I really like my school schedule this year. I have 2 Precalc classes in the morning, then my Algebra 2's and Algebra 1 in the afternoon. What's really nice is that I teach 1st period, have my conference period, then teach 3rd period, then have my tutoring and lunch. Makes for a pretty easy morning, and my afternoon's full so it flies by pretty quickly. What's bad, though, is that I really have trouble working during my plan period 2nd period. For whatever reason, I just can't sit and grade.... Right now I have a class of Algebra 2 quizzes from yesterday staring at me. I know it won't take long to get them done, but I really don't want to do it. Not a good thing to happen when it's still September!
The Barbie Bungee activity was a success all around. The kids enjoyed it, did well, and only a few Barbies crashed when we went outside to test predictions. I had several kids comment on their papers that they had fun and wish we could do more activities like that. :) I borrowed a flip camera from the media center and took some video of my classes working. Here's one of the precalc videos (did one for each class) and the Algebra 2 video (2 classes merged into one video).
Algebra 2:
Precalc:
I uploaded them to teachertube and posted on our class blogs so the kids/parents could watch. I also posted one of them on the ning that we use at school - got some brownie points! Now I guess the pressure's on to find other activities to do with the kids... but I like that pressure. :)
The Barbie Bungee activity was a success all around. The kids enjoyed it, did well, and only a few Barbies crashed when we went outside to test predictions. I had several kids comment on their papers that they had fun and wish we could do more activities like that. :) I borrowed a flip camera from the media center and took some video of my classes working. Here's one of the precalc videos (did one for each class) and the Algebra 2 video (2 classes merged into one video).
Algebra 2:
Precalc:
I uploaded them to teachertube and posted on our class blogs so the kids/parents could watch. I also posted one of them on the ning that we use at school - got some brownie points! Now I guess the pressure's on to find other activities to do with the kids... but I like that pressure. :)
It's so great to see this again! I think,but I could be wrong, that I invented Barbie Bungee in 1995 at an NSA workshop...yes, you were probably not even around then! Here is the link to the original:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nsa.gov/academia/
_files/collected_learning/
high_school/trigonometry/
bungee_barbie.pdf
I did it as a trig, periodic motion activity, and we were using TI 82's and the Motion detector. Betcha didn't know we had those way back when. Check out my story about Barbie and Ken...enjoy
That's awesome! Maybe I can pull Barbie and the CBRs back out when we do our trig equations. If my daughter lets me take them back to school, that is. I just had to remove a rubber band from around a Barbie's neck yesterday.
ReplyDeleteAnd I was in college in 1995. Does that count?