Ack! I did it again! What is wrong with me?!? I am so sorry, everyone. Hopefully this will be the last time I will post to the entire group by mistake. :o( Laurie --- Laurie Menke <laurie_menke@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Your classroom system sounds like it's going to be > great! Cool plan! :o) And I'm glad you like some > of > the ideas. Sorry about the software. :o( But you > still may want to look into the Family Game Packs. > Actually, that just made me think of something else > that I haven't thought about in years. There is a > book by Marilyn Burns called "Family Math." You may > want to check that out if you haven't already. As I > remember, it had a lot of game-type math activities > in > it. Well, good luck! > > Laurie > > > > --- "Magi D. Shepley" <magid@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > These are seriously cool, Laurie. ;) I can't buy > > any software, because > > we can't install anything on the school computers. > > > I did get around > > that a bit by bringing in my old laptop... We > don't > > get to use it as > > often as I'd like because it is a laptop. I need > to > > get a mouse for it, > > and to bring in the printer and scanner that went > > with it. > > The classroom business/pay already exists... The > > students were earning > > checks based on their classroom behavior, but > > because only 3 of my > > students use any kind of formal point sheet, it > was > > very subjective. > > And, because of that, the students didn't respond > > very well. We tried > > doing a sticker chart (their choice), and saying > > that so many stickers > > equaled $1.00, and they'd receive classroom checks > > to spend in our > > classroom store. Nobody ever remembered to put > the > > stickers up, so that > > didn't work. Then, when we started playing > Monopoly > > and I started > > looking for some related materials, I found the > > Trend behavior charts. > > They were designed for home, though, so I > > brainstormed some ideas of my > > own. What we came up with was that the students > can > > earn up to 4 houses > > per day (1 per period they are in the room; I have > > one student that is > > only with me 2 periods every other day, so she > only > > has to earn 2 houses > > per day). Once they earn 4 houses, just like in > > Monopoly, they can > > trade their houses for a hotel. Once they earn 4 > > hotels, they can > > "save" their hotels and bank it (by depositing > $1.50 > > in their classroom > > checking account), or spend it at our classroom > > store (by writing a > > check). One of the local credit unions has a teen > > savings program and > > when I explained what I wanted gave me REAL > > checkbooks for the kids, > > with age-appropriate teen themes. :) Our > > classroom store has a > > variety of lunch-type things, and healthy snacks > > (bottled water, > > pretzels, popcorn), and then homework passes, > > magazines, computer time, > > game time, etc. And then, because we are also > > having serious issues > > with the kids working together and being socially > > appropriate instead of > > tattling, and maing up stories about each other > (if > > they don't have an > > adult with them sitting RIGHT THERE at lunch time, > > they come back > > telling us that soandso curses, kicked, spit, etc > on > > them all during the > > lunch period), for every hotel that the students > > earn on their own, the > > class gets 1 house. When the class gets 4 houses, > > they can trade it for > > a hotel... and when they have 8 hotels we will do > > something special on > > our community instruction day like going bowling > or > > going to Blockbuster > > to get a movie, or out for ice cream or a visit to > > Wegman's to watch the > > model train sets.. If we can't get off-campus, > they > > can order lunch in > > the classroom. You see, I make them work doing > > community instruction... ;) > > We're going to start it after Spring Break. I'd > > wanted to start it > > before, but so many of the kids were out with this > > bug that it wasn't > > worth it. > > > > Magi > > > > Laurie Menke wrote: > > > > >Hi, Magi! I'm finally getting back to you about > > some > > >possibilities for your class. > > > > > >First off, I was wondering if you've ever heard > of > > the > > >Everyday Math curriculum published by The Wright > > Group > > >(McGraw Hill)? I'm asking because the school I > > work > > >at uses it, and it includes a substantial game > > >component as an integral piece of the curriculum. > > > >None of the games are that amazingly wonderful, > but > > >the kids do seem to enjoy them, the instructions > > are > > >fairly simple, and they all use common materials: > > > >dice, coins, cards, etc. Many of the games are > > also > > >available on computer CD, so if you have a > computer > > >available, that's another option that tends to be > > fun > > >just because it's different. :o) Start at this > > web > > >address: > > > >http://www.wrightgroup.com/index.php/programsummary?isbn=0076038793 > > > and look specifically at the EM Games (that's > the > > >computer versions--available for $32 each in K, > > 1-3, > > >and 4-6 grade levels) and the Family Games Kits > > >(includes all boards/materials at $36 each in the > > same > > >three grade groups). Really, what you'd be > buying > > is > > >the game ideas, because as I say, the materials > are > > >all typical game components...you could use > > Monopoly > > >money and markers, Yahtzee dice, etc. You might > > also > > >look at the Activity Books and specialized decks > > ($60 > > >per book and five card decks, each focusing on a > > >different topic, such as time or money). > Finally, > > >even if you choose not to purchase anything, you > > can > > >have your students play some of the games by > using > > >their sample pages. Click on the "Learn More > About > > >This Product" link from each product's page to > get > > >sample pages, and in the case of the computer > > games, > > >actual playable sample games. So that's my first > > >suggestion. > > > > > >Other than that, here are some other ideas: > > > > > >Scrabble: Use the tile counts to determine > things > > >such as whose name is worth the most points > > (adding). > > >Or for language development, have each student > add > > to > > >a list in a category you name (such as Types of > > >Clothing or Vegetables). Then have the class > > >determine whose contribution was worth the most > > points > > >in Scrabble tiles. > > > > > >Scrabble: There is a game on the market called > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com