Websites for student use

SOS Mathematics is a website that students can use at the secondary level.  Subjects included are:  Algebra, Trigonometry,  Calculus, Differential Equations, and Matrix Algebra.  The site even includes external links for help on other subjects from the elementary grades, as well as extra help and practice on other math websites.

This site would be used if a student needs extra help on any of the above topics, or to extend the student's knowledge.  There are many easy to read notes with examples on each subject.  For example, the Algebra link contains categories from fractions through solving logarithmic and exponential functions.  At the end of each lesson, the student can view other similar examples or test themselves by doing a problem and later viewing the solution.

Along with the lessons, there is a link on the homepage where students can post a question on a forum.  The forums are sorted by subject making it easy to navigate.  The creators of the website monitor the forums so they are free of unwanted material.  Overall, the site is laid out nicely and eye appealing.  The only negative that I could find would be when in navigating the different subjects, there is no simple way to click back to the homepage.

At a recent NCTM conference, I attended a seminar on Hot Math.  The seminar was about a website for students wanting to remediate their math skills.   Although there is a fee to join the site, there are some great games that are included for free at http://hotmath.com/games.html.  The games are:  Catch the Fly, Number Cop, Algebra vs. the Cockroaches, and Factortris.

Catch the Fly is a great game to play for any student in middle school math or algebra who needs more practice on plotting points on the Cartesian plane.  There is a frog on top of the plane and the student must type in the ordered pair at which the fly has landed.  If he/she is correct, the frog will eat the fly.

Number Cop is a fast paced game where students must pick numbers by their divisibility.  For example, students can choose multiples of 3, or prime numbers.  The cop car then starts and students control which lane the car goes into.  The goal is to go in whichever lane has a number that is in the set that they are looking for.  This game will create very fast thinkers!

Algebra vs. the Cockroaches is a game where students must find the equation of a line according to where cockroaches are walking.  The students have fun by choosing what will eliminate the cockroaches when they correctly input the equation; they can choose a rocket, laser gun, sprayer, or shoe making it very fun and entertaining for kids.

Finally, there is the game Factortris.  This game is similar to Tetris.  The student is given an area and must choose a rectangle with that area.  The shape is then dropped and the student must make a line of boxes to eliminate them.  Students would love this, and it works on their factoring skills at the same time!

STEM Literacy

How can teachers prepare students for careers in STEM?

In order for teachers to prepare students for careers in STEM, they must first be prepared to teach the integrated subjects.  Many elementary school teachers today are not trained in one specific subject; they are generalists.  In order to be sure that schools are equipped with the most prepared teachers, all science and math teachers should have some training in those fields.  There was research done to compare Chinese and American elementary school math teachers.  American teachers are more focused on the procedures than on the underlying concepts and applications.  Only about 13% of American students end up taking Calculus in high school, whereas almost every Chinese student takes it.  Much of the reason is how students are taught; they are drilled with facts and processes, not with problem solving strategies.

While teachers are getting prepared for these math and science heavy subjects, they need to emphasize problem solving in the classroom. The core subjects of math and science are already incorporated into the curriculum, but technology and engineering must be made aware of early on.  Teachers need to use lessons that contain creativity and innovation.  Instead of separating all of the STEM subjects, teachers should allow for integration of one subject to another.  There has to be more focus on hands on practical experiences rather than just learning facts and processes in order to create original and imaginative technological thinkers for the future.  There are many ways teachers can find to have their students design, model, and test a hypothesis, as long is it is age relevant.  When teachers are excited and able to motivate their students about STEM, students will become eager to learn and master those subjects.

http://libertylyceum.org/articles/mathteaching.shtml

http://www.iteaconnect.org/Publications/TandC/Sep09.pdf

http://www.usinnovation.org/state/pdf_stem/STEMEdMaryland2010.pdf

Websites for student use

Figure this is website that gives many unique challenges for students to work on and think about.  Many of the challenges require more critical thinking and problem solving skills rather than just math computation.  Also, the challenges relate to real life, such as one where there are two cookies with chocolate on top.  The student must figure out which cookie would be better to eat if he is a chocolate lover.  The odd shaped cookies make it difficult to find the exact area, so they my think about a good estimation.  There are many ways to figure the answer out, which really promotes the higher level thinking that the state is looking for.

There are many ways that I might use this website.  For example, it would be  a great warm-up/motivational activity to get students thinking.  The problems are classified by subject area, so when there is a unit on patterns, I would choose a pattern question.  Another way that students might use the site is for a problem of the week.  I would give them the website and have them choose a question to work out and explain how they got there answer.  The students could even work on the problems together with their families.

Paul's online math notes is a great website for getting notes and cheat sheets for the Subjects of Algebra through Calculus.  The site is geared more toward a college level course, but it will help students transition from their upper level high school math to college.  His "cheat sheets" rules in different math categories that are  organized so they are easy to read.  I especially love the trigonometry sheet because it is a quick way to see all of the important rules in trigonometry in about two sheets.  There are also class notes and examples for the different subjects if a student wanted a more in depth look at a specific area.


I would recommend this site to the students if they needed to look at another type of explanation or see more examples.  I would also recommend printing out the cheat sheets so they can refer to them quickly.  There is also a place to look at common errors in math.  My favorite would have to be the section about errors that students make when determining what a number divided by 0 would be.  This is undefined, and there is a proof that 2=1.  This proof would be a great motivator in having students determine why it is invalid (because he eventually divides by 0).  I have used this site when I took calculus and differential equations and I highly recommend it for student use.

Inquery Group Focus Areas for STEM Literacy

Ashley DiCriscio-Teacher's role in STEM literacy

Michelle Gray- Girls and STEM literacy

Jason Goetz- Why STEM literacy is a better option