Tips and FAQs for Parents

During math time, your child will attend an advanced math class through Boulder Universal to participate in live daily interactive lessons with a rigorous curriculum.  Students are expected to come to class prepared to participate, take notes, complete homework, and study for weekly and monthly assessments. 

The Virtual Advanced Math courses are designed by our veteran math teachers that have taught math for over 10 years in BVSD. They created these courses based on keeping the students engaged, challenged, and expanding on their prior math knowledge.  The teachers are always adjusting and monitoring the progress of their students, just as they would with in-person learning. 

A live math lesson starts on a Google Meet with a warm-up, interactive mini-lesson as a class, then time to collaborate with partners or groups.  We use software tools such as Schoology, Peardeck, Desmos, Google Jamboards, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and Google Documents to make the math fun and interactive, while giving students the ability to instantly check their work.

Here are some video links and links to examples of some interactive tools we use:

SCHOOLOGY:            Basics for Parents (video)

PEARDECK:                 What is Peardeck? (video)

Peardeck Interactive Example

DESMOS:                        Teacher and Student View (video)

Desmos Interactive Example

JAMBOARD:                 Google Jamboard (video)

Jamboard Example

Not everything in this class is online. The math teachers strongly believe that there is great value in the ability to show steps on paper, organize their work, and check their work.  Historically, one of the common struggles with advanced math learners is showing work on paper. In all virtual advanced math classes, students are required to show their work on paper to earn full credit on assignments and assessments and we take this very seriously.  This is a skill that will help them be successful in all of their future math classes and reinforce paying attention to details and slowing down.  

To personalize and guide daily instruction, the math teachers use data collected from online homework, classwork, and assessments that is assigned simultaneously throughout the week so teachers can provide feedback efficiently and effectively. The online textbook provides a large variety of resources to students inside and outside of class

These classes are data-driven with multiple opportunities to correct their work and collaborate during live lessons.  Classes use math notebooks and math workbooks during live instruction and teachers require students to show their thinking on paper for all types of problems. The teachers also provide multiple opportunities for students to work with other students virtually and in person.

For most of the math assignments, homework will be assigned online, so a device with internet access will be required at home for access to homework.  Online homework allows students and teachers to monitor progress and get additional help and resources when needed.

Some of the most critical criteria for students to be successful in advanced math are learning how to self-advocate, organize their thinking on paper, and create good study habits. Now is one of the best times to start encouraging your child to take more responsibility for their grades and learning. 

To encourage good habits at home, we suggest the following support at home:

1. Check grades in Schoology once per week with your child

   • Here is a video on how to check grades in Schoology.

   • We recommend choosing one day per week to check grades together to open communication with your child.  If there are any questions or concerns, try to help your child craft a message to their math teacher in Schoology. This will start good habits and allow you to support them while also allowing some opportunities to be independent. 

   • Teacher Tip: Try checking grades on Tuesdays so your child can check in with the teacher Wednesdays and gather missing or incomplete work then complete it over the week. 

2. Encourage your child to ask questions in class and message the teacher in Schoology outside of class

   • Here is a video on how to write a teacher in Schoology.

   • Our goal is to build strong independent students that are able to advocate for themselves when they struggle or have questions 

   • If your child is stuck on homework, help them craft a specific message to the teacher to get help.

3. Allow your child to productively struggle

   • The advanced classes will be challenging for your child, and likely this will be the first time math is hard for them which can be very uncomfortable.  Encourage them that learning happens when we take risks and make mistakes. They can do it with hard work and motivation. 

4. Ask your child “When is your next quiz? What was your math homework tonight?”

   • Most nights, student’s will have online homework to complete, so this will open conversations on what they are working on versus offering a “yes” or “no” question which closes the discussion quickly.

Math problems require organization of numbers, methods and processes and need to be written on paper to get full credit for homework and quizzes.  

Here is a video on how to submit pictures of work in Schoology.

Some tips for clear pictures of work:

• Turn up your screen light on your computer as bright as you can

• Keep still when taking the picture

• Make sure that your picture is CLEAR before attaching it

• You may submit more than one picture, I can see each submission in the assignment

• It's helpful to have lights on and blinds open for clear bright pictures

• Videos are NOT accepted as a way of showing your work