Roll up the Probability Possibilities

A couple of years ago i posted a running total of my roll up the rim to win coffee purchases. i wanted to see if the 1 in 9 chance would actually occur in my own purchases, while also being aware of the geographical inconsistencies in which Tim Hortons distributes its winning cups. This allowed my students and i to engage in conversations around a real-life example of probability. It was fun, (and it may actually resulted in a few coffees being purchased FOR me by some students and their parents -- wink, wink.) So i will continue this practice on the Six Nations Numeracy blog this year. Tim Hortons claims a 1 in 6 chance of winning this year, as they have added more prizes.

However, one factor i didn't anticipate that may have "skewed" the results, were those instances where i actually purchased the coffee, but as a gift for someone else. Did those winning cups count towards my total? Is that why my actual buying experience didn't concur with Tim Hortons' alleged odds? So this year, i will include any winning cups i bought for others. Maybe good karma has its way of working and messing with probability?

Drinks for me: 23

Drinks for others: 6

Drinks for me, purchased by others: 4

Total Drinks Purchased: 33

Winning cups for me: 2

Winning cups for others: 2

Winning cups for me, purchased by others: 0

Total winning cups: 4

Odds for me: 2 in 23

Odds for others: 2 in 6

Odds for me, purchased by others: 0 in 4

Total odds: 4 in 33

Anti-Bullying Flashmob January 2011

Celebrate Pink Shirt Day one week from today, on February 23rd and support anti-bullying.

International Day of Pink occurs April 13th, 2011.

Gap Closing Grade 6 Number Sense Series

The MATH GAINS Grade 6 Number Sense Gap Closing series begins tonight from 4pm to 5pm. i will be at my office participating in these sessions (six in total). Teachers are welcome to join my group and "attend" these sessions with me.

A video by Marian Small is available at this link. It sets up tonight's session and it was requested that it be viewed in advance.

Materials for all six sessions can be viewed and downloaded here.

100 Ants for 100th Day

Thinking of a literacy/numeracy activity for your 100th day celebrations?

Try searching for lesson plans written for the book, One Hundred Hungry Ants.

Click here to preview the book. It was recently in Scholastic's book order for February and can still be ordered through them.

Here is a very short lesson plan for Kindergarten.

Here is one for grades 2 or 3.

Here is one for 3rd, 4th or 5th grade.

Here's one for 6th and 7th grade from Math Solutions.com.

Sorry, grade 8s. You'll have to do your own search. (Or how about having the grade 8 students TEACH one of the lessons above TO a lower grade? To teach something requires a lot more mastery of the subject.)

21 Signs You’re a 21st Century Teacher

read the original source here...

1. You require your students to use a variety of sources for their research projects...and they cite blogs, podcasts, and interviews they've conducted via Skype.

2. Your students work on collaborative projects...with students in Australia.

3. You give weekly class updates to parents...via your blog.

4. Your students participate in class...by tweeting their questions and comments.

5. You ask your students to study and create reports on a controversial topic...and you grade their video submissions.

6. You prepare substitutes with detailed directions...via Podcasts.

7. You ask your students to do a character/historical person study...and they create mock social media profiles of their character.

8. Your students create a study guide...working together on a group wiki.

9. You share lesson plans with your teacher friends...from around the globe.

10. Your classroom budget is tight...but it doesn't matter because there are so many free resources on the web you can use.

11. You realize the importance of professional development...and you read blogs, join online communities, and tweet for self development.

12. You take your students on a field trip to the Great Wall of China...and never leave your classroom.

13. Your students share stories of their summer vacation...through an online photo repository.

14. You visit the Louvre with your students...and don't spend a dime.

15. You teach your students not to be bullies...or cyberbullies.

16. You make your students turn in their cell phones before class starts...because you plan on using them in class.

17. You require your students to summarize a recent chapter...and submit it to you via a text message.

18. You showcase your students' original work...to the world.

19. You have your morning coffee...while checking your RSS feed.

20. You are reading this.

21. You tweet this page, blog about it, "like" it, or email it to someone else...