Math teacher David Takseraas is creating a more interactive learning environment for his students at Edmund W. Miles Middle School. He recently began creating videos that connect the technology-savvy students to the content and also creates more time for instruction.

Mr. Takseraas said he was inspired by YouTube videos created by other teachers that review mathematical concepts, and decided to make his own to personalize it for his students. His videos specifically review the nightly homework and show students how to solve the word problems. 

The videos allow Mr. Takseraas to spend less class time reviewing homework and more time teaching new material. That is important because all students at Edmund W. Miles Middle School are accelerated in math, meaning they take algebra in eighth grade and geometry in ninth grade. Both of those high school-credit-bearing courses end with Regents exams. 

“The students can watch the videos at their own pace,” he said. “There’s a lot of material in the curriculum and this is a different idea that helps make the most out of our class time.”

Mr. Takseraas makes the videos in his classroom during free periods and shares them with students through Google Classroom along with the homework assignment sheets and notes. They can watch on their phones, home computers or any devices. Students can also ask questions in the comments section and get support outside of school hours from their teacher or classmates.