Management Board Idea using PowerPoint Self-Running Presentations

    Since Chapter 1, I've been thinking about those management boards and worrying about how much time it takes to place all the students in a center.  In our classrooms we have  TVators (A TV that displays your compter screen). What if you made a master self-running ( or looped)  PowerPoint presentation that you just changed details like page numbers and math station numbers each day. At the beginning of math time, you would display the computer screen on the TVator and students would look there for what they were to do next. No schedules or papers to pass out each day.
   The presentation would be timed to change screens each 10 or 15 seconds and repeat the presentation over and over.  When ever the student needed to see what they needed to do they just watched the screen until their group was displayed. 
     Click HERE to see what the Looped PowerPoint Presentation might look like. Notice that several different math stations would be offered as stations that could be used.  Certain photographs would be used over and over until a child could glance at the screen and realize exactly what activity was to be done.

So this is how the overall math time would look like:
9:00 - 9:30 Teacher is teaching the 2nd Graders up in the front of the room at  2 small tables near the whiteboard. (same space that is used for small group reading groups)
Meanwhile 1st graders are completing their journal pages and doing their math stations.

9:30 - 10:00 Teacher is teaching the 1st Graders up in the front of the room at 2 small tables near the whiteboard.  Meanwhile 2nd Graders are completing their journal pages from today and doing their math stations.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Of course this same idea might be used in a single grade classroom also.

Deborah

Place Value

“Math Stations,” Chapter 6, Place Value

I just loved the “Our Class 100 Day Book” which was described in Chapter 6 of Debbie Diller’s book about place value. . As an Instructional Coach, I plan to create a mock-up of the book for my demonstration multi-grade classroom that I maintain in our district. I think I will bind it in 4 books of 25 days each and have all the suggested materials available in the station box. I’ll also make the I CAN Chart to post on the inside of the plastic storage box. In a multi-grade class, this activity offers learning opportunities for both grade levels. I love activities in which both grade levels can shine.

Counting by 5’s and 10’s Vinyl Mats

I have sets of durable vinyl mats that I made to practice counting by 5’s and 10’s.  Students roll out the mat and walk down the mat (kinetic) and whisper count the sequence using a ‘whisper phone.   

  Every child is successful as the digits and the words for the numbers are written on the mat. This mat can also be used to count the coins like nickels and dimes to $1.00.  When counting coins, students first lay large pictures of the coins next to each amount. Nickels when counting by 5’s and dimes  when counting by 10’s.  I hope that by using the mat for two purposes, students will make the connection between the two concepts.

Base Ten Blocks and Mats

For students that need support when using manipulatives for place value, I adapt the base ten blocks like this:

As they play a game, like “Making One Hundred” the students stack their ten’s block on top of the 100’s block. This seems to help students form a concept link about the relationship between tens and hundred.  It also shows the student how many more tens are needed to make one hundred.

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

On page 153, Debbie Diller mentions this wonderful website. If you want to work with base 10 blocks to show addition or subtraction for the WHOLE CLASS, these applets are eye catching dynamite when using an LCD projector. Click on the applet names below to take you directly to NLVM. To quickly learn how to operate the applet, click on the "?instruction."

  Base Blocks – Illustrate addition and subtraction from ones to thousands place.

 

  Base Blocks Addition – Use base ten blocks to model grouping in addition.

You may drag a base block into a column to the left or back to its appropriate column, but when you move a block one column to the right, it breaks apart to show that you have made an Exchange. When you move 10 ones to the right a ten's long is created.

In Base Block Subtraction the red blocks are used to cancel out or subtract the blue block. If you need to trade a ten’s to make 10 one’s units,  then the ten block will split apart into 10 ones when it is dragged into the 1’s column.  It's cool and the student love it!

WOW... (gasp) I learned how to use my new I PAD 2 to take the pictures and upload them to the blog.

Deborah

OMG I Made a Place Value Math Talk Card to Share!

     When children compare numbers they usually say "Mine's bigger or littler."  Since we want them to vocalize why they know their number is larger, and to use the math vocabulary of greater than, less than, or equal, I made this math talk card to share with you.

      WOW,  because before this math blog party for "Math Stations" began I didn't have a blog, a google doc account, never bought graphics over the internet, purchased a blog button over the Internet from Blogaholic Designs, or had a Photobucket account! This whole experience is making me learn more about technology, blogging, and math stations. (...Gasp) I LOVE  learning new things!

Deborah

Academic Vocabulary List for Multi-grade Classes

In our district, we have created Academic Vocabulary lists for all single grades and all multi-grade combinations: In English: 1st/2nd, 2nd/3rd, 3rd/4th, and 5th/6th.  And in Spanish: 1st/2nd, 2nd,/3rd, 3rd/4th, and 5th/6th. I wanted to share these lists with you because I remember how frustrated our multi-grade teachers were when they thought they had to teach the complete vocabulary lists for BOTH grade levels that they were teaching. The task was overwhelming. Therefore we developed these lists to support them.
Deborah

Addition on the Playground

     A tricky way to get your students to practice their addition facts is to offer to play jump rope with them. I found it to be a great way to practice their facts and excercise your underarm jiggly muscles at the same time. I would "turn" on one end, but while students were jumping they must be saying the doubles jumping song "1+ 1 is 2, 2 + 2 is 4, 3 +3 is 6, 4 + 4 is 8, ... 10 + 10 is 20." All of the students in line must be saying the doubles jumping song with the jumper too.
    Once they knew the doubles jumping song quite well, we would graduate to the doubles plus one jumping song. First the jumper would say, " 1 + 1 = 2, then the waiting line would yell, "Plus 1" and the jumper would say, 1 + 2 = 3. ... 2 + 2 = 4."  "Plus 1", yells the waiting line. "2 + 3 = 5, 3 + 3 = 6," replies the jumper. 
   
 
Deborah

Addition and Subtraction with 3 Compartment Plastic Plates

In Everyday Math, one of the diagrams used to explain addition and subtraction is the parts-and-whole diagram 

I believe this is a very abstract diagram for students and using a 3 compartment plastic plate and labeling :

WHOLE in the largest Compartment and PART in the two smaller Compartments



really helps students understand the thinking behind the abstract diagram.

Imagine this… you give the students some “Farm Counter “pigs. Then you orally begin the story. A farmer had 2 pigs (they place the 2 pigs in one of the part compartments). He bought 3 more pigs (they place 3 pigs into the other part compartments). How many pigs does he have in all? (They slide the pigs from each of the two PARTS into the WHOLE compartment).  For some reason touching and sliding those pigs around helps student to understand what the story problem is asking them to find.

You can show the relationship between addition and subtraction also. For example: A farmer had 5 pigs (place 5 pigs in the WHOLE compartment) and he sold 3 of them (slide 3 of the pigs into a PART compartment). How many pigs does he have now? (Look in the WHOLE compartment and there are 2 pigs left… so slide them into the other PART as you say…”This is what the farmer had left after selling 3 of his pigs. He has 2 pigs left at his farm.”

Math Stations Coordinated with Everyday Math

Debbie Diller Says

"But remember that great stations are preceded by strong whole-group teaching (and then materials are moved to a math station for practice and reinforcement)."

That's why I looked at Chapters 3 and 4 from the book, "Math Stations" and the Teachers Lesson Guides from Grade 1 and 2 from Everyday Math before coming up with my plan for what my Math Station tubs would contain.

MY PLAN for Unit 1 for a Multigrade Class 1/2

Station	Differentiated Activities		Materials Needed
1	Literature Links Reading and Creating:   ·           Counting Books                   1-10 ·          11-20	Reading and Creating: ·         Counting Books-11-100, ·         Backwards from 20 ·         Even and Odd Numbers ·         Comparing Numbers	Paper, a stapler, counters, blank five-frames, blank ten-frame Ed Emberley's Great Thumbprint Drawing Book, ink pad, sample book using thumbprint s, Crayons, pencils, Math Counting Books (possible utilize writing station are that is  used during literacy stations)
2	Number Ordering and Comparing Card sets: I can order numbers. 1-10, 1-20, 11-20	Card sets: I can order numbers. 11-30, 1-20 (by 2’s), 29-45, 1-100 by 5’s	Cards sets in individual baggies that are color coded with squares of colored duck tape
3	Pattern Block s and Pattern Block Template ·         I can draw shapes. ·         I can draw shapes with a pattern. ·         I can sort shapes by number of lines or corners.	·         I can draw shapes and write their names. ·         I can draw the shape my partner names. ·         I can create designs and then draw them on paper. ·         I can sort shapes using a Venn Diagram.	Pattern blocks 4 Pattern Block Templates Plastic Grid
3	Everyday Math Games Monster Squeeze Bunny Hop	Number Line Squeeze
4	Number Lines ·         I can create a number line using number cards ·         I can place a counter on the number my partner names on the number line ·         I can walk and count on the BIG numberline forward and backward.	·         I can create a number line using numbers from 80 – 110. ·         I can find numbers on a number line from 100-120, 145-165, 320-345. ·         I can estimate and  find the number of hops between two numbers ·	Number lines Recording Sheet for estimating            the number of numbers between 2 numbers.
5	Numbers ·         1-10 ·         1-20 ·         Roll dice and record	·         5’s from 1-100 ·         10’s from 1-100 ·         10’s from 100-200 ·         I can show a number with tally marks.	Number cards www.mrswillskindergarten.com Summertime Number Concepts Mathematics Blackline Masters Grade P to 9
6	Number Writing Practice ·         Writing numbers in salt ·         Playdough snakes number writing ·         Writing Paper Worksheets ·         Roll dice and record	Scrolls: Writing numbers in sequence to 1000 (EM Math Masters)	Laminated Number cards to use as a pattern for playdough snake numbers. Salt in lidded containers.
7	Counting Up and Back Counting pennies using a math talk card. One more penny makes __ pennies. One less penny makes __ pennies,	Provide a set of two digit number cards that end in 9. One more than __ is __. Two more than __ is __. Ten less than __ is ___.	Pennies Math talk cards Two digit cards ending in 9
8	Ordering Numbers ·         Laminated dot to dot drawings	·         I can write number words. ·         I can roll 2 dice and say a number. ·         I can complete Teacher Created Math boxes. ·         I can fill in the missing numbers. Laminated dot to dot with 2 and 3 digit numbers.	Dot to dot drawings Dice Teacher created math box sheets. Sentence strip number sequences with missing numbers.
9	Tally Numbers ·         Choose a number card and write tallies for that number. ·         Have tally cards and then write number of tallies shown.	Same activity with larger numbers.	Number cards Whiteboards Tally cards
10	Calendar Works	·         Match words with number of days: day, week, month, year, date	Calendar Cards

Why Create "The First 14 Days of Math Stations" That is Posted Below?

In this posting I want to try to explain the reason I developed “The First 14 Days of Math Stations that included whole group lesson time using the Everyday Math Curriculum.  It seems to me as I read this book that it would be easy to think…”I’m not going to worry so much about the curricular lessons in the math program that my district uses, because I think the time spent interacting with manipulatives, mathematical talk between children, and a few small group lessons to monitor their growth will better serve my students.”  

Well, I say that is a huge task considering the spiral building of skills in math and the demands of the Common Core Standards.  Many times your colleagues that you teach with also don’t understand why you aren’t collaborating with them anymore and doing your own thing.  So my suggestion is a blending of the best of the two worlds. I found myself thinking…”That’s easy to say Deborah, but show me don’t just tell me! Many of you have huge time commitments in teaching the areas of reading, language arts, and writing and just can’t allot much more time to math.  So my plan was to show you an example that builds the strong foundation for math stations that Debbie Diller lays out in her book, but to continue to teach curricular materials too even if you had a split or multigrade class. (the same ideas apply to single grade classrooms too)

My next posting will be about what I might put INTO those 12 or 13 Math Station TUBS that would coordinate with Unit 1 and 2 in both Grade 1 and Grade 2 using the Everyday Math curriculum program.

Lastly can someone tell me some great sources of graphics that you use in creating your teaching materials?  I need some help in this.  I love cute graphics….I just don’t know how to find them and I am willing to purchase the right to use them. I’ve got to get myself a button too….

    

A Plan for the First 14 Days in a 1/2 Multigrade Classroom

The First 14 Days of Math Stations for Multigrade  1/2 Using Everyday Math and Math Stations

Schedule:

Mini-lesson 25 - 30 minutes

Whole Group EM Lesson: 30 - 40 minutes

This schedule is ONLY for the first 14 days of instruction.

Day	Mini-lesson	Learning Outcome	Resources	Whole Group Everyday Math Lesson
1	Take one photo of each child for Management Board.		Complete the set-up of the Management Board for Day 2	Number Lines 1st/1.1  2nd/ 1.1
2	Introduce: Management Board . Model: How to obtain materials and where math stations are located. Model: Cleaning up a station	Sttroducig up a stationh stations are locatedor Day 2udents explore and learn how to obtain their instructional materials and where to go to work with their partners. Students will know what is expected as they clean up their stations.	Management Board Missing Pieces Box Numbered clear plastic tubs	Everyday Math Games: Monster Squeeze Number-Line Squeeze
3	Teacher and students model and practice: “Turn and Talk”. Model: The difference between hearing and listening.	Students will learn that as mathematicians we are capable of thinking in many different ways and sharing their thinking with others.	Chart: Thinking and Talking with a Partner Partners use 6 inch voices. Partners take turns talking. Partners listen to one another. Partners respect each others’ thinking	Introduce the Slate Routine Explain the Number Grid and it’s patterns 1st/1.2    2nd/ 1.4
4	Math Station Tub Teacher discusses how students have choices within one tub. Teacher shows how materials are labeled to differentiate levels. Model: Signals used to indicate it is time to stop and clean up, and signal to indicate to move to next station or to the small group teaching station.	Students realize that there are multiple activities to do with one math tub and those activities can be repeated. Students will move to different activities quickly and quietly.	Completed math tub Chart: How do we put materials away in our Math Tubs? Auditory signal	Introduce the Pattern-Block Template 1st/1.2   2nd/1.4
5	How to Obtain Help Model: “I Can” Chart “Instead” box for the Computer station	Teacher and students will create the first “I Can” chart together. Students will practice being adaptable and flexible.	“I Can” chart	Formative Assessment for 1st Graders: Use math master pg 304 to see what numbers they can all ready write. Challenge them to write their numbers to 20. Introduce the Class Scroll to the 2nd Graders.
6	Model and Practice: How to Use a Math Talk card to express their mathematical ideas.	Students will express their thinking using a math talk card as a support.	2 different “Math Talk Cards” for each group of 2 students	How to Use a Calculator 1st/  2.4          2nd/1.9
7	Represent your thinking through drawing, writing, Flip videos, and dramatizing. Where to put completed work.	Students learn to record their thoughts in short video clips. Students learn ways to represent their thinking, and where to put that completed document.	Flip Video Camera Examples of students drawings, and writings.	Whole Group: Odd and even Tally marks
8	How to handle problems:    Ask 3 and then ask me.   Disagreements What will happen when students don’t follow the procedures.	Students follow specific guidelines to solve problems.	Chart: How We Can Solve Problems Ourselves	EM Games: Penny-Dice Game Top-It Addition Top-It Rolling for 50 Rolling for 500 using a 400-500 number grid.
9	Introduce “Our Math Thinking “ Books	Students learn they are accountable for doing their best work at stations.	Book: “Our Math Thinking”	EM Games: Play your choice of game
10	Introduce First Station: Review and model use of management board, obtaining materials, correct voice level. Choose one student to be your partner, and go through the entire procedure while “thinking  aloud about what you are doing and thinking”	Students will revisit how to maintain organized classroom math stations	Chart:  Looks like, Sounds Like, Feels like One math tub of your choice	Whole Group: Modeling how the teacher will be teaching the small group guided math groups. All about Math Boxes using a teacher created math box page all about tally marks.
11	Continue to introduce another station. Establish student accountability by modeling and posting an example of a completed student work product.	Students will learn mathematical ideas through independent learning.	Example of student work	How to play: EM Facts Workshop Game that provides online practice of basic facts and computation.
12	Model:  How we share our experiences with our class members.	Students will engage in discussions and that they are accountable for their independent learning.		Reading books that relate to math such as counting books. How to create your own math related book.
13	Model: Computer Station “Instead Box”	Students will learn a routine to cooperatively use the classroom computer.	Chart: Step by step directions to use the computer Chart: Who is on the Computer Today?	How to read a number line on a thermometer
14	(After conducting an actual “Math Station”) Getting back together as a whole group to reflect on what went well.	Grand Opening Celebration: Beginning a station	Wrapped box that announces the beginning of math stations. Chart:  What We Did Well	Administer the Beginning of the Year Test to both grade levels. Recruit a volunteer to read the test aloud to one grade level while you read the other grade level test. See if the volunteer will also help score the test.