Celebrate Pi Day and Maths Day

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Two math celebrations are coming up on March 14th: Pi Day and World Maths Day

Pi Day

Pi Day is an annual celebration commemorating the mathematical constant π (pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14 since 3, 1, and 4 are the three most significant digits of π in the decimal form.

Daniel Tammet, a high-functioning autistic savant, holds the European record for reciting pi from memory to 22,514 digits in five hours and nine minutes.

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How to Automate an MLA Heading

How to Automate an MLA Heading in Word

This one is quick–how to create a macro that automatically inserts an MLA-appropriate heading:

  • Have students log in. Macros go with the profile of the user, not the local computer.
  • Open MS Word.
  • Decide what the keyboard shortcut will be for the macro. I use Ctrl+Alt+H. Test it to be sure it doesn’t bring up some other shortcut.
  • Go to View-macro-record macro
  • Call the macro ‘MLA Heading’ and select ‘Keyboard’
  • Add your selected keyboard shortcut to ‘Press new shortcut key’  and click ‘Assign’, then ‘Close’.
  • Your mouse becomes a cassette tape. Type the heading that will be part of your macro. Feel free to backspace and make corrections. Those are all recorded, but they’re so fast, you won’t notice when you invoke the macro.
  • Stop recording by clicking Macros – Stop Recording.
  • Test the shortkey

Clean and simple, and fun for students–a great lesson during Hour of Code or another coding lesson. The macro will impress anyone sitting by them when they are logged in.

Here’s a quick four-minute video on creating a macro (though this one, not specifically for an MLA heading): (more…)

4 Reasons to use Word Problems and 9 Online Resources

Word problems are popular and fun methods of teaching math and English in many schools. Why? See which of these you agree with:

  1. Real-world relevance: They present scenarios that make concepts more tangible and help students see the practical applications of what they are learning.
  2. Critical thinking: They require students analyze information, identify relevant concepts.
  3. Multifaceted learning: Word problems often involve multiple steps that integrate a variety of concepts and skills.
  4. Language skills: Word problems involve reading and understanding written instructions, requiring students interpret written information, extract relevant details, and communicate solutions.

Here are popular online resources to teach about Word Problems (click for updates on this list):

  1. Expii Solve–math word problems and puzzles, lots of them
  2. IXL Word Problems–by grade
  3. Math and Logic Problems
  4. Math Pickle–puzzles, games, and mini competitions
  5. Prodigy Math Word Problems–about 120
  6. Thinking Blocks–free (app)
  7. Word problems–type them in, Wolfram/Alpha provides the answer and the how-to. Amazing.
  8. Word Problems from Math Playground
  9. Would You Rather–more like a justification for decisions using math

–image credit Deposit Photos

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13 Tips to Solve Unusual Problems

tech tipsIn these 169 tech-centric situations, you get an overview of pedagogy—the tech topics most important to your teaching—as well as practical strategies to address most classroom tech situations, how to scaffold these to learning, and where they provide the subtext to daily tech-infused education.

Today’s tip: Solutions to unusual problems

Category: Problem-solving

Whether you follow Habits of Mind, Common Core, Depth of Knowledge, IB, or another K-12 learning strategy, every student must learn problem-solving to become a functioning, contributing adult. There are thirteen great strategies that can be taught as part of ‘problem solving’ between kindergarten and eighth grade—a few each year, when they’re age-appropriate for your group.

Here’s a poster with the strategies. Post it on the wall in your classroom. Let students notice when they’ve accomplished one and what’s coming up in their future:

Sign up for a new tip each week or buy the entire 169 Real-world Ways to Put Tech into Your Classroom.

What’s your favorite tech tip in your classroom? Share it in the comments below.

–image credit Deposit Photos

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#12: Create Simple Shapes in Excel

What’s the first thing you think of when I say, Excel? Numbers, right–turning data into information. That is Excel’s ‘killer app’, but the ingenious human brain has come up with another striking use for Excel: Drawing. I spent a long time trying to find a lesson that taught drawing in Excel, finally gave up and created my own” (more…)

Starlink–What is it? Why use it?

I’ve had a lot of trouble with my email the last few months. My newsletter is falling apart. My home email is changing servers–who knows what that will require on my part. My spam folder has had a mental breakdown and never (ever) works correctly. And, my internet services are suffering more than their usual annoying level of quirks and breaks.

I’m looking for a change. There’s one big option I’ve been watching for a few years: Starlink. It doesn’t use fiber or cable–it runs off satellites. I haven’t pulled the trigger (it requires geeky setup and a substantial startup fee), but every year, after every internet and email problem, it gets more interesting. Starlink probably won’t fix my email problems, but it might put a dent in my internet issues. Several friends and efriends use it and are thrilled with it. Liesbet over at Roaming About, a self-proclaimed nomad, happily roaming about South America, switched to Starlink and loves it.

One of the reasons I don’t make the switch is it’s not easy (and I like easy). It costs something like $600 in equipment and the monthly fee is somewhere around $150-$200, but to get away from the Earth-based internet problems that can be hacked, cracked, and virused is appealing. (more…)

Subscriber Special: 50% Off Sidebar Sponsors

 

Every month, subscribers to our newsletter get a free/discounted resource to help their tech teaching.

March 2-9th

50% discount on sidebar sponsors (instead of $100 per month, you get the same program for $50 a month)

Required: Minimum of 6 months paid in advance, or $300

We place your logo and link in the blog sidebar. Additionally, once a month, I’ll share an optional update on your product with my readers (which you write). 

Contact askatechteacher @ gmail . com for more details.

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35 Resources for Read Across America Day

Many people in the United States, particularly students, parents and teachers, join forces on Read Across America Day, annually held on March 2nd to coincide with the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Let’s celebrate with this take-off of his writing style, but about technology, reprinted with permission of Gene Zigler at Cornell University:

If a packet hits a pocket on a socket on a port,
and the bus is interrupted as a very last resort,
and the address of the memory makes your floppy disk abort,
then the socket packet pocket has an error to report.

If your cursor finds a menu item followed by a dash,
and the double-clicking icon puts your window in the trash,
and your data is corrupted 'cause the index doesn't hash,
then your situation's hopeless and your system's gonna crash!

If the label on the cable on the table at your house,
says the network is connected to the button on your mouse,
but your packets want to tunnel on another protocol,
that's repeatedly rejected by the printer down the hall,
and you screen is all distorted by the side effects of gauss,
so your icons in the window are as wavy as a souse,
then you may as well reboot and go out with a bang,
'cause as sure as I'm a poet, the sucker's gonna hang!

When the copy of your floppy's getting sloppy on the disk,
and the microcode instructions cause unnecessary risk,
then you have to flash your memory, and you'll want to RAM your ROM.
Quickly turn off the computer and be sure to tell your mom.

Copyright © Gene Ziegler

Email: [email protected]

--reprinted with permission © 6-28-09

Here are thirteen great reading websites for students K-5: (more…)