Video Lesson and Quiz Ready 11/22

Hi 5V Accel Math Families,

How are you? I hope your Thanksgiving was a good one and that the kids are relaxing and having fun. We all deserve it.

The video lesson titled: "REVIEW of discounts and operational thinking" has been uploaded to Edline. Please tell your child and kindly request from my side that they watch the video prior to class on Monday. If your family is busy and can not, I understand.

Please also remind your child that there is a mini 4 question survey/quiz to take. About half the class has taken the quiz already.  As a reminder, here is how to access the video and the survey/quiz:

After logging onto Edline and going to Mr. Vaid's class:

Video: Right side of screen is the content section: math lessons and resources>Unit 2>Video Lessons>REVIEW of discounts and operational thinking

Survey/Quiz: Right side of screen is the content section: math lessons and resources>Unit 2>Assessment for Learning>Math Operations Check


Thanks so much. We are on the cutting edge here and beginning to make learning more personal and meaningful for our students.

Mr. Vaid

Flipped Instruction Going Well; Will Continue: Update 11/26-11/30

Nearly all students this week participated in flipped instruction! 

Before I detail the week ahead, I wanted to let you know that the flipped instruction model in our math class is going very well. In a few moments I will elaborate on flipped instruction so you have a little more knowledge about it. I'll speak in simple terms and avoid teacher jargon. Anyway, I plan to increase the use of this model because the students are responding well to it.

A few things about flipped instruction:

What it is: 

• The nature of the name implies that what is typically done at home (homework and studying) can be done at school, and what is typically done at school (formal lesson and assessment) can be done at home. 

• Flipped instruction model allows for each student to work at a pace that is more conducive to his/her learning approach, style, and ability. 

• Flipped instruction allows for students to pre-learn or build background on a concept prior to coming to class and either beginning work or having the teacher re-teach the concept. 

• Flipped instruction provides more opportunities for a teacher to assess a student on an ongoing basis, and it allows a student to receive the proper type of instruction for that day's content; this could be re-teaching, enrichment, more one-on-one instruction, and small group instruction. 

• At its heart, when done well, flipped instruction promotes ongoing assessment and personalized instruction for each child, thus giving him/her the best context for learning, reflecting upon learning, and having opportunities for higher level enrichment. 

What is is NOT: 

• Flipped instruction is not "go home, watch a lesson, come to school the next day, and do work." It appears that on a very basic level this is what flipped instruction is, but trust me, being a teacher, there is a whole lot more to it; at its heart: ongoing assessment and personalized instruction. 

• Students learning solely on their own. While flipped instruction has a student watch an online video/tutorial or webcast initially at home, this is really what I like to call level one instruction. The next day in class, I make it a point to visit with each student and do follow up work and re-teaching. Sometimes that re-teaching is extensive (for a child whose assessment the nigh before shows me he/she really doesn't get it, and sometimes that re-teaching is a follow up with questioning. Sometimes the re-teaching really is enriching your child and posing more challenges, aka as enrichment. 

What are we Learning or re-learning this week before Friday's Test? 

• Skills and strategies for computation. 
• Context for computation (balancing our checkbooks)
• Higher level computation (calculating sales tax and discounts) 
• Exponential notation 
• Context for applying operations in word problems (Problem solving work) 
• How to better evaluate our math strengths and weaknesses (reflection) 

Okay, so maybe the test will be the following Monday or Tuesday. I will keep you posted. There is one standard left for us to introduce and that is: 

Standards:

5.NB.T2: Explain patterns in the number of zeroes of the product when multiplying by powers of 10. 

6.EE.1 Write and evaluate numerical expressions involving whole-number exponents. 

Buying a Car and Buying a House. Update: 11/12-11/16

We rely on strategy as opposed to guesswork. 

Greetings 5V Math Families!

Buying a car involves every basic computational component: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Last week, the kids began the purchase process and quickly found that after calculating sales tax and interest, buying a car is not as easy and simple as it appears.

Recap of standards addressed last week: 

-Fluently add, subtract, multiply, and divide multi-digit decimals using the standard algorithm for each operation. (6.NS.3)

-Fluently divid multi-digit numbers using the standard algorithm. (6.NS.2)

-Interpret and compute quotients of fractions and solve word problems. (6.NS.1)


This week's standards focus: 

-Fluently add, subtract, multiply, and divide multi-digit decimals using the standard algorithm for each operation. (6.NS.3)

-Fluently divid multi-digit numbers using the standard algorithm. (6.NS.2)

-Explain patterns in the numbers of zeros of the product when multiplying a number by owes of 10, and explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point when a decimal is multiplied or divided by a power of 10. use whole-number exponents to denote powers of 10. (5.NBT.2)

Transfer of Knowledge: 

-Continue process of buying a car.

-Calculating sales tax

-Calculating interest

-Determining monthly payment

-Debiting amounts from checkbook

-Crediting checking account

-Debiting and crediting savings account

-Begin purchase inquiry into a home

-Space exploration and distance

Review of Mathematical Practices: 

We try to incorporate each of these practices during the math week. 

Let's go Shopping! Update: 10/29-11/2

Risk taking can pay off...in time. 

I'm sure by now the kids have told you about their careers and their yearly income. Did they tell you about their net salary and how their tax bracket taxed 10-15-25% of portions of their income? We had a great time in math last week and through our authentic context and theme we are able to apply many of the content that the standards for unit 2 call for students to learn. Please refer to the standards sheet I emailed last week.

Last week we:

* Started our careers and found out our annual income.
* Found percentages of whole numbers to calculate our income tax.
* Divided to determine our monthly pay as well as payday amount.
* Went out to eat to practice addition and multiplying by decimals to calculate sales tax.
* Balanced our checkbooks to make debits and practice subtraction.

This week the standards call for more application of content including:

* Addition of numbers with decimals
* Subtraction of numbers with decimals.
* Multiplication of numbers with decimals
* Division
* Understanding place value.
* Estimating

Some activities we will do to apply the content from the standards:

* Grocery shopping
* General shopping
* Calculating sales tax
* Balancing our checkbooks

On Halloween, the 5th grade kids will stay in their homerooms to do a fun estimation activity inspired from our read aloud Because of Mr. Terupt and they will try to determine how many blades of grass our soccer field has!

Taxes, Budgets, and Bills Oh My! Update: 10/22-10/26

Good afternoon 5V Math families. The students are beginning unit 2 (Computation of whole numbers and decimals) this Monday. With that said, we are weaving an ambitious theme as part of the context that will carry the lessons.

"Ambition is the last refuge of the failure"-Oscar Wilde (Ironic Twist?)

When we study the concepts from the common core standards and use our math practices, we will apply the skills in a meaningful context of finance. Each child will be given an occupation and with that a corresponding yearly income. They will be responsible for calculating tax on income, sales tax on imaginary grocery shopping they do, and use their earning to manage a monthly budget that will account for utilities and other purchases.

Within the process I plan to give them some background on how to buy a home and a car. I'm no financial expert, let's get that straight, and I know the tax bracket workings can be complicated, but my goal is for the student to get practice applying the computation skills with relevance to everyday life. We won't (nor can/should we) get into specifics, but I think the kids will enjoy the practice of balancing a checkbook register (or something in that form), learning about down payments, calculating sales tax, and car shopping among others.

Like I said, the skills will be weaved through this context. Assessments will be made on executing the skill itself as well as application of the skill in the age appropriate format. In other words, no one will be penalized if they can't balance their checkbook. But I will look for meaningful ways to assess their ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and use exponents. Please refer to the email about the standards and learning outcomes I sent on Friday!

Here is a tentative schedule for this week's skill practice:

Monday: Understanding percents,  multiplying decimals, and subtracting (decimals too)
Tuesday: Understanding percents,  multiplying decimals, subtracting, and  dividing (decimals)
Wednesday: adding, subtracting, dividing (with decimals too)
Thursday: Small groups 
Friday: TBD

Winding Down Unit 1: Update 10/8-10/12

Problem Solved? 

Hi 5V Math Families,

How are you? We are ending Unit 1 this week and our class will take its first test (The Unit 1 test) sometime next week on Tuesday. I am hoping by the end of the week, I can have some resources on the Edline Learning Portal for your students to study. We are going to use this Friday and the following Monday to study together. I am going to teach the students an effective way or two to study for math tests in general.

I will also be attempting to get your email addresses this week. A lot of students are in my homeroom and thus I have their contacts, but some are not so I will make that attempt, or I will simply look up your information on the student services system we have in place. I will be in touch with you soon.

Here is what we are up to this week:

Monday 10/8: No School: Columbus Day 

Tuesday 10/9: We will learn how to collect data by learning to make a visual organizer for the data. We are going to eventually make circle/pie graphs on Wednesday with data we collect about the kinds of cars May Watts' staff drives. 

Wednesday 10/10: Today we will create circle graphs and visually represent the data we collected about the kinds of cars (colors, American, non-American, Sedan, non-Sedan) cars May Watts' staff drives. Kids will learn how to use the percent circle and construct circle graphs. Kids will also try to interpret the data and ask themselves what conclusions they can draw from it. I will attempt to meet with small groups to reinforce and re-teach previously taught concepts. 

Thursday 10/11: Problem Solving and Small Group Day: The kids will be posed with a challenging math problem to solve. We will study a 5 step strategy when attacking challenging word/story problems. We always study strategies when we problem solve. Students will be asked to show how they solved the problem and why they took the steps they did. I will meet with small groups to reinforce and re-teach a variety of concepts. 

Friday 9/28: Today we will go to the computer lab and I will help the kids learn to better navigate the Edline learning portal. At the same time, we will study a strategy for studying for math tests. Students will create a mock test to anticipate problems and practice concepts. 

Get Ready to Exercise!: Update 9/24-9-28

Maybe we will incorporate a study of football with math this year!

Hi 5V Math Families!

We've been busy counting marbles, making ice tea, standing on one foot, and now we're going to do some exercise. Our class loves to use authentic data to visually represent and then analyze. The kids are improving their scientist capabilities by interpreting data in a more mature fashion.

Here is what we are up to this week:

Monday 9/24: W will finish constructing box and whisker plots for school wide marble data and we will analyze the data by making interpretations. 

Tuesday 9/25: Ice Tea Day: We are going to use problem solving decision making strategies based on studying rate and needs analysis to purchase the amount of supplies at varying costs for the ice tea business. The kids will also establish a price for the drink based on the cost to produce. Eventually, we are going to visually represent the data as per our standards this unit! 

Wednesday 9/26: Line Graphs! We are going to study the relationship between rest time and pulse rate! So, let's see if those heart rates rise with less and less rest between exercise. 

Thursday 9/27: Small Group Day: I have some friends to see. Based on the quizzes, I am going to help our math friends with long division, long multiplication, and mean absolute deviation! The kids made awesome histograms by the way! 

Friday 9/28: Small Group Day 2 and finish Ice Tea Day work from Tuesday! 

Please ask your child about the Edline learning portal. We are going to do online learning through it. There are resources there for your child to use in order to learn and study. I will also post some HW this week on Edline. Kids will also have math discussions this week on Edline.