Help for teachers and students!

My normal weekday night consists of planning for hours to prepare for the next day at school. My dearest hope is that my students are at home studying and practicing for as many hours as I am! I love when I come across tools that can be used inside and outside the classroom, than can aid both teachers AND students in accomplishing their goals.

Check out http://www.studyblue.com
It is a website where teachers are able to make digital flash cards. Some features...
*students can log in and practice with the pre-loaded cards the teacher creates
*students can take quizzes once they study and track their progress
*teachers can collaborate and share materials
*ready-to-print flash cards and review sheets are instantly created once the flashcards are made
*iPad and mobile app available
*students can be invited via email, social networks, or text messages
*class stats are recorded to help teachers assess progress
I just printed my first set of flashcards, ready for my kids to use tomorrow. Let's see how it goes!

today I saw a Tetracontakaihexigon....yeah okay....

My geometry student have been studying polygons. We are pretty familiar with triangles and octagons, but some multi-sided shapes can have wildly outrageous names. Talk about a tongue twister!




Polygon Names
Generally accepted names

Sides	Name
n	N-gon
3	Triangle
4	Quadrilateral
5	Pentagon
6	Hexagon
7	Heptagon
8	Octagon
10	Decagon
12	Dodecagon

Names for other polygons have been proposed.

Sides	Name
9	Nonagon, Enneagon
11	Undecagon, Hendecagon
13	Tridecagon, Triskaidecagon
14	Tetradecagon, Tetrakaidecagon
15	Pentadecagon, Pentakaidecagon
16	Hexadecagon, Hexakaidecagon
17	Heptadecagon, Heptakaidecagon
18	Octadecagon, Octakaidecagon
19	Enneadecagon, Enneakaidecagon
20	Icosagon
30	Triacontagon
40	Tetracontagon
50	Pentacontagon
60	Hexacontagon
70	Heptacontagon
80	Octacontagon
90	Enneacontagon
100	Hectogon, Hecatontagon
1,000	Chiliagon
10,000	Myriagon

To construct a name, combine the prefix+suffix

Sides Prefix 20 Icosikai... 30 Triacontakai... 40 Tetracontakai... 50 Pentacontakai... 60 Hexacontakai... 70 Heptacontakai... 80 Octacontakai... 90 Enneacontakai...

+

Sides Suffix +1 ...henagon +2 ...digon +3 ...trigon +4 ...tetragon +5 ...pentagon +6 ...hexagon +7 ...heptagon +8 ...octagon +9 ...enneagon

Examples:
46 sided polygon - Tetracontakaihexagon
28 sided polygon - Icosikaioctagon

(thanks math.com for the info!)

Internet Connections

My algebra classes have been practicing their skills using an awesome website called Khanacademy.org. They are able to watch videos, take quizzes, earn points and rewards, and even track their progress. If parents are stressed about being able to help their kids with math homework, Khanacademy is a great resource to watch videos and explore topics you haven't learned about in years. As a teacher, it has helped me find a new way to assess my students' learning. Check it out!khanacademy.org

Another website I have recently begun to explore is IXL.com  (cleverly named!) where there are hundreds of practice exercises to choose from. With the way information is being processed now-a-days, (with almost everything happening on-line!) it only makes sense that our kids' learning can be on-line and interactive as well. See for yourself here: IXL.com

Happy studying!