Day 70 - Exploring Exponents

I remember thinking about how to teach certain concepts last year at EdCamp LA. Meeting twitter acquaintances like John Stevens, Jed Butler, and Matt Vaudrey, I finally got the sense of the scale of the power of the Mtbos. They were able to fill in a few gaps with engaging lesson ideas.... and they are just 3 of MANY math teachers in my PLN (are we still using that acronym?).

Before EdCamp, I didn't know what I didn't know. Now I know, or almost know, and it is both awesome and overwhelming at the same time. Make sense?

Anywho, it is almost time for EdCamp again and the same question I had then is still milling around my brain. How do I make everything interesting, fun or filled with problem based learning goodness? Can all topics from our traditional (read not common core) curriculum be made into engaging lessons?

I hope so.

But then chapter 8 rolls around every year.

Yes it closes with exponential growth and decay, but it opens with this:

So again, the question stands. How do I make that fun, interesting, engaging or filled with problem based learning goodness?

So far I have given examples followed guided practice (there was audible yawning). We have done a "my favorite no" and today we played a round of Meet Your Match. Tomorrow we might do problems with the whiteboards.

Meh.