Mary+Fortier's+Page

I currently do not have a Smartboard in my classroom, but I do have access to a portable board in our Music Room and another mounted board in the Art Room in the afternoons. Although not ideal, this allows me time for set-up during my lunch hour then use during our afternoon mathematic lesson. Lesson 1 __ Days of School, Counting Small Quantities of Coins, __ 5 min., Grade One Mathematics One of our daily routines for mathematics is to count and keep track of how many days we have been in school for the school year. After counting sticks and recording our daily number, we brainstorm ways to show that number. Each day we choose different coins to count to that number. I currently use magnetic coins for the visual and kinesthetic learners. Using the coin graphics from the gallery, locking them and then using the infinite cloner, it is very easy to pull the coins across the screen as the class, or individuals, count the coins each day. This way, the saved template page can be saved from day to day and children access the program during a center time without disrupting the template for the next day. All children have access to the page and with practice could add addition equations to count totals. Lesson 2 __ Quick Survey __ 5 – 10 min., Grade One Mathematics A daily routine in Grade One Investigations, Unit 4 What Would You Rather Be? (Data Analysis), is making a graph of various forms in which students collect and record data about a given question. Currently, we use post-its, magnets, stickers, markers, etc. to record information on a whiteboard, chart paper or the chalkboard. Saving the information is a logistical nightmare as keeping large sheets of chart paper around the room quickly becomes cluttered and boards need to be used for multiple activities during the day. By setting up a few graphs such as vertical and horizontal bar graphs, Venn diagrams, T-charts with blank space above for the daily question, these surveys could be used, saved and accessed again at any time. I like Kim Au’s idea of using the children’s pictures as data responses to quickly give a visual as to who has and has not answered the survey, prevent multiple answers from one child, and quickly give a total of the responses. Children also need to see various ways of recording so using things such as checkmarks, stamps and other Gallery choices will also need to be used. I made a simple T-Graph with the question __Do You Have a Pet?__ written across the top of the graph. I chose a circle and filled it with color to use for the representation, then locked it. Using the infinite cloner, the children pulled the circle to the appropriate yes/no answer and built our graph. I ran into two problems, the first was that I initially didn’t fill the color into the circle and it was difficult to “grab” it from the line drawing and move it. Once it was filled in, it could be moved quite easily. The other problem was that the board is mounted on a chalkboard and the cloned circle placed near the top of the board was too difficult for some of the children to reach. The next graph I make will have the representation across the bottom, to make it easier for the children to manipulate. A whole class activity to follow up and review vocabulary is on the BrainPop Jr site: [] Using the Smartboard the class, or individual children, can manipulate data using tally marks and bar graphs to represent their findings. The site includes quizzes to test knowledge and each page can be printed to give a paper copy to the child. Lesson 3 __ Surveys __ 60 Minutes, Grade One Mathematics Investigations Unit 4, Session 2.3 In this lesson, the children are asked to set up their own survey. They are given a plan and some sample questions from a teacher created chart. With this chart created on the Smartboard ahead of time and then covered with a screen, it is easier for the children to focus on the initial question that they need to choose. The lesson goes on to make a collection plan; again with five questions on information collection. Children are often confused by too much information on a page, so with these questions on separate pages and again covered by a screen so a little information at a time is presented, it is easier for them to clearly decide on how to collect their data. The children were very focused during this lesson, but found it hard to copy the questions just like with an overhead; the writing was either too small or too far away from them. Using the screen to cover the information and only reading one section at a time made it easier for the children to understand that they were to choose just one question and that there were four different samples on the page. The next time I do this lesson, I will give fewer choices and make the font even larger than I did so they can see the information clearly from their seats. Lesson 4 __ A Plus Math Flashcards – Hidden Picture __ Lesson warm-up for Class, or Center for Individuals Grade One Mathematics A quick concentration type game that can be used for lesson warm-up or for individuals at a center is A Plus Math Flashcards, Hidden Picture found at: __[]__ This interactive game gives children a game board with a choice of answers or problems (much harder for first graders). Sounds can be turned on or off and it also gives options for subtraction, multiplication and division. Given a problem such as 7+3, the child searches and chooses the correct answer, revealing a portion of a hidden picture. When all of the equations are correctly answered, a hidden picture and its description are revealed. If they give a wrong answer, it just changes the problem and goes on. Aplusmath.com is a great website for teachers and students, however there are Google ads. I have never found difficulty with this site presenting inappropriate ads or questionable material, but occasionally have had it blocked by our filter.