Digital Math Word Walls for the Virtual Classroom

Over the years, I have written a lot about math word walls and how strongly I feel about them. When I was in the classroom, they were an extension of my teaching, gave my students the tools they needed to work with a greater sense of independence and allowed me to make visual connections to other parts our math curriculum while teaching. I always find myself gushing about math word walls because I know how well they worked for my students.

Algebra activities for the blended learning classroom

Will we be remote? In person? Following some sort of hybrid blended learning model? Because it's so up in the air, and because updating my printable resources was something I should have done a long time ago, I have been working on my algebra resources to now also include digital links.

Every algebra activity in this post is in both printable and digital form (within the same file) to work if we follow either a distance, face-to-face or hybrid model at school. I have been updating all of my printable algebra activities to now also include links to interactive digital versions so that you will have the activities you need.

Visual Math YouTube Playlist

Over the last few months I've been building a visual math playlist on my YouTube channel with videos on multiplying and dividing fractions, working with integers, solving equations and more. 

Using Algebra Tiles in Middle School Math

Watch Algebra Tiles Video

Inside this pack of algebra tiles printables is everything you need to bring algebra tiles into your middle school math classroom, including: 

Moving Math Forward: Virtual Middle School Math Conference

UPDATE: If you missed the conference, you can still learn all about algebra tiles through this algebra tiles tutorial video.

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I am so incredibly excited to be presenting at the Moving Math Forward conference this summer. 

My session "Using Algebra Tiles in Middle School Math" will cover integers (adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing), solving equations, simplifying expressions, multiplying polynomials and factoring quadratics. My daughter will make an appearance to help with a prime vs. composite numbers investigation using tiles. I also recorded a short section on how to turn the paper algebra tiles from the resources file into durable tiles that will last for years.

How it works:

Our sessions are pre-recorded so that we can close-caption and edit our videos to jam pack them with information. A resource file will also be shared. 

In my section of the resource file will be a set of printable algebra tiles and all of the algebra tile mats I use throughout the video. These mats can be given to students in page protectors to use at their desks or you can use the mats to teach either remotely from home or under a document camera back at school.

We will each be holding a live Q&A session in the Moving Math Forward Facebook group. This link will be sent to all participants.

Can't watch in real-time? Not to worry! The videos will all be available to watch for 3 months after June 22.

Did you miss the MMF conference? Not to worry!

Not to worry! I have made my algebra tiles video available here on my blog:

Algebra Tiles Tutorial

-Shana McKay
Scaffolded Math and Science

Scaffolded Math and Science YouTube Channel

Hands-on Even & Odd Number Investigation!

Like people all over the world, I have been grappling with my newfound kindergarten homeschooling position after telling myself for many years that I could never teach another human being how to read. But here we are, reading, writing, learning sight words and doing lots of math. School has been great about sending activities and ideas and I've filled in with things found online and resources I make based on questions that arise. 

I let my daughter take the lead by asking what she'd like to learn (often I get an "I don't know" but sometimes she'll give me something) and build on places where she's had questions. This has been one great benefit of this time in quarantine. Especially as an only child, she is especially missing her peers but this time together as her teacher has allowed us to sort of bond over math. 

In this post I want to share a hands-on investigation into even and odd numbers that we worked on together.