Math Samples
In the classroom I have often supplemented the curriculum by designing my own materials.
Foil Method (This is a long game download.)
My husband wrote an educational game into which any curriculum could be inserted and called it Academics 3D. At the time I was mainly writing history curriculum for the program. To demostrate the program's diversity, I spent a day writing this FOIL math lesson. It was sold to a group in Russia for $1,000.
Arithmability
My husband and son determined a block lettering style was easiest for our son to write. After I produced a writing curriculum for my dysgraphic son, I realized the same block style would also help those with dyscalculia. I wrote the Arithmability curriculum for addition and subtraction of whole numbers which includes hands-on lessons for each workbook page. In it I used a unique carrying method which kept the new sum together. I created the workbook using PageMaker®. It sold about 100 copies. (To view Arithmability go to website and select "Special Needs", then click on "Arithmability".)
Edited Math Curriculum
I was hired by Alpha Omega Publications (AOP) to edit their 7th, 8th, and 9th grade paper curriculum for their new Switched-On Schoolhouse product. The original 7th and 8th grade math curriculum was a hodge-podge of lessons written by several authors which needed heavy editing and rewriting. The original 9th grade Algebra was well written by a single author and only needed a few alterations.
Long-Division Flow Chart
As part of the hiring process, I was asked to prepare a lesson on long-division to teach to a group of 6th grade students. I made this chart using Open Office Draw.
Fractions
While teaching 6th grade math in Virginia, I realized students were struggling with fractions. I made a comprehensive fraction guide for which many students and teachers thanked me. I created the study guide using PageMaker®.
Perfect Squares and Cubes
My teaching philosophy is to go from concrete to pictorial to abstract. Using centimeter cubes, the students constructed perfect squares and cubes. Then we discussed square roots (sides; length or width) and cubed roots (sides; length or width or heighth). Virginia Standards of Learning required students to know what whole numbers a square root was between, and the perfect squares activity and overhead transparency demonstrated that concept.
I created the transparencies using PageMaker®.
Scatter Plot
To help middle school math students in Virginia learn definitions of math vocabulary, I encouraged them to write poems or "raps". I provided this rap as an example.
MATH ISLAND
Responsive Education Solutions (RES) is where my husband works as a genius software developer. He created a beautiful and fun island game, and I rewrote (and added several new lessons) to an existing Algebra curriculum they had to align it with Texas standards. I used Formulator, FrontPage®, and Photoshop®.