Wednesday, February 29, 2012

We began with our assessment over Special Products and Factors (key, pdf).

We then reviewed a bit of Algebra and did some TCAP Review (lesson, pdf).

Your homework is:

1. I won't have the results posted until I get back next week, but you should hopefully know how you did. If you need to re-assess,  make an appointment for next week.
   
2. Remember that next week is TCAP so we have an altered schedule. Algebra will meet on Monday, Tuesday and Friday next week.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

We began with our assessment over Factoring ax^2 + bx + c (key, pdf).

We then reviewed special products and factors (lesson, pdf).

Your homework is:

1. I won't have the results posted until I get back next week, but you should hopefully know how you did. If you need to re-assess,  make an appointment for next week.
   
2. Prepare for your assessment over Special Products and Factors.

Monday, February 27, 2012

We began with this opener pdf).

We then reviewed special products and factors and factoring trinomials (lesson, pdf).

Your homework is:

1. Prepare for your assessment tomorrow over factoring ax^2 + bx + c. Make sure you thoroughly understand the x-box method.
   
   
2. Continue practicing on Coolmath (links in Wednesday's lesson pdf and factoring difference of squares).
   
   
3. Complete the Special Products and Factors Online Pre-Assessment on the Moodle.
   
   
4. Don't forget your reflection for parent/teacher conferences which is due to me by midnight tonight.

Friday, February 24, 2012

We began with our assessment over Multiplying Polynomials (key, pdf).

We then learned about Special Products and Factors (lesson, pdf).

Just a reminder that I won't be here next week, but Mrs. Blechschmidt will be.

Your homework is:

1. Check the portal for the results of your assessment, fill out your student checklist with your results, and make a plan for retake (if necessary), including making an appointment.
   
   
2. Complete the Factoring ax^2 + bx + c Online Pre-Assessment on the Moodle. 
   
   
3. Don't forget your reflection for parent/teacher conferences which is due to me by midnight on Monday.
   
   
4. Do as many of the Coolmath practice problems as you want (links in Wednesday's lesson pdf). There are practice problems on adding and subtracting polynomials, multiplying polynomials, factoring using GCF, factoring by grouping, and factoring trinomials using x-box. You can add to that list factoring difference of squares.
   
   
5. Watch and complete the Special Products and Factors video, including submitting the self-check problems on the Moodle.
   
   

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

We began with this opener (pdf).

We then reviewed everything we've learned about polynomials up to this point (lesson, pdf).

Your homework is:

1. Prepare for the Multiplying Polynomials Assessment tomorrow.
   
   
2. Do as many of the Coolmath practice problems as you want (links in the lesson pdf). There are practice problems on adding and subtracting polynomials, multiplying polynomials, factoring using GCF, factoring by grouping, and factoring trinomials using x-box.
   
   
3. No later than by midnight on Monday, complete your reflection for parent/teacher conferences. You can choose to do this in a variety of ways, but all involve word-processing it: You can create a google doc and share it with me; you can type it up in Microsoft Word and email it to me as an attachment; you can type it up and copy and paste it into the body of an email; you can write it as a blog post on your Algebra blog and then send me the URL; or you can come up with some other creative way.
   
   Write to the following prompt (but don't be limited by it - you can write about additional stuff as well if you feel it's important):
   
   Parent/Teacher Conferences are coming up next week. I will not be available that night to meet with your parents. If your parents want a conference, they can schedule a face-to-face conference in the following weeks, or we could do a phone or skype conference if they'd prefer.
   
   Whether they want a conference or not, I'd like you to respond to the following questions (all in terms of second semester):
   
   What’s going well for you?
   
   What’s challenging for you?
   
   What could I do as your teacher that would help you be more successful?
   
   What could you do as a student that would help you be more successful?
   
   Is there anything your parents can do to help you be more successful?
   
   Is there anything else you think your parents should know about this class or about how you are doing in this class?
   
   Please be thoughtful and specific in your responses, and please don't wait until the last minute, as I want you to put some real thought into this. The more you put into it, the more valuable it will be for you, me and your parents. Thanks.

What If It Was Possible?

Teachers get this fairly often.

That's impossible Mr. Fisch. I can't do that.

Is it really impossible? Or does it just take a whole lot of work?

Watch.




So next time you feel yourself getting ready to say,

That's impossible.

Remember this video and ask yourself,

Is it really impossible? Or do I just have to work at it?

What kind of box have you put yourself in?

(via A Year of Reading)

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

We began with our assessment over Adding and Subtracting Polynomials (key, pdf).

We then explored factoring trinomials using area models (lesson, pdf).

Your homework is:

1. Check the portal for the results of your assessment, fill out your student checklist with your results, and make a plan for retake (if necessary), including making an appointment. 
   
2. Watch and complete the Factoring ax^2 + bx + c video, including submitting the self-check problems on the Moodle.
   
    
   
   
3. Complete the Multiplying Polynomials Online Pre-Assessment on the Moodle.