Focus On: Using Middle School Auto-Assignments

We strongly suggest that you take the first two units of The Essentials before you get started. But if you're in a hurry, here is a summary of the absolute minimum you need to know to get started. There are three important elements to making sure your students are ready to get the most out of ST Math:

• Introduce ST Math to Students - if students are new to ST Math, they need to understand that it's a bit different from other math games they might have played.
• Introduce the Learning Cycle to Students - the Learning Cycle takes the perception-action cycle and makes it actionable (and not just in math class!). When students consciously use it, they take their learning into their own hands. This is just the begninning of how to use the neuroscience of ST Math to help middle grade students understand their own learning.
• Introduce ST Math to Families - Families need to know what ST Math is and how to support their students using the Learning Cycle.
  
  

Introduce ST Math to Students

If students aren't familiar with ST Math, it will be important to introduce them to the program.

Share this introduction activity with groups of students.

Link for the activity above: https://play.stmath.com/raft/resources/interactive_activities/guided_intro/index.html

For more information about introducing ST Math to Your Students, go to the Academy's Introducing ST Math module.

There are three important elements to making sure your students are ready to get the most out of ST Math:

• Introduce ST Math to Students - if students are new to ST Math, they need to understand that it's a bit different from other math games they might have played. Even students who are familiar with ST Math will notice some changes this year.
• Introduce the Learning Cycle to Students - the Learning Cycle takes the perception-action cycle and makes it actionable (and not just in math class!). When students consciously use it, they take their learning into their own hands.
• Introduce ST Math to Families - Families need to know what ST Math is and how to support their students using the Learning Cycle.
  
  

Introduce ST Math and the Picture Password to Students

If students aren't familiar with ST Math, it will be important to introduce them to the program and the picture password.

Share this introduction activity with groups of students.

Link for the activity above: https://play.stmath.com/raft/resources/interactive_activities/guided_intro/index.html

For more information about introducing ST Math to Your Students and videos to introduce the Picture Password, go to the Academy Introducing ST Math and the Picture Password module.

Introduce the Learning Cycle to Students

Teaching students to follow the four steps of the Learning Cycle will help them work their way through puzzles they might be having a hard time with.

• Notice - What do you notice on the screen? Click on the screen to see what is highlighted. That's where you should focus your attention.
• Predict - Before you click the green Go Button (or in games without the button, before you enter your answer), what do you think will happen?
• Analyze - What did happen? Was your prediction correct? Double click on the screen during the animation and you get the controls to replay and stop the animation so you can understand what happened.
• Connect - How does this puzzle make sense to you? What other math ideas does it make you think of?

You can use this activity with groups of students to go over the Learning Cycle.

Link for the activity above: https://play.stmath.com/raft/resources/interactive_activities/npac_shoes_guided/index.html

Introduce ST Math to Families

Because families will likely be working with their students, it's important that they understand what ST Math is. You can provide this link to your families and they can learn how to support their student using the Learning Cycle and get a chance to play some games themselves.

bit.ly/welcome_stmath

You can try it for yourself here:

Be sure to remind families to:

• Share the joy of learning growing together
• Encourage effort and progress
• Take breaks
• Create their own learning environment
• Have fun