Category Archives: News

Big Ideas Learning Announces New Math Game Partnership

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My Dear Aunt Sally

Big Ideas Learning has partnered with RD Imagine to launch a new math game, My Dear Aunt Sally, that reinforces many of the skills demanded by the Common Core State Standards in grades 2-8.  The over 300 difficulty levels of the game range from adding whole numbers to multiple operations involving rational numbers.

My Dear Aunt Sally was developed by Ron Larson, Ph.D., author of the Big Ideas Math program. The game was 6 months in development and incorporates successful learning styles recommended by the new Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice.

Larson said “When I started looking at the math games that are available, I realized two things.  First, they aren’t fun.  Second and more importantly, they don’t employ higher level thinking that is so necessary for success in mathematics. With My Dear Aunt Sally, we changed that.  The game is both fun and employs higher level thinking.”

The game covers the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and exponents, as applied to whole numbers, integers, decimals, fractions, and rational numbers.  Embedded in the game are dozens of animations and bonus games.

My Dear Aunt Sally is available free at www.MyDearAuntSally.com.  It is also available for purchase as an App at the Apple App Store and at Google Play.

Check out the fantastic review of My Dear Aunt Sally over at Fun Educational Apps.

Big Ideas Math Algebra 1 Wins 2013 Most Promising Textbook Award

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We are excited to announce that The Text and Academic Authors Association (TAA) awarded the first edition of Big Ideas Math: A Common Core Curriculum Algebra 1, by Ron Larson and Laurie Boswell, the TAA 2013 Most Promising New Textbook award.

The Most Promising New Textbook award was created in 2012, to recognize current textbooks and learning materials, still in their first editions. Judges are published textbook authors.

Changes to the Teachers Tab

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As part of our continual effort to improve your experience on our website, we are making an update to the Teachers tab that will be implemented tomorrow on the Big Ideas Math website.

Below is a preview of the new Teachers tab. Here you will notice that we have added a light blue box with three separate divisions that contain the new features.

On the left-hand side, you will see Steps 1 and 2. Step 1 prompts you to enter your login information and Step 2 prompts you to select a Big Ideas Math book from the drop-down menu.

Teacher Login Screen

Once you have successfully logged in, the Step 1 area will become gray. You will see two options under your username including My Account and Logout.

Next on Step 2, you will select your textbook from the drop-down menu. Once you have selected a book, the Teacher Resources below the blue box will be unlocked. You can select a different textbook at any time.

You will also see the Technical Support information on the right-hand side of the blue box.

Big Ideas Math Logged In

We hope that these updates will make logging in and selecting a textbook on the Teachers tab more efficient for you!

If you have any questions regarding the changes made to the website, please contact us at (877) 552 – 7766.

New Online Textbook Format

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The Big Ideas Math online textbooks have been updated from PDF format to a new interactive format that displays in your internet browser. Designed with multiple devices in mind, the new format is compatible with iPads and interactive whiteboards in addition to computers.

You can now easily navigate the textbook in your internet browser through the menu on the left-hand side of the screen after you select a book. You can also access the numerous student resources and tools from the menu. Everything you need is right at your fingertips!

The PARCC Assessment

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As the Common Core State Standards are sweeping the nation, more and more teachers and parents are wondering about the assessment of the new curriculum.

PARCC, The Partnership for Assessment for Readiness for College and Careers, is a consortium of states working together to develop a common set of K-12 assessments. The goal is to dramatically increase the rates at which students graduate from high school prepared for success in college and the workplace.

It will provide students, educators, policymakers and the public tools needed to identify whether students are on track for postsecondary success and where gaps need to be addressed before students enter college or the workforce. These new assessments will assess the full range of the Common Core Standards, both content and practices.

The assessment system will be comprised of four components.

  • Two summative, required assessment components designed to:

- Make “college- and career-readiness” and “on-track” determinations,

- Measure the full range of standards and full performance continuum, and

- Provide data for accountability uses, including measures of growth.

  • Two non-summative, optional assessment components designed to:

- Generate timely information for informing instruction, interventions, and professional development during the school year.

- An additional third non-summative component will assess students’ speaking and listening skills.

Assessments will be computer based and will be graded via computer scoring and human scoring.  PARCC assessments will begin during the 2014-15 school year.