2013-2014 FIS Visions Program Overview: Sixth Grade Mathematics

Contact Information
Mr. Jeffrey Miltko, Room 103 Email: miltko_j@fairfieldcityschools.com Telephone: (513) 829-4504 ext. 519 Website: http://dynamicmath.weebly.com

Curriculum
The sixth grade curriculum includes the following units of study: August/September Operations with Fractions October/November Operations with Decimals Integers, Rational Numbers, and Algebraic Expressions December/January Percentages, Ratios, Rates, and Proportions Data Analysis February/March Algebraic Equations and Inequalities Two-dimensional Geometry April/May Three-dimensional Geometry Writing and Graphing Algebraic Functions

Textbooks
The Visions programs sixth grade curriculum utilizes two mathematics textbooks, both from the Big Ideas Math series. Since the curriculum contains a combination of sixth grade and seventh grade material, sixth grade students will use both the green (sixth) and red (seventh) textbooks at various times throughout the year. Students will not take these textbooks home; however, online versions are available and links can be found on my classroom website. In addition, consumable workbooks will be provided for each student.

Classroom Supplies
Students are expected to come to math class every day with a pencil, eraser, math folder/binder, math notebook, completed assignments, and their workbook. Other items from the student supply list may be kept in lockers and brought to class when needed. Please, no pens in math (except for those used in grading/editing).

Classroom Structure
Since gifted students learn material quickly and need little repetition, the Visions classroom is designed to promote application and enrichment of concepts rather than rote learning that continues beyond mastery.

Pretests
Each unit begins with a pretest to determine if students have previously mastered the required grade-level content. The unit pretests are optional, but are risk-free (they will not count for a formal grade) and are in the students best interest if (s)he is familiar with the related concepts. Once the pretests are scored, students who have not mastered the contentalong with those who did not choose to take the pretest will proceed with the unit in a standard fashion, completing assignments, activities, and projects related to the appropriate standards. Students who have mastered the content will meet with the teacher to develop a learning contract, which will guide the rest of the unit. In the (rather common) case that a student shows mastery in some, but not all, of the standards, that student will join the class on days when the not-yetmastered standards are being taught.

Learning Contracts
Students who show mastery of most or all concepts within a particular unit have the option of developing a learning contract. Students on a learning contract will forgo traditional unit assignments in favor of an independent/small-group study setting. The contract is developed by teacher and student together, and determines the extension activities that the student will be working on throughout the unit. Students on contract will receive an A grade, denoting mastery, for assignments pertaining to mastered concepts provided that they adhere to their contract and the associated rules. While on contract, students may be asked to join the class for instruction when it pertains to a standard not yet mastered or a particularly important or enriching activity. On such days, students assignments will be graded in the traditional fashion. Students on learning contracts are still required to take unit benchmark assessments, and are entitled to the same study guides and review materials as are students not on contract.

Online Learning Spaces

The Visions team utilizes a variety of online learning spaces inside and outside of the classroom. Each student will be provided with accounts for Edmodo (http://www.edmodo.com) and KidBlog (http://www.kidblog.org). These resources have been specifically chosen to complement and enrich the traditional curriculum, as well as to promote responsible digital citizenship for all students. These tools will be used strictly for educational purposes, and students will be expected to follow guidelines for appropriate conduct. Homework and other out-of-class assignments will periodically be posted within these learning spaces. If an internet connection is available at home, students will be expected to complete online work as it is assigned. If a connection is not available, paper copies of all assignments will be provided.

Grading
Student grades are based on the system adopted by the Fairfield City Schools Board of Education. A+ (98100); A (93-97); A- (90-92); B+ (87-89); B (83-86); B- (80-82); C+ (77-79); C (73-76); C- (70-72); D+ (6769); D (64-66); F (0-63). Students will be awarded grades based on the percentage they score on a combination of the three categories listed below. Students do not compete against each other for grades. If everyone in the class earns 98%, then every student receives an A+.

To keep parents informed of student progress, graded work will be sent home with students and posted in ProgressBook weekly at minimum. Each parent and student should have a code to access the individual students site. A link to ProgressBook can be found on the left-hand side of the Fairfield City Schools home page and on my classroom website. These reports include a summary of all graded work as well as an overall percentage and letter grade. Grades are entered as point values, and then weighted according to the percentages below; therefore, the overall letter grade will differ from a straight average calculation. If you do not have internet access at home, please send a note to request hard copies of progress reports and to make arrangements for the frequency of these reports.

Homework & Effort (10%)

Homework: Students will have regular homework assignments (normally averaging 15 to 20 minutes per night). Credit is given for work that is complete and demonstrates that a reasonable effort has been made to answer all questions (or solve all problems). These assignments are considered very important since they are designed for the students to practice or reinforce math skills and self-assess their understanding of the concepts. Because of our accelerated pace, we do not review every problem in detail. Instead, correct answers are given and only problems requiring further explanation are reviewed in class. Homework is due at the beginning of the class period. With the exception of absences, it is not accepted late. In addition to daily homework, students sometimes have longer (usually weekly) assignments. Classwork: In addition to homework, some classwork is graded on effort. This may include completion of warm-up activities/worksheets, individual or group in-class assignments, participation in group projects, or blog posts/comments. Although it is worth only a small percentage of the total grade, classwork assignments address areas of special concern to the development of gifted individuals -- organization, time management, social behavior, and communication skills.

Benchmark Assessments (50% of grade)

Benchmark tests are common assessments that are taken by all students following the same course of study in mathematics. The Visions program and the fifth grade advanced math classes will take the same benchmark tests and quizzes. Study guides will be provided for benchmarks. If a Visions student scores less than 80% on a benchmark test, an alternate retest may be available after the work is reviewed and the student completes a remedial assignment. To encourage students to do their best on the original tests (and help prepare them for success in future math classes), retests may only raise a students grade to a maximum of 80%.

Other Assignments (40%)

In addition to benchmark tests, teachers may use other methods or tools to assess student progress. This category includes all other graded work. For the Visions program, it will include non-benchmark quizzes, projects and in-class activities, and Challenge Club. While benchmark tests and other large assessments will be announced with many days notice, smaller quizzes may be unannounced.

Challenge Club
The Challenge Club is a weekly problem that addresses higher-level thinking skills, problem solving, logical reasoning, critical thinking, or visual thinking. It offers gifted students opportunities to stretch their minds beyond the regular classroom studies. New problems are normally available on Wednesdays and due the following Wednesday (at the beginning of class). Students in the Visions program are expected to attempt at least 5 problems during each 9-week grading period. They will earn 10 points for each problem that is turned in on time and demonstrates or explains (in words or through the use of math, graphs, charts, etc.) the strategies used in attempting to find the answer. There is a maximum of 50 points awarded each quarter. No credit will be given for answers without showing work or explaining thought processes. Since the focus of Challenge Club is to develop thinking skills, a correct answer is not required for credit; however, correct answers will be rewarded. Students will track their quarterly Challenge Club progress on the charts located in the classroom.

Communication
Weekly newsletters will be used to communicate with parents about activities in the classroom. The math newsletters will be available on the Visions Math website, and email reminders will be sent whenever a new newsletter is posted. In addition to newsletters, this site includes links to the online textbooks, the teams daily schedule, a calendar of important dates and events, resources for students and parents, important links, and contact information. The site will be updated throughout the year to support the current skills/topics being covered in the classroom. If you do not have regular Internet access, please let me know so that I can make arrangements for you to receive the newsletters (and other pertinent information) in hard copy format. For your convenience, please bookmark the web address (http://dynamicmath.weebly.com; note: this has changed from last year). Finally, please do not hesitate to email me at miltko_j@fairfieldcityschools.com with any questions or concerns. I check email regularly and will make every attempt to respond promptly. My work phone number is (513) 829-4504 ext. 519; however, teachers cannot access telephone voicemail during school hours.