Category Archives: Uncategorized

Google Slides – Camera Feature

Posted on February 24, 2018 by jgvadnais

The Email This past week, I received the best email.  Michelle, a 7th grade math teacher and District Google Cohort member, shared with me her Google slide presentation on solving equations.  I immediately solved the first problem, snapped a picture … Continue reading →

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A Guest Teacher’s Challenge

Posted on December 29, 2017 by jgvadnais

INSPIRATION My last post, Multiplying Fractions: A Desmos Area Model, blended conversations from the same lesson run in two different classrooms. Although the lesson flowed similarly in both rooms, there was one student who viewed the presented problems differently.  Gabe … Continue reading →

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Multiplying Fractions: A Desmos Area Model

Posted on December 11, 2017 by jgvadnais

INSPIRATION I’ve been tinkering with area models for awhile, storing countless versions in my teacher.desmos.com account.  A few of my area models support the conceptual thinking of multiplying fractions.  Recently, I was approached by a coaching colleague, Crystal, to teach … Continue reading →

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Google Slides: Disguise a Turkey

Posted on November 12, 2017 by jgvadnais

Inspiration During our last Google Cohort Meeting, my colleague, Nicole, shared Eric Curts‘ Google Slides activity, Build a Jack-O-Lantern with our elementary cohort teachers.  Students and teachers loved it. The computer skills focused within the activity are: Copy Paste Creating custom … Continue reading →

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Organizing an Instructional Technology TOA

Posted on August 26, 2017 by jgvadnais

This is my first August as an Instructional Technology TOA and my colleagues and I are off the hook busy.  It’s common for me to start my day at the district office before heading off to 1 or 2 school … Continue reading →

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First Day Plans: Chips & Salsa

Posted on August 12, 2017 by jgvadnais

The Days Leading up to the First Day  Last school year my district created a new department, Instructional Technology and Accountability, of which I am now a member.  We were tasked with preparing 2000 plus teachers for the integration of … Continue reading →

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2017 – 18 Goal: Empower Teachers

Posted on August 6, 2017 by jgvadnais

  I’m highly goal oriented.  It’s normal for me to be working towards a variety of goals – Personal, professional, short term and long term. When I came across @ExploreMTBoS‘s tweet about their new blogging challenge, I grabbed my computer and … Continue reading →

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Desmos Graph: Adding Positive & Negative Fractions w/ Dynamic Labels

Posted on July 7, 2017 by jgvadnais

Inspiration For the past 15 months, I’ve been working on fraction models.  When I brought the models to students, the resulting conversations were great.  Just what I was hoping for.  The downside stemmed from the behind the scenes “coding”.  My original … Continue reading →

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Diving into Google Sheets: Adding Integers & Pixel Art Multiplication

Posted on June 20, 2017 by jgvadnais

Inspiration In August of 2014, I stepped out of the classroom to become a middle level math TOA/coach.  After 21 years of teaching, I craved a different challenge and found that challenge with Desmos.  Once I learned how to make … Continue reading →

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Desmos Polygraph: The Periodic Table

Posted on May 18, 2017 by jgvadnais

  Desmos is not just for math teachers. To support this point, I created a Polygraph activity using elements from the Periodic Table. Eager to field test the Polygraph, I reached out to a few 8th grade science teachers.  Heather Wingo took me up … Continue reading →

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