Reflection #9: Common Core Flashpoint

Make way! Common Core State Standards are coming through! Yes, they are here to stay. Well, at least for right now. With Common Core making a stance into our nation, the change from NCLB (No Child Left Behind) to the CCSS is a shift that is not necessarily adopted by all in a loving fashion. In the article, CCSS Implementation Becomes a Flashpoint for State and Federal Action, Richard Long talks about how CCSS are viewed through the public’s eye, the educators’ eyes, and the policy-holder or political leaders’ eyes. The views are torn, and I can see why. Many people see that CCSS will help improve the education of our students, make them more successful for after high school in either college or the work force, and parents are in support of having more successful and educated students. However, I see the other perspective of this double-sided coin. As a new teacher myself, I am having a harder time finding Common Core tasks that I can implement on a regular basis (twice a week, every other day, etc.) One part of the article that I noted was that CCSS might have had some bad timing. Long states, “This all comes at a time when class sizes are expected to increase, the number of child living in poverty are rising, and there are fewer dollars for professional development, curriculum development, new materials and technology.” I could not agree with this more. We are expected to make these educational changes when our environmental conditions couldn’t be worse. Another excellent point that Long makes is about how students under the NCLB system will not be able to adjust accordingly to the challenges of CCSS. At the high school level, we see this all the time! Students who are already into their secondary education are having trouble converting to the demanding work of the CCSS, and the students are uncomfortable with this last minute transition. After reading this article and listening to both sides, I still see both sides as a high school teacher. I think Common Core is going to be highly beneficial for our students, but we should be implementing CCSS at a lower elementary level and continue with them as they go through the educational system. 

Web Resource #2: Quizlet.com

 This web resource that I am writing about today is for those who like the idea of flashcards and drill of certain skills, but hate taking the time to make them! Quizlet.com is a site that many teachers know fondly, and it is a great resource for students inside and outside the classroom. This site is known for many different uses and content areas, but I’m going to focus on using this site for a mathematical purpose.  For the Quizlet flashcards, children at many ages can work and use the flashcards. However, these flashcards are probably most functional for students who are age 7 and up. For learning formulas and practicing memorization of the mathematical formulas and facts, this site is very appropriate for in-school use. There are not any bad advertisements displayed, and all of the flashcards that you can search for are all school-appropriate topics. For the specific Quizlet flashcards for mathematics, there are many content area connections. There are flashcards for almost every skill in mathematics that students need to memorize or drill quickly. If the user clicks on “start flashcards,” the flashcards appear one at a time, and the student can practice while sitting at the computer. The action of flipping the flashcards and reviewing the mathematical connections is a great tool for students to use. One con to this resource is that the only interactive aspect of this site is that the students get to click on the flashcard to flip it. Thus, there is some small interactive aspect, but there is not a large interactive aspect to use in the classroom that gets everyone involved for a long period of time. Luckily, to use the flashcards on Quizlet.com, you do not have to have a log in and password. You can use the search bar to find flashcards about a certain mathematical or non-mathematical topic to help review facts for students of any age!

Text Set #1: Surface Area and Volume of Three-Dimensional Figures

General Resources for Surface Area and Volume of Shapes

Books:

• Pack It Up: Surface Area and Volume

Chloe Lane

Ages: 12 and up

While the student is reading this book, he/she follows a student through the process of moving, from packing boxes to decorating a new bedroom and everywhere in between. Students also calculate the surface area and volume of rectangular prisms and cylinders using nets during this book. I like this scenario because it is something that people do almost once in their life, and it puts it into a great perspective of answering the question, “When will I ever use this?” I’m not sure if the students will do the calculations during the reading, but they have that option. 

• Ancient Mathematics

Serafina Cuomo

Ages: 16 and up

This book consists of the up-most important mathematics theorems and discoveries we know of today: The theorem of Pythagoras, Euclid's "Elements", Archimedes' method to find the volume of a sphere. This book talks about the ancient mathematics and how they were thought about and derived during  the fifth century BC to the sixth century AD, with the focus on the Mediterranean region. I think this is great foundation for students to learn about with mathematics, and it appeals to the history buffs in our classes. I do not particularly like how it reaches to other ancient mathematics that I might not cover in my math classes, but this could be a blessing as well while seeing how math played into the daily lives and issues during this time.

• Finding 3-D Shapes in New York City

Julia Wall

Ages: 8 and up

Three dimensional shapes are everywhere, and this book helps students realize that we see and use them every day. The pictures and situations of skyscrapers, statues, and trees in Central Park are kid-friendly, real-life situations that show readers how they can put math to work in their day-to-day lives. A variety of problem-solving activities and graphic organizers make these books ideal for learners and readers of all ages and levels. I wish it would have done a non-specific city so students would not be unfamiliar with New York City, but it is still a fun resource to relate to lower-level readers. 

Websites

•  Surface Area Formulas:

http://www.math.com/tables/geometry/surfareas.htm

Ages: 13 and up

Every surface are formula for all three dimensional shapes are given in individual boxes as the students read about what surface area is, what the variables stand for, and gives the reader helpful hints throughout the passage. It isn't just the formulas on a page. This text takes the reader through the material and how each formula is derived. This provides further understanding and helps students outside the classroom lesson.

• How to find Surface Area:

http://www.ducksters.com/kidsmath/surface_area.php
Ages: 12 and up

This site seems targeted toward younger students, but it actually does a very detailed and thorough job at describing what exactly surface area is and gives students various examples on how to compute surface area. It is easy to read, and it does an excellent job at communicating how to solve these problems step-by-step.

• Maths Dictionary for Kids:

http://www.amathsdictionaryforkids.com/dictionary.html

Ages: 7 and up

 

Dictionaries can be overwhelming, but this online dictionary is very kid-friendly and easy to read. On the left hand side, they can click which letter the word they are looking for starts with, and they can find their word in a word bank from there. Clicking on the word brings up the definition, and the student has the option of being more specific with the term, see examples, or use it in a problem.  With all of the three-dimensional shapes, students can see how the shape's surface area and volume are computed. This teaches them how to use and be comfortable when it comes to using references and resources, looking up words, and having confidence utilizing them. 

 

• Surface Area and Volume Flashcards:

http://quizlet.com/21623119/new

Ages: 13 and up

 

Students can go to this website and view the flashcards that are provided. The cards also have lateral area which is great. The cards are for students to practice memorizing and relating which formula goes with what shape. Students can also use this site to create their own flashcards if they need a quick resource. However, students will need to be familiar with the variables and what they represent in the equation.  

 

• Intro to Cell Biology: Surface Area and Volume Relationships:

http://suite101.com/a/intro-to-cell-biology-surface-area-and-volume-relationships-a359072

Ages: 14 and up; Teachers

 

This article relates the mathematical function of surface area and volume to cells of all living organisms and their overall function. Students want/need to see how this relates outside of shapes, and this is a great example of that. It also gives those students who are interested in medical field, the science of the body, biology, or any other science functions something to enjoy. 

 

• Volume and Surface Area| Geometrical Relationship?

http://mathsisinteresting.blogspot.com/2008/08/volume-and-surface-area-geometrical.html

Ages: 12 and up

Teachers usually get this question when they teach surface area and volume. As a teacher, I don't want to crush their interest or thinking by giving them the answer. Thus, this blog post presents the answer to this question in a fun way while breaking down how the different diagrams can show that the relationship between surface area and volume can be mathematically displayed instead of just students saying, "I think they are...?" It isn't a long post, but it does justice. 

 

• How Much Water is on Earth? 

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.html

Ages: 14 and up

 

After learning about surface area and volume of a sphere, lets put this into a real-world perspective. This article  informs about the amount of water the Earth holds. It refers this number to volume and the amount of area on Earth the water takes up. Students can learn a lot from this article about our environment, and it puts these mathematical computations into an interesting point of view.

• 3D Objects (Prisms, Cylinders, Cones, Spheres):

http://www.shmoop.com/basic-geometry/three-d-prisms-cylinders-cones-spheres.html

Ages: 12 and up 

 

Without a good understanding of the 3-Dimensional shapes, students have a hard time knowing how to compute surface area and volume. This site gives students clear definitions of the shapes, how they got the name,the sides, faces, etc. After reviewing the definitions, they can go on and look at surface area and volume definitions, as well. It is laid out very well, and students will be more confident during classroom conversations.

• Suface Area Zine: 

http://surfaceareazine.com/main/?page_id=261

Ages: 14 and up

This is an art magazine that features graphics artists, and it displays their pieces of self-expression. In some of the articles, it encourages students to draw their own piece of art that meets the surface area dimensions given.

Applications/Interactive Texts 

• Interactives: Geometry 3-D Shapes 

http://www.learner.org/interactives/geometry/area.html

Ages: 12 and up

From this home page, students can read more information about three-dimensional shapes. Once they feel comfortable with the basic shapes, they have many options to click on that are links in the tool bar. They can look at surface area and volume of the individual shapes, look more at 3-D shapes, visit and learn about Euler's Theorem, and then test their skills. This site gives great text for the students to read, but they might not need to click on all of this information. They do not need to get more confused, but it can also be looked for those students who look for enrichment. This site really breaks down the information on a level that relates to the middle or high school students, and the test your skills is a great interactive to have at the end.

• Measuring a Solid

http://msms.ehe.osu.edu/tag/volume-and-surface-area/

Ages: Teachers

This article from the Ohio State University's College of Education and Human Ecology shares how teachers can use and present how to use surface area and volume in various ways and hands on activities. They are very appealing to students, and they can help students see how these formulas work instead of memorizing them. Some activities are applets, and those might be a little foreign for some teachers if they do not understand what an applet is and how it works. 

• Geometry Nets

http://www.kidzone.ws/math/geometry/nets/

Ages: 12 and up; Teacher Resource

Nets can be very abstract to understand how they work, and it is the foundation to understanding three-dimensional objects, their surface area, and their volumes. There are many different three dimensional shapes, and this site offers printable nets for students to build, and it gives a great introduction of what nets are and why we use them. The text is student friendly, but it also is talking to the teacher audience which can be confusing if the reader is a student.