Mr. Hanni's Links

classroom.google.com is where all the online portions of AIS Math will take place. Check here for activities to practice or class announcements. I will give you the class code to join when I see you in school or invite you to join by e-mail.

Thinkingblocks.com is a website that allows students to practice making tape diagrams (bar models) to solve word problems. This can be used through their app for i-Pad or through the web browser version. This is a powerful skill that allows students to better make sense of complex word problems and determine what steps need to be done and in what order. 

IXL has lots of practice problems for students to practice basic skills. Most of the problems also have explanations for students who answer incorrectly. Make sure you don't rush through it and actually look at the explanations if you get a question wrong. You will have your login information given to you in school or you can use the link in WolfLink.

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives has lots of visual activities that can be used to help explain a variety of topics. This site requires java so some web browsers (like Google Chrome) may not be compatible. Try to use Microsoft Internet Explorer if possible. 

www.printfreegraphpaper.com has several different options for creating your own graph paper that you can print out at home. This is great if you need to make a graph but forgot graph paper at school. Many of my students also use graph paper to help line up digits when doing standard algorithm operations. If handwriting, neatness and organization are not your strengths, try using graph paper to straighten up your homework. You can select the size of the boxes to fit your numbers and even make grid paper with patterns other than just squares for other uses. For regular square grid paper, under the first choice for type of graph paper select "Cartesian Graph Paper." 

EngageNY has all the lessons for the new Common Core Modules with answer keys and explanations of some of the concepts. Often the way students are expected to do things now is very different than most adults learned how in the past. It may be confusing and intimidating at first but most module lessons also include a rationale for why things are so different now. (Please keep in mind that the module books sent home will not look exactly like the online versions. Our teachers have edited them heavily to correct errors and rewrite some questions that were poorly worded or overly confusing.) 

Video Link This link is to a video on TED.com to a talk given by Sugata Mitra, an educational researcher who has done several experiments into how children learn. In his talk, he describes some of his experiments where he leaves a computer with high speed internet access in remote villages in India and South Africa and allows children to simply explore. These children have no teachers and often no formal education of any kind but are still able to learn very complex skills at a level far beyond what is expected of typical students at their ages. This video shows how much students are capable of learning with a little self motivation. After watching, ask yourself: If children with no help can do this much independently, what amazing achievements could they accomplish with the help and support of a school full of professionals?