1. VIRTUAL RESOURCES FOR MATH TEACHERS Andrea Lillis, OCT

2. TWITTER Not just for the under 20 crowd! In the right hands Twitter can be a great asset for teachers! Not only are there some fun and interesting ways for us to incorporate Twitter into classroom activities but it also allows us to connect with other great math educators. Here are a few that consistently post engaging and relevant content:

3. @MYP_MATHTEACHER Although she is now a middle and high school math teacher, Luzzarraga has experience with and tweets about math for grades K -12 with a focus on technology and the International Baccalaureate.  Recent tweet from @MYP_MathTeacher” “5 Tools to Help Students Learn How to Learn | MindShift http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/03/5-tools-to-help-students- learn-how-to-learn/ … via ‪ @MindShiftKQED” http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/03/5-tools-to-help-students- learn-how-to-learn/ … ‪ @MindShiftKQED

4. @EDUTOPIA “The George Lucas Educational Foundation is dedicated to improving the K-12 learning process by documenting, disseminating, and advocating innovative, replicable, and evidence-based strategies that prepare students to thrive in their future education, careers, and adult lives.” (http://www.edutopia.org/mission-vision)  Recent Tweet from @Edutopia: “Critical Thinking: A Necessary Skill in the Age of Spin: ‪ http://edut.to/1b7qsdr ‪ #criticalthinking“ ‪ http://edut.to/1b7qsdr ‪ #criticalthinking

5. @OAMECOUNTS Ontario Association for Mathematics Education  Recent tweet from OAMEcounts: “What's the probability of landing on bankrupt in Wheel of Fortune?

6. @MATHMINDS  Recent Tweet from @MathMinds [actually a re-tweet (sharing someone else’s tweet)]:

7. @DAVIDWEES Posts about junior/intermediate/senior math but also includes posts about pedagogy and technology that will be relevant for all educators.  Recent tweet from @davidwees: "Maths is not a body of facts or procedures but a way of thinking." ~ ‪ @profkeithdevlin (via ‪ @fardef) ‪ #mathchat ‪ @profkeithdevlin ‪ @fardef ‪ #mathchat

8. @DEREK_HAYLOCK Haylock is a math professor at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. He is also the author of a number of math textbooks, including Mathematics Explained for Primary Teachers (Sage).  Recent tweet from @derek_haylock: “Grains of rice on chessboard problem: My grandson, Jack, now 12, called this week and told me about something... ‪ http://bit.ly/1faCXg4 “ ‪ http://bit.ly/1faCXg4

9. IPAD APPS  I’m often surprised by what apps appeal to students and which ones come up flat. As with so many resources, there is a full spectrum of quality so it is important to use a critical eye to evaluate them before introducing any app to the class. I’m a supply teacher on a limited income and only recently bought an Ipad so I have been sticking to apps that offer a free version and that come recommended by peers. These can be good incentives for behavioural students, can be used as a math center or can be recommended to families who want educational alternatives for students who enjoy ‘gaming’.

10. FREE FLOW Fun puzzle game with hundreds of levels so even young or struggling students can play but so can advanced students who want a challenge. As students gain confidence, they can make use of the timed trials and can watch their number of turns used.

11. VIRTUAL MANIPULATIVES!  A visual representation of fractions, decimals and percent using tiles.

12. NUMBLER A mathematical version of scrabble. I would not introduce this until the junior grades as it takes a while to understand and become competent with this game.

13. TOO NOISY  This is not a math-specific app but is one that will be useful in the classroom. It monitors the noise level and provides a meter and graphics to gauge the volume of the class to encourage self-monitoring while you work with guided math groups or conference with students.

14. MATH EVOLVE A game that I would probably not introduce until grade 2. You have the option of setting the game up to include addition, subtraction, multiplication and/or division questions. The question pops onto the screen and students move their player to the correct answer. If they don’t solve it in time, the ‘tutor’ box pops up to give them time to work through the problem and find the correct answer before continuing. Some students love it but it could be defeating and frustrating for students with processing difficulties or who do not have strong mental math strategies.