Friday, November 21, 2014

Math: Week 12

MSM2
SOLs Covered:  SOL 7.14a,b & 8.15a One-step Equations
Math Packet:  #9 Solving Equations: Part 1
Upcoming Assessments:  Two- & Multi-step Equations (Fri. 12/5)

7H
SOLs Covered:  SOL 8.15b & A.4 Solving & Graphing Inequalities
Math Packet:  #11 Algebraic Inequalities
Upcoming Assessments:  Algebra Test (Mon. 11/24--Tues. 11/25)

It's been a busy week!  I've added a few things to my personal to-do list (all tech stuff I want to work on for my classes), so I'm yet again going to attempt to keep this on the short side (I know I say that often but still end up being a little wordy in the end).  Part of this to-do list is adding vocabulary lists to the class pages I have set up on Vocabulary.com, so students will need to make sure they've joined their class page using the links posted on the class Edmodo pages.  The kids should all be familiar with Vocabulary.com from their English classes, but they should feel free to message or see me if they have any questions.

The MSM2 classes worked further into our algebra unit by reviewing one-step equations that have been "upped" with the inclusion of integers and fractions.  The group did really well with this overall and quiz grades were some of the highest so far!  Meanwhile the 7H class is winding down their work with the inequalities section.  This group predominately grasps the topic, but they are still "falling" for some of common "tricks" that pop up with this topic.  While quiz grades were not the best this time, most of the mistakes are easy fixes that simply require extra attention to detail, particularly to two areas:  remembering to "flip the sign" when multiplying or dividing by negative numbers (divisors, not dividends) and to flip also when moving the variable to the left if it was originally on the right of the sign.

There were a few students who just need to be a little more careful with reading questions and paying attention to detail.  For example, if a fill-in-the-blank problem wants the solutions for an inequality using the variable m but the student uses the letter x for their answer.  I didn't hold this against the students this time and still gave credit, but it's definitely something all the kids, no matter their class, should be careful of since I don't know whether or not that's a possibility on the SOL test.

Finally, on a tech note (my favorite topic), I've spoken with all my kids about being extra careful with their Chromebooks.  While that's something I've obviously encouraged from the very beginning, it's even more important right now since the back-up Chromebooks are very limited and students have been left waiting days for a replacement.  One small thing students should look out for is for loose screws on the bottom of their Chromebook.  I have a small Phillips head screwdriver I've been using to tighten the screws, so students just need to ask if they want my help.  This is such a small thing, but could make a huge difference if it helps prevent damage that could have otherwise been prevented.

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