July Blogging Challenge - Made4Math - Plastic Drawers

Oh my goodness.. what a Monday it has been!! :)

In just 2 short days, I will see my TMC buddies which means today was a day of putting out last-minute fires.  Those that know me well know that I am a perfectionist so I really want this to go off without a hitch!  That also means that my to-do list didn't get quite as done as I expected! :)  However, there's always tomorrow... and I have a feeling it's going to be a GREAT (albeit busy) day!

Plastic Drawers
Last week I posted this photo showing off my new black/white magazine holders:

I was so proud of how things were looking... until I saw the 3 drawer system in this photo!  I used some bulletin board border as a Made4Math post a few years ago and I was pretty happy with it, until now.  It stuck out like a sore thumb!  Hmm... I can fix that!  Measured the height and width, made a quick rectangle in PPT, filled it with a fun pattern, and here's the result:

Doesn't that fit in much better now? :)  LOVE it!

Bonus Project
One of the things I did get off my to-do list today was the TMC Staff buttons.  One of my friends has a button maker, so I asked her if I could borrow it.  If you are attending TMC and you aren't sure who to ask for help, look for one of these:

It's hard to see, but there is a small TMC logo on top, then the Staff in large letters.  :)

What did YOU make this week?  Check out the Made4Math blog to see the creations of others!


July Challenge
I am on a personal challenge to blog every day in July, just to see if I can do it. I would love to have you join me! If you are worried that you've missed a few days, please don't stress.. just jump on in! Maybe a month is too much, that's okay, try it for a week, or every other day, or once a week.. whatever works for you!

Don't forget to visit the other July bloggers and show them some love!
The bloggers (so far)
Robin at Flip! Learn! Share
Bridget at Reflections in the Plane
Teresa at GeometryWiz
Sherrie at Middle School Math Rules!
Brooke at Sined, Sealed, Calculated
John at Functions are Fun
Jedidiah at Math Butler
Pam at the radical rational
Roxy at Rockstar Math Teacher
Paul at TeacherPaulP
Tina at Palmer's Ponderings
Cindy at School Stuff
Robyn at Making Math Visible
Shelley at Making Math Visual

Add your blog in the comments if you would like to join in! :)
#July2014Challenge

July Blogging Challenge - #5Things

My original #5Things post was unintentionally derailed, so that may have to be next week's post.  I had all intentions of going to school today and cleaning my classroom and dealing with a few other things in preparation for TMC next week.  However, my neighbor and good friend has wanted to have a garage sale all summer and she decided that today would be the day.  I felt bad about letting her sit out there by herself, so I went down and helped with the sale today.  Tomorrow, hubby and I will head to school to make sure the facilities are ready for TMC... I'm so excited!

#5Things for the TMC Newbie

1. Dress is casual and comfortable - Remember this is a "for teachers, by teachers" workshop and we know that you are on summer break!  I'll be in shorts/capris, t-shirts, and flip flops the entire time.  If you get chilly easily, you might want a cardigan/jacket, but if you forget one, no biggie.. there's a Kohl's across from the hotel! :)
2. Worried about transportation?  Don't be!  Once we get you from the airport to the hotel, there are plenty of restaurants within walking distance.  The high school is about 1/2 mile from the main hotel and if you are in the overflow hotel, they will be providing shuttles to the high school.
3. But you guys all know each other!  Yeah, some of us do.  I mean @approx_normal and I have been friends for years.  Other people, I had never met in person until TMC12 and there's a huge number of you that I've never met at all!  If I can fit in, then anyone can!  I'm extremely introverted and hate to be in new situations, but seriously, it's okay.  And if you're still worried.. come find me!  I promise to be friendly :)
4. Oklahoma summers - A typical Oklahoma summer is hot and humid, but this July so far hasn't been typical!  Yesterday, it was 65 degrees, today it was 78.  However, summer is supposed to return for next week, so expect daytime highs in the mid 90s and morning lows in the mid 70s.  I know a lot of people check their phones for the weather, but here's one of the local news stations (and my personal favorite for weather):  NewsOn6
5. What should I bring?  The normal stuff that you would bring a conference!  Feel free to bring a laptop, you will have wifi access at the school and at the hotel.  Some people may also want a calculator.  I have a few extras in my classroom if you forgot it.  We have PLENTY of plug-ins in the classrooms.. literally, there are 8 sets in the floor and about 10 in the walls of each classroom!  If you forgot something, please let me know.. chances are that I have an extra that I can lend you!  (Or worse case scenario, I can send hubby to the store for you!)

I really hope this helps someone out there.  I know I am always worried that I will forget something, but thankfully I never travel anywhere that I can't get to a store if needed.  There's a Target, Staples, Best Buy, etc all within a few miles, so if you need it, we can get it for you! 

The other thing that I want to make sure to share is to not be afraid to socialize!  I am extremely introverted, so I understand how social situations can be anxiety-producing.  When I first went to TMC12, there was an element of feeling star-struck by all of the people that I had admired from afar via their blogs.  However, when I sat down to talk to them, they were just normal, everyday people like me!  Just like me, they tried their best every day to reach kids.. just like me, sometimes they succeeded, sometimes they failed... and just like me, their goal was to be a little bit better every day.

I'm so excited to meet all of you!  Safe travels and please let me know how I can help!

Do you have other questions or concerns?  Leave me a comment and I'll answer them! :)

July Challenge
I am on a personal challenge to blog every day in July, just to see if I can do it. I would love to have you join me! If you are worried that you've missed a few days, please don't stress.. just jump on in! Maybe a month is too much, that's okay, try it for a week, or every other day, or once a week.. whatever works for you!

Don't forget to visit the other July bloggers and show them some love!
The bloggers (so far)
Robin at Flip! Learn! Share
Bridget at Reflections in the Plane
Teresa at GeometryWiz
Sherrie at Middle School Math Rules!
Brooke at Sined, Sealed, Calculated
John at Functions are Fun
Jedidiah at Math Butler
Pam at the radical rational
Roxy at Rockstar Math Teacher
Paul at TeacherPaulP
Tina at Palmer's Ponderings
Cindy at School Stuff
Robyn at Making Math Visible
Shelley at Making Math Visual

Add your blog in the comments if you would like to join in! :)
#July2014Challenge

The Side Effects of the Interwebs

This summer has been awesome. I've had the chance to participate in amazing PD, have some fun with #Made4Math, travel to or through several states, and take plenty of naps!

One of the things that I think has been so amazing this summer is the unexpected side effects of #Made4Math and #TMC12. When @pamjwilson and I were talking about the awesome elementary blogs and their Monday Made It, I could not have predicted how popular #Made4Math would end up. For me, I love having the accountability and the structure/routine of something to post once a week. I am horrible about posting regularly, especially during the school year, so I'm hoping that the weekly #Made4Math will help me on that. But the best side effect of #Made4Math is the number of brand new bloggers that have joined in. I love that people that started blogs just so they could share their creations with the rest of us! I hope that #Made4Math has generated some traffic on their new blogs and encouraged them to keep on posting.

In a similar vein, #TMC12 had some unexpected side effects. Teachers that had read about Twitter Math Camp, but weren't on twitter, now have started up Twitter accounts and/or expanded their Twitter followers in order to keep those connections alive. I've also seen blog posts or even new blogs that started as a result of #TMC12.

As a result of both of these occurances, a new initative was born. One of the highlights of #TMC12 was the "My Favorites" session. These were short 5-10 minute blurbs about your favorite website, lesson, review activity, classroom management technique, etc. This was a place where everyone had a chance to present something to the group. Then, after #TMC12 was over and we had all gone home, @misscalcul8 tweets this:

After several of us responded affirmatively, "My Favorite Friday" was born. Check out the awesome logo that @mathtastrophe made for it:

So, what do you need to do? Glad you asked!!! On Friday, fire up the ol' blog, steal the awesome logo above, and tell us about something you love. It could be your favorite office supply, website, activity, video, strategy, anything you use/do in your classroom that you want to share with the rest of us. We eventually might have a theme of the week, but for now, just lay it on us.... What do you love and want to tell us about??

When you've written your blog post, don't forget to tweet it out with the hashtag #MyFavFriday and/or put it in the comments - we'll catalog them just like we do for #Made4Math (at least for now)

Happy blogging!!

My thoughts on #TMC12

Oh my goodness - where to even start!!! The past 9 days have been such a whorlwind that I honestly cannot wrap my head around it.

Let's back up to last Wednesday morning, when hubs dropped me off at school and said goodbye for a week. I worked in my room for a bit, then off to St Louis I went. Thankfully @agktmte and his wife were willing to give me a ride, which I greatly appreciate. The next four days was spent with this group of people:

Honestly, this was the most amazing experience! We had been planning TMC for a while, but on the trip, I was nervous. I mean, some of these people I've talked to for years, some for mere weeks. What if I didn't like them? What if they didn't like me? But, never fear... as soon as I walked into the hotel, @mgolding was sitting there and immediately came over to say hi and my fears vanished. She was exactly what I expected from her tweets and she immediately put me at ease. After checking in and going to my room to catch up with my bestie, @approx_normal, she and I headed back down to meet the rest of the crew. That evening started a 4 day experience that I will never forget.

The next morning, I drove over to MICDS with @lmhenry9 and her hubby. Let me just say that Jason really loves Lisa a lot to put up with all of us for 4 days :). MICDS has a beautiful facility and I was so grateful for their hospitality. Of course, it had the added benefit of letting me see Mel, who has been one of my best friends for many many years. She and I taught next to each other for years, before she moved to St Louis. It was awesome to spend time with her and see her school. Mel, Lisa, Jason, and I put together the goodie bags, then before we knew it, we had 40 participants from 19 states and 3 countries pouring through the doors, ready to "get their math on". That morning we had a welcome session, then off to work in our small groups on the Exeter math problem sets. After a hosted lunch (thanks so much, MICDS!), we had our first "My Favorites" session, then presentations. It was a blast to watch @approx_normal try to explain a marshmallow gun and then demonstrate by taking shots at @maxmathforum. I'm not going to go into details on everything because @rdkpickle already did an amazing job of that, but let's just say that the afternoon sessions were amazing. The presenters did a great job and I can honestly say that I have never been to a PD workshop where I was able to walk away from EVERY session with something I could use. This cycle of up early, work on Exeter problems, go to lunch, come back to My Favorites and presentations repeated for several days and it was just flat-out amazing.

Some of my take-aways...

@troystein is just a doll - His session on flipping the classroom really let me gain a new perspective on it. I loved talking with Troy - his intensity in conversations and the questions he asks really conveys that he truly wants to know what you think.

@mathbratt did an amazing job with her Rich Problems talk. I had seen the locker problem before, but had never explored the idea of prime/composite numbers, squared numbers, factors, odd/even number of factors, etc. Pure genius! I loved how she encouraged us to make a prediction, then check it concretely. What a great idea with kids! The purple milk problem was a lot of fun and really had a variety of entry levels for kids.

@jreulbach originally thought that there was no way a talk on Foldables would last 30 minutes, however, I could have easily stayed and talked to her about it for another hour! I loved some of the templates she shared and I also like the idea of having blank templates ready to go and just tell the kids, "Go grab a copy of the 3 tab foldable" (or whatever). I really would love a "make and take" foldable session next year!

@gwaddellnvhs and @jreulbach really opened my eyes to the power of Google Docs. I'm thinking this should be its own #matheme sometime! I loved the ability to highlight emails and put them into a group and the idea of having a collaborative document for kids to work on and it's all combined into one document for grading!

@mel6871 showed me the software they use at MICDS called "DyKnow" - holy moly, I wish I had a 1:1 option! that was crazy amazing! She also showed me her mega-cool portable charger for her cell phone... so many times this week I really wished I had one too! :)

@calcdave reminded us to be curious, imaginative, skeptical, and precise. During his talk, I starting really thinking about 4x+3 = 11 and showing that graphically with two lines (y = 4x + 3 and y = 11), then the simplified equation of 4x = 8 and its corresponding graphic, to show that solving equations really is a functional relationship.

@mgolding really rocked her talk on INBs and I can't wait to integrate them this year. She had some brilliant ideas such as the "centerfold" method for adding more writing space to a page, creating a pocket for foldables, and only taping the TOP of the handout so kids could write underneath it on the page. I also loved her idea on HW for the kids to pick 4 favorite problems, work them, and twll WHY they picked those problems.

@maxmathforum changed the way we ask a problem... we should be asking kids "What do you notice? What do you wonder?" even if the answer is "all the rectangles are blue". This change in wording from "What do you know" lowers the barrier of entry and starts conversation.

@justagurl24 stole the show with her heartfelt thank you - definitely the sweetest moment at TMC

@bowmanimal talked to us about whiteboarding and @mgolding had the genius idea of using black socks as erasers... why didn't I think of that before???

@misscalcul8 gave a great "Two nice things" talk... totally stealing that idea!

Lots of cool software/websites were shared... @aanthonya told us about jmap.org, @colinmac10 shared about Socrative (loved the space race!), @jrykse introduced Scribblar, @SweenWSweens shared his "I'm not a programmer, but here's this kick-butt program I wrote"

and of course, none of us will ever forget the ending rendition of "Tweet Me, Maybe" by @rdkpickle, @SweenWSweens, @bowmanimal, and whoever else was in on that! Brilliant! :)

You'll notice that the above take-aways are mostly academic. that's not to say that we didn't have plenty of fun in our off time as well! (You'll notice this list is shorter... that's due to the confidentiality agreement we all signed about "What happens at TMC stays at TMC" :) kidding... kind of)

I had the opportunity to eat at the Pi Pizzeria (umm, what math teacher wouldn't want to eat here??)

A group of us visited the City Museum, which is an amazing place with tons to see and do. Even had cash fluttering down around me as @maxmathforum's wallet slipped out of his pocket and to the ground. I don't think the people around me that also saw it fall quite believed that I knew Max until he came down, got his wallet and gave me his wallet and iPhone for safe keeping.

We stayed up WAYYY too late - let's just say that 20 hours of sleep over 4 nights isn't ideal

Found out that the executive lounge really did exist (thanks @aanthonya!) and had a great chat with @aanthonya and @gwaddellnvhs

Met two "Magic Mikes" in person! Let's just say that @MSeiler and @mesimmons5 kept us laughing a lot. Best tweet of the week definitely had to be @mesimmons5 and his "Woke up and found out that I now own a polka dot tshirt" :)

@mwmathews had a great sense of humor... #pinterest !!!

@samjshah is just as much fun in real life as he is online. What a fun and quirky personality that guy has! And he has bowties! And hats! <3

It was great to see @JamiDanielle again. I can't imagine how much fun the trip with @Mathbratt, @MSeiler, and @Fouss had to be :)

All in all, I just had the time of my life. I could have stayed for days, getting the chance to visit and spend time with everyone, but there's always next year :)

Thank you again to all of you for making this an amazing experience. Thank you to Lisa for thinking of all the little details that I would have never thought of. Thank you to Mel and MICDS for letting us invade your world for 4 days. Thank you to the Frontenac for not siccing security on us more often. Thank you all for the awesome Pi glasses and pizza cutter. Thank you for whoever left me a ladybug Tervis cup. Thank you for "getting me" and not looking at me like I grew a third eye when I talk math and teaching during the summer. Thank you all for blowing up my twitter feed for days afterward as we all adjusted to life after #TMC12 - I miss you all!

But, most importantly...

Thank you for being my friends... I love you all :)