My Life as a Mathematician

What is your math story? 

Over the summer I received the book, The Impact of Identity in K-8 Mathematics: Rethinking Equity-Based Practices by Julia Aguirre, Karen Mayfield-Ingram, and Danny Bernard Martin. 


It has been a really eye opening read where I am starting to think more deeply about my own math identity and how my past experiences have shaped how I teach math today.

If you stepped into my classroom today, you will see math talk posters, anchor charts, fancy math displays, and an array of math targets and goals for my 3rd grade students.  Math is a constant and a welcome necessity in my classroom and I am known by my students and other teachers as a person who loves math. I am even the Vice-president for elementary of an NCTM affiliate here in Michigan and love talking math on Twitter each week. 

My actions and thoughts today, however, are almost the complete opposite of how I felt about and approached math in middle school and high school. I always knew it was a necessity, but I just didn't get it. I didn't understand the "why". I did have all sorts of questions floating in my mind during a math lecture:

No one had ever told me that it was okay to ask these types of questions in math and since I was the type of student that did exactly as she was told, I never asked my questions. I always got decent grades in math, but because I never developed any true conceptual understanding I still always felt as if I was struggling.

My love for the subject began when I had to start teaching it to others. I felt the urgency to develop my understanding and really dig deeply into the concepts so that I would be able to help my students. When I started answering the questions I had been asking in my mind for years, math became a subject of beauty to me. The connections, patterns, specific vocabulary, and amazing reality of math in nature is fascinating to me. Understanding math at a deeper level has changed how I view my world. 

I work so tirelessly with the subject and continue to read about it and go back to school to increase my knowledge to understand multiple ways to help my students make math connections with their worlds. I want students to understand that math is about problem solving and question asking and pattern noticing- I also want them to embrace these aspects in order to truly become empowered.

I would not have written about my math identity without this book nor would I have started to think about math equity in the classroom. I loved this process so much that I would like to share it with others. I thought one easy way to get this started would be to start a Twitter chat!

Join me for the new #mathequity chat starting January 24, 2016 @8pm EDT. You do not need to have the book read in order to participate! Everyone has experience to share and I look forward to hearing your perspectives.

What is your math story? 

The Chrome Extension You Never Knew You Needed

You need this Google Chrome Extension  

                                             

I have used other online sources for posting on my social media sites, but I have found Buffer to be the cleanest template and simplest free resource out there.  Plus, it connects so easily to my Nexus tablet (the app) and Chromebook. 

After downloading the extension from the Chrome Web store, sign up for the service and then you should find a simple looking buffer graphic pop up next to your omnibox (URL address bar) like the one below.

Here are the top reasons to keep it there

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Reason #1: Connect your major social media outlets.

If you are in to using social media, chances are that you use more than one outlet. It can be exhausting (and sometimes confusing) to manage all of these individually, but with Buffer this isn't an issue. At any point after signing up, simply click on one of the buttons to the popular social media accounts mentioned in the picture above. Connect and starting using immediately. 

Reason #2: Manage your valuable time.

Buffer is an easier way to schedule posts. Even if you are a die hard social media fan, you can't always live tweet or post.  But now you can literally type out and share all your amazing thinking on your own time because Buffer has you covered.  

Think about the days and times that you want your Social Media accounts active and then schedule these times for everyday, or customize the days of the week. Once this is established, all of your posts will be added to your queue and then sent accordingly. The free version allows you to store up to 10 posts in your queue.

*SIMPLY AMAZING*

Reason #3: Choose what works for you.

Educators are using social media to share interesting and relevant articles and posts with their PLN.  In order to do that effectively and with the fewest number of characters, a link shortener comes in handy. Buffer gives you their default to use, but if that's not working for you, simply head to your account and customize the shortening system you want to use.

Find something on Twitter that you want to share with another Social Media group? It's no problem with the Buffer extension! When you want to tweet or re-tweet something, you will now also have the option of sharing via your other connected social media accounts. Just press the green Buffer button to get started. Check out the screen captures of this below.

Reason #4: Increase your Postings.

Looking for more interesting posts to add to your streams? Buffer has thought of that and offers you suggestions for postings already typed and ready for you to add to your queue.  There are even specific topics to choose from, such as Marketing, and Design.

-Download the free Buffer Chrome extension today - 

Creating Infographics

Visual representations of information are almost always easier and faster to digest, but did you know you can create what we commonly refer to as infographics, quickly and easily for *FREE* with www.picktochart.com?

If you've never heard of this, I recommend checking it out soon as it will change your teaching world! 

I have wondered for months how so many Tweeters have such quick access to so many lively and professional looking infographics and the only answer I ever received was that they were already on their phones.  So this made me think that in order to really create these visual models one would have to buy some expensive software and then download it their device. But then I found this amazing website... 

Piktochart is incredibly user-friendly. There are many icons and photographs to import into your chart, lines and shapes, various fonts, and even templates to alter so you don't have to start with a blank slate every time. And if you are really feeling ambitious, trying uploading your own pictures to use. 

 In about 10 minutes I learned to use the website well enough in order to create these infographics about my teaching passion, math.

 I was impressed with the results and am looking foward to marking more! I see so many possibilities with this website for the educational world, both in creating easy to read infographics for teachers and for students. 

Here is an awesome video to make your Picktochart experience even easier:

Once you have created an infographic with the free version either:

1. Download as a picture file 

  or

2. Share via Twitter, Pinterest, Evernote, or Facebook

I forsee this technology helping teachers break info into "digestible chunks" of visual info. 

Possibilities for infographics:

-Quick reminders for parents (increase communication)

-Wrap up of a unit of study

-Break down of a process in math and science

-Explanation of a life cycle

- Model for a poster that students will create

-Model of how to make a comparison diagram

-Formative assessment for students about a character, concept, task (requires email account)

What info will you Piktochart?

The 3 L's of Summer

I hope you have had an exciting break filled with the 3 L's of summer:

                    lounging, loved ones, and learning!

LEARNING

It's hard to believe that I am getting ready to enter my 9th year of teaching already. Its seems like just yesterday that I entered my midle school classroom wondering what questions my science students would ask first. And now, I'm teaching 3rd grade with so much more depth of knowledge about education and subject matter thanks to that "L" of learning over the summer! At first it was just a face-to-face workshop here and there that caught my attention for PD, but through the years technology has helped teacher PD expand exponentially via Twitter, Facebook, and the blogging experience! Each day this summer, I have been waking up excited about all of the new wonderful tools, techniques, books, tips, and tricks that the cyber world offers!

Here are a few of my favorites:
1. Classroom Freebies site
2. Literacy and Math Ideas site
3. 89 Cool Apps, Sites, Tools for Teachers
4.Animoto - a video making website

I have also expanded my professional learning network beyond anything I could have ever imagined when first entering the teaching field. I now talk to and bounce ideas off of teachers all over the country and the world. It's something that still blows my mind when I really think about that concept of shared learning over thousands of miles with people you have never met in person.  I have found so many people with common interests and people who truly love to discuss current educational topics! I love it! How has technology helped you in your quest for collaboration?

LOUNGING AND LOVED ONES
My family and friends live close by so I have been able to enjoy my loved ones almost every day this summer! That is, of course, when I'm not working on a new product or blog post! I am also so fortunate that I have a some of my summer left so I can still get to the "lounging" part out west in two weeks. I will post and tweet during that time though! 

Until next time,

The Elementary Math Teacher

Why Twitter is my new best friend

When Twitter first rolled out on the scene, I thought it was just media's latest attempt at extreme voyeurism; I don't really care that much about the personal lives of celebrities and I definitely don't want to spend my precious free time dishing out gossip about those latest details. 

So I've stayed away from Twitter for years...until last week. After talking to some friends I realized that I should connect with Twitter to hopefully get more connected with the digitally competent teaching world. And oh my goodness creating my @kidsmathtalk handle has completely changed my world!

Twitter has amazing discussions

I have had so many wonderfully insightful discussions with the teaching world at large and have already in less than a week made over 40 connections.  I am now constantly thinking about tweets to send out to get even more discourse started amongst people who truly share the same interests. Furthermore, everyone I have encountered is so extra nice. Every time I get on I truly feel like I belong to an inviting community. Even more amazing is that these people are from all over the world-no limits for your networking possibilities!  

Twitter is organized

I had always heard media and ads talking about hashtags, but who ever knew that the number sign could connect you to so many possibilities! Everytime you add that cute little hashtag, your tweet is connected and in a way filed with every other tweet that was sent on the same topic. After only a few hours of Twitter usage, I stopped seeing random tweets about celebrities altogether. It's only the tweets that are from my connections. While I know that some people who are using Twitter at the exact same time as me are on for non-professional reasons (which is perfectly okay btw) I don't have to be in that mix, which is lovely for me. Twitter is genius!

Twitter is always there for you

I can open up Twitter at 6 in the morning or 11 at night and be able to have contact with someone in the teaching world. If I am stuck on something that I am creating or just need some advice, I can just fly over to Twitter and send out a lovely tweet for fellow educators to answer when they have the time. It's awesome that Twitter has the component of email in that you do not have to be live in order to make and keep connections. But then Twitter also has the abilities of chat rooms if you would like to have a live discussion with others. I have participated in a few of these chats already and come away feeling energized and motivated. I love it!  Always available to talk, just like a true friend. :)  

Here are a few of my favorite hashtags:

1. #teaching

2.#mathchat

3.#3rdchat 
4.#21stedchat

What are some of your favorites?

How are you using Twitter in eduation? Leave a comment to get the discussion started! And you can follow me on twitter @Kidsmathtalk

Social Media Frenzy!

The.Elementary.Math.Teacher is now connected with the social media world!

Here's how you can stay involved...

 We are on a FB liking mission!  This will be a super fast way of connecting with elementary math ideas while on the go!  Visit My Facebook Page to like!

**Something super exciting will happen at my teacherspayteachers store and teacher's notebook store once we reach 50 likes! Spread the word and tell your friends!**

Twitter is also awesome for us teachers on the go!
Follow me: @kidsmathtalk