Monika Hardy is pushing the limits in her math classroom and opening up a whole new world for her students through the use of creative approaches to high school math. 

Her idea: open sourced math

Her target audience: Pre-AP Algebra 2 students

Her intentions:

individualize learning wieman exp ind tutor
as much as possible in a  
highly collaborative plns
manner via the web.
The intended instructional model is to combine  
student-centricwillrichardson09 
/student owned curriculum alannovember
with  
inquiry and project based methodology.

She is certainly embracing the challenge to

Math Snacks, developed by New Mexico State, are short animations and mini–games designed to help learners in the middle grades comprehend math concepts. 

Though I have had my iPhone for one year, I am convinced I am not using it to its fullest potential, especially after watching (via UStream) Vicki Davis’s, aka CoolCatTeacher’s,  NECC presentation Using iTouch and iPhones for Teaching and Learning.    I am always amazed to see how others are using the iPhone in the classroom and I love learning about the new apps!

On iThinkEd, Dr. Richard Beck, guest blogger from Abilene Christian University, describes how the introduction of the iPhone enhanced his senior level Psychology class by promoting interactivity and enabling the use of multimedia content. Professors are using apps to poll students in large lecture halls.  Teacher support apps are springing up everywhere.  Use Grade Pad app to manage grades.  Use Jaadu to control your desktop.  Use Graphing Calculator instead of the pricy alternative.  Use Fact of the Day to learn one new thing to share with students.  Need more ideas?  Check out Online Database’s Top 50 iPhone Apps article.  As I watch the video below, my mind whirls with possibilities!

I tuned in to the March 18 DEN Ed Tech Connect with Tony Vincent and was blown away with the many things one could do with an iPod in the classroom!  Who knew one could use it as a hard drive or to review through flash cards, matching games, quizzes?  These ideas and many more are featured on Tony’s site www.learninginhand.com

Tony has posted 15 – 20 minutes videos to review the highpoints of iPod use in the classroom.  I am inspired!

I started a blog for my classroom about a month and a half ago -an effort of which I am really proud.  I have always wanted to be a regular blogger, REALLY.   I just didn’t have a clear sense of purpose.  I didn’t know my audience.  I didn’t see a point to add to the large amounts of information posted daily into the cyber world – who would want to read it?  Until…

It happened after a football game in late November.  Our team was in the playoffs.  We had just finished one of the messiest games of our season – not on the scoreboard but on the field.  Rain had come as a steady downpour on players and fans chilled to the bone.  And then it happened, I had my inspiration for my blog.  I knew my audience.  My blog had a purpose.  All that Teach42 had advised in 30 Days to a Better Blog became relavant.  For as the game drew to a close, the team (my students!) stripped themselves of their pads and proceeded to take the biggest mudbath I had ever seen.

 Fans laughed and cheered.  Much to our surprise, the opposing team dressed in WHITE joined our guys.  It was great!  I thought I’ll never forget this night.  Then I thought, “Honestly?  Will I honestly always remember this night?”  How many other “memorable moments” have I witnessed and then forgotten in my years of teaching?

So the blog was born.  Is it anything great?  Most may look at it and think – nah, not really.  But to me…to me it is wonderful for it is a simple record of ordinary days with extraordinary friends, my students.  And it makes us smile:)  You are welcome to stop by and leave us a note at www.ina-5.blogspot.com