Viewing: October, 2014
October 28, 2014
Partial Quotients Support
OC Lesson 43
CC.4.NBT.6
Partial Quotients is a great way to learn division. It typically comes BEFORE learning the traditional method of long division, and it gets kids used to working with vertical division, as opposed to a horizontal equation. There can be slight differences in how different teachers introduce Partial Quotients, so I’m going to share with you a few different instructional videos that each take a slightly different approach to showing the process. This might create some confusion among students (for obvious reasons) so I encourage parents/family members to preview the videos and decide which one will best help their fourth grader, or to simply watch them themselves so they can consider using some of the different ideas when working on homework with their fourth grader.
Video 1 – Mr. Moss shows the methods introduced in class.
Coming soon!
Video 2 – This video shows a slightly different method. Instead of finding the partial quotients by doing smaller division problems, the teacher uses multiplication instead. This might “resonate” with some students more than my method, depending on how they think about math.
Posted in Learning Resources, Math, Unit 1|By Jon Moss
October 23, 2014
October 21, 2014
List 3 Spelling/Vocab Padlet Jeopardy Challenge
Click here or access the Padlet, below:
Posted in Homework Assignments|By Jon Moss
October 20, 2014
Where am I?
I’m sorry to be out today, but it’s certainly for a good cause! Each year, I attend the CECA (Connecticut Educators Computer Association) to learn new methods for integrating technology into my instruction. I work hard to make sure technology is a valuable learning tool, not just a gimmick that gets tossed in. Each year, I come away from the conference with specific ideas that I’m able to put into practice immediately following the event. This year, I’m excited to be presenting at the conference about methods of using class websites to facilitate collaborative eLearning! See you all tomorrow!
Posted in Class Updates|By Jon Moss
October 17, 2014
Dividing Tens, Hundreds, and Thousands
OC 38
CC.4.NBT.6
Posted in Learning Resources, Math, Unit 1|By Jon Moss
October 16, 2014
Dividing by Estimating Quotients and Multiples
OC 37
CC.4.NBT.6
Posted in Learning Resources, Math, Unit 1|By Jon Moss
October 16, 2014
October 15, 2014
Two-digit multiplication: Our first FLIPPED video!
Instructional videos are not a new part of our class website, but FLIPPED videos are! The videos are the same, but the purposes are a bit different. In the past, I’ve posted videos to support kids with their homework. These videos review skills from the day’s lesson and cover content that kids have already learned. Flipped instruction introduces new concepts as homework, usually through an online video. This is intended to preteach a skill that is new to students so that they have a bit of background to support them during the main lesson (usually to be taught the following day). I certainly don’t expect kids to have mastered a skill just from watching a short video, and it’s common that the next day’s lesson will extend the skill beyond what was covered in the flipped video. Sometimes kids will need to complete a problem to show they watched the video, but not always. (Tonight, for example, there is nothing to hand in.) It’s important to remember that that flipped videos are actual homework assignments, and that students are asked to watch them as their nightly assignment. (It’s not optional.)
Tonight’s homework is to watch a video about two-digit multiplication. Students shared that this was a bit challenging while I was out earlier this week, so I want to take another day to go to through it. Tonight’s video introduces two-digit multiplication with regrouping (which is the traditional method that most of us learned as kids). Here’s the link:
http://viewpure.com/RVYwunbpMHA
Posted in Homework Assignments|By Jon Moss
October 9, 2014
See the International Space Station TONIGHT!
Tonight will be a terrific night to get to see the International Space Station, in orbit around the earth, with your naked eye! The NASA website has information about when the ISS can be seen, depending on your location. In the Hartford area, the ISS will be visible for six minutes at 6:58pm, and for under one minute at 8:36pm. Be sure to rely on a cellphone to have the accurate time so that you dont miss it! I’m told that it looks like a big star, but you might think it’s an airplane because it’s moving. (Blinking lights mean you’re looking at an airplane. Solid light means that you probably have the ISS in your sights!) For more information about how and when to see it, visit the NASA website! Pretty neat, huh? I hope you can spot it this evening!
Posted in Learning Resources, Science|By Jon Moss
October 8, 2014
Week 2 Vocabulary Jeopardy
Tonight, we’re playing a Jeopardy game on Padlet! Students are asked to post clues to help classmates guess which spelling/vocabulary word they’re thinking of, and to guess the answers to other people’s clues! I’m posting a link (below) so that you can use it full-screen. The password is the lowercase name of the person who dances with us on Valentines Day. (Email me if you’re stuck!) Remember, no names online!
http://padlet.com/jmoss/wk2vocabjeopard
Posted in Homework Assignments|By Jon Moss