Flipped Classroom Model

This entry is dedicated to the explanation of an innovative and interesting model that can be applied in any area and stage of education: Flipped Classroom Model.

For its explication I have found a very complete video that I will share below. The key points that the video contains are the following:
- Why Flip?
- How to Flip a class?
- What it looks like!
- Tools for flipping

In short, this model is quite suitable for applying in the classrooms. Some of its advantages are:
- It turns students into protagonists of their own learning.
- There is more time to resolve doubts and consolidate knowledge in class.
- It allows to attend the diversity of the classroom because students can spend as much time as they want to review the contents, to make sure that they understand them correctly.

But this model also has a number of disadvantages that the teacher has to consider before applying the model:
- Some schools and/or students may not have access to the technology needed to perform the flipped classroom.
- The teacher cannot make sure that all students see the videos and the material and therefore come to class prepared.
- The teacher needs to invest a lot of time and effort to make this methodology effective.

Learning geometry by playing.

HELLO AGAIN! :)
The course is already finishing, the summer is coming and at this time children need more motivation to finish school in the best possible way. For this reason, today I bring you two super interesting games to work with the younger students. These games are very simple and can be viewed through the following videos:

The first is about the formation of figures but also contains colors. The second part of the video is about forming figures with a certain number of corks, that is to say, it contains areas in a very basic and fun way!

The second video is a game in which some students are on a large platform with geometric figures. Another student, from the outside, throws a die and all of them have to say the name of the figure that has come out. The students on the platform have to move towards the indicated figure.

I hope you like them and serves as ideas to apply in class! ✌✌

Geometry utility

Hello everyone! Today I am going to talk about the importance of the geometry in the real life. 

Geometry is a fundamental element to properly understand the reality. Some applications that geometry has in everyday life are the following:

- ASTRONOMY. Throughout the universe, geometric shapes govern.

- COMMERCIAL PROBLEMS (bottling, packaging, sizes, patterns,...)

- ENGINEERING (parts design) and ARCHITECTURE

 

- FORMS OF ARTISTIC CREATION

- ROBOTICS, MOVEMENTS. 

- OPTICS, PHOTOGRAPHY AND CINEMA

- CALCULATION OF MEASURES

In short, geometry has many applications in different fields and situations!!! The above are just a few examples of what geometry can do. 

Triangles' poster

I am going to share with you a poster that I created about triangles. It had made with pictochart program and it has different interesting aspects!
It could be useful to take into account in a class of geometry when students learn triangles because it has a lot of points about this figure, for example: its types, theorems, some games...

Click HERE to see it.

An introductory/motivating video

Today, I want to show you a video of self-realisation. I created it for a geometry didactic unit. 

The video is about the turn, the symmetry and the translation in real life. Pictures and videos about these movements are displayed. It can serve as an introductory/motivating activity to start this topic in class, as a first task in which students should watch the video and then make a debate. 

Learning angles in a visual way

Yeah Ban Har, a global teacher of mathematics and articulator of the successful "Método Singapur", ensures that through the visual children can initiate a meaningful learning experience. In fact, one of the guidelines of this famous method is called CPA, and it means that all children can understand more naturally a concept when they are taught through concrete objects. 

The organization of the space, the decoration, the own body.... are very useful elements for the education. By decorating a classroom children can also learn. Today I will show you several interesting ideas to decorate the classroom or to use some objects, which also serve to make games or exercise in a visual way. 

They are related to the angles!!!

1. THE DOOR

A simple and fun idea to reinforce the basic understanding of angles. With colorful adhesive tapes and a post-it you can mark different angles under the classroom door. This way, every time the children open or close the door, they can remember them in a simple and novel way!

2. THE TABLE IN GROUPS

This is a perfect idea to encourage teamwork and reinforce the relationships that exist between different types of angles. The idea is to fill a table with different angles (made with adhesive tape) and write as many angles as possible without using a protactor. It is a great problem solving challenge. 

3. ELASTIC

Another simple activity to encourage teamwork in a very dynamic way. The idea is to use the bodies to create angles and demonstrate the practical use of geometry in everyday life. You only need a large elastic.

4. BILLIARD TABLE

Creating a billiard table you can play with the elements (sticks and balls) to form new angles. In this case, whoever did the activity moved the number 1 and 2 to name the even angles. Then s/he did a second exercise in which the students had to discover the missing angle. You can adapt it as you like according to the needs of your students.

Pythagorean Theorem Board Game

I was surfing the Internet when I found an incredible game to work with the Pythagorean theorem!!!

It can serve for the last course of primary education and for the first courses of ESO.

It is a board game in which students are placed in groups of three or four. They have to play with a board and solve the problems that they are founding. One of the members of the group will be in charge of checking that everything is correct. The teacher has to be walking around the classroom to help students if they need it. 

The rules are printed right on to the game board so each group of students always have the rules in case they need to reference them throughout the game. On the other hand, I really like the question cards because they allow students to see how problems might be presented in a stressfull situation (Test/Quiz). 

You can find the rules and the questions cards HERE. This fun board is a great way to have student actively practice using the Pythagorean Theorem!

Working symmetry with Art Education

Hello again! Today, I want to show you a different way to learn symmetry in the class 😉

Geometry not only has to learn in math class, we can also work geometry connecting it with other subjects. For example, we can teach symmetry to children through artistic tasks.

Below, I show you two videos explaining the symmetry from the painting and clipping. We can apply these activities in class so that younger children understand symmetry in a visual and manipulative way!!!

INTERESTING GEOMETRIC RESOURCES!

Hi, today I am going to talk about five interesting school materials that we can use for geometry classes!

1. POLICUBOS

Working the geometry, calculating volumes or simply free construction are some of the applications of "Policubos". The hardest is not to find activities to do with them!

2. GEOPLANO

It is one of the classics. There are several types of geoplanos, all of them are very interesting for children to work freely and to represent figures and geometric elements. 

3. TANGRAM

It is not only a puzzle but also can carry out research activities in areas, perimeters, symmetries,...

4. GEOMETRIC BLOCKS

They allow to work relationships between flat figures, positions in the plane, mosaics... as well as stimulating and improving the geometric reasoning. 

5. REFILLABLE GEOMETRIC BODIES

What if we compare capabilities? Is there a relationship between the volumes of different geometric bodies? Do you want to see the sections? With a set like this you can answer these questions and many more. 

* Also, some of these resources you can build them yourself!! If you found interesting but do not want to buy them, then you have a video explaining how to build the Geoplano and the Tangram. 

Computer programmes

In recent years, there has been a big advance in technology. We have to take these resources into account and take advantages of their benefits to apply them in the classroom. 

Some computer programmes very useful in geometry are: 

1. GEOGEBRA

This program is an interactive sofware that allows us to work and build geometric shapes, measure angles... It is a very interesting tool with thich the students, through their computers, cna work with it. Although this tool is more suitable for basic secondary levels, to make geometric shapes and angles, primary students could use it without any problem. 

2. CABRI-GEOMETRE

It is the oldest of the geometric programmes, so it is also the one that more users has. This includes analytical, transformational and Euclidean geometry. In it, you can build lines, geometric shapes, angles and so forth. The problem to use this application is that it is not free, but there is a trial version, which only can be used for 15 minutes per session. 

3. DR. GEO

This program is very similar to the Cabri-Geometre, geometric constructions can be formed, by points, straights, midpoints, angles,... It is a free programme, but it is a programme that can only be used on a LINUX platform. 

to start

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog :)

In this first post I want to explain the meaning of the chameleon in the header of this blog.

The Chameleon is an animal that changes color depending on the environment in which it is located. It can serve as a metaphor with the teacher, which must change behavior and methodology, adapting to the level and need of the student.

With that and to conclude, I want to say that with the course of the entries I will try to adapt the geometry with various activities and resources to the school. Also I will talk about innovative methodologies and other reflections or topics about geometry and the primary education.