Big Ideas Math Common Core Curriculum Approved in California

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Big Ideas Learning

ERIE – Big Ideas Learning, LLC is proud to announce that the Big Ideas Math Middle School program by Ron Larson and Laurie Boswell has been approved by the state of California.

“The California edition of the Big Ideas Math Middle School program was customized to meet the needs of students and teachers exploring sixth-grade math through Algebra 1, and we are very excited to be contributing to the mathematical learning of California’s middle school students,” said Denise McDowell, Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Curriculum at Big Ideas Learning. “It has always been our goal to fully equip students and teachers with all of the resources they need to create the most effective learning environment possible, and we strongly believe this program accomplishes that goal.”

The Big Ideas Math Middle School program is renowned for its industry-leading balanced and rigorous curriculum. It was designed to challenge students beyond basic memorization and to provide them with all of the resources they need to apply mathematical concepts to real-life scenarios and to questions found on standardized tests. The series was written to the Common Core State Standards and uses the Standards for Mathematical Practice as its foundation.

The Big Ideas Math program is distributed exclusively by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

For more information on Big Ideas Math or Big Ideas Learning, LLC, please visitwww.bigideaslearning.com.

Guest Blog – Barb Webber “Our Passion For Math – Share The Love!!!”

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Big Ideas Learning

With the week coming to a close and today being Valentine’s Day, we are proud to feature another guest blog from one of our consultants, Barb Webber. This week, Barb talks about the love and passion for mathematics.

Almost daily our students challenge us to give them answers about “when are we ever going to use this stuff?” Even with our dedication to developing Mathematical Practice #4: Model with Mathematics, we sometimes have to work hard to provide examples of application to problems arising in everyday life, society and the workplace. However, I propose a simple solution – share your passion, share your love of mathematics! This goes far beyond sale prices, travel scenarios, bridge construction and wonders of technology. How does mathematics affect you? What impact does it make on you and who you are?

When did you first feel a connection with numbers? What patterns help you to make sense of problems or give you that edge to “do the math” in your head? Do your students see that spark in your eyes? Do you invite a challenge and encourage them to find their path to success even though it may be different than yours? How about during math department meetings? Do you share instructional strategies and student successes with other teachers? Do you discuss the activities you’ve incorporated to develop the Mathematical Practices? Share your passion. Model with LOVE of Mathematics.

Have you ever read math books to your students? The Math Curse is my favorite and provides creative, clever and challenging connections to communication arts – see what a little math can do to promote reading and writing opportunities.

Do others get your mathematical sense of humor? Did you realize April 1^st will be a palindrome? Do you tell math jokes?…the little acorn that grew up and said, “Geometry!” A colleague of mine put a math quote on the board each week. Fresh material is an online search away!

Am I a “math geek”??? You bet I am! And proud to share my passion – share my love of mathematics. And I’m hoping that love will grow among others, impacting their attitudes and effort. A comfort level and positive attitude leads to confidence. Confidence leads to perseverance, willingness to investigate and develop new and different strategies and the understanding that we learn from our mistakes as well as our successes. Share your passion. Yes, I’m a “math person” …and I love it!

From all of us at Big Ideas, have a wonderful weekend and a happy Valentines Day!

Scaffolding

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Big Ideas Learning

“A set of training wheels on a bicycle is a classic example of scaffolding. It is adjustable and temporary, providing the young rider with the support he or she needs while learning to ride a two-wheeler. Without an aid of this sort, the complex tasks of learning to pedal, balance, and steer all at one time would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for many youngsters. This scaffold—training wheels—allows the learners to accomplish a goal, riding a bicycle successfully, and then to happily pedal his or her way into the wider world.”

~Michael F. Graves, Bonnie Graves, and Sheldon Braaten, “Scaffolded Reading Experiences for Inclusive Classes”

Scaffolding, sometimes referred to as guided practice, is a learning process that promotes a deeper level of understanding for students by providing learning support when a new skill or concept is introduced. As students gain a deeper understanding of the material, the support is gradually taken away so that the students gain confidence in their own abilities. Scaffolding provided can help a student or class to perform the skill independently more quickly.

Here are some day-to-day tips for your classroom when it comes to scaffolding:

Know your students and understand the learning styles (visual, audio, kinesthetic etc.)
Provide clear directions to reduce student confusion (hints, suggestions etc.)
Give advice and provide help on how to start a math problem (provide models)
Provide models of work for students to examine themselves and draw their own conclusions.
Show worked out problems with step by step guidance (in books for example)
Create an outline for the curriculum
Identify student needs and answer any questions
Monitor and evaluate (as students gain better understanding, provide less support)
Have students ask and answer questions

Did you know that scaffolding is embedded into the Big Ideas Math program? Stepped-Out Examples and Study Tips are just two examples of scaffolding techniques this program provides.

Additional Resources:

The concept of scaffolding is based on the theory of Lev Vygotsky’s ‘Zone of Proximal Development.’ Zone of Proximal Development.

How do you use scaffolding in your classroom? Share your scaffolding stories in our comments.