Common Core and Sketchpad - DeKalb High School Math

I love what I get to do. This week I was invited to DeKalb High School to work with my former Math Department colleagues. What a great time!

After a few minutes of letting my computer download newest drivers for the SMART Board 800, we were off and running. (Note: if the green status light on the SMART Board pen tray is flashing green, you probably need to update hardware drivers for the SMART Board. My computer actually did this on its own, after I checked the SMART Hardware Settings in the Notebook Tools.)

Like most schools, DHS is hard at work integrating Common Core Standards into math classes. One topic being re-emphasized is transformations in the plane, representing them with physical tools and software.

Bisect an angle with compass and straightedge	Bisect an angle with Geometer's Sketchpad

We will use Geometer's Sketchpad to investigate translations, reflections, rotations and dilations, but first we begin with a review of basic constructions, with SMART Notebook software's compass and straightedge tools. It takes some practice to do this at the SMART Board, so don't try it for the first time in front of a classroom of students. It is a good visual when students are also using paper, compass and straightedge. Compare those constructions with the use of full circles in GSP. It's a good thinking exercise.

Now to really exploit the power of dynamic geometry software, we look at translations, reflections and rotations using Geometer's Sketchpad. These commands use rigid motions to create congruent figures or superimpose a figure onto itself. Students need to know precise definitions of basic geometric figures (segment, angle, circle, etc.) and congruence of figures. "Two figures are congruent, if and only if there is a transformation or combination of transformations that causes one figure to be superimposed onto the other."

Show properties of isosceles triangle with GSP	Reflect rectangle with GSP

What type of questions should be asked to verify that students are grasping these concepts?

• What types of symmetry exist in the given figure - line symmetry, point (rotational) symmetry?
• Where are lines of symmetry in the figure, those that cause the figure to be superimposed onto itself? Do all figures have this symmetry?
• Where are centers of rotation in the figure, those that cause the figure to be superimposed onto itself? Do all figures have this symmetry?
• What properties of the figure are shown from the reflections or rotations that superimpose the figure onto itself?
• What transformation shows two given figures are congruent? Is there more than one way to accomplish this?
• What happens when the line of reflection moves?
• What happens when the angle of rotation changes?

As students become familiar with geometric definitions and methods of GSP, you should ask them how to create more complex figures.

• How do you use a triangle to make a parallelogram? Is there more than one way?
• How do you make a rhombus? Can you do it using reflection or rotation? 
• Can you use these transformations to create regular polygons?

To see more ideas, you can turn to online videos and tutorials. There are some features in Sketchpad Version 5 that are not in Version 4, but you can usually accomplish the task with a few more steps.

Enjoy!

YouTube playlists and videos

Sketchpad in the Classroom playlist by Key Curriculum Press

Sketchpad - Common Core Curriculum videos by Key Curriculum Press

Free Webinars by Key Curriculum Press

TeacherTube Math videos

NIU Math Education Students - great news for schools

This week I had the privilege of working with Northern Illinois University Math Education pre-service students. As has been my experience with students in past seminars, these students were attentive and excited about learning to integrate SMART Boards and calculator technology into classroom instruction and activities. I could work with them for hours and hours.

Altitude on the Hypotenuse Theorem

I must say again, what an outstanding bunch of energetic and enthusiastic young adults! We had good discussions about how to accomplish certain tasks with SMART Notebook Collaborative Learning software and the best practices for integrating this great tool into the math classroom. With each activity, we must remember to ask ourselves "Why and when do we do this?" You can know how to do something with the technology, but you need to ask how using it in the classroom helps students learn? How can I show the visual side of what I am trying to teach? How can I get students more involved in their own learning?

It is worth repeating, keeping students excited about learning requires good teaching. Their NIU teachers/coordinators are Mrs. Renee Olsen and Mrs. Bonnie Kersten. You could not ask for two more dedicated and excellent instructors. Having worked with both of them in my tenure at DeKalb High School, I always admired their passion for teaching and their skill at getting the best from their high school students. Renee and Bonnie, thank you for sharing your expertise with tomorrow's teachers!

Change is always happening in education. These students will enter schools that are working hard on implementing Common Core Curriculum Standards. They may have to teach differently than they were taught. What an opportunity awaits these new teachers and their students in the classroom. Technology in students' hands can do so much to make learning relevant and powerful, while giving teachers responsibility to address that power and make it productive.

Here are some web sites that might help you get started.

http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/mathresources97 

http://www.tinyurl.com/janetteachessmart

http://www.pinterest.com/janetteaches/for-the-love-of-learning/

With so many paths to learning today and so many ways to collaborate and share, it is an exciting time to be a teacher.

Good luck to all of you - Jeremy, Scott, Joy, Stephanie, Brian, Allison, Abby, Ethan, Ashley and Don!!! Have a fabulous student teaching adventure.

Teq Webinar - Intro to the SMART Notebook Software (+playlist)

Here is another good training Youtube channel about using the SMART Notebook Collaborative Learning software.

SMART Training and Professional Development

Great Youtube videos for learning to use the SMART board. See more SMART resources on my SMART Symbaloo at

http://tinyurl.com/janetteachessmart

SMART Notebook vs Flash v 11.9.x in Windows 7

Here's the situation. Earlier this week I updated my SMART Notebook software and tweaked my presentation for a seminar with Northern Illinois University pre-service math education students. Last night, I was working through a final check of my SMART Notebook presentation. Much to my surprise, none of the Flash objects worked. Yikes.

Online I searched the Smart Technologies troubleshooting web site. There it was. "If the Flash objects in SMART Notebook no longer work, you need to downgrade the version of Flash installed on your system." The newest update for FLASH player 11.9.x is incompatible with SMART Notebook interactive FLASH objects. You need to stay with Flash v. 11.8.800.168. I was obviously not the first person to have this problem, as there were specific instructions given at the smarttech.com web site.

I backed up what I could not lose and tackled the downgrade, being sure to check the "Never upgrade" option in the Flash installation. Thought all was well.

Now, the Teacher Tools in SMART Response would not load. Yikes. I was borrowing the SMART Response clickers from DeKalb High School in the morning. I was sure when the receiver was plugged into my computer, Response would update and fix itself. No luck for me today. Teacher Tools was not loading.

I could not find the specific problem in the troubleshooting files. A call was made to SMART Technologies Support line. After trying many tricks to get it to work, the wonderfully helpful tech support people decided I needed a clean uninstall of all SMART Notebook v11 software. This was only 2 hours before I was to be at NIU - no stress here.

I got through the uninstall and reinstall. All is fine, except the Math Tools did not re-activate. I needed the activation code. I had it in an email somewhere, but I was not sure where. Now back to the phone to see if SMART tech could give it to me. They didn't have it, but it would begin with NM-. Quick email search found it. I entered the activation code, but still didn't see the Math Tools tool.

One last call. The tech walked me through what I had already done, then asked a question I should not need to be asked. It had been a long day. "Did you restart Notebook?" I couldn't really remember. One quick relaunch and my day got much better!

Thank you to those GREAT support techs at SMART Technologies!

Great fun with NIU Math Education Students

Today I had the privilege of working with Northern Illinois University Math Education preservice students. These students are observing and working with teachers and students in middle school and high school math classes. They will soon be engaged in full-time student teaching.

What an outstanding bunch of energetic and enthusiastic young adults! We had a great time working with SMART Notebook Collaborative Learning software and learning best practices for integrating this great tool into the math classroom. Stress not just how to do something on the SMART board, but ask why do it and how does it help students learn.

Their NIU teachers/coordinators are Mrs. Renee Olsen and Mrs. Bonnie Kersten. You could not ask for two more dedicated and excellent instructors. I taught with both of them in my tenure at DeKalb High School and always admired their passion for teaching and their skill at getting the best from their high school students. I can see this is what they now are doing at NIU.

What an opportunity these new teachers will have in classrooms - today and tomorrow. Technology in students' hands can do so much to make learning relevant and powerful, while giving teachers  responsibility to address that power and make it productive. Here are some web sites that might help you get started.  http://tinyurl.com/matheducniu With so many avenues to learning today, so many ways to collaborate and share, it is an exciting time to be a teacher.

Good luck to all of you - Kim, Courtney, Carrie, Janet, Lindsay, Dylan, Branko, Brian, Raghav, Nick, Mike, and Abbey!!! Have a fabulous student teaching adventure.

SMART Notebook and MS Powerpoint

Do you have Powerpoint presentations with information that you would like to work into a SMART Notebook? Maybe there are images or text that you don't have time to recreate.

You can import these Powerpoint files directly into SMART Notebook using File/Import. However, there may be a slight glitch. I attempted this using SMART Notebook v. 10.8 in Windows 7 and MS Office 2010. I had saved the Powerpoint presentation as an PPT 2010 file, the default file type. The SMART Notebook translator was unable to import the file.

To get this to work, I had to save the Powerpoint file as a Powerpoint 97-2003 presentation file instead. After that, the import worked like a charm. For the most part this was not a problem, since importing these files to Notebook loses the animation and special effects used in Powerpoint. At least all the text and images came across nicely, and I can add the animation and special effects available in SMART Notebook.

Do you have SMART Notebook files that you need to pass on to a Powerpoint user? You can export the SMART Notebook file as a Powerpoint file. Open the file in SMART Notebook. From the File menu, choose Export..., then Powerpoint. Each page of the Notebook file is exported as a Powerpoint 97 slide. Again, you lose the interactivity from Notebook, but can add these effects in Powerpoint. Any interactive Java objects are left behind and replaced with blank space on the Powerpoint slide.

You don't have to completely redo those presentations.

SMART Notebook Screen Capture Hint

I love the Screen Capture tool in Notebook software. Here's a tip.

You may have noticed, the area capture does not create an object the same size as the original. To get a screen capture image which matches the size of the original, be sure you have the View/Zoom setting on the Notebook page to 100%, not Entire Page or Page Width. Setting the zoom to 100% before choosing the Screen Capture tool will create an object the same size of the original.

Animated Text for SMART Gallery items

Here is a simple-to-use site for creating animated text. Their words:

Generate an animated text picture (gif) with texture in 10 seconds.

It really works that quickly, unless like me, you have a hard time deciding among all the cool effects and fonts. This took 5 seconds, after I finally decided on the texture and color.

http://textanim.com/

The images are .gif, so you can download them to your computer, insert them into a SMART Notebook file and move them to the Gallery in My Content folders. Very cool!!

Thanks to Shawn at http://findingyourwaywithsmart.blogspot.com/ for pointing out this fun site.