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OptimizED for Learning

Rated 4.91 out of 5, based on 576 reviews
176 Followers
Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
About the store
My experience is reflected in my mission. To create the best materials for optimizing teaching and learning. After years of working with poorly formatted content, created by corporations, I found myself settling for whatever come closest but either the quality or content was lacking in some capacity. Using over a decade of teaching experience I began creating what has now become OptimizED. The creations started with guided notes that were visually appealing and easy to follow, quickly summarizing the main ideas. Using real-world feedback from students and my own experiences with implementation, I would continuously edit and rework until everything was just right. Likewise, I began formulating activities that addressed specifically what needed to be taught, in a fun exploratory way. Then, I tackled the homework side of the equation. I created concise differentiated assignments with plenty of space to show work. These questions were directly correlated with the tests I created, to show evidence of mastery. I even invented a new feedback system for quick grading, combined with a student self-reflection component, using a standards-based approach. After years of reworking and editing all of this content, I decided to share my creations. It has become my mission to give teachers something that students positively respond to, created by someone in the profession. In essence, materials that will optimize a teacher's impact on student learning.
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Preview of Dot Plots and Data Distribution Notes

Dot Plots and Data Distribution Notes

A visually appealing and interactive way to teach about dot plots, line plots and the distribution of data. Both reading and creating dot/line plots is addressed on the first page of the notes. The entire second page is dedicated to describing the shape of the data. From bell curves to skewed left or right, dot plots are used to describe statistical elements of data sets. Actis Standard notes are a great way to teach students how to take notes in an easy to follow fill-in-the-blank format. Comp
Preview of Powers and Exponents Notes

Powers and Exponents Notes

A visually appealing and interactive way to teach about powers and exponents. These notes are a great resource for students and teachers! It is a great way to get kids to learn how to take notes without the need to write long cumbersome sentences. In essence, the notes are designed to address essential information and make it visually appealing. There are interactive components and mini-investigations built in. Your students will actually enjoy filling in the notes! The answer key is provided.
Preview of Strategies for Comparing Ratios Activity

Strategies for Comparing Ratios Activity

This activity will help your students develop several different tools for solving ratio and rate problems. Your students will use tables, equivalent fractions, unit rates, and double number lines to determine the best deal on cans. The same tools are again used when comparing the ratio of boys and girls in a class. This activity will demonstrate that all of these methods can be used to solve vastly different ratio problems. Works well as a self-guided activity or a group activity for the purpos
Preview of Best Measure of Center Investigation

Best Measure of Center Investigation

How do you decide between using the mean, median or mode to represent your data? This investigation presents students with three very different data sets and asks them to find measures of center. They will also be asked to manipulate the data and see how that affects all three measures of center. Ultimately, this self-guided activity will lead your students to an understanding of how to select the best measure of center. The investigation is set up to organize your students' work/thinking and
Preview of Simplify Fractions Using Prime Factorization

Simplify Fractions Using Prime Factorization

A great use of prime factorization! Have your students break apart numerators and denominators into their prime parts. Explore the simplicity of simplifying fractions by eliminating matching primes! A sample problem is provided and simple directions are clearly marked. Can be used as either a warm up or an interactive class/group activity after learning about prime factorization. The license is intended for one teacher and all of their classes. Please purchase additional licenses for each addit
Preview of Long Division Notes (Standard Algorithm)

Long Division Notes (Standard Algorithm)

Finally, a visually appealing and interactive way to teach long division! A connection is made to students' prior understanding of division to help make sense of the standard algorithm and how it works. More importantly, the reason WHY it works is explored. The correlation with the long arm method is addressed as well. The notes conclude with an explanation of how to turn remainders into fractions, to achieve mixed number solutions. In the end, these notes really helped my students visualize and
Preview of Decimal Operations Test

Decimal Operations Test

NEW for 2017: Revised grading rubric! A cleaner look that's more user intuitive, while still providing powerful feedback to students. This 20 question test covers all operations with decimals (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) and includes division of whole numbers using the standard algorithm. The best test you will find anywhere to assess how well your students understand the four operations with decimals. Here's why: 1. All multiple choice: Quick and easy to grade! Yet evid
Preview of GCF and LCM Notes

GCF and LCM Notes

A visually appealing and interactive way to teach about Greatest Common Factor and Least Common Multiple. The notes concisely demonstrate both the traditional listing method and the use of prime factorization with Venn diagrams. Actis Standard notes are a great way to teach students how to take notes in an easy to follow fill-in-the-blank format. Complex vocabulary and concepts are simplified and made attainable for all students. In essence, the notes are designed to address essential informat
Preview of Equivalent Rates and Ratios Practice: Distance Learning Enhanced

Equivalent Rates and Ratios Practice: Distance Learning Enhanced

Free tutorial video now embedded right on the page! Simply scan the QR code to check for accuracy and understanding. Great for remote teaching and eLearning as well. Students can learn the math content by completing the practice pages along-side the video or simply use it as a way to check for accuracy. This differentiated practice focuses on using equivalent fractions and tables to solve rates problems. There is special attention given to unit rates and how the order of the division can give yo
Preview of Dot Plots / Line Plots Practice & Video

Dot Plots / Line Plots Practice & Video

Perfect for virtual learning, remote learning, distance learning, eLearning, etc. Comes with a free video! What you get: 1. Differentiated Practice Set: Have your students practice reading and creating both dot plots and line plots, while addressing the distribution of the data. From bell curves to skewed left or right, your students will practice identifying statistical elements in the various graphs provided. A mixture of multiple response, true-false and fill-in-the-blank questioning ma
Preview of Penny Problem: Exponential Growth

Penny Problem: Exponential Growth

A spin on the classic problem of exponential growth. Students explore the amount of money to be made in a month if they receive 1 penny, double that amount the next day, etc. Works great as a warm up, the hook to a lesson, or an investigation. It has easy to follow directions, colorful pictures and an organized space (chart) to show the progression of money from day to day. This was specifically designed to show the power of knowing a general rules versus a rule. More specifically, going fro
Preview of Order of Operations: Monster Problem

Order of Operations: Monster Problem

This is one HUGE math problem! It includes all four operations, exponents, parenthesis, brackets, and a fraction bar. This is meant to challenge and motivate students learning how to correctly apply the order of operations. Works great as a warm up, the hook to a lesson, or a way to challenge students who think they have mastered the order of operations. Note that the license for this activity is intended for use in single class. Please purchase additional licenses, at half price, for each addi
Preview of Fraction Operations Test

Fraction Operations Test

NEW for 2017: Revised grading rubric! A cleaner look that's more user intuitive, while still providing powerful feedback to students. This 18 question test covers all operations with fractions and mixed numbers (addition, subtraction, multiplication & division). It is the best test you will find anywhere to assess how well your students understand the four operations with fractions. Here's why: 1. All multiple choice: Quick and easy to grade! Yet evidence of correct work must be shown to recei
Preview of 6th Grade Assessment

6th Grade Assessment

This is a comprehensive assessment that covers ALL of the Common Core objectives for 6th grade math. You will not find a better test to give your 6th grade math students. I have been constantly reworking and tweaking this assessment for the past several years and have piloted it with hundreds of actual sixth grade students. The result of this work is an assessment that is unmatched in quality, accuracy and ability to provide feedback. It can even be used for advanced 5th grade students or strug
Preview of Ratios & Rates Review

Ratios & Rates Review

Review the main components of ratios and rates. The 12 question review begins with naming ratios and determining equivalent rations. It then progresses to finding units rates to solve real-world problems. It concludes with using equivalent fractions and tables to solve rates problems. There is room to show work right on the sheet! Here's how Actis Standard review sheets differ from anything else you will find: 1. Not overwhelming for students and user-intuitive. 2. Each question addresses a di
Preview of Tape Diagrams Investigation

Tape Diagrams Investigation

Explore how to use tape diagrams to find the percent of a number in this interactive, self-led investigation. Students will have fun completing the student-centered activity, allowing you to provided the supportive role as the teacher. Through scaffolding, students begin with a simple example and specific steps to follow. Most importantly, student will finally understand what their answers mean and how it makes sense within the context of percents. The second component of the investigation has
Preview of Histograms Practice & Video

Histograms Practice & Video

Perfect for virtual learning, remote learning, distance learning, eLearning, etc. Comes with a free video! What you get: 1. Differentiated Practice Set: This practice set will have your students reading various histograms, determining appropriate intervals for various data sets, creating their own histograms, and identifying statistical elements based on the shape of the graph, such as skew. Likewise, a variety of response types (multiple response, true-false, fill-in-the-blank) makes this
Preview of Powers and Exponents Practice: Remote Learning Enhanced

Powers and Exponents Practice: Remote Learning Enhanced

Massive 2020 Upgrade!Looking for more than a basic skills practice? This practice page has students write and evaluate powers and exponents using a variety of response types, ranging from multiple choice to word problems. There’s even space to show work, right on the page! The real gem the embedded QR code, providing a video tutorial and integrated digital feedback system! Imagine a math practice page / homework that comes with a tutor, to guide students through every question. Now imagine that
Preview of Order of Operations Notes

Order of Operations Notes

A visually appealing and interactive way to teach the order of operations. From the classic acronym of PEMDAS to the specifics of using parenthesis and brackets, these interactive notes help student see how to effectively communicate their thinking using a funneling method of showing work. Your students will be solving seemingly complex expressions in no time! Actis Standard notes are a great way to teach students how to take notes in an easy to follow fill-in-the-blank format. Complex vocabula
Preview of Find Missing Percents and Totals Notes

Find Missing Percents and Totals Notes

A visually appealing and interactive way to teach how to find the missing percent or missing total in a math problem. Calculating the percent of a number can be fairly straight forward, but finding a missing percent (e.g. what percent of 40 is 6?) or a missing total (e.g. 30% of what number is 45?) can be challenging. These notes explore how to solve such problems with ease, WITHOUT the need for algebra. In essence, the notes explain how to set up and solve such problems using proportions. The u
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About the store

Experience

My experience is reflected in my mission. To create the best materials for optimizing teaching and learning. After years of working with poorly formatted content, created by corporations, I found myself settling for whatever come closest but either the quality or content was lacking in some capacity. Using over a decade of teaching experience I began creating what has now become OptimizED. The creations started with guided notes that were visually appealing and easy to follow, quickly summarizing the main ideas. Using real-world feedback from students and my own experiences with implementation, I would continuously edit and rework until everything was just right. Likewise, I began formulating activities that addressed specifically what needed to be taught, in a fun exploratory way. Then, I tackled the homework side of the equation. I created concise differentiated assignments with plenty of space to show work. These questions were directly correlated with the tests I created, to show evidence of mastery. I even invented a new feedback system for quick grading, combined with a student self-reflection component, using a standards-based approach. After years of reworking and editing all of this content, I decided to share my creations. It has become my mission to give teachers something that students positively respond to, created by someone in the profession. In essence, materials that will optimize a teacher's impact on student learning.

Teaching style

Differentiated, efficient and student-centered.

Awards & shining teacher moments

One of only two hundred educators selected nationwide as part of the Learnzillion Dream Team in 2013 to create online lessons. Consultant for companies such as McGraw Hill, Smarter Balanced, and Tang Math.

My own education history

Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education Masters in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis

Additional biographical information

Quality and results come standard.