Filtering Data in a Google Sheet

Last week I shared a tutorial on how to sort information in a Google Sheet.  

Something else that might be helpful in terms of viewing your Google Sheet information is filtering.

Below is a tutorial on how to filter your data in Google Sheets.

Filtering a Google Sheet

Sorting a Google Sheet

Google Sheets is a great place to store data of all types.  You could use it as a database of books you have in your classroom library or a way to track grades and assignments.  There are so many ways you can use Google Sheets.

After you have created your database of information though, how do you sort it? 

Below is a tutorial on how to sort data in Google Sheets.

Sorting a Google Sheet

Using Emojis in Google Docs

Using Emojis can be a fun way for students to complete school work. They can be used to write summaries or a reading or writing assignment as well as crate a pictograph for a math lesson.

Google has a large selection of emojis, as special text characters, that can be used in Google Docs. To add an emoji to Google Docs follow the tutorial on the document below:

Inserting an Emoji into a Google Doc

Promoting STEM Through Literature

REMC has another great resource that I would like to highlight this week:

Promoting STEM Through Literature

Literature can be a great way to get students excited about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).  Educators can use literature to get students actively involved in the design thinking process. 

Each of the title shared on the website has a book card/lesson plan that includes a maker-STEM connection; pre, during, and post questions; and a design challenge that incorporates materials you could check out from your local REMC library.  You can also check out each of the books from your local REMC library.  

This year there will be 3 new books announced at the MACUL conference in Detroit, in March.  

Visual Recipes

Are you looking for a fun, end of the year activity to do with your students? 

Have you thought about cooking with your class? 

Everyone can create delicious food with picture recipes.  Picture recipes are great for all ages and abilities because they don't rely on reading abilities. 

Check out these great recipe options from Able2Learn: https://able2learn.com/categories/visual-recipes

Pattern Shapes

Pattern Shapes helps students explore geometry. It helps students think about angles, investigate symmetry, and compose and decompose larger shapes.

Pattern Shapes is a virtual version of the 7 familiar classroom shapes: yellow hexagons, orange squares, green triangles, red trapezoids, blue parallelograms, and tan rhombuses. 

Check out their great tutorials (https://bit.ly/36kEF0i).

Number Line is available as a web app (https://bit.ly/3IrYdNA), for iOS (https://apple.co/3ubFUqN), or for Chrome (https://bit.ly/3N1vMt8).

Money Pieces

Money Pieces helps students visualize and understand its values and relationships. There are two versions of coins and bills in the app. The currency pieces mimick the appearance and size of U.S. coins and the dollar bill.

Check out their great tutorials (https://bit.ly/3uyacG2).

Money Pieces is available as a web link (https://bit.ly/3gtgGxt), iOS app (https://apple.co/3uBxXNh), or for Google Chrome (https://bit.ly/3GAbbI6).

Math Vocabulary Cards

Math Vocabulary Cards helps students better understand key terms in mathematics. Each card has three sections: a math term, a model, and an easy to understand definition. Each section can be hidden or revealed, providing multiple options for practice. Vocabulary cards can be selected one by one or by category.  They are available in both English and Spanish.

Math Vocabulary Cards is available as a web app 

(https://bit.ly/3uqP4kG), for iOS  

(https://apple.co/3L2l0Sw), or for Chrome 

(https://bit.ly/34aeLeO).

Geoboard

Geoboard is a tool that lets learners stretch virtual rubberbands around pegs to form line segments and polygons. Creating these shapes help learners make discoveries about perimeter, area, angles, congruence, fractions, and more.

Geoboard is a virtual version of the rubberbands and peg/nail board we all grew up with. Learners can fill individual shapes with color and display grid lines with or without numbering to more easily calculate area and identify shape locations. 

Check out their great tutorials (https://bit.ly/3FYCFXl).

Geoboard is available as a web app (https://bit.ly/3KGUfTq), for iOS (https://apple.co/3tWZuZ8), or for Chrome (https://bit.ly/343icDE).

Fractions

Fractions is and app that lets students create and use bars or circles to represent, compare, and perform operations with fractions using denominators from 1 to 100.
Fractions is a virtual manipulative. It is an open-ended educational tool, ideal for elementary classrooms and other learning environments that use laptops, iPads, or Chromebooks.

Check out their great tutorials (https://bit.ly/3p319K5).

Fractions is available as a web app (https://bit.ly/3yulVFv), for iOS (https://apple.co/329ScFv), or for Chrome (https://bit.ly/3F7bJVR).

Number Rack

Number Rack has rows of movable, colored beads that help encourage learners to think in groups of 5s and 10s.

Number Rack is a virtual version of an abacus.  This virtual version can contain up to 10 rows of 10 beads so students can work with numbers up to 100.

It is an open-ended educational tool, ideal for elementary classrooms and other learning environments that use laptops, iPads, or Chromebooks.

Check out their great tutorials (https://bit.ly/3dOpjRZ).

Number Rack is available as a web link (https://bit.ly/3yoRe4m), iOS app (https://apple.co/3dOpyMT), or for Google Chrome  (https://bit.ly/3m3TKrX).

Number Pieces

Number Pieces is a virtual set of base ten pieces. The pieces can be used to represent single-, double-, and triple-digit numbers. The pieces can be joined together or broken apart to visualize regrouping.

Number Pieces is a virtual version of the manipulative. Number lines can be labeled with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, or negative numbers. It is an open-ended educational tool, ideal for elementary classrooms and other learning environments that use laptops, iPads, or Chromebooks.

Check out their great tutorials (https://bit.ly/3IPNYDZ).

Number Pieces is available as a web link (https://bit.ly/3EY32wX), iOS app (https://apple.co/30qGqX3), or for Google Chrome (https://bit.ly/3dRgeYG).

Number Line

Number Line helps students visualize number sequences. It can also helps students illustrate a variety of math strategies including counting, comparing, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing.

Number lines can be labeled with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, or negative numbers. It is an open-ended educational tool, ideal for elementary classrooms and other learning environments that use laptops, iPads, or Chromebooks.

Check out their great tutorials (https://bit.ly/31UAVQY).

Number Line is available as a web app (https://bit.ly/3oThKzO), for iOS (https://apple.co/3yo3wKx), or for Chrome (https://bit.ly/3dQhMlH).

Number Frames

Number Frames helps students count, represent, compare, and compute with numbers; 5, 10, 20, and 100.

Number Frames has a variety of counter styles and colors to choose from. Using Number Frames can help students move away from one-by-one counting and toward more efficient ways of counting and computing by seeing patterns in the quantities.

Check out their great tutorials (https://bit.ly/3IIuIIF).

Number Frames is available as a web link (https://bit.ly/3DQZYBr), iOS app  (https://apple.co/3IOdBoC), or for Google Chrome  (https://bit.ly/30vq6o0).

Math Clock

Math Clock helps students become fluent working with time. 

Math Clock is a virtual version of the manipulative.  It is an open-ended educational tool, ideal for elementary classrooms and other learning environments that use laptops, iPads, or Chromebooks.

Check out their great tutorials (https://bit.ly/3pQjKbk). 

Math Clock is available as a web app (https://bit.ly/3yyr0fZ), for iOS (https://apple.co/3yrBQ7e), or for Chrome (https://bit.ly/3E77OY1).

The Math Learning Center

The Math Learning Center contains free lessons, materials and publications designed to help inspire and enable individuals to discover and develop their mathematical confidence. They have materials for use in the classroom and for families in a home setting.

Over the next few weeks I am going to highlight the variety of apps that they have available, for free. Most of the apps are available as a web application, for iOS and for Chrome.

One of the great features of the apps is the ability to share within the apps, even across platforms.  According to the website, "Sharing in an app allows educators to pose problems and investigations for students. Students can share their thinking with their teachers and classmates."

Scroll down to the bottom of the Math Apps page to watch a short video on how it works.  

Mathshare

In last weeks post I provided a link to the Bookshare YouTube channel. This week I want to discuss Mathshare.

Mathshare is new product from Benetech, the developers of Bookshare. Mathshare is similar to Bookshare, but for Math. 

According to Benetech, as many as 40 percent of students grapple with math. It can be particularly difficult for students with special needs, who can struggle with organization or accessing information. Whatever the learning challenge, Mathshare’s unique step-by-step problem solving approach and built-in accessibility make learning math easier and inclusive for all students.

I do want to point out there is one HUGE difference between Bookshare and Mathshare.  Bookshare has specific qualification requirements.  Mathshare on the other hand is free for any school or student to use!

Check out Mathshare at https://mathshare.benetech.org/

They also have a YouTube channel with some helpful videos.  You can find it at https://www.youtube.com/c/Mathshare

Card Games in the Classroom

Last week I talked about using board games in the classroom. You can also use a deck of playing cards to help students show skills they know and have learned related to IEP goal and objectives or state academic standards. Here are 16 Card Games That Will Turn Your Students Into Math Aces  (https://www.weareteachers.com/math-card-games/) and that you can use to test math skills in your classroom.

You can also check out 18 Fifth Grade Math Games for Teaching Fractions, Decimals, and More  (https://www.weareteachers.com/fifth-grade-math-games/) which can be used for teaching and assessment as well.  

ModMath

ModMath is a free iPad app that helps kids with dyslexia and dysgraphia do math.

ModMath assists students who struggle with Mathematical notation. The app lets you write and solve math problems on the iPad using the custom keypad.  You can also print, email, or save to cloud services like Google Drive and Dropbox.

ModMath lets you:

• Write and solve equations with a piece of virtual graph paper, greatly improving speed and legibility.
• Solve basic math problems and more complex algebraic equations, all without ever picking up a pencil.
• Print assignments, email them directly to the teacher or save to cloud storage.

You can visit http://www.modmath.com/ to see a short video of the app in action and to learn more about the app and the family that created it.

Math Games

Even though the word technology is in the phrase Assistive Technology, it is not always about high tech.  Using low tech options, such as manipulative, can be helpful for all students when teaching math concepts.  
In the article 16 Fun and Free First Grade Math Games and Activities  (https://tinyurl.com/w6gspte) from WeAreTeachers.com there are a variety of hands on math activities, some of which can be adapted for higher level math concepts.  Many of these activities could be used as indoor recess game options as well, such as 100 chart battleship, dot arrangement bowling or Shut-The-Box.  
Take a look at these great math game and activity ideas to determine how you can use them in your classroom today.