Wow that is an amazing stat. 9/10 kids play video games and the average 8th grade male will spend 23 hours a week playing video games. As a fellow math teacher it would be great if we could get them to learn something basic skill while they play these games. Great Blog. I also love the gaming site sumdog.com but I am a 9th grade teacher and it is only common core aligned up until 8th grade. I have never seen LearnZillion could you very briefly tell me about what kind of games are on there?
Luke-- One thing I noticed, especially with games that are only aligned up to middle school, is that some of these games can still be excellent review games for high school students. When I worked with high school ELA students, I felt like there were limited resources for these students as well, but we used some middle school games for review or for concepts that built onto one another.
Luke - Learnzillion has standard specific tasks for each grade level. You register as a teacher and can then search lots of topics and standards. It is free to join and I consider it a great resource - check it out and see what you think!
That is a great point Casey. I do like using it as review for my algebra and geometry students and they really enjoy. Thank you so much Cait for the learnzillion resource, it is filled with great things to use.
Cait-- I love how you decided to use your home page space. When I was first creating my blog, I wasn't sure how to use the home page space because I was used to blogging with regular updates. The links you provided are an excellent introduction to your blog and your topic. I found your blog so informative, even as an ELA teacher, because my students are constantly asking for extra math help and I've tutored some of them after school in math when I help them with a variety of homework. Using these games could be a great way to help them with specific concepts, especially, as you mentioned, because I might not know all of the strategies they are learning in math, just like their parents who learned math differently.
Thanks, Casey! I am glad you found my blog helpful - I know, as a math teacher, I get the "I don't get my ELA homework questions" as well. It is always nice to have a list of resources of up your sleeve!
Casey, I found her blog helpful as well! In my RTI groups I have students struggling in both ELA and Math. With ELA, I can do easily, but math is a struggle for me to stay with the new way of teaching math. Cait's blog provided easy resources I can have my RTI students access that are engaging and fun!
Cait, Great blog. I love the idea of gaming in the classroom. Both of my son's loved the math and reading games in elementary school. I wish there were more game options for high school and higher education. I use a a few in my class, quiz-let and Jeopardy for review, and my higher ed students love it! I enjoyed the links you shared and introduced sumdog to my 5th grade son and he loves it!
Cait, I love the organization of your blog. I felt that there was a reoccurring theme of how games can help students and their parents with the implementation of the Common Core. The different sites you gave are useful for both parents and teachers to set their students up for success through gaming. I do not teach math, but do have an RTI group and access to iPads. The gaming sites you gave that are aligned to Common Core are ones I can start using next week with my middle school students. Thank you for giving a non-math person great suggestions on how to easily incorporate math for RTI!
Angela - So glad I could help. Perhaps you could ask your team's math teacher what topic they are currently covering and you can apply the appropriate settings on the games that align to CCSS! Good luck! -Cait
Cait, They are currently learning about positive and negative integers. Looking at your suggested Web2.0 tools, I am really excited about Khan Academy. Even though I am not a "math person", the videos provide a great refresher for me to help my students. The videos are grade content appropriate and are perfect for my students to view to learn the skill.
Hi, Cait! Your blog is very impressive! I really like how you specialized it to meet the needs of your current teaching situation. I'll bet that other teachers in your building and in similar teaching situations would benefit by spending some time here.
As a fourth grade ELA teacher, it is sometimes difficult for me to find games that help with explaining difficult concepts like making inferences or determining the theme of a literary text. I think that in time there will be lots of gaming resources to meet these needs. Great work!
Rodney-- I agree with you completely. Even at the sixth grade level, my students struggle with making inferences and determining theme because these concepts are so abstract to them. Games that focus on these abstract concepts would be so valuable to the classroom because it could reinforce ideas we're teaching in a way that students enjoy (and when they're engaged, we know they learn better!).
Wow that is an amazing stat. 9/10 kids play video games and the average 8th grade male will spend 23 hours a week playing video games. As a fellow math teacher it would be great if we could get them to learn something basic skill while they play these games. Great Blog. I also love the gaming site sumdog.com but I am a 9th grade teacher and it is only common core aligned up until 8th grade. I have never seen LearnZillion could you very briefly tell me about what kind of games are on there?
ReplyDeleteLuke-- One thing I noticed, especially with games that are only aligned up to middle school, is that some of these games can still be excellent review games for high school students. When I worked with high school ELA students, I felt like there were limited resources for these students as well, but we used some middle school games for review or for concepts that built onto one another.
DeleteLuke - Learnzillion has standard specific tasks for each grade level. You register as a teacher and can then search lots of topics and standards. It is free to join and I consider it a great resource - check it out and see what you think!
DeleteThat is a great point Casey. I do like using it as review for my algebra and geometry students and they really enjoy. Thank you so much Cait for the learnzillion resource, it is filled with great things to use.
DeleteCait--
ReplyDeleteI love how you decided to use your home page space. When I was first creating my blog, I wasn't sure how to use the home page space because I was used to blogging with regular updates. The links you provided are an excellent introduction to your blog and your topic. I found your blog so informative, even as an ELA teacher, because my students are constantly asking for extra math help and I've tutored some of them after school in math when I help them with a variety of homework. Using these games could be a great way to help them with specific concepts, especially, as you mentioned, because I might not know all of the strategies they are learning in math, just like their parents who learned math differently.
Thanks, Casey!
DeleteI am glad you found my blog helpful - I know, as a math teacher, I get the "I don't get my ELA homework questions" as well. It is always nice to have a list of resources of up your sleeve!
Casey,
DeleteI found her blog helpful as well! In my RTI groups I have students struggling in both ELA and Math. With ELA, I can do easily, but math is a struggle for me to stay with the new way of teaching math. Cait's blog provided easy resources I can have my RTI students access that are engaging and fun!
Cait,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog. I love the idea of gaming in the classroom. Both of my son's loved the math and reading games in elementary school. I wish there were more game options for high school and higher education. I use a a few in my class, quiz-let and Jeopardy for review, and my higher ed students love it! I enjoyed the links you shared and introduced sumdog to my 5th grade son and he loves it!
Lisa - so happy to have shared a valuable tool with you and your son!
DeleteHe LOVES it! Thank-you
DeleteCait,
ReplyDeleteI love the organization of your blog. I felt that there was a reoccurring theme of how games can help students and their parents with the implementation of the Common Core. The different sites you gave are useful for both parents and teachers to set their students up for success through gaming. I do not teach math, but do have an RTI group and access to iPads. The gaming sites you gave that are aligned to Common Core are ones I can start using next week with my middle school students. Thank you for giving a non-math person great suggestions on how to easily incorporate math for RTI!
Angela -
DeleteSo glad I could help. Perhaps you could ask your team's math teacher what topic they are currently covering and you can apply the appropriate settings on the games that align to CCSS! Good luck!
-Cait
Cait,
DeleteThey are currently learning about positive and negative integers. Looking at your suggested Web2.0 tools, I am really excited about Khan Academy. Even though I am not a "math person", the videos provide a great refresher for me to help my students. The videos are grade content appropriate and are perfect for my students to view to learn the skill.
Hi, Cait! Your blog is very impressive! I really like how you specialized it to meet the needs of your current teaching situation. I'll bet that other teachers in your building and in similar teaching situations would benefit by spending some time here.
ReplyDeleteAs a fourth grade ELA teacher, it is sometimes difficult for me to find games that help with explaining difficult concepts like making inferences or determining the theme of a literary text. I think that in time there will be lots of gaming resources to meet these needs. Great work!
Rodney--
DeleteI agree with you completely. Even at the sixth grade level, my students struggle with making inferences and determining theme because these concepts are so abstract to them. Games that focus on these abstract concepts would be so valuable to the classroom because it could reinforce ideas we're teaching in a way that students enjoy (and when they're engaged, we know they learn better!).
Engagement really seems to be the recurring theme in games in the classroom. Students love them!
Delete