Topic outline

  • Welcome!

    Have you ever asked yourself and your colleagues…

    • How can we use evidence-based strategies to teach fractions? 
    • Have you ever heard of Fraction Face-Off!?
    • What does a systematic and explicit fraction intervention look like? 

    If you are looking for an evidence-based intervention targeted for 4th grade, this course will help prepare you to implement one called Fraction Face-Off! (FFO). FFO is a small-group Tier 2 intervention designed to promote fraction understanding for students with math difficulty. 

    • Image of a person scaling a mountain with the word Fraction on it.  Title Fraction Face-Off.  MTSS in Rhode Island logo.

    • New to BRIDGE-RI?

      If this is your first time taking a course on BRIDGE-RI, we strongly recommend viewing the information below to familiarize yourself with the steps needed to successfully engage with and complete courses on BRIDGE-RI. To learn more about each topic, click the arrow on the left to expand and collapse each topic as needed.

      Please note that none of the information below is required or tracked for completion and to this end, the time needed to review this information is not included in the estimated time to complete this course.

      Please familiarize yourself with the site by watching this brief video on getting around.
      Important Notes
      • A self-paced course is open year-round. There are no start and end dates, or due dates, but there are activities and quizzes that must be successfully completed in order to earn credit.
      • BRIDGE-RI will automatically log users out after 2 hours of inactivity.
      Accommodations

      We strive for all content to be accessible to all BRIDGE-RI participants. If you are having trouble accessing any materials or wish to request accommodations for this course, please contact mtss.bridgeri@gmail.com

      To earn any PLUs associated with this course, you'll need to successfully complete each of the required activities, typically denoted by a completion marker that turns from gray to green. Any time you successfully complete a section or activity, the gray box will automatically turn to green if you have met the requirement(s). At times, you will see activities where you will need to manually select "mark as done." . Please note that there will be assessments (e.g., quizzes, checks for understanding) built into every course on BRIDGE-RI. You will be expected to obtain a passing score on these assessments but you will have multiple attempts to pass and you will receive specific feedback to guide you if you're struggling with a particular topic. While this course is self-paced and will not be facilitated by a moderator, please feel free to contact the course support contact if you have any questions. 
      Every course on BRIDGE-RI will ask you to complete a short Course Evaluation at the end of the course. Upon submission of this evaluation, your Course Completion Certificate will unlock. To access this certificate:
      1. Click on the Course Completion Certificate activity.
      2. Click View certificate button.
      3. Your certificate will automatically download. 
      4. Your certificate will also be emailed to you.
      5. You can access your certificate at any time from your Profile. Click Profile and under Miscellaneous, select My certificates

      Locating your Certificates: A one minute video on where to find all your course certificates 

      The Basics

      This course may use discussion forums to engage participants in meaningful dialogue around shared experiences. Every forum will contain clear instructions and requirements for completion. Please carefully read and follow the instructions. The course facilitator will periodically check on responses to ensure quality and appropriateness.

      Replying to a Post

      Many discussion forums will ask that you reply to another participant's post, in addition to posting your own topic. These conversation starters can help you construct a response:

      • Can you tell me more about...
      • I am curious about...
      • What do you think about...
      • Your post reminded me of...
      • This is important to me because...
      • This made me think of...
      • I can relate to this because...
      • Have you considered...
      • This was interesting to me because...

      Subscribing to Your Post

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      "Netiquette"

      "Netiquette" is etiquette for online communication. Please practice the following guidelines when posting comments or replies. 

      1. Proofread and edit your work before posting.
      2. AVOID THE USE OF ALL CAPS as this may be interpreted as shouting.
      3. Avoid abbreviations (e.g., LOL, OMG).
      4. Avoid using humor and sarcasm as they can be difficult to detect in written communication.
      5. Practice civil discussion. Refrain from ranting about someone or something.
      6. Respect the privacy of communication within a course. Do not publicly forward the comments of your fellow participants to others outside of the course.

      Why a Profile is Important

      “Why should I publish my photo and write about my interests?”

      “The biggest disadvantage of e-learning is the lack of direct personal contact with participants.”

      We have heard both statements when we ask for opinions on e-learning. These two statements, seemingly unconnected, are in fact at the two extremes of the same spectrum. One expresses a longing for a living person on the other end of a fiber-optic cable, the other objects to revealing any personal information.

      What is our stand on this? We will reply by asking you do a quick visualization: try to imagine that you are teaching a class where all the participants are separated by screens. You know their names but you don’t know what they look like, you can't see their facial expression, read their body language, you don't know their experience in education, content area or job title. Do you feel comfortable?

      We want Rhode Island educators to connect to each other through BRIDGE-RI. 

      Editing your Profile

      While keeping private information private, customize your profile so that others can learn a little bit more about you – your experiences and interests, why you’re in education, and anything else you’d like to share. 

      In the upper right hand corner, you should see your name with a small triangle to the right. Click on your name and your user menu will open. Select "Profile" from the drop down list. 



      You will be brought to your user profile. Near the top left portion, select "Edit profile" under User details.

      From there, you will have the opportunity to update and personalize your profile. Read the tips below for guidance.

      • Give a brief introduction following the prompts below.
        • Write about yourself and describe your educational experience. 
        • Add a little something about your personal life, interests, family, or hobbies.
        • Allow others to get to know you to the extent you feel comfortable.
        • Keep it concise! A short paragraph is likely all you need!
      • Add a picture of yourself. Upload your photo to the profile, but if you’re more comfortable using a photo of your pet, a Bitmoji, or some other option, please do so!
      • Remember that your profile is visible to all other BRIDGE-RI users. 
      Don't forget to click "Update profile" when you're done, otherwise your work won't save.


      If you are having difficulty, please visit Setting Up Your Moodle Profile for a complete list of the instructions above. Please note this link will open in a new window, and from there you can print or save the instructions for your convenience.

  • Getting Started

    While this course is self-paced and will not be facilitated by a moderator, for technology-related issues please feel free to submit a help desk ticket using the button on the course. For content and implementation related questions, please reach out to the course developers. Take a moment now to learn more about the course developers, read through the course information, read and agree to the Terms of Use before continuing to the next section. 

    • Meet the Course Developers 

      This course was developed through collaboration with partners from a variety of educational settings. Click the button below find out more about the course developers.

      Course Developers

    • As a professional educator, I understand that I must complete all the activities in this course as outlined by the activity expectations and instructions. I understand this course is monitored regularly and that all of my coursework should be completed with academic integrity as outlined in BRIDGE-RI's Terms of Use. Failure to meet these requirements may result in account suspension and/or termination.

    • If you have read and understand the statement above, please manually "mark as done" to the right to signify your acceptance of this statement.  

  • Content & Pedagogy

    In this section, we will learn about the background and research behind Fraction Face Off (FFO), provide an overview of the knowledge and skills in our FFO lessons, and discuss some of the fundamentals of fractions. FFO focuses strategically on evidence-based practices for students who are struggling in mathematics. The overall aim of the program is to support students in their efforts to be able to fluently perform these five skills: understanding the magnitude of fractions, comparing two fractions, ordering 3 fractions, placing fractions on a number line, adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators at a foundational level. Then, we will take a guided tour through the FFO Manual and discuss how to use the materials. Finally, in Part Three, we will take a detailed look at FFO lesson design, individual activities in FFO, and how these lessons are implemented daily. This section will take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
  • Just in Time Training for Lessons 1 – 6

    Now that you understand the Fraction Face-Off intervention’s theoretical components for teaching fractions and the evidence base, the next section will go into each of the first six lessons in the Fraction Face-Off curriculum. Time will be spent reviewing FFO procedures by modeling daily activities. Then, we will take a deep dive into content vocabulary, organization of manipulatives, and how to support students' understanding with these tools. Because this will be the first opportunity students earn Fraction Money, we will review procedures for utilizing the checkbook and shopping at the Fraction Store. This section should take one hour to an hour and fifteen minutes to complete all six activities and provide feedback.
  • Just in Time Training for Lessons 7 - 12

    Similar to the last group of six sequential lessons in the Fraction Face-Off curriculum, you will now go on to the next six, lessons seven through twelve. For this set of lessons, you will learn how to teach students to find fractions equivalent to ½, including the use of the Doubling Rule, a useful method students will use for the rest of the project. You will also learn how to increase students’ familiarity with placing fractions on a number line, especially using the N1 instructional card.  This section should take approximately forty minutes to complete all six activities and provide feedback.

  • Just in Time Training for Lessons 13 - 18

    In this section, you will review how to place two fractions on a number line where ½ is already marked. In addition, time will be spent practicing how to properly utilize the instructional cards to compare and order fractions.  This section will take approximately forty-five minutes to complete all five activities and provide feedback.

  • Just in Time Training for Lessons 19 - 24

  • Just in Time Training for Lessons 25 - 30

  • Just in Time Training for Lessons 31 - 36

  • Family Engagement

    The resources in this section are not required for course completion, however, decades of research supports family engagement as a critical lever for improving student outcomes. If you are interested in exploring evidence-based practices and strategies to engage families on this topic, we encourage you to save, download, or bookmark these resources. Please note these resources will open in a new window. When you are finished, you may close the window to return to the course.


    • Learning about Fractions at Home

      A Guide

      Take Me There!

      Review of Fraction Vocabulary

      Video from NCII

      Take Me There!

      Comparing Fractions Using Benchmarks Game

      From Achieve the Core

      Take Me There!

  • Wrap Up


    • The work of BRIDGE-RI and MTSS Rhode Island is made possible by funding and additional supports from the Rhode Island Department of Education and West Bay Collaborative.

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