Active Learning + Immediate Feedback = Success in Math
The Problem – Low Pass Rates
We live in an instant feedback world where technology is mainstream, yet many educators have been slow or overwhelmed to capitalize on the things that have made the world of technology successful.
We wanted to find a way to easily apply these aspects in our classroom in order to successfully engage and motivate the learner, thereby increasing pass rates.
To find the solution, we looked at three successful fitness platforms that have exploded in the market - Fitbit, Apple Watch, and MyFitnessPal. What do these popular fitness platforms have in common? They provide instant feedback, are simple to use, and contain a gamification component. This course covers how to successfully motivate and engage students in your classroom through active learning using these features that have turned the fitness device industry into a booming market.
Our Solution
The "Active Learning + Immediate Feedback = Success in Math" course covers how to successfully motivate and engage students in your classroom through active learning using these features that have turned the fitness device industry into a booming market.
These strategies have significantly increased success in our math classes. Pass rates have shown on average a 17% increase per term since implementation over a three-year period.
"...Students are truly understanding concepts that are typically challenging. We are working the entire class. No more passively listening. They have time to ask questions, discover concepts, get the practice they need and to create relationships with other students and me the instructor! Students are engaged and surpassing my expectations. My average on exams is roughly 10% higher. It should be the same for a math class!” - Stephanie Yurasits, Mathematics Department Chair of Portland Community College.
Course Features
After watching this workshop course, you will walk away with effective strategies and activities for immediate implementation into your math classroom. This includes Math Mazes, Blind Kahoot!s, Kahoot! Puzzles, Desmos Activities, and much more.
Cost
$97
Institutional pricing is available. Email for more information.
In the course, we cover the following:
Desmos Activity Builder
- We will show how to create your own activity in Desmos for students and show our favorite existing activities.
- We will also talk about the new accessibility features of Desmos Activity builder, how to use the pause and pacing tabs effectively, and best practices for implementing a Desmos activity into your classroom.
The ins and outs of Kahoot!
- Kahoot! has been around for a while but there is so much more to it than the basic Kahoot used for review purposes. Learn about how to do a “Blind Kahoot” - perfect for the first day of a flipped classroom and for learning new content in a traditional classroom. Get the students hooked into learning the content and have fun while doing it!
- Tips and tricks for Kahoot including “Ghost Mode,” and “Kahoot! Puzzles”
- Best practices in implementing a Kahoot! in your classroom to maximize its effectiveness and reach all learners.
- Links to premade Kahoot! Templates to easily create your own Kahoot
Math Maze
- Math mazes provide a fun and active approach to learning math. Think of math mazes like the popular “Escape Rooms” that many cities offer, where students work through a series of “bases” that involve solving math problems. Learn about what a Math Maze is, see it in action in our classrooms, and leave this presentation with one to use in your math class.
Course Instructors
Jessica Bernards and Wendy Fresh have been teaching mathematics at both the college and high school level since 2005 and 1990, respectively. Currently they are both full-time tenured professors at Portland Community College. They have taught a wide range of mathematics courses from arithmetic up through Calculus, not only on campus but in hybrid courses and online courses as well.
Both Jessica and Wendy are members of AMATYC (American Mathematics Association of Two Year Colleges), with Jessica also a member of AMATYC’s Project ACCESS Cohort 9. In this cohort, Jessica developed a study skills program specifically related to mathematics. This program is now used at more than 30 colleges and high schools nationwide, and significant data from those schools has shown that students who use the program have higher rates of success and retention. Jessica received the national Leila and Simon Peskoff award for her work in this area.
One of the most notable strategies that Jessica and Wendy have embraced is the flipped model of instruction. Expanding on the traditional “flip”, they created an enhanced version that they call the “Flipped+” model. This new model has gained recognition because of the documented improvement in student pass rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Anyone who is interested in ways to actively engage and motivate students with current methods. This could include high school and college math educators, advisors or administrators.
Enroll Now
Learn how to successfully motivate and engage students through active learning and immediate feedback. Enroll in the Active Learning + Immediate Feedback = Success in Math online workshop.
