So, I’ve made quite a few posts lately because we are near the time when teachers will be working through the very confusing topic of inferential statistics in Common Core Algebra II. With so little guidance from NYSED on the matter, we are left to sift through sample problems, standards, and (ugh!) the Modules. Ultimately, inferential statistics is a topic that is much, much too large to simply squish into Algebra II. If anything, the… Read more »
Category: General Discussion
Hard Decision
Posted onThis week I made a really hard decision. It wasn’t whether I should extend my projectile modeling lesson from one day to two. It wasn’t whether I should combine motion and related rates of change on a single quiz. Those are easy decisions to make in the day to day life of a teacher. No. The choice I have been facing for some time now is whether I could continue to be a math teacher… Read more »
Common Core Algebra II – Unit #8.Lesson #4 – The Missing Lesson
Posted onSo, I’ve been in Italy for the last few days, really enjoying so much of this country. Its culture is amazing and its people are even more so. O.k. Enough about my vacation. I was editing the other day and noticed that there was a lesson that I failed to include in the compilation of the Common Core Algebra II text. Specifically, Unit #8.Lesson #4.Fractional Exponents Revisited. I’m not sure how that happened, but here… Read more »
Protected: CC Alg I Unit #10 (Statistics) Quiz and Test – by Jeremiah Franklin
Posted onCC Alg I Regents Review #14 by Brett Widman
Posted onSo, one of these days I’m going to put up a post with all of Brett’s Regents Reviews grouped together. This is the second one he’s given all of us in the last week! There are numerous nice problems on this set, including a great system of inequalities word problem. It’s one of my favorites. Consider using this as a nice take home assignment over spring break. Thanks again Brett! Algebra 1 RR#14
It’s Coming – Common Core Algebra II
Posted onI’m getting there. Around 90% of the lessons and homework sets for the first draft have been written. I’m still projecting a mid-March completion of the first draft, at least to a point where I’m going to be putting it out there for the wider audience. Here’s our cover. Thanks to C. Michael Frey, our artist and founder of Frey Art and Design, visit his site to see more of his great work. Click on… Read more »
Unit #3.Lesson #4.Intervals of Increase and Decrease
Posted onSo, I’ve had a number of people ask about whether the x-coordinate of a turning point should be included in an interval of increase or decrease or whether the intervals should always be exclusive. Believe it or not, I’ve been tossing this question around for awhile with my good friend Brian Battistoni at Arlington High. This is a great question and it can be argued both ways. What we really need is for NYSED to… Read more »
Sharing More Materials – Smart Notebook Files by Ann Murray
Posted onSo, Ann Murray, from the Dover Union Free School District, has made an amazing offer. She has created Smart Notebook Files for all of the lessons in the curriculum up to Unit #4.Lesson #5. These can be used to more easily present the lessons if your classroom has a classic SmartBoard. She is willing to share them, and I’m willing to post them, if people show interest! Ann sent me two of these that I… Read more »
The Start of School is at Hand
Posted onHello All, Well, we have our first couple of days of professional development next week at Arlington (the 97th largest high school in America). This week for me is full of all sorts of fun stuff. I get to catalogue all of the supplies that came in over the summer, make sure all calculators have batteries that work, create list upon list to help teachers know who is teaching the same courses, who has prep… Read more »
Building a Better Common Core Algebra I
Posted onSo, this is my first blog post on our new discussion site. Many of you will be using the Common Core Algebra I curriculum this year that I wrote over many nights in the winter of 2013-2014. It is an imperfect text, and always will be. But, it can be made better through lesson study, comments, suggestions, and sharing. I believe that we can make a successful transition to the Common Core at the high… Read more »