Math Minds Puzzler Podcast

I finished my first podcast today!

Since it looks so much more professional than I would have expected, my confidence in podcasting is much higher than when I began! Yay! I hope that it is a helpful podcast for algebra students!

A screen shot from my podcast.

This first podcast is a math word problem about creating and solving simple linear equations. Not all students may realize that they are using linear equations and systems of equations to solve the puzzle, which is perfectly fine! That is a question that I would ask them in class when we go over the solution. Sometimes surprising students with what they didn't realize they knew can be a great teaching tool and confidence-booster for the students!

Here is my thinking behind this podcast, and hypothetically future podcasts:

Although I will only be creating one podcast this time around, my idea is that this "Math Minds Puzzler" would be a weekly podcast that students would listen to on their own time before Friday's class (or the last day that I meet with that class in a week). The students would come to class with their work written out and a solution to the puzzle, or questions to ask if they got stuck. On Friday, the anticipatory set to class would to go over the solution to the puzzle. My goal is to cover educational material, challenge students, mix up the type of work the students do at home, and to create a consistent activity to get students excited and ready to go on a Friday!

As for the specifics of the podcasts each week, the topic of a podcast could be related to a concept that we already learned or a somewhat new concept that I am asking them to struggle with a little bit; it might be silly or realistic, a brain teaser that requires a trick or a straight math word problem. All of the podcasts would be related in some way to a Virginia SOL, and require the students to draw out information that is presented directly or indirectly in the podcast to solve the puzzle. The challenge for some of the puzzles may simply be figuring out the important information and how that information relates to each other; then, once the student has done that the actual math might be quite easy! Regardless, I would plan to mix up the type and difficulty of the podcasts so that the wide-range of students can complete the puzzle, while also being challenged.

In general, I'm hoping that the students would find the puzzle podcasts to be a change from the normal pace of homework, and therefore be more inclined to do this particular assignment.

Thanks for reading! Creating an iMovie will be next - I hope it turns out as well as the podcast, if not better!