Desmos for Days

Have you ever wanted to create a beautiful scene with a tropical snowman on a small island? Well have I got the tool for you! Desmos, the tool used to create this piece of art, goes far beyond a tool that simply lets you plot points into pretty pictures. Desmos allows you to use modern graphing technology to tackle math tasks and apply the following SMPs while doing so:
     
   *Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
   *Model with mathematics
   *Use appropriate tools strategically
   *Attend to precision


As a math teacher, you've most certainly heard the buzz about Desmos as an online graphing calculator, and perhaps you've explored some of the precreated lessons in Desmos, but did you know that Desmos now has a feature called the "Activity Builder" where you can easily create your own lessons? This feature is similar to Nearpod, in the sense that you can push out an assignment to the students with a code, and then you can see their submissions on your teacher dashboard for all components of the assignment.

The following steps will guide you in creating your first Activity Builder lesson:

1. Start by accessing the Desmos Activity Builder. You can log in with your CUSD Google account. 
2. Select "Start building an activity" to launch the creation of your first lesson.
3. Give your lesson a title.
4. You will select between three different features- a graph screen, a questions screen, and a text screen (adding as many slides of each feature as you like). The graphing screen allows you and your students to tell Desmos in mathematical language what you would like to see happen on the graph (see pic below).
5. When you are done building, simply select "done" and launch your lesson with "Start a new session." A session code will be generated.
6. Your students will log in at https://student.desmos.com/, and will join your session by entering the access code.
7. Hint: To differentiate instruction, especially with your first tasks, make sure that you have created a problem that is low-floor, high-ceiling. Make the first several slides easy enough that all of your students can access them, with the target level in the middle (need a good DOK 2 or 3 problem? Try openmiddle.com!). Also include problems that will challenge your most inquisitive mathematicians.
8. You can review students' work from your teacher dashboard. In problems where students plot items with a relationship, try selecting the "overlay" option when viewing the class slides. This will plot all responses onto a single graph!
9. Have fun and don't be afraid to let the students help lead the way!

But wait... it gets BETTER? When introducing graphing concepts, use Function Carnival to allow students to see what they are graphing in action. I sat in a room full of adult math teachers when I learned this tool from Eli Luberoff at CMC, and we all had a little too much fun graphing Cannon Man's height verses time.

Let me know how I can continue to support you. I would love to join you and your students for a Desmos day!

The Power of Screencasting

Screencasting is a great instructional strategy that can be used by both teachers and students. We are all hearing buzz words out there in education such as blended learning (anytime you have a mixture of online and face-to-face instruction) and flipped instruction (direct instruction happens online). One key tool that teachers can use to record their lessons is screencasting.

This is also a very powerful tool for students to use. The Standards for Mathematical practice require students to construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Students can use screencasting to draw models, and explain how they solved problems or why they took a certain approach. 

Debbie Perry over at Monroe invited me in for some screencasting fun with her 5th graders. The students were given problems to work on in teams, and then instructed to make a screencast and link it to an assignment in their Google Classroom. They presented their recordings to the class, and then their classmates were able to comment and ask questions.

I like the sample below because the students aren't afraid of making mistakes, they explain the same concept in different ways, and there is room for others to ask clarifying questions on their reasoning.

Sold on the power of screencasting? Now it's time to choose the screencasting tool that is right for you! Click here to view my table of screencasting tools. The table outlines different tools, which devices they are "friendly" with, tutorials, export options, and benefits/drawbacks. Some people ask me, "Can't you just tell me which screencasting tool is the best?" Selecting the tool that is right for you depends on which devices you have access to, what type of screencasting you are using it for (drawing or general procedural screen recording) and how you plan on exporting the video. Therefore, there is no "best" tool, but there is a best tool based on your needs. Let me know if you need help selecting a screencasting tool, or would like support in getting you or your students going with your first screencast!