Mr. Musolf's Classroom Blog

Emily, I will be happy to sit down with you and make the connections to geometric sequences and explicit formulas. For an initial step into investigating with the Nspires, I would gladly accept any and all revision ideas, not just from you but from any student. Maybe I need to make more overt connections on the initial investigations. I had hoped you would be able to see the connection without coming out and stating it explicitly. It’s likely that I assumed too much. Thank you for your honesty.

I agree that there is a lot to be said for completing work in class. I think that’s a big issue for many students.

Overall, it seems that you liked the investigation.  Getting up and moving around, working together, thinking differently, working with the Nspires and probes.  We will be doing two more investigations using the temperature probe and motion detector.

So what did you think of the light investigation? Did you like it? Were you able to see the connections to what we have been studying in class?  What parts of it did you like?  What parts did you dislike?  I am interested in your responses.

With the onset of a new semester, everyone has the ability to start fresh.  It is a good time to make new resolutions, a time to work to build new habits.  I am looking forward to moving on. 

Looking forward, Algebra 2 will begin with the completion of the NEW AND IMPROVED light intensity investigation.  We will finish with sequences and Miss Schmidt will take over.  In geometry, we will begin a new chapter and pick up a little steam as we work to complete the year.    Recovery students will have the opportunity to make up missed credit and build success in mathematics. 

I am looking forward to a great second half of the school year.

I’d like to thank those teachers who accepted my offer to learn about blogs and the tools I use for my students. I appreciate your input and patience with the technical difficulties that arose during my presentation. I am very happy to see one blog already posted and the positive response I received through my exit assessment. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

To order your pages across the top of your home page, where the parent link appears in the side box on the page edit page, there is an order tool further down.

I was looking around for something new to add this morning and ran across this video on SnagLearning.  I thought it would be an interesting way to address summer school for middle and elementary students.  I would love to see something like this for our high school students, but finding the college students available for a program like this would be difficult since many work over the summer.  It’s a bit long — 30 minutes, but check it out.  http://learning.snagfilms.com/film/it-all-adds-up-math-corps

Shaq is famous for missing one of the easiest shots in basketball, the free throw.  Now he’s famous for his ability for calculating percentages.  Watch the clip below to see what I mean. Thanks to Richard Byrne and Dan Meyer for posting this video.

Algebra 2 students, don’t forget you can use a cd for the chapter test problems as a method of review for your exam.  If you want to check one out, you may do so.  They are by my computer.

I have a couple of online options to help you review for the upcoming exam in Algebra 2.  By using the Hippocampus link at the left you can practice some of the concepts you will need to know for the exam.  Follow the paths to the exam topics.

• Hippocampus >> Alg 1 (2011) >> Solving Systems of Equations
• Hippocampus >> Alg 1 (2011) >> Polynomials
• Hippocampus >> Alg 1 (2011) >> Factoring

I hope you were able to enjoy your time off with your friends and families. We will be returning to school very soon and need to seriously think about preparing for the upcoming exams.  With that in mind, I have set a couple of challenges for you on the Manga High site.  They are due a week from this Sunday, 1/8/2012.  The content should help you begin to review for your exams.  I am looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday.  Enjoy the remainder of your break.

I have created a crossword puzzle for review.  It is located on the Geometry Documents page.  Let me know what you think.