Eleven students from Yeshivat 91影视 participated in the Math Majors of America Tournament for High Schools (MMATHS) at Yale University on April 15. The competition is an annual event organized by students at Yale, Columbia University, the University of Michigan, the University of Virginia and the University of Florida.

In addition to the tournament, the high schoolers also received a tour of Yale鈥檚 campus. To top of a fun day, Yogi Sragow ’19 earned second place (out of 50 students from different high schools) in the tournament鈥檚 individual round!

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What does your average math class look like at 91影视? Well, you might be hard-pressed to come up with a typical example. 听With over 36 different math classes being taught every day, no two are exactly alike. Yet one thing they all have in common is a curriculum-driven, student-focused mode of instruction. 听

One of the ways math teachers at 91影视 reinforce key concepts is through the thoughtful use of technology, for the purpose of empowering students in their learning. For example, in one ninth grade Geometry class, the teacher used a game to help students learn about complementary and supplementary angles. Kahoot actively engaged every student in a game show-like competition, with no student passively sitting out of the lesson. 听Seeing how much the students enjoyed actively learning through this technological tool, the teacher then created a SMART Board presentation where students themselves – rather than the teacher – “cloned” images on the SMART Board to piece together the angles formed by two parallel lines cut by a transversal. 听The hands-on manipulation of the geometric shapes helped the students learn which of the angles were congruent. 听Since neither of these lessons was taught by frontal instruction, the two exercises gave the teacher real-time insight into how much the students understood. 听She did not have to wait until she collected homework or corrected their tests; both she and her students knew right then and there what their level of understanding was, and had the opportunity to work on learning the material with the help of their peers. 听

Another method of integrating technology in the classroom was successfully executed by a different teacher, in her Algebra 2 and Calculus classes. Using pre-created classroom activities, students explored new concepts using the dynamic graphing software, worked through a series of questions on their computers, and received teacher feedback and input from their classmates. In Algebra 2,听students developed the distance interpretation of absolute value inequalities and made connections between inequalities, verbal statements, number line graphs, and solution sets. 听This is an important skill for their high school math studies, and also crucial for further studies in any science field.听 Meanwhile, in Calculus class, students used a series of dynamic graphs to explore one-sided limits. 听They were then reminded of the definition of continuity and were asked a series of questions to assess their understanding of the definition. 听They could use the software to help develop their answers and get additional assistance from their classmates.听 With immediate feedback and real-time manipulation of the various equations and their respective graphs, the students quickly acquired a more nuanced and deeper understanding of the various factors at play in a graph.听They also got teacher feedback and input from their classmates.

Flipped learning is another wonderful way to create student-centered learning. 听In several Algebra 2 classes, teachers used videos to introduce the ideas of matrices. 听Playposit is a program which allows users to embed questions, polls, and reflective pauses into videos which they can then share with others. 听Watching the introductory Playposit videos at their leisure the night before the lesson allowed the students to learn the difficult concept of matrices at their own pace. 听The embedded questions forced them to reflect on the material being presented and also gave them the chance to replay parts of the video again if needed. 听Both teachers, who have taught Algebra 2 for years, marveled at how quickly all the students were able to show mastery of the skills the next day.

The 91影视 Math Department looks forward to the remainder of the year. 听There is much to teach, and our faculty will continue to work on progressive and engaging modes of instruction with a goal of keeping the learning in the hands of the students!

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Until this year, the MMATHS exam was given only on a Saturday but through the incredible efforts of Yale students Esther Issever, a freshmen, and Mitchell Harris, a graduating senior, students from Orthodox day schools were able to compete on Sunday.

What made this opportunity even more special was that the students and Mrs. Bernath were invited to be guests of the Slifka Center for Shabbos. All lodging was arranged by Esther and Mitchell and meals were sponsored by the Slifka Center. It was relaxing but busy Shabbos as the 91影视 mathletes schmoozed with Yale students, learned from a scholar-in-residence from the Drisha Institute, played board games and ate amazing food.

After davening Sunday morning, 91影视 was joined by teams from Yeshiva of Flatbush and Kushner. Each school had six students on their respective teams. In the first round of the competition, students worked individually and had seventy-five minutes to answer twelve questions.

Here is a question from the individual round:

鈥淟et w, x, y, and z be distinct integers. Call an ordering statement any true statement of the form 鈥渁<b鈥� where a and b are each one of w, x, y,and z. What is the minimum number of distinct ordering statements necessary to determine the correct ordering of all the numbers w, x, y, z?鈥�

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For 91影视 teachers, the week during Shiryah gives us time to reflect on our progress over the past five months of the school year and begin working on our individual and group goals for the rest of the year. The math department held meetings to focus on two important topics: the changes in standardized tests and technology in our classrooms.

Mrs. Sabrina Bernath, 91影视 Math Department Chair, ran the first meeting, which focused on standardized tests. Each teacher was presented with a thick packet of sample problems reflecting the type of questions being asked on the new version of the SATs. These questions have a greater emphasis on linear equations and graph analysis. The department members worked on these different sample questions and discussed how to help students improve upon these increasingly important skills. Teachers shared their various ideas about how to fit these types of questions into our comprehensive curriculum.

Additionally, the math teachers focused next on the various topics of the SAT 2 level 1 and level 2 subject tests. They closely examined the various types of questions on functions, conics, rational functions, sequences/series, and any other advance topics on each exam. Not only are the topics slightly different, but the emphasis on how to apply that material also varies.

This PD refresher on what our top-level math students need to learn to be successful on these exams was productive. While we are not solely prepping students for outside tests, it is important to keep in mind the various skills sets measured by these external assessments.

The second PD meeting of the department focused on three specific apps /programs different members of the department are currently using in their classrooms. Prior to the meeting, teachers completed surveys answering questions about the use of technology in their classrooms for administrative duties, instruction and assessment. Based on those results, various members of the department were asked to make presentations.

First, Mrs. Bernath showed the functionality of a rubric she created for her 12th-grade pre-Calculus class鈥檚 video project. The rubric is an embedded part of her Haiku gradebook鈥攏ot only can she enter a grade using the various subsections of the rubric, but she can also leave comments for each criteria. Once the grade is made public, students can see their grades and comments from the teacher. The members of the department were excited by this enhanced feature and its possibility for extensive customization.

Next, Mrs. Katya Gourge, a new teacher, showed her incredible creations using Geometer鈥檚 Sketchpad. Ms. Gourge makes unique demonstrations to teach her 9th- grade Geometry students many of the most difficult properties and theorems of the course. Her one-of-a-kind creations help students visualize the theorems and ideas of the course. Her skill set with the program is impressive and the members of the department immediately requested further PD time to learn more about this incredible program.

Finally, Mr. Michael Gatto, another new teacher at 91影视, highlighted key features of GeoGelgbra, a free, Web-based program that helps students visualize topics not just from Geometry but all areas of mathematics. Teachers also requested extensive PD later this year and into the summer to learn more about this program. When the meeting ended after an hour, several teachers continued the discussion in another location and Mr. Gatto continued teaching several other math teachers how to use GeoGebra in their classrooms.

As we begin winter break, 91影视鈥檚 math teachers are already looking forward to returning and employing the various new things they鈥檝e learned during Shiriyah.

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The true beauty of 鈥淔ormative,鈥� though, is the ability to grade and send feedback about students’ results in real-time. In the short time that I have implemented the site into my classroom, students were excited about receiving their scores and feedback instantly鈥攊nstant gratification, if you will. As a teacher, I find it听exhilarating听to see and grade students instantly because they are able to quickly realize what their strengths and weaknesses are, and modify their learning accordingly. The first time that I launched the website, I showed the collective results from the class on the SmartBoard, capitalizing on the pulsing excitement in the room.

I’ve been in constant contact with the founders of since my discovery of the website, including participating in a private Google Hangout with one of the site鈥檚 primary founders, tweeting with them on Twitter, and live chats with where I have asked specific questions and received timely and informative responses via email. I look forward to using this program throughout the year, tracking my students’ progress in a more efficient and exciting way, and becoming more familiar with the site to maximize its components to the greatest benefit to the students.

Mrs. Shira Teichman

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The 91影视 Math Team has just taken the 5th out of 6 New Jersey math league contest exam. It is an annual series of contests which ask questions not typical in a high school math classroom. On this past exam one question was 鈥� Suppose a hotel has rooms numbered 1- 14 and keys also numbered 1-14 BUT the room numbers and key numbers do not have to match. 听Instead, the keys are assigned to the rooms so that the sum of the room number and the key number is always an exact multiple of 3. 听How many ways can this be done?鈥� 听Not your average problem …right? 听The answer is at the end of this blog. 听Many of our mathematically inclined cougars on this popular 鈥� team鈥� have been getting 6/ 6 on these contests which is nothing less than incredible considering that they only have 30 minutes each contest to complete all 6 questions.

Even students not on our 鈥淢ath Team鈥� are welcome to take the American Math Contest (AMC 10 and 12) later this month. 听The AMC is a 75 minute multiple choice exam to identify the very best math students in the country. 听The AMC 10 covers basic algebra and geometry. 听The AMC 12 covers all of high school mathematics with the exception of calculus. 听Those who qualify based on their scores in the AMC 12 are given the opportunity to compete in the International Math Olympiad. 听We hope 91影视 will be represented!

Students are not the only ones busy outside of class time. The teachers of the math department are busy learning about the latest online math programs in their weekly tech meetings. 听They recently had an online session with a representative from KnowRe. 听This coming week they are having a representative from 鈥淭hink Through Math鈥� 听give an in-person presentation to our whole department. 听听Texas Instruments and Ten Marks are other vendors they will be meeting in the Spring as they continue to explore the best online math platforms for our students.

Additionally, to continue to foster their own professional growth, several members of our department will be returning to New Brunswick this March to attend the 29th Annual 鈥� Good Ideas in Teaching PreCalc and鈥︹�� conference through the DIMAS Center, the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science, 听at Rutgers University. 听We are honored that our Math Department Chair Mrs. Sabrina Bernath has been chosen to present at this conference for the first time. Her topic is, 鈥淭he Use of Technology for Differentiated Instruction in Algebra I and Algebra 2鈥�. 听She is looking forward to sharing the successful and innovative approaches already being used at 91影视.

Below is a picture from last year鈥檚 PreCalc conference at Rutgers of several 91影视 math teachers. 听They loved being students once again!

听

It is only February so there is still a great deal more math in the coming weeks. 听Students and teachers are working hard to have our most productive and successful year yet. By the way the answer to the question about the hotel rooms and the keys is 345,600 but I am sure you already knew that.

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Digital Storytelling: Math Style

In my and Mrs. Elissa Katz鈥檚 12th grade Precalc classes, students have started creating short videos on various self-selected topics listed on a google spreadsheet 听The videos created will eventually become part of a video library future 91影视 students who take Precalc can utilize. 听The students are graded based on a rubric provided by the teachers beforehand and the grade on the video correlates to a test grade.

is an excellent video by 91影视 student Debra Paul 鈥�15 on solving for the roots of a quartic equation when given one root.

Students appreciate the opportunity for an alternative assessment and are honored to be part of the first of many future video libraries of 91影视 math classes.

Feedback in Real-Time

In several of the 11th grade Algebra 2 courses, students were given a review sheet with a QR code for this past week鈥檚 test. 听After completing the problems on the sheet, students submitted their answers via the QR code and got immediate feedback of their grade on this mock assessment. The students鈥� scores on the review sheet were also emailed to the teachers who gave a participation grade which will then count towards the students鈥� average.

These juniors, many of whom have started studying for the SAT or ACT, have grown accustomed to practice tests and were happy to see that model reflected in their math course. 听The day of the exam, students commented that they felt relaxed walking into the test since they already had received quantitative proof confirming they knew the material. 听Other students liked the fact that they had prior knowledge of what to work on before the actual test. 听Often students don鈥檛 know the material as well as they think they do and the problem specific knowledge gained by the real-time assessment positively guided the rest of their review work

Flipping the Classroom

Additionally in a 10th grade honors algebra 2 course my students are starting to learn about piecewise functions from a 鈥淪how Me鈥� video I created. Students were also given a worksheet modeled after the examples in the video to work on at home. 听The next class was used for further developing the topic rather than introducing it.

Self Check Quizzes

The ninth grade Geometry classes of Mrs. Katz, Mrs. Shira Teichman, Mrs. Debbie Stein and Mrs. Chanie Schlesinger have their own unique blended learning opportunities. 听The textbook they use has a rich online component. 听The students regularly are assigned online self-check quizzes which correlate exactly to the section and topic they are currently learning. 听The immediate feedback gives these students and their teachers are better understanding of what exactly the students understand and what they need further review on. It directly affects the pace and depth of the instruction specific to each class of students.

Differentiated Instruction

Through a grant from the Digital Jewish Network, the first blended learning platform used school wide at 91影视 is now in its first year. About 200 students are enrolled in some way in a program created by Educaide. 听Two senior classes are in a college preparatory program which reviews skills from Geometry to Algebra 2 based on a student鈥檚 performance on an initial diagnostic test.

听This differentiated coursework helps prepare the students for future math placement tests at their respective colleges and university.

听Several 10th grade classes are enrolled in the program as an extra avenue for test review. 听The teachers create a custom problem set tailor to the topics on the upcoming test. 听The program gives immediate feedback to both the student and the teacher about their performance on the problem sets. Lastly, some of our students with greater challenges in the basics of math are enrolled in skill building courses which review and solidify basic algebra skills concurrently while they learn Geometry. 听It is truly differentiated education at its best.

Other 21st Century Tools

While as shown above there are many large scale blended learning initiatives taking place in the department, individual teachers are also branching out from the traditional reliance on just the textbook. 听Teachers are using , Smart Notebook Math Tools, the Ti Emulator among many other apps and programs.

Professional Development

With a strong emphasis on professional development particularly in the area of blended learning, the math department of 91影视 bears little resemblance to class just a few years ago and is growing and advancing at a quick pace. 听There is still present of course the warmth, support, and humor that has always been a hallmark of the 91影视 math department.

听Looking forward to future posts about more of the exciting adventures in 91影视 math classes!

-By Mrs. Sabrina Bernath
Chair, Math Department

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