Fun with Probability Plinko - The Probability is Right!

The end of the year can be tricky when trying to maintain attention and excitement for everyday school activities.  Today, in math we tackled probability.  We were able to use the SMARTboard to display a six-sided dice and talk about the odds of landing on a particular number.  We also played with a 10-quadrant spinner and, again, chatted about the odds of landing on a particular space.  We should have captured that on video, because there was some genuine excitement for determining the odds of choosing the right number or space.  We ended today with a game that we came upon today: Probability Plinko - The Price is Right!  As you can see in our video...WE HAD FUN practicing probability.  Hoping for 9 more fun filled days of school...single digits...can you believe it!?

SMARTboard 3D Manipulatives

Check out how we are using SMART Notebook's (SMARTboard) 3-D manipulatives.

The shapes were downloaded from SMART Exchange (one slide at a time).  I pasted each slide into a new presentation.  Students then were able to manipulate the object using the SMART cube.

Definitely a fun way to engage students in prisms, pyramids, cones, and cylinders!

Splashtop and Screencasting with the SMARTBoard

Woah!  That title is a mouthful!  My school district provided me with the most simple version (yet) of Splashtop as a "Welcome Back to 2013" present.  It is simple, because there is no configuring IP Addresses (what does that even mean!?).  Just being on the same network, allows for instant device, screen share.  Okay, not that exciting yet?  It will get better (maybe).

Today, being a new year and having to have mutliple resolutions, I began thinking of a few for myself.  One being that I wanted to begin using MORE technology in the classroom as seamless ways to engage learning and facilitating.  This afternoon, it sort of happened, as a result of a student asking for help on her math.

In math, Mrs. Olson and I have been attempting our own version of "Daily 5 Math" (a term I use really loosely), except we have three daily's and not much choice.  Someday, maybe our math class can function just like a normal Daily 5 literacy block...not yet.  We are making it up as we go.  

Anyway, I decided to use "Splashtop" during Math today, because in my review, I wanted to stand behind my students, while modeling how to convert mixed numbers to improper fractions and the opposite.  I have not found a totally useful way, other that show and tell, for students to use Splashtop.  Right now, it is more for me to be up moving and facilitating.  Moving on, one of my students asked for a copy of what I was putting onto the SMARTBoard to study for our upcoming test.

"OF COURSE YOU MAY!" Then it clicked to me.  I could screencast myself while manipulating the SMARTBoard, now that Splashtop was working.  So, I told my student that I could provide her with notes and one better...a recording of me re-teaching the concept.  After school today, I plugged in my headphone/microphone combo (I feel like an airplane pilot when I wear those things), set up my SMARTBoard, and kept my fingers crossed that Screencast-O-Matic (my screencasting website of choice) would work.  In the past, my computer would not download the most up to date java applet....IT DID TODAY (Happy New Year x 2)!

So, to my student, I am excited (and feel sort of nerdy) to present to you "How to Convert Mixed Numbers into Improper Fractions AND Concert Improper Fractions into Mixed Numbers".  Enjoy:

A Few Views...

In our classroom we integrate lots of technology and 21st century skills.  That said, we also work on becoming independent learners.  The below collage is just a mini-glimpse into our classroom during one of our "Daily 5" rounds this morning.  Along with independence, students have choice.  As you can see, books are definitely alive and well in our class, whether it is paper or electronic.  Magnetic letters are great for word study, but so is our SMARTboard.  Google Docs are becoming the norm for work on writing.