TeachersFirst's Gifted in any Classroom: Tools for Differentiating in Math

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This collection of resources provides tools to differentiate in your Math classes at all grade levels. Find higher-level math tools that combine math with its STEM partner, writing computer code. Note that YOU do not need to know how to write code. The resources offer tutorials so your gifted students can explore and learn this logical but creative process.

Explore excellent higher-level thinking and problem solving sites. Discover new ways to look at and manipulate data. This collection also offers some basic computation sites at varying levels of difficulty. Take students beyond the basics of math to create their own math animations to illustrate concepts. Be sure to read the suggestions under Classroom Use for specific ideas to use with gifted.

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Tynker - Krishna Vedati

Grades
3 to 8
2 Favorites 0  Comments
   
Learn computer coding using simple and easy activities, lesson plans, and an interface sure to please all ages! Sign up for your free account and once your dashboard is displayed ...more
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Learn computer coding using simple and easy activities, lesson plans, and an interface sure to please all ages! Sign up for your free account and once your dashboard is displayed choose from several helpful videos to get started. To find the Hour of Code click Courses from the left menu and find several including Lesson Plans and Teacher Guides. Learn to code by dropping blocks of commands into sequence on the left side of the screen and seeing the results along the right. The lessons provide step by step instructions, missions, and other materials to learn to code. Teachers can create a class and add students to the class. Click on student view of each lesson to see the tools and student tasks. Follow the instructions along the right panel. Note the tools that are along the top including undo and redo! This tool also features a question bar along the top. Note: This free portion of the resource offers four Coding Courses, weekly STEM Projects, Hour of Code Activities, Project Templates, Coding Tools (Block & Text), Unlimited Student Accounts, Student Progress Metrics, and Professional Development. Sign up for a free account by selecting Teacher and using Google, your email, Apple, Microsoft.
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tag(s): animation (62), coding (88), computational thinking (42), computers (106), critical thinking (112), design (82), game based learning (171), gamification (74), problem solving (226), STEM (263)

In the Classroom

Use this tool to learn basic coding skills. Students will quickly catch on to this program when allowed to "tinker" and see what they can make. Provide a simple assignment with defined rules/tasks to learn the tools. Younger students may familiarize themselves more easily working with a partner. Be sure to recommend that students "ask three before me" (the teacher). Have students use an online storyboard to write down what they plan to do/draw/say with their creation, and to help you keep tabs on students and their progress. For enhancing learning and technology use create a digital storyboard with Story Map, reviewed here, or Storyboard Generator, reviewed here. When finished with these Tynker lessons, move to other free tools such as Scratch, reviewed here. Teachers of even very young gifted students can turn them loose with these challenges when they have already mastered math or science curriculum. Have them create a creature they can explain to the class or share with gifted peers in other classrooms.

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Figure This - KnowNet Construction, Inc.

Grades
5 to 10
1 Favorites 0  Comments
  
Looking for a way to add challenges to your middle school math curriculum or gifted classes? Try Figure This, a site of math challenges developed by the National Council of ...more
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Looking for a way to add challenges to your middle school math curriculum or gifted classes? Try Figure This, a site of math challenges developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Figure This offers a number of challenges in English and Spanish to be used in a classroom or offered to families for math challenges at home. A PowerPoint is included to help increase parent involvement. Learn why most manholes are round, how fast your heart beats, and numerous other interesting topics. At the time of this review, there were 80 "Challenges" to explore. All of high interest and intriguing topics! Although mainly math activity, many border on science topics as well. Each activity offers hints and answers explained in many ways. Finding the answer is rather tricky! Scroll to the bottom of the page and look for the link to Answer. Don't miss the Teachers Corner. It includes all beginning materials; PowerPoints, forms, and ideas you need to begin!

tag(s): critical thinking (112), geometric shapes (136), logic (164), percent (58), probability (96), problem solving (226), statistics (114)

In the Classroom

In the classroom, use Figure This to help differentiate instruction for all levels, especially the high-achievers and gifted students. Allow students to work independently, or work in pairs to solve challenges. Introduce the challenge on your interactive whiteboard projector. Then allow students to dive into the challenge! Use for gifted enrichment, or even a Math Challenge Day for a reward. Offer extra credit for the number of challenges solved. Use as a model to allow students to create their own challenges. Add to your website as a fun resource for students and families.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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The Differentiator - Ian Byrd

Grades
K to 12
7 Favorites 0  Comments
Differentiating activities for all learners has become easier with this tool. Use this free Bloom's Taxonomy tool, created by an educator, to develop great objectives for differentiated...more
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Differentiating activities for all learners has become easier with this tool. Use this free Bloom's Taxonomy tool, created by an educator, to develop great objectives for differentiated instruction. Move through developing your goal on this site by choosing a level of Bloom's Taxonomy and a thinking skill. Then move on to your content, resources, finished product expected, and what kind of grouping you want. These are all tabs at the top of the page. Watch the sentence at the top of the screen change as you create your objective.

tag(s): blooms taxonomy (7), critical thinking (112), differentiation (84), newbies (14)

In the Classroom

As an example, use a verb from Bloom' taxonomy such as "evaluate." Click on the part of the sentence at the top, in parenthesis, to enter your content such as "patterns of environmental issues." Choose the resource you want students to use, the product you want them to make, and the number of students in a group by clicking on the tabs. Example objective: Students will evaluate the patterns of environmental issues using websites to create a news report in groups of two. Save your objective by copying and pasting it into any document or online tool. The Differentiator will give you many project ideas that you may not have thought of yourself, and serves as a welcome reminder of different activities and expectations you can use in your classroom. Take a look at this site at the beginning of the school year or when creating a new unit (or project). Find new ways to differentiate for your gifted students using this creative and powerful tool. If your gifted students test out of your current math lessons, use this site to find new material to challenge their minds. This site is deceptively quick and simple, but it could be very useful when writing detailed, powerful lesson plans.

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HippoCampus - Monterey Institute for Technology and Education

Grades
9 to 12
3 Favorites 0  Comments
 
Find multimedia content and lessons ready to go, and customizable by your preferences on this incredible, free, online learning site. Whether you need a comprehensive curriculum for...more
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Find multimedia content and lessons ready to go, and customizable by your preferences on this incredible, free, online learning site. Whether you need a comprehensive curriculum for selected high school courses, a way to differentiate instruction, or materials to reinforce challenging topics, this site has it. The current subjects include Algebra, American Government, Biology, Calculus, Environmental Science, Physics, English, Religion, Economics, U.S. History, among others. The subjects extend through high school and into AP and college level material. Open a course at the left and browse the topics, especially the multimedia offerings. A free instructor account allows you to select the modules you want your students to see and share them via a unique URL for assignments or at-home review. Since the content is offered collaboratively from multiple sources, the courses each have their own "look." The ones our review team explored all included audio-- a real plus for ENL/ELL or low level readers.

tag(s): environment (240), OER (43)

In the Classroom

Explore the curriculum topics for your subject area and select some options for students to use in class or for review. This is also an excellent option for leaving plans for a substitute who may have no expertise in your subject area! Many of the multimedia modules are well-suited for interactive whiteboard or projector (or for students to navigate at an individual pace on laptops). Have gifted students? Allow them to "compact" new content and extend into higher levels using this site. Be sure to share a link from your teacher web page for students who need an alternate presentation of material or for absentees. Share this site at the beginning of the school year for students wanting more of a challenge.

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