Kentucky Academy of Technology Education

Fractions

Core Connections

FRACTIONS!!! The word alone can put fear in the hearts of students. A simple process of looking at the whole, in parts; can be a difficult concept for children to grasp. Teachers must find interesting and exciting ways to teach this mathematical process. The following link is a great example of making fractions fun.

According to an excerpt from Teaching with Fraction Islands students have trouble thinking relatively and not additively. They are use to counting whole numbers and it is hard to change their thinking to rational numbers. Think of two children. Each child has a sandwich, both sandwiches are the same size. One sandwich is divided into four parts and the other sandwich is divided into two parts. Thinking additively, the child with the sandwich cut into two parts would ask why the other child has a “larger” sandwich with four parts. Rational numbers require the child to make a shift to relative thinking. The sandwich is now a “unit” or whole and the parts refer to part of the whole. Many children are unaware of this shift in thinking and they continue to try to apply the rules for cardinal numbers to rational numbers. They do not understand the need for a change in their thinking and all too often experience difficulty in mathematics beginning with fractions.

Study Skills

Core Connections

We have all said these words at one time or another; "I just can't get it", "I don't know where to start", "there is so much to study and too little time". The truth is we can all learn, we just need effective study habits to help us get started.

Marcia MacLaren, study skills instructor at Eastern Kentucky University recommends 4 steps of learning. 1. Identify, what is important. 2. Understand, what you need to know or do. 3.Remember, recite out loud. 4. Express,what you have learned as required for each class.

Good Study Habits are important for all students no matter the age or grade level. Professional educators suggest the following strategies for success in the classroom.

Decide what to study (reasonable task) and how long or how many (chapters, pages, problems, etc.). Set and stick to deadlines.

Do difficult tasks first. For procrastination, start off with an easy, interesting aspect of the project.

Have special places to study. Take into consideration lighting, temperature, and availability of materials.

Study 50 minutes, and then take a 10 minute break. Stretch, relax, have an energy snack.

Allow longer, "massed" time periods for organizing relationships and concepts, outlining, and writing papers. Use shorter, "spaced" time intervals for rote memorization, review, and self-testing. Use odd moments for recall/review.

If you get tired or bored, switch task/activity, subject, or environment. Stop studying when you are no longer being productive. Do rote memory tasks and review, especially details, just before you fall asleep.

Study with a friend. Quiz each other, compare notes and predicted test questions.

http://www.kentuckyliving.com/article.asp?articleid=1512&issueid=258

Using the Internet to Enhance Content Rich Lessons

Instructional Illuminations

The internet can be a useful tool for teachers to enhance content rich units and lessons plans. There are many interesting and exciting avenues for engaging your students. One of the most successful is the use of a Web quest. According to Bernie Dodge, "A Web Quest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used

by learners is drawn from the Web. Web Quests are designed to use learners’ time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learners’ thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation

http://www.webquest.org

Another effective tool for teachers is Trackstar. With the use of a track, students can search specific sites chosen by the teacher and answer questions or research without worry for the teacher.TrackStar is your starting point for on line lessons and activities. Simply collect Web sites, enter them into TrackStar, add annotations for your students, and

you have an interactive, on line lesson called a Track. Create your own Track or use one of the hundreds of thousands already made by other educators. Search the database by subject, grade, or theme and standard for a quick and easy activity.

http://trackstar.4teachers.org/trackstar/index.jsp

It is important for students to be trained about validity and reliability of internet sites. It is not enough for student to research information, they must have skills to navigate through a complex, often disorganized information landscape and make up their own minds about the important issues. Many sites can help students understand what to look for from an internet site and evaluate its credibility. Before turning your students loose check out these links: http://www.quick.org.uk/menu.htm, http://www.coollessons.org/ValidatingInternetInformation.htm and http://go.gousd.k12.ca.us/goak/five.html