Pi-ku Poems: Pi Day 2017

Australia Pi Day Pikus Poems Student Work

Pi-ku Poems: Pi Day 2017

When nosotros celebrated our early on Pi Day (thanks to Spring Break!) lastly Friday, 1 of our activities was to write a pi-ku.  My students are familiar alongside haikus, in addition to thence they took to the action quite easily.  All I had to create was seat upward the syllable format on the SMARTBoard, in addition to they were off! 

I gave each pupil a 3" x 5" index card.  I instructed them to write their practise version on the lined side.  After checking syllables in addition to spelling, they were to write their lastly version using a colored mark on the unlined side.  

I had them record their pi-ku poems to the dry out erase board inwards groups past times degree catamenia for judging.  

First Hour's Pi-kus 

third Hour's Pi-Kus

Here are a few that jumped out at me.

Love that this 1 is pi 24-hour interval themed!

When 1 of the students figured out that my husband was going to live the judge, they went for the kangaroo theme.

This 1 was creative!

fifth Hour Pi-kus

This 1 was written past times the same pupil who wrote a poesy form rhyming exponents alongside bluish bonnets.

Here's some other pupil trying to larn the attending of my husband.  If you're non aware Macca's is what they telephone weep upward McDonald's inwards Australia.

Syllables aren't quite correct on this one...

I idea that this pupil had messed upward on the syllables for the starting fourth dimension line.  Then, my hubby reminded me that a lot of students pronounce my cite equally "Miss Carter" instead of "Mrs. Carter."

This 1 simply confuses me.

sixth Hour Pi-kus

So sad...

This one, too.

Ummm???

You odour similar shoes.

This 1 would live perfect if nosotros moved the words to a greater extent than or less a bit. :)

Love the donut 'o' on this one!

So, at that topographic point yous bring it.  Pi-kus 2017.  Already looking frontward to pi 24-hour interval adjacent year!

Quarter the Cross

Art Australia fractions Math Concepts Quarter the Cross

Quarter the Cross

If y'all haven't tried "Quarter the Cross" yet alongside your students, what are y'all waiting for???  Not certain what "Quarter the Cross" is?  You must destination straightaway together with read David Butler's spider web log post nigh it!  David has created a hundred solutions to this puzzle together with made them into a beautiful graphic.  Seriously, destination reading this post service together with start out reading his!  

Want to know a fun fact?  David industrial plant at Adelaide University, the same academy inwards Commonwealth of Australia that my husband graduated from.  It's crazy how twitter makes the basis seem SO much smaller!   

This year, I am instruction a shape called "Math Concepts."  It is a shape for ninth graders who are non yet create for Algebra 1.  During the starting fourth dimension semester, nosotros worked on basic equation solving, integers, fractions, together with decimals.  Fractions were a huge scrap for the entire class, together with I bring to acknowledge that I did non realize simply how many misconceptions they had.  We definitely improved inwards our agreement of fractions, but I nevertheless experience similar these students bring sooooooo many gaps.  

Initially, I was scared to orbit my students this assignment because I was afraid they wouldn't endure able to figure out how to shade 1/4 of the cross.  At first, they wanted to color inwards i of the squares.  We had a lovely conversation nigh how that wouldn't run because that would hateful nosotros had colored exclusively 1/5 of the shape.  Soon, a pupil suggested that nosotros could simply describe lines to split the cross into 4 shapes.  Then, nosotros could color i of these sections.  Once my students saw what 1/4 of the shape looked like, they started coming upwards alongside all kinds of their ain solutions.  I shouldn't bring doubted what these students were capable of!  

One pupil was super pleased alongside i of the designs she came upwards with, together with therefore she kept showing it to other students.  So, a few of the designs are a flake to a greater extent than similar than I had hoped for.  I can't acquire also mad, though, because it's super exciting to come across my students excited nigh math!   

Here are their solutions: 

I dear that fifty-fifty the imperfect solutions orbit me insights into how my students visualize fractions. I recollect the bottom left solution inwards the to a higher house motion-picture demonstrate would endure a skillful conversation starter alongside students!

Want this awesome canvass to purpose alongside your students?  I downloaded it from David Butler's spider web log post.  He also has a canvass that has i large cross for students to decorate.  I printed these out, but nosotros ran out of time.  I recollect nosotros may become dorsum together with revisit this activity afterward Christmas Break is over because i of my students mentioned during the final calendar week of final semester that nosotros should practise "those cross things again."  I justice that way this activity is a truthful keeper!

Back inwards USA alongside a Big Announcement

Australia Chemistry Summer Teacher of the Year

Back inwards USA alongside a Big Announcement

Several of you lot induce got sent me e-mails letting me know that my lack of posting of slow had you lot worried.  I desire to assure everyone that I am okay! For the past times 2 months, my married adult man in addition to I induce got been visiting Commonwealth of Australia amongst real express meshing access. We decided to induce got a twitter/blogging interruption in addition to focus on spending fourth dimension amongst menage unit of measurement in addition to friends. After 36 hours of traveling (thanks to a delayed flying that required rescheduling our finally flight) in addition to a expert sleep, nosotros are dorsum home.

To brand upward for the lack of posts approximately here, I hand you lot a photograph of kangaroos at a wild animals sanctuary inwards South Commonwealth of Australia in addition to a hope that I volition hold out breathing life dorsum into this weblog presently every bit I laid upward to start out my 6th twelvemonth of teaching.

Another argue things induce got been ease on the weblog front end is that I induce got busy every bit a number of beingness named i of twelve finalists for 2018 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year. Before nosotros left for Australia, I had to submit a binder/portfolio that consisted of a resume, photograph, in addition to 7 split essays. I spent over a calendar month on these essays, then it was neat tidings to take away heed that I got to deed on to the side past times side phase of the competition. As a result, I had to cinema a x infinitesimal video that captured my teaching fashion in addition to philosophy. It was supposed to incorporate classroom footage, but I've never been videoed spell teaching. Had they asked for this video during the schoolhouse year, I would induce got videoed a lesson. Instead, nosotros did the side past times side best affair in addition to edited the well from my NPR story in addition to added photos to hand the alternative commission a peek into what I am similar every bit a teacher.  I desire to nation a particular thank you lot to several MTBoS members who willingly gave upward business office of their summertime to cinema video testimonials which I was able to edit in addition to lay into my video. My married adult man deserves a meg thank you lot for filming my video clips in addition to editing all of the video clips submitted past times others to check into x minutes. I know pretty much nil almost video editing, then I wouldn't induce got been able to line this off without him. After submitting the video finally week, it feels similar a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

In my essays in addition to video, I focused on the importance of opening your classroom to the basis through social media. This allowed me to verbalize almost my weblog in addition to twitter, specifically #Teach180. It made me super happy to run across which quote the solid soil subdivision chose out of all my essays to lay past times my picture. The argue I continue blogging in addition to tweeting is for my students.

In a few weeks, I volition go to the Oklahoma State Capitol for an in-person interview. The winner volition non hold out announced until September.

I hope to organize my photos from our trip to Commonwealth of Australia presently in addition to write a weblog post almost some of our adventures. So continue an optic out for that soon. I'll likewise hold out certain to inundate you lot amongst classroom decorating ideas every bit I outset to prep for the novel schoolhouse year. This twelvemonth I volition hold out teaching iv sections of Algebra 1, i subdivision of Math Concepts (a course of didactics for 9th graders non yet create for Algebra 1), in addition to i subdivision of Chemistry. I'm relieved to hold out teaching chemical scientific discipline this twelvemonth instead of physical science. I am working my agency through my husband's 11th degree physics textbook at the moment, but I however induce got then much to acquire inwards guild to produce that course of didactics justice.  

Here's to to a greater extent than weblog posts soon!

Australian Adventures: Darwin

Australia Summer

Australian Adventures: Darwin

Now that I've been dorsum from Commonwealth of Australia for a few days, the jet lag is finally setting in. I had plans to postal service virtually origin calendar week of schoolhouse ideas, but I can't appear to remain awake long plenty to complete that post. So, I consider I'd part some photos of some of our Australian adventures instead.

These photos are from Darwin which is the capitol of the Northern Territory inwards Australia. Shaun's sis lives inwards Darwin, together with then nosotros visited her for a calendar week of our viii calendar week stay. If you're non super familiar amongst your Australian geography, here's a map courtesy of Wikipedia. I'm definitely non inwards a identify to estimate because I've forthwith spent 20 weeks inwards Australia, together with I nonetheless teach Queensland together with New South Wales mixed up...

Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Australia.png#file

We flew from Tulsa to Dallas (about an hr flight), from Dallas to Sydney (sixteen hr flying - it used to live on the longest commercial flying inwards the world), together with from Sydney to Adelaide (about a ii hr flight). Shaun's household unit of measurement lives close the Victoria/South Commonwealth of Australia border.

To teach to Darwin, nosotros took a iv hr flying from Adelaide. This was 1 of the worst flights of my life. My advice: Don't lead keep a iv hr flying when y'all lead keep simply come upwardly downward amongst the tummy bug. Thankfully, at that spot was a wonderful physician inwards Darwin who prescribed me some antibiotics that helped me experience good plenty that I could pass our in conclusion twenty-four hours at that spot doing touristy things.

Darwin Botanical Gardens - Darwin is inwards the tropics, together with then this was my origin fourth dimension inwards a true, tropical garden.

Walking Along The Wharf - Apparently nosotros were supposed to lookout adult man out for "Driverless Buses." We never saw one, but it didn't run past times away on us from becoming super curious. This article says that the motorbus is nonetheless alone operating amongst a driver present.

Crazy Acres Mango Farm - I'm non the hugest fan of mangoes, but Shaun is. So, he enjoyed the homemade H2O ice cream for the mango flavor. I enjoyed it because it was a cool treat.

Berry Springs Nature Park - Berry Springs is virtually 35 miles exterior of Darwin, together with it's a pop swimming hole for people inwards the area. The swimming hole is genuinely unopen for business office of the twelvemonth each twelvemonth due to the presence of crocodiles. Even though my sister-in-law ensured us that nosotros would live on condom from crocodiles at the fourth dimension of twelvemonth nosotros were visiting, I was nonetheless a combat nervous. Thanks to my tummy bug, I didn't halt upwardly climbing inwards the water. I simply dangled my legs over the edge.

More photos soon. I promise. After all, I can't run past times away on pictures of babe wombats together with videos of kangaroos eating almonds to myself.