we have some work to do, but at least I know that now, before seeing the explosion that is my desk tomorrow morning.

And now… for the “Scratch Pad” outtakes!  I mean, my students *know* I can see what they are doing!  I adore middle schoolers so much:

When I saw this doodle, I was instantly taken back to my childhood, craving some good old Ore Ida Potato Smiles:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Someone trying to be patient:

 

 

 

 

 

And my personal favorite: