Tag Archives: communication

Socrative and Slope-Intercept Form

Posted on October 11, 2014 by Cathy Yenca

With new TEKS in tow, my 7th graders taking 8th grade math have been studying proportional and non-proportional linear relationships (wow, right?).  The progression has been a refreshing, concept-based study of LOTS of scenarios featuring “constant rates of change” represented in … Continue reading →

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Story Time (Algebraically Speaking)

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Cathy Yenca

Algebra students have been solving multi-step equations.  Quite a great, semi-sneaky way to review all sorts of topics students should already be “fluent” in – operations with rational numbers, the concept of “isolating the variable”, properties of equality, and so … Continue reading →

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New TEKS = Visual Patterns for All

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Cathy Yenca

If you’re not up to date on Texas math standards, we have new TEKS this year for grades K through 8.  (How many standards are new or have moved from one grade level to another?  Check this out!)  Our district purchased … Continue reading →

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Generalizations in the Shower

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Cathy Yenca

During a quick shampoo, my 8-year-old son starts sharing a “pattern” that had *just* occurred to him.  He starts explaining a beautiful mathematical truth and I beg him to repeat it once he rinses off. Here is his explanation of … Continue reading →

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Chief ThingLinker Stepping Down

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Cathy Yenca

That’s right.  I’m finally ready to step down from my ThingLink throne and pass the torch. Or something.  What I’m trying to say is… I’ve been doing this iPad thing for a bit.  *I* create the Nearpods… *I* create the … Continue reading →

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Weird Stuff Kids Think

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Cathy Yenca

My Algebra students completed a cooperative quadratic QR-code walk-about type task the other day.  They could work with a partner, use a graphing calculator, Desmos, the HMH Fuse app, their homework, notes… everything.  They scanned various QR-codes, which revealed practice … Continue reading →

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ThingLink as Collaborative Work Space

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Cathy Yenca

I saw this ThingLink and was immediately inspired to give the strategy a try.  Why not create a ThingLink to serve as a “collaborative plane” for my students?  I jazzed up a “Unit Organizer” from the “Strategic Instruction Model” with some … Continue reading →

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Exponents & Error Analysis

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Cathy Yenca

There aren’t many strategies that tell me more about student thinking than “error analysis” opportunities.  When students “grade” another hypothetical student’s work, there’s something special about the experience – students’ senses are heightened.  They’re on a quest for truth.  They … Continue reading →

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Nearpod “Best Practices” For Math Class

Posted on December 28, 2013 by Cathy Yenca

I kid you not – when I say, “Get out your iPads and go to Nearpod” my 8th graders literally say, “YESSSSS!” and give a little fist-pump… every time.  It’s not necessarily Nearpod that they love, but the peer interactions … Continue reading →

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Defending “The Worksheet”

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Cathy Yenca

In this era, “the worksheet” has gotten a pretty bad rap.  The seemingly popular push to go “paperless” doesn’t help the cause.  Are worksheets and paper inherently evil in the 21st-century classroom? In the ed-tech realm, I sense a little … Continue reading →

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