Gamification in Education

What Are They Used For?

Interactive notebooks are used in classrooms as a way for students to keep all of their thoughts and ideas in one concise location. The purpose of them is for the students to have all of their work in an organized way, so that they can reference it later. Notebooks are used to give students information prior to a lesson, and then it lets them reflect on their thoughts once the lesson is complete.

The notebooks can also be taken home with them and can act as a connection tool for the parents to feel involved in their child’s learning. The notebooks allow the students to be in charge of their learning and think about how they can develop their thinking. The students have the chance to express their thinking in a way that is meaningful to them. This can be through words, images, bullet points, etc. The notebooks are also a great assessment tool for the teachers to use to track how the students are progressing throughout the year.

 

How Can Teachers Use the Notebooks To Assess?

Notebooks are a great way for teachers to monitor student progress over time as well as be a complete artifact at the end of the year. If the notebooks are done right, they will be full of all different kinds of information that the teacher can use as a way to see how the students progressed throughout the year. At the end of the year, the notebooks can act as a memory for them to look back through and remember everything they did during the year.

It can serve as something they hold onto to remember that specific year. The notebook will hopefully also make the teachers proud of the students and the progress they made over the course of the year. It also gives the students something to look at and remember if there was anything they struggled with learning, as a reminder to keep working on it.  Interactive notebooks are one of the few items that are kept for the entire year and truly show how a student has developed from the first to last day.

This website does a great job of giving ideas and ways that teachers can use interactive notebooks in the classroom. It makes a lot of good points and makes it seem very easy to incorporate a math notebook in the classroom.

Interactive Math Notebook for 4th Grade

Your 4th graders will love these interactive math notebook resources that address all 4th grade math content. These NO PREP resources make introducing new math content easier and less stressful for you and your students. These are meant to be scaffolded notes that guide students through all 4th grade math concepts and skills.

This video gives a great example of a math notebook!

 

Conclusion

Notebooks are very important to use in a classroom, especially in math. Most times, math concepts just build off one another. So, it is a good resource for students to have previous work they have done right at their fingertips to reference to if they are struggling with a new concept. It is important for teachers to allow students to use their own creativity to make their notebooks meaningful to them.

Along with this, teachers should check the notebooks every few weeks or so to make sure they are staying up-to-date with how their students are progressing. At the end of the year, the notebook will be a very good tool for the students to go back through and check their own growth. It also shows parents how much is happening during the school days and gives them an inside look at everything their child has learned over the course of a single year.

Living In A New World

Times have been changing since COVID-19 has created a pandemic across the world. In these times, the whole world has be slowing down and most things are being all digital. In these times it is hard for teachers and parents to know what to do with young children. Everything has always been hands-on and paper and pencil, but now, the use of computers and tablets have been at the fore front for learning. Due to this, it is vital that parents and teachers know good websites and apps for the students to use in order to learn and gain new knowledge even if they are not in the classroom.

Since digital things have become such a big part of the classroom environment, this blog is dedicated to all digital ideas for math apps and websites.

Great Math Apps

Scholastic has written an article that gives some great apps for students to use.

• • • • • • • Counting Caterpillar- “It teaches the basics of counting by ones and then increases to the concept of skip counting by 2, 5, and 10. The app is colorful and creative, and your child will love earning beautiful butterflies.”
            • Math Learning Center- an app that uses a lot of models, “these visual models are great tools to help children see how math works and better understand it.”
            • Splash Math- is very interactive, “topics covered are addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, geometry, time, money, fractions, decimals, and much more.
            • Reflex Math- “focuses specifically on math fact fluency and being able to recall math facts from memory quickly.”
            • Math Slide- “a program that offers four different apps that focus on place value and basic math facts. Each app has 10 different games that focus on a specific skill.”

 

Great Math Websites 

• • • • • • • Prodigy Math
            • Coolmath
            • Starfall
            • Adaptedmind Math
            • Funbrain

Some of these websites may require an account or cost some money. But check out their websites for all the info!!! These are great websites for students to get on an explore to learn new math concepts.

All of these apps and websites are very accessible and kid-friendly. They will have fun and definitely learn something new. This is a great way to bring in more math content when everything is virtual.

 

Math Instruction in the Past

I don’t know about you, but when I was younger, math was BORING. We would open up our math workbook, do a few pages as a class and then shut them. Everything was taught to the whole class and if you didn’t understand it, then you were kind of left out to dry. We would use the same workbook, worksheets and “math facts” sheets everyday and I would not enjoy it at all. The worst part was that the math time would still last over an hour, so I would just sit there trying to stay awake because I was tired of learning and doing the same old thing day after day.

Math Now

Thank goodness that now, teachers are starting to switch things up a bit and make math more engaging and fun (which it should be). One idea that has grown exponentially is the use of centers in the classroom. Centers are a great tool to use because the students are able to get more individualized attention and work with their peers as they solve problems. When doing work like this, students are also practicing other 21st century skills such as problem solving and collaboration. A new math model I have been introduced to is called Hybrid Math.

What Is Hybrid Math

Hybrid math is when you use forms of technology and non technology in order to teach the same thing. It is a form of differentiation that can help students of all types and backgrounds learn the material. I think this model is super cool and can be really useful in the classroom.

There are 3 sections to the Hybrid Model

• • • • • • • • Teacher Time
              • Me Time
              • Team Time

In teacher time, a small group of students work with the teacher and are taught the materials through direct instruction. In Me Time, students are at their desks using apps such as Seesaw, ST Math, or GG Math to complete different forms of work. In Team Time, the students work with their peers to play games, solve puzzles and create new things. So, these three stations last about 20-25 minutes and then they rotate.

I love this form of math because the students are being hit with the same material three times in three different ways and this really meets all of the students and helps them learn in the best way they can. This model also really emphasizes the 21st century skills and it allows the teacher to have quality time with each child so they can determine how the students are understanding and retaining the information.

Station Rotation: Differentiating Instruction to Reach All Students

Rotation stations allow students to learn in a range of modalities, while making differentiation manageable for one teacher.

• This video is a pretty accurate representation for what the Hybrid Model would look like.

In Conclusion

This model is relatively new, but it is a great way to keep the students engaged during the math lesson. The stations allows for a lot of differentiation and teacher guidance to help the students comprehend the concepts. When implementing a model like this, it is important to remember to always model how the stations should and should not look. The students will be facilitating their own learning in two of the stations, so it is important for them to know what they should be doing so that they can get the most out of this model as possible.

What Is A Growth Mindset

A growth mindset is believing that through hard work, that you will become better at something. The opposite of this is a fixed mindset which is when you think that you will never be able to do anything the right way no matter how much you try.

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m not good at math”. This statement is not true and it is something that many students struggle with daily. A lot of times students view math as something that is super hard and if they mess up one thing then they won’t be good at it altogether. This is a myth because everyone is good at math and everyone can improve at math. There are so many different forms of math, and when you stop and think about it, you are probably pretty good at some form of math.

It is very important to teach kids that they can be good at math and teach them a growth mindset. Here are some ways to do this:

• • • • • • • create a safe place for taking risks
            • help them set achievable goals
            • praise them properly
            • embrace the word “yet”
            • take advantage of mistakes
            • establish high expectations
            • allow students to ask for help
            • develop stamina
            • value challenges
            • allow kids to fail but pick them back up

This is a really good list because it covers a wide variety of ways to encourage a growth mindset in the classroom. Failure is a big one because kids like to be perfect and when they aren’t, they get very upset about it. It is important to teach them that it is okay to fail and that just because they fail a few times does not mean that they themselves are a failure.

Things to Remember When Fostering Growth Mindsets

• • • • • • • positive reinforcements go a long way
            • model a good growth mindset
            • provide opportunities to try new things
            • encourage practice

Top 5 Tips for Fostering a Growth Mindset | Classroom Quick Tips

No matter what scores or grades are given to students, it’s the PROGRESS that matters. In order to discourage students from focusing on the end grade, it’s important that teachers emphasize the GROWTH above all else. In this episode, I give ideas for fostering a growth mindset in your classroom.

This is a great video to give ideas on how to foster a positive growth mindset.

 

What Else Can I Do?

According the Lexia Learning...

• • • • • • • read books with characters who face some type of adversity or challenge
            • provide kids with the opportunities to say growth mindset phrases
            • display growth mindset vocabulary in the room
            • when giving feedback, use language that promotes growth mindset

I’ll Leave You With This

Growth Mindset is all about being there for your students and helping them realize that mistakes are okay and welcome in the classroom. Teachers are the caregivers for students during the day, so it is important for the students to feel understand and comfortable to try new things in their learning. Nothing will be perfect in the classroom, and even though the students may think the teacher is perfect, we know this isn’t the case. Teachers need to be honest with the students and show them that even if we don’t get something right the first time that it is important to keep trying. Through these challenges, students will see the importance of having confidence in themselves and giving their best effort in everything they do. There are a lot of great resources for teacher to put in the classroom to remind students to always try their best. Teachers also must remember that students watch everything they do, so it is important to model a good growth mindset and be there to pick up the students when they fall.

 

Look Around

Think about it, math is all around you. Everywhere you look you are almost guaranteed to find something that deals with math. When you drive, you look at the speed limits, number of miles to the destination, and anytime you see a license plate, you are looking at numbers. Sometimes it is hard to picture math as something that be be easily talked about and used all the time.

If you are a parent of a teacher, it is important to take advantage of the times you do see some type of math in everyday life and use them as “teachable moments” for your kids or class. Making connections like this will then show children that they can also look around and find all kinds of math where they are.

How Can I Use Math With My Children?

• • • • • • • Have them count all the blue cars as you drive
            • have them tell you the cost of items at the grocery store
            • have them help you measure for cooking or baking
            • talk through your actions out loud so your child can hear you
              • • • • Ex. as you are cutting pizza, “since there is four of us, I will cut this into 8 slices, this way we can each have….” and then leave time to allow your child to figure it out.
            • point out clocks to your child and ask them what time it is
            • give your child a handful of change and ask them to count it for you

Doing small things like this as you are outside or on your way somewhere can make a big difference in how your child views the world. We want young children to look at the world as a place full of new opportunities to learn and gain new knowledge.

 

This article from Scholastic highlights why math is so important and it shows ways that children use math skills when they are participating in free play.  “Mathematical experiences for very young children should build largely upon their play and the natural relationships between learning and life in their daily activities, interests, and questions.” It is important for parents and teachers to point out the math in everyday life but not make it seem like work. Make the activities you are doing fun and engaging for the child. Doing these things will make a huge difference in how the student views math down the road.

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This video does a good job of relating to kids and showing how they use math everyday.

Conclusion

Math is all around us and it is very important to stop and pay attention to it. It is also important for parents and teachers to show students that there are fun ways to do math and be able to point out the little things throughout the day to get students thinking about all the different ways math can be used in the world around us.

What is Differentiation

Differentiating is when the teacher provides different levels and difficulties of the work to different students depending on where they are academically. The point of differentiating is to meet the students where they are and meet their needs as best the teacher can. All students learn differently, so some things that work for some students may not work for others.

How Do I Use It?

There are levels to figuring out what type of differentiation the students need. The first thing teachers should do to find out where their students are is a pre-assessment. This can be a test or questions that you ask the students to see what their background knowledge is on the content. Once you know what the students’ knowledge is, then the teacher can begin to put together a curriculum plan that works for the class. Within this plan, the teacher will create many lessons, but the teacher should always have 3 levels of lessons for the students.

The levels are:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. On Level
                     2. Below Level
                     3. Above Level

By providing multiple versions of the same lesson, the teacher is able to meet the needs of all students.

Here are some ways that differentiation can be used in the classroom

• • • • • • • flexible pace learning
            • collaborative learning
            • progressive tasks
            • verbal support
            • digital resources
            • variable outcomes
            • ongoing assessment

Differentiating Instruction: It’s Not as Hard as You Think

When some teachers think of differentiation, they imagine having to create a different lesson for every student in the room. In this video, teacher and author Larry Ferlazzo explains that differentiating instruction is really about getting to know your students and making decisions, often in the moment, based on what they need.

This video does a great job of explaining differentiation as well as giving teachers ideas for ways to differentiate their instruction as they go throughout the day.

 

 

Conclusion

Differentiating instruction is all about knowing your students. Along with knowing the students, it is important to provide them with as many chances as possible to display their learning. Whether it is through centers, or assessments, it is important to meet each student where they are so that you can effectively get them to where they need to be. When differentiating instruction, it is important to remember that you will still have some outliers who may not be on the same level s everyone else, or they may be way above everyone else. Either way, you have to figure out how to reach them and come up with a way that they will grow and gain more knowledge. Differentiation takes time and a lot of hard work to implement, but it is totally worth it in the end.

 Competition vs. Collaboration

A competition is a rivalry between two individuals who are trying to get one thing. Collaboration is when two or more people work together in order to achieve a common goal. So what is the difference? The big difference is that in competition, the individuals are going against each other. Whereas in collaboration, the individuals are working together.

Isn’t this Supposed to be About Math?

I’m sure you are wondering what any of this has to do with math, but in reality, this has a lot to do with math. Most times in math, teachers have students play games or do activities that are about speed and cause students to be “against” each other. So, this is a lot of competition. Teachers also do a lot of work in groups and have the students communicating and working together, so this would be considered collaboration.

Pros of Using Collaboration

There are some major benefits to using collaboration in the classroom. According to ezTalks, here are the top 6 benefits:

• • • • • • • enhances problem-solving skills
            • inspires critical thinking
            • improves social interactions and supports diversity
            • helps develop self-management skills
            • develops communication skills
            • develops interpersonal relationships

As you can see, there are a lot of benefits to using collaboration in the classroom. Here are some ways that you can create a positive collaborative atmosphere:

• • • • • • • use learning centers where the students can work together
            • play games in the classroom
            • let the students sit in groups or partners
            • allow for open discussions and for all students to share their opinion
            • implement the “ask 3 before me” rule. By doing this, if a student has a question, they should ask 3 peers before they ask the teacher. This helps the students feel comfortable with asking each other questions.

Pros of Competition

According to The Resilient Educator, here are some of the benefits to using competition in the classroom:

• • • • • • • students will face real-world challenge of competition
            • students are encouraged to do their very best
            • independent thinking an effort are encouraged and rewarded
            • students can work in teams

Competition can also teach students the importance of good sportsmanship and being okay even if they lose. Sometimes students can get upset when they lose because they will think they are a failure, but by having competitions in the class, they will learn that it’s not all about winning and losing.

 

Here is a video that does a really good job of explaining the difference between collaboration and competition

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What to Take Away From This

Neither competition or collaboration is the right answer, I also don’t think that the two are working against each other. I think that there is a balance between the two and it is very important for teachers to find that balance and use it in their classrooms. There are a lot of lessons that can be learned from both collaboration and competition, so neither one should be looked at in a negative way. Some students learn better through competition whereas others learn better through collaboration, so it is vital to give students both types but teach them how to be good sports and understand that losing is not the end of the world.

What is Math Talk?

Math talk is the ways that students and teachers interact with either and represent their thinking and ideas when they do mathematical tasks. Math talk can be easy to incorporate in the classroom, but it does require a lot of intentionality and a lot of practice for both the teacher and the students.

Math talk is important to bring into the classroom because it emphasizes the students explaining their thinking and it brings a lot of discussion into the classroom. Discussions are always great to have because anytime a students gets to talk in-depthly about what they are thinking will only cause them to understand and comprehend more.

 

How Can I Add This To My Class?

First and foremost, if you want to add this to your room, you need to model the correct behavior you want your students to engage in. It is important for students to know how this looks and how it does not look. Students need to also understand that part of communication is talking and part is listening. In order for students to get the most out of math talk, they have to listen to their classmates and add to the conversations.

The language should be positive and promote good growth mindsets for all

students. As the teacher, it would be good to have some posters around the room with possible prompts to help get the students started when they begin a conversation. Here is a great example of possible sentence starters to use with your students.

Part of math talk is asking thought-provoking questions to make the students dig deep and really think about the process in which they found their answer. So, it is good to have reminders for the students to ask good questions so that they can learn from their peers.

 

 

 

 

Minds in Bloom is a great website for teachers to check out when wanting to add math talk into their classroom. They have a lot of great ideas and resources for teachers to use.

Vocabulary

Another aspect of math talk is the vocabulary that is used. One way to help your students learn math terminology and become more comfortable using it is by having a math word wall in the classroom. Students should be able to look around the room and see math words at any point in the day. The only way students will become better with it is by practicing and using it just like they would use their sight words or high frequency words.

Here are a few different ways you can add a math word wall to your classroom!

Math word wall

Uploaded by MATHEMATICS LEARNOLOGY on 2017-10-11.

Interactive Math Vocabulary Word Wall (Grades 6 to 8)

This is a NO PREP Math Interactive Word Wall for you to use to engage and teach your students all year long! This is for middle school math grades 6, 7, and 8. Students become the authors of the Interactive Math Word Wall and own their learning process.

Also, Teachers Pay Teachers has some great templates for FREE that you can print out and start putting up

Math Word Walls

This set of Math Word Wall Words includes words with visual presentations for addition, subtraction, place value, multiplication, division, perimeter, area, fractions, and decimals. It is primarily for 4th and 5th grade, but most words could be used for 3rd grade as well.

 

Math Talk Can Be Great… If It’s Done The Right Way…

Teacher talk is all about modeling to students how to properly use certain vocabulary when talking about certain concepts. Teachers should use their knowledge as a way to help the students become better at using math terminology. The teacher should be the one guiding this until the students are all proficiently doing it on their own. The teacher should be asking thought-provoking questions and promoting deeper thinking within the classroom setting. Teacher talk is also providing the students with posters and other items throughout the room to remind them to use specific language when working with their peers. The teacher should always be showing the students what behaviors look and sound like so that they can follow their teacher and show that same behavior.

How Does Children’s Literature Help Students Learn Math?

Children’s literature provides students with real-world problems that the students can learn to understand. In books, the characters model behaviors to solve certain problems they face. Books allow children to put themselves in the characters’ shoes and this can help them understand what the character is thinking and feeling. This can help children think deeper about math concepts by introducing them to concepts in books and allowing them to see how the character responds to the problems they face. Books also provide a lot of repetition for students and this can help them learn material better and comprehend it for a longer period of time.

How Do I Incorporate Literature into Math?

• Read Alouds!!
  • • Students love read alouds, and this can be a really easy way to introduce a math lesson or wrap-up a lesson. Even without attaching a book to a specific lesson, there is no issues with reading a book that has math concepts during the normal read aloud time.
      • • • • Here are some great books:
              • • • One is a Snail Ten is a Crab
                  • Bean Thirteen 
                  • Money Madness
                  • How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?
            • There are all kinds of books, click here for a website that has a ton of great math books for kids. As you can see, there are books for every type of math concept, so don’t be afraid that you won’t find a book for what you are teaching.
• Word Problems
  • • Another great way to add literature elements to math is through word problems. Word problems can create connections to the real world and can help the students put context to the problems and really think about the problems.

 

 

Here is a great video that shows how you could incorporate literature into the classroom.

Marvelous Math – Good Books for your Future Classroom!

This video will give you ideas of how to use this book in your classroom and share with you one of my favorite poems from the book.

Are You Convinced Yet?

Books are a fantastic way to grab hold of each student’s attention and keep it focused on one thing for a bit of time. Books are written for various reasons and this is great for teachers because some books are already written to focus on specific content. This is especially true in math, there are multiple books written for counting, shapes, addition, subtraction, and so much more. By bringing literature into a math lesson, the students are able to focus on a specific strategy, such as counting, and they are able to watch the teacher model that strategy as they read to the students.

According to Marilyn Burns, literature “can spark students’ math imaginations in ways that textbooks or workbooks don’t”. Also, “connecting math to literature can boost confidence for children who love books but are wary of math. And students who already love math can learn to appreciate stories in an entirely new way.”

So, you can see how math and literature really can go hand in hand. You will be doing the students a great disservice if you do not mix the subjects together. By doing this, you will be providing a great experience for your students and these will be lessons that the students will not forget. They will create a deeper understanding of the subjects and this will lead to more comprehension in the future.

What are they?

Manipulatives are a very engaging tool that are used quite often in the classroom. They can be used for many different things and there are all different types of manipulatives that can be used. Some include:

• cubes
• dice
• counters
• clocks
• Legos
• shape blocks

These are just a few examples of manipulatives that can be used. Personally, I think manipulative are great. They are an easy way to give the students something that is hands-on and it can help aid them in their comprehension of mathematics concepts.

How Do I Use Them?                         

A very simple way to use manipulatives is through learning centers and stations. At these stations, the students can facilitate their own learning and use the manipulatives to help them through their thinking.

. Before the activity, the teacher should be demonstrating to the students how to use the manipulatives the right way. Many students see manipulatives and they think they are a toy. But it is important for the teacher to explain that they are tools, not toys. They should show the students how to properly hold them, move them, put them together and beak them apart. As the teacher does this they should emphasize multiple times how the students should be using them.

During the activity, the teacher should be walking around the room and observing how the students are interacting with the manipulatives. The teacher should step in and assist students if they are struggling or using them the wrong way. After the activity, the teacher should model to the students how the manipulatives should be put away, the teacher should go to each student and make sure all of the pieces are counted for and stored in a safe location.

Storage

The easiest and best way for manipulatives to be stored is in plastic containers. Manipulatives are tools that most teachers use for multiple years before they get new ones, so it is important for them to stay in good shape and last as long as they can. One of the best ways to organize them is by placing the manipulatives in a clear plastic bin with a lid and putting a label on the outside of the bin. The plastic bin will protect the manipulatives from dirt or dust getting in the manipulatives and making them dirty.

The best way to store them is by stacking them in a closet or on a shelf with the label facing outward. The label should have the name of the manipulative on it, such as “counters”, a picture of the manipulative on the label would also be very beneficial, especially if you ever ask a student to go grab them, they can look at the picture and know what is in the box.

It is also good for the teacher to keep track of how many of each manipulative they have by either keeping record of it in a binder or also putting the count on the bin label as well. Another smart move would be to already have the manipulatives pre-packaged in the bins in plastic baggies so that when the teacher passes them out, all students are given the same materials and they can be responsible for making sure their manipulatives go back in their baggy when they are finished with them.

Math Manipulative Storage

Uploaded by Instructional Coach RISD on 2014-01-22.

Where did Manipulatives come from?     

According to the writers of Hand2Mind, manipulatives have been around for over 200 years. The major influencers of the use of manipulatives goes back to Jean Piaget, Maria Montessori, and Jerome Bruner. These theorists believed that by using these tools as a way to learn the concrete foundations of subjects, they would then better understand the abstract world. This is called the CRA approach, and they believe that the manipulatives can help students as they work through this process of moving from concrete understanding to abstract.

Final Thoughts

Manipulatives are a variety of objects that can be used in many ways. Some are used for counting, others are used to understand shapes, conservation of numbers, reading a number line, or even learning how to use a graph. Manipulatives have many benefits to being used during instruction, they help the students visualize problem and they give the students concrete items that they can move around to understand problems.

The manipulatives help build a bridge between abstract and concrete thinking, and this is a skill that is very important for students to master. When using manipulatives, it is important for the teacher to properly demonstrate how to use the materials so that the students are able to facilitate their own learning and use the manipulatives to their maximum potential.