Build Math Confidence   December 2014 Volume 67
Desmos Graphing Calculator
At Desmos, they believe in "learning by doing" and that everyone can learn and enjoy Math.  Desmos is a FREE graphing calculator (the industry standard Texas Instruments TI-83/4 costs about $100).  Desmos can be accessed via the web or it can be downloaded from the App Store onto an ipad or iphone or onto Google from the Chrome Web Store.   Desmos has sliders that can be clicked on to see how graphs are affected by changes in the equation such as changing the slope or y-intercept of a line.
About Desmos                                                            Teacher Review of Desmos
Desmos Classroom Activities                                  Inverse Functions on Desmos
 Studying for the Test by Taking It Plus One More Old Regents

Benedict Carey, author of How We Learn, penned a piece in the New York Times Sunday Review in November called Studying for the Test by Taking It.  He cites studies about how self-testing improves knowledge and that blending topics together (what I call comprehensive vs slivered) helps students learn.  I always say to my students you are learning while you take a test.  This is why exit slips and independent work are great indicators for students and teachers to figure out what needs more practice (or less!).  In a related statement from the New York State of Regents, it appears that New York will administer one more old Integrated Algebra Regents this June before completely stepping up to Common Core Algebra I Regents exams.

Upcoming Conferences/Presentations
Jan 6 Get Smarter!  Take the SAT/ACT! Rutgers U Prof Dev Workshop NJ
Jan 7 AMTNJ Special Education Math Conference St Peter's College Jersey City
Jan 8 Using "Good Wrong Answers"How To Make Math Count Molloy College LI
Jan 20 When Are We Ever Gonna Use This Math? Rutgers Prof Dev Workshop
Brain Teaser
Tree A and tree B both have some birds.   The tree A birds tell the tree B birds "if one of you comes to our tree, our population will be the double of yours." 
The tree B birds tell the tree A birds "if one of you comes here, then our population will be equal to that of yours." How many birds in each tree?

Click here for the solution to November's Brain Teaser.

 

Thanks, Robin the Math Lady Schwartz

www.mathconfidence.com