What are we really accomplishing as math educators?

• Develop logical thinkers
• Develop persistent and flexible problem solvers
• Prepare students for higher level math
• Send positive messages about mathematics

Jo Boaler

The highest scoring PISA test students are those that approach problems with a mathematical mindset, not those that try to simply memorize methods (p. 47)

Important Aspects of a Quality Math Task

• Challenging but Accessible
• See the task as a puzzle
• Visual thinking component
• Develop own way of thinking about problem first
• Classroom environment where Students aren't afraid to make mistakes and respect each other's thinking
• Student's use their own ideas (not the textbook's)
• Student's ultimately work together

Why I get up each day

First Activity

Desmos Smiley

Please go to student.desmos.com

Type in the code:   MVE3J

Purpose

• Refresh
• Orientation to Desmos
• Persistance 

• Graphing horizontal and vertical lines
• Graphing lines
• Restricting domains (inequality notation)
• Graphing circles
• Graphing parabolas
• Translations

Debrief

Second Activity

Composition/Operations on Functions

Purpose

• Make predictions about function behavior
• Connect analytic and graphical representations of functions
• Play with mathematics

Debrief

Third Activity

Side-Side-Angle

Purpose

• Use tools to explore math
• Concrete to abstract
• Attend to precision
• Anchor

Activity Link

Follow Up Worksheet Link

I wrote about this:

www.zachcresswell.org/side-side-angle-ambiguity/

Debrief

Other Tasks

(All titles are hyperlinked)

Functions Reversed

Students are given a domain (sometimes a range as well) and they have to create a function that fits the criteria.

What is a radian?

Secant/Tangent Line Gif project

Students recreate the animation below

I wrote about this here:

www.zachcresswell.org/the-gift-of-curiosity/

Connecting Zeros and Factors

Volumes of Known Cross Sections

WhiteBoard Starts

Properties of logarithms

Feeling Trig Functions

Closing

xkcd.com/605/

Suggestions

• Collaborate
• Think about how you learned the concept
• Develop your network
• Leverage your resources

Resources

• Hashtag: #MTBoS - "Math Twitter Blog-o-Sphere"
• teacher.desmos.com
• Project Based Curriculum Maps
• NCTM Illuminations Activities​ 
• Open Middle - Challenging Problems Worth Solving

Contact

• Twitter: @z_cress
• Email: cresswellzach@gmail.com
• Website: zachcresswell.org
• This presentation: bit.ly/MakeEmThink2017