DreamBox Learning®» Math Learning

Confessions of a DreamBox Parent

Blue — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:50:00 +0000

When I received that first email from DreamBox, I couldn't believe my eyes. What an outstanding surprise! All my prayers had been answered. It was like manna from the heavens. My wishes had come true. Well, that might be an exaggeration, but let me tell you, I sure was excited. If you're anything like me, you are curious about what your children do every day at school. Are they enjoying themselves? Are they learning anything? Are they progressing as people at all? If your child is anything like my kindergartener, then you know full well that getting answers to those questions from them is like pulling teeth. Except that with the teeth you actually end up with something in your hand. You might get a "Nothing" if you're lucky to enough to distract them from their Legos or Barbies. "I don't know," is likely what you consider the long winded version. When it comes to the math part of his education though, DreamBox gives me all the answers I need. Actually, I'm getting much more than I would have asked for. And I'm getting feedback on his math progress as soon as he and his teacher are. Whenever my son completes a lesson on DreamBox, my wife and I each get an email letting us know just how he is doing. We learn about the math concepts he is working on. We get an understanding of the progress he's making. We also are notified when he is struggling with something. These emails come every time he logs on to his account using the character he chose and the picture password he chose as well. If he's working through the DreamBox lessons every day, then DreamBox sends me an email every day. How many times do you get to sit down with your teacher and get some insight into your child's learning? Once or twice a year? If you are persistent, maybe you'll be updated more regularly. If your teacher happens to be into technology on a personal level, maybe you'll get some kind of general update about what the class has been doing the past few weeks, and possibly where they are headed in the next few weeks. Those updates are unlikely to carry the level of detail that I as a parent am looking for though. If this regular communication from DreamBox wasn't just the bees knees to begin with, then the recommendations they make following the update are just plain sweeter than honey. After a few sentences telling me what math concept my child is working through, DreamBox provides a suggestion about how we parents can reinforce this learning at home using live manipulatives. Here's an example of ideas I recently received. On-the-Run: Counting Fun: Ask your son to make equivalent amounts of objects, such as knives, forks, spoons, and napkins when setting the table; or to determine the number of items needed for all family members so everyone gets one. Finger Play: Hold up some fingers using two hands, but only show them briefly then put them behind your back. Ask your son to try to make the same arrangements with his fingers from memory. Is that the coolest thing or what? I am so happy with the progress and fun my child is having with DreamBox. It seems to me that the folks at DreamBox "get" learning so much better than some of these other computer folks. They understand that it's not all about the computer, or all about class time. They realize that parents and guardians must be involved. They know that to successfully engage a child in learning and creative thinking, time must be spent away from the computer using real world examples. With DreamBox, I'm learning what my child is doing in math in real time. I'm learning how to help my child think and learn about math in the real world. That is what makes DreamBox really, really great!

Tuesday Teacher Tips: Model Drawing

Lisa W — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:00:29 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Teacher Tips series! Each week we’ll highlight teaching and learning resources, ideas to use in the classroom, as well as things to ponder as you go about your teaching day. This summer I attended the workshop, “Introduction to Singapore Math Model Drawing,” presented by Susan Midlarsky. Model drawing is a problem solving technique in which students draw bars to represent problems pictorially. This method easily moves students to solving problems algebraically, because they can visualize where the missing variable is and how it relates to the problem. My district does not use Singapore Math, but our new math curriculum does use a form of model drawing and contains a heavy emphasis on problem solving. This year, I found that using bar models proved to be an excellent strategy to use with most students. It allowed them to clearly visualize the problem, especially when we learned more abstract concepts like ratios and fractions. However, for those students who easily solve word problems drawing models was a challenge. These are the students who when you ask for an explanation of how they solved a problem tell you, “I just knew it.” Being able to translate and explain their thinking is difficult for these students, but bar models can help them process their thinking and grasp how they arrived at the answer. So in the future, when they are presented with more difficult problems that they don’t automatically “know,” they have tools to aid in solving them. Do you use model drawing in your math program? What benefits and challenges have you experienced in implementing it in your classroom? Email and let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

On-Demand Webinar: Using Virtual Manipulatives to Jump-Start Your CCSSM Implementation

Tracy K — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:00:02 +0000

If you missed our webinar earlier this month on Using Virtual Manipulatives to Jump-Start Your Common Core State Standards Math Implementation, you now have the opportunity to view this webinar on-demand.

Webinar: Using Virtual Manipulatives to Jump-Start Your Common Core State Standards Math Implementation Duration: one hour Host: Casey Davidson, Director of Product Marketing at DreamBox Learning Presenter: Neal Manegold, National Board Certified Teacher, Curriculum & Instructional Designer at DreamBox Learning Audience: K–5 educators preparing to support teachers in implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) in the 2011–2012 school year. During this webinar, you will:

Learn about a variety of free virtual manipulatives that are designed to address the domains and the Standards for Mathematical Practice reflected in the CCSSM.
Understand which domains and practices each virtual manipulative addresses.
Share ideas and best practices for integrating virtual manipulatives into classroom instruction (whole group, small group, centers).
Obtain professional development resources and materials to support teachers in implementing the CCSSM
Participate in a live Q&A session with the presenters.

Additionally, you’ll get an in-depth look and a chance to explore these virtual manipulatives.
View the on-demand webinar on Using Virtual Manipulatives today!

2 Days Left to Register: Webinar on Jump-Starting Your CCSSM Implementation

Tracy K — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:00:45 +0000

There's just two days left to register for this free 60-minute webinar designed for K–5 educators preparing to support teachers in implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) in the 2011–2012 school year.

Using Virtual Manipulatives to Jump-Start Your Common Core State Standards Math ImplementationDate: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 Time: 11:00 AM PDT to 12:00 PM PDT Cost: FREE

Can’t make it to the live webinar? No problem — just make sure you complete the free registration process, and you will receive a link via email to a recording of the live event. With the new school year upon us, we know that educators are working hard to provide professional development and resources to their teachers to support them in implementing the CCSSM.

During this webinar, participants will:

Learn about a variety of free virtual manipulatives that are designed to address the domains and the Standards for Mathematical Practice reflected in the CCSSM.
Understand which domains and practices each virtual manipulative addresses.
Share ideas and best practices for integrating virtual manipulatives into classroom instruction (whole group, small group, centers).
Obtain professional development resources and materials to support teachers in implementing the CCSSM.
Participate in a live Q&A session with the presenters.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email from GoToWebinar with a unique link and instructions on joining the webinar. Learn more about this webinar and it's host and presenter on our Webinar Series page.

Face Value or Place Value?

Neal M — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:00:36 +0000

Throughout my teaching career, I’ve found that an understanding of place value is often at the root of a student’s struggle with math. Some researchers say we introduce place value too soon, others say we don’t do it soon enough. The Common Core Math Standards tell us to begin place value instruction as early as Kindergarten with increasingly sophisticated instruction through throughout the elementary grades. A major understanding to grasping place value has to do with understanding the difference between face value and place value of a digit. Try this with your primary students: 1. Show a child “16” on a piece of paper. Ask what does the “1” means? 2. Ask what does the “6” mean? 3. Put out a cup of counters and ask her to show you 16 counters. 4. Ask her to show you with the counters what the “1” means? 5. Ask her to show you with the counters what the “6” means. Here’s an example of the responses I often hear from primary children, even ones who consistently give correct answers to #1 and #2 1. Show a child “16” on a piece of paper. Ask what does the “1” mean? Child responds "10” 2. Ask what does the “6” mean? Child responds, “6 ones” 3. Put out a cup of counters and ask her to show you 16 counters. 4. With the counter show me what the “1” means? She points to one counter. 5. Show me with the counters what the “6” means. Counts out six counters. So what’s the teacher to do? First don’t assume that a child who can verbally identify the place value of numbers understands the structure of our base-ten number system. Students need to understand the role of 10s and learn to see 10 objects both as one group (the 1 in the tens place) and as 10 individual objects. Teachers can support a child’s conceptual learning by providing many opportunities to count quantities of objects by grouping them into 10s and ones, and recording the number. Teachers can help their students see the pattern that exists when they record how many there are---that the digit on the left represents the number of groups of ten and the other digit represents how many left over. The recording is very important; it connects the conceptual level with symbolic representations. This will help a child differentiate face value and place value.

Webinar: Using Virtual Manipulatives to Jump-Start Your CCSSM Implementation

Tracy H — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:00:21 +0000

Join us for a free 60-minute webinar designed for K–5 educators preparing to support teachers in implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) in the 2011–2012 school year.

Date: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 Time: 11:00 AM PDT to 12:00 PM PDT Cost: FREE Host: Casey Davidson, Director of Product Marketing at DreamBox Learning Presenter: Neal Manegold, National Board Certified Teacher, Curriculum and Instructional Designer at DreamBox Learning

Can’t make it to the live webinar? No problem—just make sure you complete the free registration process, and you will receive a link via email to a recording of the live event. With the new school year upon us, we know that educators are working hard to provide professional development and resources to their teachers to support them in implementing the CCSSM.

During this webinar, participants will:

Learn about a variety of free virtual manipulatives that are designed to address the domains and the Standards for Mathematical Practice reflected in the CCSSM.
Understand which domains and practices each virtual manipulative addresses.
Share ideas and best practices for integrating virtual manipulatives into classroom instruction (whole group, small group, centers).
Obtain professional development resources and materials to support teachers in implementing the CCSSM.
Participate in a live Q&A session with the presenters.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email from GoToWebinar with a unique link and instructions on joining the webinar. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

DreamBox Learning Virtual Manipulative Teaching Tools

During this webinar, you'll get an in-depth look and a chance to explore these virtual manipulatives. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Learn more about this webinar and it's host and presenter on our Webinar Series page.

Tuesday Teacher Tips: Two of Everything

Lisa W — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:00:34 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Teacher Tips series! Each week we’ll highlight teaching and learning resources, ideas to use in the classroom, as well as things to ponder as you go about your teaching day. About the Book I was recently introduced to the book Two of Everything: A Chinese Folktale (1993) retold by Lily Toy Hong. One day while Mr. Haktak was digging in his tiny garden he comes upon an ancient pot. He soon learns that the pot is magical and doubles everything that is placed inside of it. Mr. Haktak and his wife experience some difficulty with the magical pot. My favorite line comes after Mrs. Haktak falls in the pot and a second Mrs. Haktak appears. As the couple tries to figure out what to do with the new Mrs. Haktak, Mr. Haktak yells, “…If I put her back we will not have two women but THREE. One wife is enough for me!” (My husband would most likely agree with this sentiment!) Using it in the Classroom This book works well in introducing upper elementary students to input-output tables and expressing function rules algebraically. In the article, “Two of Everything,” from the October 2010 issue of Teaching Children Mathematics (available as a free download to NCTM members or $7.00 to nonmembers), Julie C. McNamara wrote of how she used the book in the classroom. After reading the story, McNamara created an input-output chart with picture representations of what happened in the story. Columns were labeled, “What goes IN the pot” and “What comes OUT of the pot.” Next, she drew another T-chart with only number representations. With the new T-chart the student were asked to describe in words what the chart represented. Students responded that numbers that were put in doubled, were multiplied by two, or “got a match.” McNamara furthered her students thinking by asking them to write the rule algebraically. For example, 2n or n x 2 or n + n. Later, she introduced students to another pot that yielded different results. For this new pot, when one item was put in, three items came out. After student predicted the rule, she continued by putting a new number of items in the pot. When three items were put in, five items appeared. She emphasized that a rule can’t be determined for sure after studying only one input-output pair. Students then created their own magic pot with an original rule and a corresponding T-table. The pots were used in an interactive bulletin board; students had to figure out the rule for each other’s pots. Further Application I think this would be a great lesson to start the year. It’s hands-on and concrete enough to pull your struggling learners into the lesson, but still challenging to your advanced learners, especially when students are asked to describe the rule algebraically. After this lesson, the “magic pot” could serve as a starter to the day. When students entered the classroom in the morning, there could be a picture of the magic pot with a corresponding input-output chart. Students could be asked to figure out the rule, describe the rule algebraically, and continue the chart with five additional input-output pairs. Have you used this book in your classroom? Tell us about it, we'd love to hear about other ways you used the book to teach math concepts. Related Resources Another book that could be used to partner with this book would be One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale, which was highlighted on an earlier post. In addition, check out an article in Teaching Children Mathematics (November 2007), “Developing ‘Algebra-‘Rithmetic’ in the Elementary Grades” that also uses Two of Everything in the classroom. References Demi. One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997. Hong, Lily Toy. Two of Everything: A Chinese Folktale. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman and Company, 1993. McNamara, Julie C. “Two of Everything.” Teaching Children Mathematics (October 2010): 132-136. Suh, Jennifer M. “Developing ‘Algebra-‘Rithmetic’ in the Elementary Grades.” Teaching Children Mathematics (November 2007): 246-253.

Tuesday Teacher Tips: Multiplication Posters

Lisa W — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:04:01 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Teacher Tips series! Each week we’ll highlight teaching and learning resources, ideas to use in the classroom, as well as things to ponder as you go about your teaching day. Recently my class made interactive posters, covering the school walls with multiplication facts. My students love seeing other kids in school—fellow third graders, first graders, or even the sixth graders—trying to solve the multiplication problems and then checking their answers. Materials needed:

Construction paper, 9 x 12
Index cards
Tape
Markers

How to: 1. Assign each student a multiplication problem. 2. On their construction paper, students should:

Write the multiplication problem two different ways (4 x 3, 3 x 4).
Write the corresponding repeated addition problems (4 + 4 + 4, 3 + 3 + 3 +3).
Draw a picture to go with the problem (an array or groups of objects).
Write the answer.
Tape the index card over the answer, just at the top so students can check the answer underneath.

3. When students finished, I assigned them a new multiplication problem. 4. Tape the posters around the school—near the drinking fountains, at the bathrooms, and in the lunch room—anywhere that lots of students will see them and try them out. What are some other ideas to get students thinking about math—even when they are in the hall waiting to get a drink? Email us and let us know. We’d love to hear what you do in your school!

Teaching Math Vocabulary

Sherry B — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 20:10:47 +0000

In a child’s everyday life, the meanings of words used in their general usage are often very different from their mathematical meanings such as similar, even, odd, multiply, factor, prime, and power. Talk to your students about the difference in meanings when common words have special mathematical meanings. For example:

even

face

faces

The language of mathematics

As you plan your next unit of math instruction, determine the relevant vocabulary you want to call out for your students. Create a “Math Words” class chart and add new words as they arise during instruction. Always explain the vocabulary by connecting its meaning to the learning experience.

What words your students should know

Check your district curriculum documents for terminology that your students are responsible for knowing. Once you’ve identified those words, you and your students can add these terms to your Math Words chart as students learn them in meaningful problem-solving contexts. For a list of examples, read our November Educator Newsletter. And remember - reinforcement is key! Continue to use the words repeatedly and encourage your students to use the vocabulary in discussions and in their writings. What methods do you use in your classroom or home to teach math vocabulary? Share your ideas with us - leave us a comment below!

Curriculum Progression and The Carnival

David G — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 21:48:52 +0000

I recently received this letter from a parent:

I am concerned that the amount of time my sons spend in the "Carnival" part of DreamBox may be affecting the speed of their progress. Do my children advance in placement when they spend their time at the Carnival and in My House? Or should I primarily limit them to the Adventure Park?

This is a good question, and to answer it, I'd first like to explain how progression works in DreamBox. Curriculum progression happens primarily in the "Adventure Park" section, where colorful characters present challenging lessons, helpful hints, and exuberant encouragement. As students complete the lessons in this area, DreamBox Learning’s GuideRight™ technology assesses their input, and offers new lessons based on the results. And, let's face it, if these lessons aren't completed, then the student isn't going to progress to the next grade. Because of this, you may very well ask, "if this is where the whole curriculum takes place, then why do the Carnival and My House areas exist?" Well, these areas are not without their own merits! The My House section may not seem very academic on first glance. However, it does serve as the main hub of DreamBox Learning's most vital tool: engagement. DreamBox works because kids have fun playing it, and part of that fun is collecting character cards, certificates, and other prizes. The My House area gives them the ability to customize their avatar, check out the cool rewards they've earned in the Adventure Park, and print certificates of their achievements. Also available in the My House section is a Toolbox, giving students unrestricted access to DreamBox Learning's signature Virtual Manipulatives - gadgets that help teach the strategies and techniques that students need to not only learn math, but to excel at it. The Carnival games are designed, first and foremost, to teach problem solving skills in math. They also give children a standard area they can return to, so they can very clearly see and understand how they are getting better at math. Adventure Park Lessons come and go, but Carnival games such as Dunk Tank and Frog Race can be revisited - and kids will be able to tell, based on past performances in the same game, how well they're doing now. This is a great way to reinforce their math skills, and build their confidence. As for the Carnival's contribution to curriculum progression, you can also see this for yourself. Simply log into your Parent Dashboard, find your child's progress page, and click "Get Details". You will notice that one of the Curriculum Categories on this page is called "Problem Solving". The only way to earn progress on this bar, is by playing games in the Carnival. You can tell which games affect which grade levels, by scrolling a little further down your student's Progress Report Detail page, to the Curriculum Completion section. Locate the "Problem Solving" section of each grade, and click on the green plus sign to the left of it. You can then see which game(s) are needed to fill that grade's Problem Solving bar. As with all things in life, moderation is the key. Students should definitely spend the lion's share of their time in the Adventure Park, and use the My House and Carnival sections as ways of "cooling off" between new lessons. My suggestion, would be to make sure your children spend at least 20 minutes in the Adventure Park, for every 10 minutes they spend in the Carnival and My House areas combined. You've got to take the "serious learning" with the "serious fun"! Do you have a question about DreamBox? Well, what are you waiting for? The DreamBox Learning Customer Support team is always just a click away; just use the “Send Feedback” button in the lower right hand corner of the DreamBox Learning game window, and let us know what’s going on. We can also be contacted about this, or about any other DreamBox questions you may have, at support@dreambox.com. We’re always more than happy to help you!