Oh the ___ gift the from the MTBoS that really changed me, was:
1 - A certain doom for a Barbie
That blonde-haired, completely disproportionate figurine that so many generations know and love--or despise--has been the subject of much abuse in the MTBoS lately. Whether she's bungee jumping (Matt and Fawn have instigated this madness, among many others) or ziplining, or something else I don't know about, kids around the country are finding out if their designs are safe/fun at the expense of Barbie and her friends.
2 - 2 Filing Cabinets
Sam (fiiing cabinet) and Nathan (filing cabinet) have created quite the piggy banks, each overflowing in their own ways with a plethora of great lesson ideas and activities. Thanks, gentlemen, for compiling these lists. We all owe you big for these.
3 - 3-Act tasks
Sure, Dan gets the glory for starting the snowball, but so many have kept it rolling. With too many names to list, the ideas keep getting better and the tasks become more robust and reach far wider range of grade levels and audiences. Start the students with a hook, get them chewing on some good math, then open it up for the reveal. Three simple acts, one amazing result.
4 - Twitter Math Camp
Quite possibly the best math experience in the universe, Twitter Math Camp is run and supported by--and for--teachers. There have been four, and here are the details: a couple hundred math teachers gather at a school for a few days and learn with colleagues from around the world (Hey, Nik!). It's free. Anyone can present. Everyone contributes. It's a family, and you're already a member.
5 - A MTBoS Directory
As the community continues to grow, it would be nice to know who identifies as a member. Thanks to Jed and his awesome skills with spreadsheets, we have a directory that you need to check out and add to if you haven't already. Search, sort, and find someone with common interests who can be that support or sounding board for you next lesson. Give Jed a high five when you see him, most likely with a smile on his face and a desire to help in any way possible.
6 - An Activity Search Engine
Robert must have gotten so fed up with scouring Google and his friends' blogs that he decided to just create his own search engine that we can all benefit from. Thanks to that, we now have a custom Google search engine that only searches websites filled with activities for your math classes, created by teachers who are working hard to do what's best for kids. Go ahead, try it out.
7 - Teacher dot Desmos
If there was any way to empower a group of teachers who are eager to make cool stuff, this is it. Not only can we use the great material that the team over at Desmos is making, but we can create our own Polygraphs, Activity Builders, and now we can even rip off someone else's activity and make it work for our classes. And to think, this company is still growing. They're gonna need a bigger sleigh.
8 - Global Math Department
What happens when you put 8 fantastic math minds in charge of a weekly hangout? Well, Global Math happens. Week after week, the team assembles a variety of voices from the math community (and beyond) to come in and talk about what they are interested in. Oh yeah, and they're all archived for your perusing pleasures as you see fit.
9 - 230 blogs
When I search for how to teach a specific concept, I don't want a company or a famous screencaster to do it for me. No, I want teachers who have done it--and struggled through it--to help me shape an engaging lesson for my students. With the MTBoS Search Engine, you can scour over 230 math teacher blogs to find the one that is right for you and your goals. Go for it!
10 - Kahoot! Lesson Links
The hottest engagement tool since multi-colored chalk is... YOU! However, even the best of us could use a little help in formatively assessing our students from time to time. Julie dove into Kahoot, her kids love it, and she's put together a dynamic list of teacher-contributed assessments that you can use with your students immediately. Woot Woot, Kahoot!
11 - Exploring Blogospheres
There are a lot of people who identify with a PLN (Personal Learning Network) and countless others who feel like they are a part of a group on Twitter. The MTBoS is the only cadre of professionals on Twitter (to my knowledge) who actively reach out to support those who are new to the community and interested in learning more. In fact, you should check it out if you haven't already.
12 - 12 Curriculum Maps
Geoff must have locked himself in a closet with a computer, a router, and a case of whatever keeps him awake, and built the beauties that are the DOZEN Problem-Based Curriculum Maps that'll have you wanting to reach out and give him a bear hug. Seriously, if your district or team or self is looking for a curriculum map, I would start with those.
In case you need the background music for this blog post:
1 - A certain doom for a Barbie
That blonde-haired, completely disproportionate figurine that so many generations know and love--or despise--has been the subject of much abuse in the MTBoS lately. Whether she's bungee jumping (Matt and Fawn have instigated this madness, among many others) or ziplining, or something else I don't know about, kids around the country are finding out if their designs are safe/fun at the expense of Barbie and her friends.
2 - 2 Filing Cabinets
Sam (fiiing cabinet) and Nathan (filing cabinet) have created quite the piggy banks, each overflowing in their own ways with a plethora of great lesson ideas and activities. Thanks, gentlemen, for compiling these lists. We all owe you big for these.
3 - 3-Act tasks
Sure, Dan gets the glory for starting the snowball, but so many have kept it rolling. With too many names to list, the ideas keep getting better and the tasks become more robust and reach far wider range of grade levels and audiences. Start the students with a hook, get them chewing on some good math, then open it up for the reveal. Three simple acts, one amazing result.
4 - Twitter Math Camp
Quite possibly the best math experience in the universe, Twitter Math Camp is run and supported by--and for--teachers. There have been four, and here are the details: a couple hundred math teachers gather at a school for a few days and learn with colleagues from around the world (Hey, Nik!). It's free. Anyone can present. Everyone contributes. It's a family, and you're already a member.
5 - A MTBoS Directory
As the community continues to grow, it would be nice to know who identifies as a member. Thanks to Jed and his awesome skills with spreadsheets, we have a directory that you need to check out and add to if you haven't already. Search, sort, and find someone with common interests who can be that support or sounding board for you next lesson. Give Jed a high five when you see him, most likely with a smile on his face and a desire to help in any way possible.
6 - An Activity Search Engine
Robert must have gotten so fed up with scouring Google and his friends' blogs that he decided to just create his own search engine that we can all benefit from. Thanks to that, we now have a custom Google search engine that only searches websites filled with activities for your math classes, created by teachers who are working hard to do what's best for kids. Go ahead, try it out.
7 - Teacher dot Desmos
If there was any way to empower a group of teachers who are eager to make cool stuff, this is it. Not only can we use the great material that the team over at Desmos is making, but we can create our own Polygraphs, Activity Builders, and now we can even rip off someone else's activity and make it work for our classes. And to think, this company is still growing. They're gonna need a bigger sleigh.
8 - Global Math Department
What happens when you put 8 fantastic math minds in charge of a weekly hangout? Well, Global Math happens. Week after week, the team assembles a variety of voices from the math community (and beyond) to come in and talk about what they are interested in. Oh yeah, and they're all archived for your perusing pleasures as you see fit.
9 - 230 blogs
When I search for how to teach a specific concept, I don't want a company or a famous screencaster to do it for me. No, I want teachers who have done it--and struggled through it--to help me shape an engaging lesson for my students. With the MTBoS Search Engine, you can scour over 230 math teacher blogs to find the one that is right for you and your goals. Go for it!
10 - Kahoot! Lesson Links
The hottest engagement tool since multi-colored chalk is... YOU! However, even the best of us could use a little help in formatively assessing our students from time to time. Julie dove into Kahoot, her kids love it, and she's put together a dynamic list of teacher-contributed assessments that you can use with your students immediately. Woot Woot, Kahoot!
11 - Exploring Blogospheres
There are a lot of people who identify with a PLN (Personal Learning Network) and countless others who feel like they are a part of a group on Twitter. The MTBoS is the only cadre of professionals on Twitter (to my knowledge) who actively reach out to support those who are new to the community and interested in learning more. In fact, you should check it out if you haven't already.
12 - 12 Curriculum Maps
Geoff must have locked himself in a closet with a computer, a router, and a case of whatever keeps him awake, and built the beauties that are the DOZEN Problem-Based Curriculum Maps that'll have you wanting to reach out and give him a bear hug. Seriously, if your district or team or self is looking for a curriculum map, I would start with those.
In case you need the background music for this blog post:
Oh the ___ gift the from the MTBoS that really changed me, was:
1 - A certain doom for a Barbie
2 - 2 Filing Cabinets
3 - 3-Act tasks
4 - Twitter Math Camp
5 - A MTBoS Directory
6 - An Activity Search Engine
7 - Teacher dot Desmos
8 - Global Math Department
9 - 230 blogs
10 - Kahoot! Lesson Links
11 - Exploring Blogospheres
12 - 12 Curriculum Maps
*This is not a comprehensive list. In fact, the list keeps growing by the day. I picked the 12 that have had the biggest impact on me, and I probably forgot some. Every time someone joins the community, their ideas and inspiration lead us into another amazing direction. As the year winds down and we turn our attention to our families and friends, I can't thank you all enough for the work you are doing to make us all better. We don't need to pay each other in order to feel supported. In fact, the free and open nature of the projects created within this community are what drive me to keep giving things away. In the MTBoS, giving is always in season.
Happy "Mathematical Mistletoe" Fishing
1 - A certain doom for a Barbie
2 - 2 Filing Cabinets
3 - 3-Act tasks
4 - Twitter Math Camp
5 - A MTBoS Directory
6 - An Activity Search Engine
7 - Teacher dot Desmos
8 - Global Math Department
9 - 230 blogs
10 - Kahoot! Lesson Links
11 - Exploring Blogospheres
12 - 12 Curriculum Maps
*This is not a comprehensive list. In fact, the list keeps growing by the day. I picked the 12 that have had the biggest impact on me, and I probably forgot some. Every time someone joins the community, their ideas and inspiration lead us into another amazing direction. As the year winds down and we turn our attention to our families and friends, I can't thank you all enough for the work you are doing to make us all better. We don't need to pay each other in order to feel supported. In fact, the free and open nature of the projects created within this community are what drive me to keep giving things away. In the MTBoS, giving is always in season.
Happy "Mathematical Mistletoe" Fishing
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