DreamBox Learning®» teaching kids

Tuesday Teacher Tips: Gearing Up For a New Grade Level

Lisa W — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 22:39:18 +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. One thing I love about teaching at the elementary level is that you’re not locked into one grade level. With my license I can teach first through sixth grade. Over the years I’ve taken advantage of that flexibility and have been a classroom teacher at the 1st, 3rd and 5th grades. There are definite pros and cons to changing teaching positions. I have colleagues who have taught the same grade level for many, many years. Those teachers I admire since I see them as the experts at a grade level. They know their grade intimately—the developmental level, curriculum, and standards. For me, these are the go-to people for expert grade-level advice. I believe I bring a different expertise to my grade level teams. I have the experience of the various grade levels behind me; I know where the kids have been in the curriculum and where they are going. When I teach a new concept and the kids look at me like they have never seen anything like it, I can remind them, “Remember in third grade when we did something similar?” And suddenly the light bulbs go off and they nod, “Oh yeah, I remember.” Next fall I move from 3rd to 5th grade. I’m excited for the change. Even though changing grade levels is difficult and its time consuming learning a new curriculum, for me, it keeps my teaching fresh and gives me a new perspective on the elementary experience. Are you someone who prefers to stay primarily at one grade level or someone who seeks out new grade-level assignments? Email and let us know. We’d love to hear about your teaching experiences.

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!

Tuesday Teacher Tips: Valuing the Wrong Turns

Lisa W — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 17:00:30 +0000

"Mistakes are the portals of discovery" - James Joyce

There are many times when driving to a new place that I’ve gotten lost. Temporarily this is always an inconvenience, especially if I was already running late. But when this happens I pull over, take out my map, and locate my current location. The next thing I do is figure out where I was going and how to get there. It’s during this process of stopping and reevaluating that I usually realize where I made the wrong turn. In the meantime, I’ve learned a whole new part of the city that I never knew before. And the next time I’m in this neighborhood I can easily navigate, since I’ve learned from my experience of errors. Every year I share this with my students. Recently, my class was working on three-digit subtraction that required regrouping. I put a problem on the board and gave them time to solve it. When they had finished, I invited students to demonstrate and explain how they solved the equation. As he listened to one his peers, one student in the room gasped, “Oh! That was my wrong turn!” I could almost see the big cartoon light bulb flash above his head. He volunteered to explain his mistake and told the class what he learned for future problems. I believe that the most valuable learning experiences are our errors. The journey that takes us on winding paths and wronged forks in the road sometimes gives us the needed tools for future problem solving and makes the end destination of understanding so much sweeter. What stories from your life do you share with your students to help them in their learning process? We’d love to hear them!

The Value of Money, One Toy at a Time

Tracy H — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 02:20:28 +0000

Finding the happy balance between buying toys for your children and the concept that “money doesn’t grow on trees” can be a challenge for some parents. My friend had a great idea on this. She has two children, six and eight years old, and they’re constantly competing for who has the most toys. Her approach to teaching her kids the value of money is to teach not just how much each toy costs, but how one toy could "buy" other toys. For example, one child wanted an MP3 player and the other wanted a doll. Mom explained that one MP3 player was the same value as seven dolls. When it came time to purchase toys for both children, understanding the options helped her children makes educated decisions. One child chose the MP3 player, while the other chose a doll and several other smaller toys – there were no more arguments over who got the better deal! I thought this was a great case of a mom taking a cue from her child; she used the opportunity to teach an important lesson in an engaging way that her kids really understood. Recognizing equivalency is a math concept that kids are learning in 1st and 2nd grade, so this might not work for children that are much younger than that. Do you have a great example of how you’ve taught your children the value of money? Share your experience by posting below, or leave a comment on DreamBox Learning's Facebook page!

15 Fictional Teachers We Love

Tracy — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:28:33 +0000

Here's a blog we've always wanted to write. Some teachers have been part in our lives even if they weren't real!

1. Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World

It’s a textbook formula for laughs: nerdy teacher with funny name + two pranksters (and one vegetarian) = amusing sitcom. Mr. Feeny was the stern teacher and neighbor in Boy Meets World who shaped the lives of Cory, Topanga, and Shawn forever. Unlike Mr. Turner, the kids’ idealistic, motorcycle-driving English instructor, Feeny takes an old school stance. Feeny isn’t the teacher kids want; he’s the teacher kids need. As Cory and his friends turn from fledglings into full-fledge adults, the audience gets to see Feeny’s impact on their life decisions. Lovable Lines: Mr. Feeny: Believe in yourselves. Dream. Try. Do good. Topanga: Don't you mean, do well? Mr. Feeny: No, I mean "do good."

2. Ms. Frizzle from Magic School Bus

Source: teacher.scholastic.com

Part of a teacher’s job is to show kids the world. And it helps when the teacher is out-of-this world! Enter Ms. Frizzle. She takes her classroom on an unforgettable ride – into the solar system, under the bed, into the American Flag, into the human body… Ms. Frizzle makes every day an adventure; every snafu, a learning opportunity. Is it the magic school bus that lets her kids see so much? Or simply, imagination? We love Ms. Frizzle for helping children see the magic behind math and science. Lovable Lines: Take chances, make mistakes, get messy.

3. Mr. Holland from Mr. Holland's Opus

When the story begins, he's a composer who takes a teaching job just to pay the bills and enjoy more free time with his wife. Mr. Holland soon realizes that teaching is much more than a day job and devotes endless hours and all of his energy to his students, who improve dramatically. However, as his students improve, his personal life unravels when he finds out his son is hearing impaired. Mr. Holland reminds us that teaching isn't just a 9-5 job. It takes dedication, talent, and passion. Lovable Lines: Play the Sunset

4. Mr. Cooper from Hangin' with Mr. Cooper

Sense of humor? Check. Compassion? Check. Coolness. Check Check. If Mr. Cooper was a real P.E. teacher, there would be a waitlist for his class. In the show, he’s an ex-NBA player-turned substitute. He can dunk a basketball and roll it from one arm to the other. Plus, he comes with one catchy theme song (Coo-oo-oo-ooper…) Lovable Lines: Earvin (while working at "Clown Burger"): "I'm a clown!" Cooper: "I know that, but what do you work with?"

5. Mr. Kotter from Welcome Back Kotter

Source: scrapetv.com

How many of us wonder what it would be like to return to high school as a teacher? No wonder Welcome Back Kotter was so popular. Mr. Kotter returns to his alma mater to teach a group of students, known as the “Sweathogs,” in remedial classes. He recognizes that the kids aren’t hopeless, just misunderstood. Instead of casting them off as misfits who don't have a chance, he applies lessons to situations they understand. And it works! Lovable Lines: Kotter: What would have happened if George Washington quit, huh? If Abraham Lincoln quit? What would have happened if Murray Cornfeld quit? Freddie: I ain't never heard of no Murray Cornfeld! Kotter: You know why you never heard of him? 'Cause he quit!

6. Mr. Keating from Dead Poets Society

O Captain! My Captain! Mr. Keating from the Dead Poets Society taught his group of prep school boys to carpe diem and to shake off societies' conventions. Mr. Keating's unconventional methods (which include ripping out pages of a textbook) later get him fired. As he leaves, a student cries out O Captain! My Captain! And Keating realizes his poetry pupils will be seizing every day from then on. Lovable Lines: Sucking the marrow out of life doesn't mean choking on the bone

7. Mark Thackeray in from To Sir with Love

Source: imdb.com

Mark Thackeray has a tough job: he's a black teacher, in 1967, in a predominately white London school. His classroom comprises rough and tumble inner city kids who drove their last teacher to resign. After several pranks and incidents, Thackeray comes to the conclusion that he's been treating the teenagers too much like children, tosses those textbooks, and gives the kids a bit more freedom. Lovable Lines: Student: They got their minds made up about us, Mr. Thackeray Mark Thackeray: Then change them.

8. Yoda (you surely know what Yoda's from!)

They say the more you age, the wiser you become. There’s no better example of this than Yoda, the old sage from the planet Dagobah who helps Luke Skywalker destroy the Dark Side in the original Star Wars trilogy. Yoda, who is 900 years old in the film, teaches Luke the ways of the Force so he can become a Jedi Knight and ultimately defeat the Galactic Empire. Just another reason you should listen to your grandparents when they corner you in a room. Lovable Lines: Do or do not. There is no try.

9. William Forrester from Finding Forrester

William Forrester, a famous author who became a recluse in top floor apartment takes 16-year-old Jamal under his wing as a student of sorts. And this is even after Jamal breaks into his apartment on a dare. Mr. Forrester is the type of teacher who will be honest with you, even if it hurts. But his honesty teaches you to take life into your own hands and overcome the hardships of the world outside one’s home. Lovable Lines: Writers write things to give readers something to read.

10. Mr. Bergstrom from The Simpsons

The voice of Mr. Bergstrom

When Ms. Hoover becomes sick, Mr. Bergstrom comes in to teach Lisa Simpson and the rest of their class in this classic episode of The Simpsons. Mr. Bergstrom’s enthusiasm for teaching reinvigorates Lisa’s love for learning while showing her that the only person she needs in order to succeed is herself. Oh, and he’s voiced by Dustin Hoffman, so that alone makes him pretty awesome. Lovable Lines: Principal Skinner: Are you the substitute? Mr. Bergstrom: Yessir, yes I am. Principal Skinner: Are you insane? Mr. Bergstrom: Uh, no sir, no I'm not. It's my way of getting their attention.

11. Sister Mary Clarence from Sister Act

Deloris Van Cartier, a lounge singer-turned-nun, turns a group of tone-deaf singers into a choir even the Pope can get behind. She does so by teaching them how to sing with feeling, and to believe themselves when all seems lost. Lovable Lines: How can you say that? I worked my butt of with these women! They've given up their free time to do this, and they're GOOD! I mean, sister, we could, we could ROCK this place!

12. John Kimble from Kindergarten Cop

Police Detective John Kimble is used to taking down criminals, not taming 6-year-olds. But this doesn’t keep him from using his police training to teach these kids respect towards others and discipline. Oh, and it also helps that he has a pet ferret. What kid wouldn’t want a pet ferret!? Lovable Lines: You should be reading stories about bears that go shopping!

13. Mr. Hand from Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Source: theboxset.com

Mr. Hand is another teacher who lives under the motto of "tough love," constantly badgering his nemesis Jeff Spicoli in hopes that it’ll whip him into shape. When Spicoli continues to ignore him, Mr. Hand has no chance but to show up at Spicoli’s house and have an at-home lesson on prom night. Spicoli realizes just how horrible he was to Mr. Hand and shocks him by apologizing. All is forgiven! Lovable Lines: [Mr. Hand writes “I don’t know” on the blackboard] Mr. Hand: 'Mr. Hand, will I pass this class?' Gee, Mr. Spicoli, I don't know! You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to leave your words right up here for all my classes to enjoy, giving you full credit of course, Mr. Spicoli. Jeff Spicoli: All right!

14. Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid

Teaching can come from anyone, even your residential maintenance man. Such was the case for Daniel LaRusso in the film The Karate Kid. Daniel becomes a student of Mr. Miyagi after he watches him dispatch some high school bullies. Daniel believes he will become a karate master. Mr. Miyagi instead teaches Daniel to have a sound mind and body and become a well-rounded individual capable of tackling any situation. Lovable Lines: Wax on…Wax off

15. Mr. Belding from Saved by the Bell

High School principals don’t always get the best rap, but Mr. Belding was a principal we all wish we had. Goofy but stern, Mr. Belding could make a bad joke one minute, then give the students at Bayside High School a life lesson the next. That was if he didn’t fall for one of Zach Morris’s pranks first. Lovable Lines: Mr. Belding: Screech, you can't elope. Screech: Who're you calling a cantaloupe, you melon head?

Sometimes Things Just Don't Compute…

Nigel — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:49:23 +0000

How does a teacher, who doesn't realize a student has a problem, help them overcome it?

The genesis of how DreamBox does assessment, and one of the reasons I am with the company, occurred over 30 years ago when one of my relatives was diagnosed with a learning disability. This surprised us and shocked his teachers, who considered him to be in the upper middle to top third of the class for math. His test scores consistently supported this. In many areas he was significantly ahead of his peers. Yet a detailed examination with an expert showed that for him division just didn't compute. Put another way, his brain simply wasn't "wired for division". What does this mean? Well, you could ask him something like "If there are four children and each one has three oranges, how many oranges are there in total?" and you'd get the correct answer every time. If you instead asked "If I have twelve oranges and am going to give an equal number to each of four children, how many does each child get?" you might just as easily get an answer like "seven?" or "six" as "three". How had all the very good teachers at a very good school missed this through most of primary school? As it turns out, for a lot of years you can do pretty well at math tests if you get close to 100% of all the questions correct that don't involve division. Or if the teacher only removes a few points for the "one little mistake" you made in the division part of a problem. Or if you have developed strategies to compensate that often approximate the correct answer, without understanding what you were doing. The simple fact was that no-one over the years tracked the specific type of problems that caused difficulties for this student. And - this being a traditional "English" school - most teachers were more interested with how many answers were correct than how those answers were obtained.

DreamBox Learning Personalizes Online Math Education

So when we started working on what became DreamBox math I wanted to develop a system that would analyze each action the student took as they made it and respond accordingly, adapting automatically to provide the structured support each student needs as they need it. I also wanted a system that could provide specific feedback to parents and teachers identifying not only areas of strength but also weakness. It didn't take long to realize that a system that adapts like this would work for all ages and skill levels. DreamBox Learning K-2 Math is our first small step towards this goal and by all accounts is helping children across the spectrum learn math. Though specifically designed for home use, this version is already in use in over 800 schools and is proving particularly valuable for teachers of remedial math. No child should struggle with math because a learning problem goes undiagnosed and unaddressed. However, recent studies (such as that by the Education Trust that detail how some teachers "are just one chapter ahead of their students") show that in some communities this is unfortunately not only possible, but likely. So I am personally looking forward to working on a more school-oriented version of DreamBox, and to the day when DreamBox math is a valuable tool in every teacher's toolbox for ensuring each of their students is successful at math, no matter what difficulties they may face. Oh, and how did things turn out for my relative? Things were tough for him for a while. Eventually he became a spreadsheet guru and has created inventory and financial management systems for corporations in the U.S. and overseas.

Does Mandating Higher Academic Standards Work?

Sue — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:15:21 +0000

There’s no question that a strong foundation in algebra is one key to raising academic standards, increasing the competitiveness of our future workforce and opening doors to broader career choices for students. But my attention was caught recently by the study of the effects of mandating algebra in 9th grade.

The Effects of Mandating Algebra in School Math Programs:

In 1997 the Chicago school district was one of the first to require that 9th graders take algebra to help ensure that its high school graduates would be ready for college. And many districts have followed—Minnesota and California even requiring it in 8th grade, assuming the California policy is implemented. However, researchers found rising failure rates, and the algebra mandate “did not seem to lead to any significant test-score gains for students in math or in sizeable increases in the percentages of students who went on to take higher-level math courses later on in high school.” (You can read the Edweek article I’m quoting here.) But isn’t it obvious that if algebra is the needed foundation for their future, kids need the right early foundation to be successful in algebra? All of which reinforces my belief in the importance of what we’re doing at DreamBox: helping more kids develop conceptual understanding and fluency with basics—like number sense and computation—and giving them engaging ways to develop problem solving skills. We're helping kids to be confident and well prepared for success with algebra.

Confessions of a DreamBox Teacher/Parent

Laura — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:48:07 +0000

I am a DreamBox teacher as well as the parent of a pre-schooler. I must confess there are times I have a hard time not helping him play DreamBox. He really enjoys playing and he is learning a lot. But there are times when the games are challenging for him. The parent in me hates to hear my son frustrated or struggling. But I know it is good for him to learn to persevere and work through difficulties in order to learn. I feel like the “baby whisperer” but instead of trying to decipher the meaning of my child’s cries, I am deciphering his reactions to DreamBox. I am becoming a “DreamBox whisperer”! By helping my son through problems that may be challenging for him, I am not allowing the program to work as designed. The GuideRight™ technology adapts the lessons depending on the students responses to each problem. Even helping with a few questions could quickly put him in lessons that are over his head.

Learning Math the DreamBox Way

So, how do I avoid helping too much? I’ve set him up to be as independent as possible. When he wants to play DreamBox, he clicks the icon on the desktop and he signs in to his account. I sit in a chair close enough to see the screen but not close enough to touch the computer. I always have either a book or the newspaper to read. This helps set the tone for independence. And then I listen. I listen for what games he is choosing. I listen for whether he is getting answers correct or incorrect. I listen for his reactions. I try not to react the first time he says something. But I do take note of what he says, what lesson he is working on and where he is at in the lesson. If he is at the beginning of a lesson, he often just needs help understanding the directions. This is where the Help Button is useful. My son loves reminder rhymes, so we came up with “Clicking twice is nice.” When he asks for help, I remind him that “Clicking twice is nice” and he checks the help before asking me. This has also helped me to not just jump in but to let DreamBox do its job. If he continues to complain about something, I start to evaluate what is going on. I’ve had a couple AHA moments. One is that there are a multitude of reasons for him to whine or complain while playing DreamBox and many have nothing to do with the program! He often likes to play when we get home at the end of a long day. At first this seemed great; he can play while I make dinner. But nope! I’ve found he is tired, hungry and cranky. He has also asked to play first thing in the morning. Again, this seemed like a good time to play. But nope! He is not a morning person. He wakes up hungry and cranky. I’ve found the best time for him to play is right after lunch or dinner. Because he is a preschooler, there are times when he gets a lesson that challenges him. He doesn’t like to be wrong and often grumbles when he gets something incorrect. If I continue to hear grumblings on a particular game, I talk to him about what is frustrating him. Sometimes he just needs me to restate the directions. Other times I need to encourage him to take a break from the lesson map and try some of the carnival games. And yes, sometimes I realize he’s four and I’ve let him play WAY too long and he needs to log off the computer!

In Pursuit of the Right Kind of Homework

Lou — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:41:36 +0000

Let me begin by encouraging you to read this Washington Post article on the failings of homework. For those who want the CliffsNotes, the net is that rote, unimaginative, repetitive, grinding and brutally boring homework doesn’t help. To the contrary, it actually hurts students across several fronts. This is not to say that all homework is bad. In fact, of the following varieties of homework, only the first presents the real problem:

Traditional homework (aka busy work).
Supplemental learning.
Longer-term / self-directed projects.
Direct test preparation (not to be confused with yearly WASL-like testing).

Is Homework Simply a Tradition for Elementary School Kids?

My oldest son goes to a school with some pretty incredible teachers. They make learning fun and it shows because he LOVES and works hard at school. As is the norm, however, a fair mixture of his homework is lengthy and of the traditional variety. Despite his natural desire to do well, he is already complaining about these homework assignments -- he views them as both a chore and infringement on his family / personal time. My wife and I completely appreciate his position (as does his ever-watchful younger brother). As a 2nd grader, is he already burning out? Will he lose his affinity for school, or worse, learning? Is it worth the household tension it creates? Does it come at the expense of other meaningful activities? Or is it all just an acclimating phase? We really can’t blame the teachers or the administration for providing traditional homework -- they are responding to well-meaning, but otherwise misguided, parents clamoring for more for the sake of more (and, of course, for the varietal of homework these parents received as children). That said, my wife and I wish his school were able to educate (read: convince) other parents about the homework big picture and how it relates to their child’s education. Until then, school assignments of any variety must get done in our household . . . even though I can always feel the BTUs generating from my wife as she prepares to do battle with my son to get it done on time and with bona fide effort.

Voting With the Teachers on the Standardized Curriculum

Sue — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 23:09:36 +0000

The Bellevue, Washington teachers have thankfully settled their strike and are back in their classrooms. At DreamBox we followed their issues with heightened interest, not only as parents of elementary kids and educators, but as citizens of a society that badly needs children who grow up to be smart, serious, and engaged problem-solvers. A key issue for teachers was the curriculum instituted in the past decade. The district is considered one of the best in the state, as measured by test scores and a high level of college attendance, and four of its schools are in the top 100 high schools in the country according to Newsweek’s 2008 ranking. So what’s the problem? Teachers objected to the scripted curriculum mandated by the district -- a top-down approach that required teachers to stick to the daily curriculum, which teachers claimed doesn't take into account individual student needs.

Standardized Curriculum Ignores Individual Needs for Learning

In some districts, standardization is being taken to extremes. I know of engaged, creative teachers who are leaving the profession in frustration as individualization is being mandated out of their approach to teaching a diverse group of learners. One fantastic elementary teacher I know has successfully taught hundreds of young elementary kids of various skill levels to read, by working in small groups and giving lots of individual attention. But now she’s being told to stand in front of the room reading a book, while every child in the room sits in a chair and follows silently along. I’m with the good teachers on this. There must be a balance between having consistent standards across the district, and across the country, based on curricula that are shown to improve student outcomes. But we must also train, motivate and hire smart, passionate teachers, support them with sufficient resources, and then let them do their creative best to educate our children.