Welcome to My Math Parental Supports and Resources Google Site!
This Google Site was created in conjunction with my Senior Capstone Project through Plymouth State University. In all of my years of teaching, I have always wanted to find a way to further support my classroom parents at home when assisting their student with help in math. Thankfully, this Senior Capstone Project not only gave me the means, but also the vision to make this a reality. My hope is that every resource listed below and provided within each lesson, offers some level of support to each parent who seeks it. Whether it is a one-time use or a routine use, each resource offers something different to help parents ultimately be able to help their students at home.
This site is still a work in progress and will continuously be updated throughout the remainder of the 2021 - 2022 school year. I greatly appreciate all of the feedback I received in making and constructing this vision. Please never hesitate to reach out to me via email should you catch a spelling error, grammatical error, an upload error, or even a math error. Positive and constructive feedback is welcomed and encouraged as well. I am always open to new ideas and new resources. I will turn anything into a reality if I can.
For an overview video of this Google Site, please click here on this video.
Launched - March 1, 2021.
Updated - May 23, 2022.
Explanation of Resources:
Resource #1 - Class Notes Answer Key - PDF Version:
Upon completion of each lesson, my classroom notes will be uploaded and available for parents to view to see what took place in class that day. These notes will always come as a PDF and can be utilized by parents if their student's notes from class are not as clear as they could be. This resource allows parents the ability to quickly review classroom skills independently prior to assisting with any supports at home.
Resource #2 - Class Notes Answer Key - Video Explanation:
This resource takes what is offered in Resource #1, but combines it with a video overview of that day's classroom notes narrated by me. My goal with this video is to offer parents further insight into what I taught in class, as well as what goes well and what are areas that can cause confusion. No specific examples are completed and shown out by hand, but rather a general overview is given so parents can make more sense of what I taught that day rather than just looking at my notes independently. My goal is to keep these videos under 5 minutes in length to truly just provide a snapshot to the lesson.
Resource #3 - Big Ideas Math - Daily Practice Exercises - Video Explanations:
With each Big Ideas Math lesson taught, typically, students will have a set of Daily Practice Exercises to complete for either Distance Learning or for Homework. With each lesson, I create 2 - 3 different sets of problems to meet students at their various needs of learning, application, and practice. Sometimes, the greatest issue with these sets of problems is just not understanding what the question is asking you to do. This resources helps aid that issue when it arises. With each set of problems assigned, I will provide a video overview of what students are completing, offer helpful advice/reminders, as well as, talk through what problems I think could cause some confusion and how to possibly overcome it.
Resource #4 - Mr. Donahue Support Videos and Explanations - Specific Problems and/or Concepts:
Similar to Khan Academy, in this resource, I will be providing and creating my own instructional support videos. Videos will showcase Key Vocabulary, Overarching Main Ideas, as well as, classroom mimicked examples. My first goal with these videos is to offer parents quick, easy to follow refreshers on content material they may not have encountered since their own schooling. My second goal with these videos is to offer parents quick, easy to follow supports so they can hear the content being taught in my language and how I would explain it in my classroom.
Resource #5 - Additional Materials to Print and Practice with Answer Keys:
Big Ideas Math has a plethora of standardized, leveled practice problems embedded within each lesson. I will from time to time use these resources in class, in W.I.N. block, or in Extra Help, but more often than not, they are just an additional resource that I use if I need to or want to. This resource allows parents the ability pull practice/review problems whenever they want. Problems mimic those examples taught in class, those practiced in Daily Practice Problems, and those that will be assessed on End of Unit Quizzes. Answer Keys are provided to help with successful completion of each problem. Here is an overview of what each resource is designed to provide:
Record and Practice Journal - These exercises are written to match the kind of material in the textbook that directly practices skills and problem solving, or that directly applies the standards of the lesson. Exercises occur in the same order in which topics are taught in the textbook, beginning with skill and ending with problem solving.
Practice A - These exercises provide more additional practice on the key concepts taught in the lesson with more emphasis put on the problem solving portion of the individual lesson. Exercises occur in the same order in which topics are taught in the textbook, beginning with skill and ending with problem solving.
Puzzle Time - These exercises provide additional practice in a fun format in which students use their mathematical knowledge to solve a riddle. This format allows students to self-check their work.
Answer Keys - These PDFs show just the answers, not the solutions, but offer the opportunity to see at least if the completed work is correct or not.
Resource #6 - Big Ideas Math Support Videos and Tutorials:
Similar to Khan Academy, in this resource, Big Ideas Math provides instructional support videos. These are one-to-three minutes in length, and provide video and audio support for each and every example covered in the class textbook as well as our class notes. Often, these videos complete the same example as we do, just using different numbers so conceptual carry-over can occur. These are valuable for students who miss a class, need a second explanation, or assistance with Daily Practice Exercises.
Resource #7 - Big Ideas Math Textbook - Student Edition:
Every student has a Student Edition of the Big Ideas Math Green Textbook at home, but for parents, it is not always easily accessible and usable. This resource is simply the main 2 - 3 pages from that day's lesson, and allows parents the ability to quickly preview or review classroom skills independently prior to assisting at home. Examples from these pages are typically the exact same examples that I use in my class notes for each particular lesson.