Fantasy Football used for teaching math in school

[Nexrad 4]

Hello,

 

I am a school teacher and an avid FF player. Next year I want to start he year off with using fantasy football to support arithmetic practice and to make predictions based off of collected data.

 

I have some ideas already about what it would look like and how to create meaningful scoring for students to practice arithmetic while making decision about who to start in the next week, but am open to suggestions if you have creative ways you think that FF could support math instruction.

 

What I would love to get from this community are personal antidotes (maybe from professionals who use math, stats, probability in their careers) that I could use, when pitching it to parents and administrators, to support this idea (or reasons not to incorporate FF). I will not share anything from this board without permission, but thought this could be a place to get the ball rolling.

 

Thank you and have a great day!

[phillygrrl08 139]

I tried to do this and was given a big NO by admin, but I wanted to have my kids join leagues and compete.They said it was gambling.

[weepaws 2,452]

I would agree that it is gambling.

 

Don't see why it needs to be used in schools for teaching.

 

I think teachers need to go back to the fundamentals and teach.

 

I find teachers to be lazy in their work habits today, and looking for an easier way to earn a pay check.

[giraldi02 470]

There's plenty of math concepts involved in fantasy football nowadays.

Look at the material people like Josh Hermsmeyer, Adam Harstad or Scott Barrett put out. A lot of analytics based data that uses medians, means, etc. Graphical quantitative data subsets as well.

NumberFire has a lot of fascinating information as well.

Below is a site that uses simplistic quantitative data, not fantasy football related, to do outliers on games. The guy lives here in San Luis Obispo. Pretty interesting stuff as well.

http://www.theq5.com/

[phillygrrl08 139]

Maybe they would let you use it in a single lesson if you can tie it in to your state and local standards, or even a small unit where the kids try and use statistics to predict who would be the best starters, etc. but having them join a season long league probably wouldn't be appropriate. It would also depend on what grade level they are. You could work with the PE department on a cross-curricular unit so you knew they were familiar with the terminology and scoring for football.

 

Trying to reach kids by using tried and true isn't always the best pedagogy; using your imagination to create something fun and engaging is not lazy, it is what teachers do everyday, and not because it's the easiest way to earn a paycheck. Those who say otherwise probably haven't stepped foot in a classroom since they graduated school themselves.

[phillygrrl08 139]

Oh, and weeps, I wasn't proposing at my site it be done in class. Students approached me about a FF club and asked if I would be the sponsor.

[polecatt 399]

Fantasy Football is a game and only is gambling if money is involved.

I think it's a great way to teach people to improve simple math.

I know it has improved my skills in just simple figuring up amounts, numbers, costs, etc.

I know just figuring up and counting fantasy football points is good practice.

The more you do something like this the more you create your own ways to do math in your head and otherwise.

So if a student gets into fantasy football they will do this and learn well.

[ROCKFORD 134]

football and kids dont mix, hth.

[weepaws 2,452]

You can't play ff without money being involved.

 

So it's Gambling.

 

Want to use a sport to teach kids math, use baseball, it's all about stats.

[nobody 2,031]

Forget football. Teach them something that will help them for the rest of their lives and teach them math using the stock market. All the math you could ever want. What grades are we talking here anyway?

 

 

You can show them the arithmetic of different option spread strategies.

Get into some more complicated arithmetic calculating the guaranteed return and break even points on covered call strategies for different stocks.

P/E, P/B, etc for ratios

You have return on investment and return on equity calculations.

Get into volatility if you want statistics.

Shoot, you even have some differential equations stuff for pricing options.

[kilroy69 993]

Hello,

 

I am a school teacher and an avid FF player. Next year I want to start he year off with using fantasy football to support arithmetic practice and to make predictions based off of collected data.

 

I have some ideas already about what it would look like and how to create meaningful scoring for students to practice arithmetic while making decision about who to start in the next week, but am open to suggestions if you have creative ways you think that FF could support math instruction.

 

What I would love to get from this community are personal antidotes (maybe from professionals who use math, stats, probability in their careers) that I could use, when pitching it to parents and administrators, to support this idea (or reasons not to incorporate FF). I will not share anything from this board without permission, but thought this could be a place to get the ball rolling.

 

Thank you and have a great day!

I am going to tell you right now. If I was taught math in regards to fantasy baseball I would be far better in math. I say it all the time. Its not how you get there, its actually getting there. If you teach me based off a book or you teach me based off batting averages why does it matter?

[Nexrad 4]

You can't play ff without money being involved.

 

So it's Gambling.

 

Want to use a sport to teach kids math, use baseball, it's all about stats.

 

I don't know how you play fantasy but I am in paid and unpaid leagues each year. The leagues were students play in school would obviously have to be unpaid but it does not remove the challenge or mathematical thinking of the game.

 

I am willing to look at baseball and other fantasy sports if there is interest from the students involved, and football makes a good jumping off point because of when the season starts, right at the beginning of the school year, and because my students are vocal in their interest in the sport and the game, not so much in baseball.

[Nexrad 4]

I am going to tell you right now. If I was taught math in regards to fantasy baseball I would be far better in math. I say it all the time. Its not how you get there, its actually getting there. If you teach me based off a book or you teach me based off batting averages why does it matter?

 

Thank you for the input. These are the type of testimonials I want to be able to share with parents. Do you mind if I use yours?

[Nexrad 4]

Forget football. Teach them something that will help them for the rest of their lives and teach them math using the stock market. All the math you could ever want. What grades are we talking here anyway?

 

 

You can show them the arithmetic of different option spread strategies.

Get into some more complicated arithmetic calculating the guaranteed return and break even points on covered call strategies for different stocks.

P/E, P/B, etc for ratios

You have return on investment and return on equity calculations.

Get into volatility if you want statistics.

Shoot, you even have some differential equations stuff for pricing options.

 

Love the stock market for a real world concept to make math more meaningful, we do a whole unit with the stock market in our 8th grade math, but I am targeting a group of fourth and fifth graders who struggle/hate math and I want to meet them where their motivations are, and these kids LOVE football. If I can motivate them to learn/practice math by talking about football then win/win!

[Nexrad 4]

Maybe they would let you use it in a single lesson if you can tie it in to your state and local standards, or even a small unit where the kids try and use statistics to predict who would be the best starters, etc. but having them join a season long league probably wouldn't be appropriate. It would also depend on what grade level they are. You could work with the PE department on a cross-curricular unit so you knew they were familiar with the terminology and scoring for football.

 

Trying to reach kids by using tried and true isn't always the best pedagogy; using your imagination to create something fun and engaging is not lazy, it is what teachers do everyday, and not because it's the easiest way to earn a paycheck. Those who say otherwise probably haven't stepped foot in a classroom since they graduated school themselves.

 

I do math intervention for students that struggle/hate math so motivation is at the core of my teaching. I spend my planning time inventing and developing ways to make math meaningful for these students. I already have identified the common core state standards to support fantasy football for teaching so I am not worried about that angle of justification, nor am I worried about it being seen a gambling. I am now looking for ways to turn acceptance from parents and administration into support, by sharing testimonials from ff fans. I fully intent to incorporate fantasy football into weekly math activities though-out the up coming ff season.

 

Also I know what constitutes lazy teaching, I am in and out of classrooms everyday for the last 15 years, when non-experts start sharing lecturing on the subject, I remember that opinions are not facts. I usually wish that I had the chance to teach the holders of those opinions how to develop a solid argument. I asked for both positive and negative reactions to using ff for math instruction, and would love to take into consideration well developed reasons to not use ff with my students.

[Nexrad 4]

There's plenty of math concepts involved in fantasy football nowadays.

 

Look at the material people like Josh Hermsmeyer, Adam Harstad or Scott Barrett put out. A lot of analytics based data that uses medians, means, etc. Graphical quantitative data subsets as well.

 

NumberFire has a lot of fascinating information as well.

 

Below is a site that uses simplistic quantitative data, not fantasy football related, to do outliers on games. The guy lives here in San Luis Obispo. Pretty interesting stuff as well.

 

http://www.theq5.com/

 

Great resources thanks! Probably to advanced for most of my students but something to build to.

 

This series of books is closer to what ff will look like with my students.

[TBayXXXVII 2,106]

I am going to tell you right now. If I was taught math in regards to fantasy baseball I would be far better in math. I say it all the time. Its not how you get there, its actually getting there. If you teach me based off a book or you teach me based off batting averages why does it matter?

 

This is absolutely dead on. I have always been a huge baseball fan, even as a little kid back in tee-ball. I was struggling with percentages and ratios when I was first being taught in school. My parents approached my math teacher about extra help. He tutored me for 1 week after school and turned me into the best student in the class. His approach? Using baseball statistics.

 

Some kids learn differently than others. Now, I don't necessarily think you need to use fantasy sports, but using real sports data should absolutely be considered as a viable option. I wouldn't be opposed to fantasy sports, but if schools were scared (shocker!!), about them, then just using sports in general should be a reasonable compromise.

[weepaws 2,452]

Agree with the above post.

 

Baseball stats would be the best way.

 

You don't need to bring fantasy sports into it.

 

Just baseball stats could easily get the job done.

 

Bringing fantasy sports into it, is just another way for a teacher to manage their own team.

[Nexrad 4]

 

This is absolutely dead on. I have always been a huge baseball fan, even as a little kid back in tee-ball. I was struggling with percentages and ratios when I was first being taught in school. My parents approached my math teacher about extra help. He tutored me for 1 week after school and turned me into the best student in the class. His approach? Using baseball statistics.

 

Some kids learn differently than others. Now, I don't necessarily think you need to use fantasy sports, but using real sports data should absolutely be considered as a viable option. I wouldn't be opposed to fantasy sports, but if schools were scared (shocker!!), about them, then just using sports in general should be a reasonable compromise.

 

I think that any sport has statistics and numbers that can be employed to teach and practice an array of math skills, and so it is important to let students follow their interests, like your interest in baseball, and for my students, football. I think the fantasy aspect adds the opportunity to take the numbers and data you find and then make decision about what to do next. Two aspects of the Common Core State Standards for mathematical practice are to "reason abstractly and quantitatively" and "to construct viable arguments". By taking raw numbers (the stats from a sport) and using a scoring matrix for a fantasy game to create repetitive data, students can use that data to make and defend their decisions in a meaningful real world setting.

[weepaws 2,452]

I don't think it's always best to let students follow their own interests or allow them to take charge in want is being taught in a class room.

 

It sounds like the students are in charge while the lazy teacher just collects a pay check.

 

Many interest that young people have are not always the best for them.

 

And that's why a chaperone or in this case a teacher needs to forget the wants of the followers and take charge of the classroom

 

Sound teaching is becoming a lost art.

[kilroy69 993]

 

Thank you for the input. These are the type of testimonials I want to be able to share with parents. Do you mind if I use yours?

Not at all. I am very poor in math and I feel like if I had something when I was younger that made me keep interest I would be much better.

[phillygrrl08 139]

I don't think it's always best to let students follow their own interests or allow them to take charge in want is being taught in a class room.

 

It sounds like the students are in charge while the lazy teacher just collects a pay check.

 

Many interest that young people have are not always the best for them.

 

And that's why a chaperone or in this case a teacher needs to forget the wants of the followers and take charge of the classroom

 

Sound teaching is becoming a lost art.

 

Respectfully...you have no clue what you are talking about. Taking out a textbook and directing kids to turn to page 17 is a thing of the past. Using every tool available to engage students is sound teaching. I wish I had a Nexrad type teacher when I was in high school, because I dreaded math and would have loved something that piqued my interest.

 

No, playing ff does not require one to pay in and play for money. There are free leagues everywhere.

[weepaws 2,452]

There is no commitment when playing in any free leagues, so they don't count. Anyone winning a league where 75%of the other owners don't care is not winning.

 

Sound sold teaching from teachers that want to teach and not just collect a check is what the kids of this world deserve.

 

Not someone that wants to institute fantasy sports Into the classroom.

 

I have no problem using stats to help teach math, I do have a problem with bringing gambling and fantasy sports into a place where it doesn't belong .

 

We need teachers who want to be leaders in schools, I'm afraid there just isn't enough of them around anymore, thank you teachers union.

[giraldi02 470]

WPIAFP

[weepaws 2,452]

Went Potty in a Fire Place ?

 

I'm sorry for you, but I'm sure it's not the first time nor the last.

[ralphster 274]

 

Respectfully...you have no clue what you are talking about.

This. Shut yer yap tinyhands. And taking pot shots insinuating the teacher is lazy was out of line too.

 

Mathew 7:1-3 right? Go troll post 5 other threads already.

[weepaws 2,452]

Nope it's right on line.

 

There are way to many lazy teachers today, thank you teachers union. Not all but a lot of them in

 

I'm very proud of you going to your Bible and using scripture Thank You Jesus, but God won't judge me for teaching, I'm not a teacher.

 

John 7:24. Thank You Jesus Amen.

[phillygrrl08 139]

Hello,

 

I am a school teacher and an avid FF player. Next year I want to start he year off with using fantasy football to support arithmetic practice and to make predictions based off of collected data.

 

I have some ideas already about what it would look like and how to create meaningful scoring for students to practice arithmetic while making decision about who to start in the next week, but am open to suggestions if you have creative ways you think that FF could support math instruction.

 

What I would love to get from this community are personal antidotes (maybe from professionals who use math, stats, probability in their careers) that I could use, when pitching it to parents and administrators, to support this idea (or reasons not to incorporate FF). I will not share anything from this board without permission, but thought this could be a place to get the ball rolling.

 

Thank you and have a great day!

 

Just curious, but what grade level(s) are you thinking of doing this with? In my experience, kids are familiar with fantasy football in general starting in 4th grade, meaning they are starting to play or co-manage with their dad at about age 9-10.

[frank 2,144]

Test question: Under what circumstances should you bench Stephen Davis?

[Durins Bane 5]

Long, long, time lurker here. I teach Mandarin and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) at a low income middle school in California. I think using fantasy football or baseball is a good way to get students engaged. They would be able to see that there are real life applications of math in an area that interests them. Perhaps even introduce some simple technology such as using spreadsheets?

 

Or course, no money should be involved and you might want to run it by admin first. Thanks for thinking outside the box, education needs more forward thinkers like you.

[Marshall 98]

Long, long, time lurker here. I teach Mandarin and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) at a low income middle school in California. I think using fantasy football or baseball is a good way to get students engaged. They would be able to see that there are real life applications of math in an area that interests them. Perhaps even introduce some simple technology such as using spreadsheets?

 

Or course, no money should be involved and you might want to run it by admin first. Thanks for thinking outside the box, education needs more forward thinkers like you.

 

And kudos to you, as well.

[Bojangles56 13]

There is no commitment when playing in any free leagues, so they don't count. Anyone winning a league where 75%of the other owners don't care is not winning.

 

Sound sold teaching from teachers that want to teach and not just collect a check is what the kids of this world deserve.

 

Not someone that wants to institute fantasy sports Into the classroom.

 

I have no problem using stats to help teach math, I do have a problem with bringing gambling and fantasy sports into a place where it doesn't belong .

 

We need teachers who want to be leaders in schools, I'm afraid there just isn't enough of them around anymore, thank you teachers union.

There is no commitment when playing in any free leagues, so they don't count. Anyone winning a league where 75%of the other owners don't care is not winning.

Sound sold teaching from teachers that want to teach and not just collect a check is what the kids of this world deserve.

Not someone that wants to institute fantasy sports Into the classroom.

I have no problem using stats to help teach math, I do have a problem with bringing gambling and fantasy sports into a place where it doesn't belong .

We need teachers who want to be leaders in schools, I'm afraid there just isn't enough of them around anymore, thank you teachers union.

Weepaws...Are you a teacher? You make many blanket statements about educators as if you are an expert on them. In your opinion, what does good teaching look like? Was it how you were taught as a kid? If so, times have changed and educators do much more than your blanket statements reveal. In the teaching profession there are bad teachers, which is like any profession...some good, some bad...but most are very good at their job. Educators have to be very innovative and when teaching struggling, at-risk students or kids in general these days. You need to find creative ways to teach standard skills. This may embrace the use of the stock market or fantasy football and may look nothing like the way you were taught. In your opinion fantasy football is considered gambling, but if money isn't exchanged, what is truly being gambled...the data that can be used to teach math or analytics? The teacher isn't using FF to teach winning or losing...simply math standards in a way that holds students' interests. This isn't a teacher taking the easy way out...they are trying to differentiate their curriculum in a way that meets the needs of their students and that doesn't equate to taking the easy way out as they need to first find ways this would align to the curriculum, develop lessons and support materials to teach it, constantly evaluate student performance and the success of using this unit to teach the chosen aligned content, and make day to day adjustments in order to supplement their teaching for students who need additional support and practice. So before making blanket statements about teachers, you may want to speak to a few quality educators and then find out what the teachers union really does...which isn't making their teaching load easier!

[weepaws 2,452]

Yeah I'm all for using stats to help teach math.

 

But fantasy sports as no place in a classroom.

 

And I agree with you there are a fair amount of teachers who are working to collect only a paycheck and can care less what happens to the students learning, and are indeed protected by the mighty teachers union.

 

Glad to see that you agree on some of my accounts and disagree on some.

 

I'm glad that we are all still free to have an opinion about matters.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Ops forgot yes I do think fantasy sports is gambling,and for that reason I vote no.

 

Once again thanks for our reply, you made some really great points.

[Bojangles56 13]

Teachers unions don't protect crappy teachers...that's is bs rhetoric those that despise unions would have you believe. It provides them with due process and an opportunity to improve or be fired. i know this as I've served as a union rep in my district for years and have seen bad teachers continue to be bad and fired as a result.

 

Yes...there is no need for attacks as we live in a democracy where each is allowed to have there own opinion. The problem today is that everyone takes things personally instead of engaging in meaningful discussion and not even being willing to look at the other side of an issue.

[Durins Bane 5]

A very informative thread and thanks to all for participating. A few random thoughts....

 

Yes, there are bad teachers out there but there are also very good ones. This can be said for all industries.

 

You all have an open invitation to visit my classroom any time (pm me). I will show you children, many who come from some horrible home situations, that are learning and mastering a professional 3D program (AutoDesk Inventor).

 

These same kids are also learning how to speak the language of money....Chinese.

 

I am not doing this for a paycheck. If money was the driving force I would not of sold my business in Taiwan. Many of the teachers I know can make more money doing something else but they choose to make less money in order to make a difference.

 

FFB wise, besides teaching math skills, students participating in a league will be able to practice reading for understanding as well as developing critical thinking skills. Reading, math, cooperation, analytical thinking....how could this be a negative?

 

Peace to all...may you all walk naked in the woods!

[ralphster 274]

FFB wise, besides teaching math skills, students participating in a league will be able to practice reading for understanding as well as developing critical thinking skills. Reading, math, cooperation, analytical thinking....how could this be a negative?

 

 

Refute this tiny hands. I reiterate DBs point: How can that be a negative?

 

Edit: You said god won't judge you because you're not a teacher. I say you'll be judged because you cast the first stone insinuating OP was lazy. Nice sidestep there bub.

[weepaws 2,452]

1. My feelings is based on looking at both side of the situation, I don't think gambling belongs in the classroom.

 

2. I agree that most teachers can make more money doing something else, doesn't change the fact that there are still lazy teachers that have teaching jobs , like it or not it does take place.

 

3. The only way that the OP would feel insulted is if it's true and that what I said pertains to that person, so if it does than the shoe fits if not than the OP would have no problem with what I said. Look at his post above yours.

 

He confirms the fact that Yes There Are Bad Teachers.

 

So once again please check out your bible again and please read John 7: 24. God gives us wisdom for a reason.

 

And one more thing, who's bub?

 

4. I think the use of stats is a wonderful ideal, fantasy sports not so much.

[Marshall 98]

The only way that the OP would feel insulted is if it's true and that what I said pertains to that person, so if it does than the shoe fits if not than the OP would have no problem with what I said. Look at his post above yours.

 

 

Wait. So...let me get this straight. What you are saying is that (in your insular world, I am assuming) it is perfectly acceptable to directly attack the character of another, because...wait, I'm still trying to untangle this...either your assertions are baseless and false (in which case, no harm = no foul and that person should not be at all bothered by any vituperous inferences) OR they might possibly be randomly true...and if so you have nailed him to the cross and you win?

 

Pray pardon; in my confusion, I forgot - you win either way, true or false, right?

 

 

*salaams*

[weepaws 2,452]

I took a side in this situation and I stick to what I said.

 

There are lazy teachers that are not doing the job they should be doing to educate their students.

 

I don't think that gambling as I see fantasy football or any fantasy sport is a way to fix that problem.

 

If someone feels insulted by a commit I made about a situation than maybe they might be part of the problem.

 

I chose my side on this matter and Im good with it.

 

Thank you all for your reply.

 

I understand that because I don't see it the other way I'm wrong in your eyes, but I know how I feel about this situation and bringing fantasy sports into the classroom is not the way to fix this issue.

 

If you want to use stats especially baseball stats I think that's a wonderful ideal.

 

And there is no question that in any job situation there all good ones and bad ones, we all work with both and in the teaching profession it's no exception.

 

If you want to look at it has winning or losing that up to you, I'm looking at it as I'm posting my opinion, which because it's different than yours is of course wrong.

 

Ok I'm good with it that's your opinion, and I have mind.

[redsrback 30]

Heres some of the things that has me form my own opinion that does not get talked about by sports reporters. Most of what I say is based on ballcards and espn who has had much of the impact to way kids think.

 

Growing up in baseball I looked as a 270 average as an average hitter. 20 home runs as some power with 40 HRS being the pinnacle. Take any position player from the Cincinnati reds or Boston red soxs of the 70s and he would be an all-star in todays game.

Any Dodger minus Rick Monday, any Yankee minus Lou pinella. jay Bruce bats 230 and makes the all-star team in todays game. i contribute some of this to players playing in little league ballparks but in them days you were told to go outside and play.

My favorite team being from Ohio was the Reds, once a year in the 70s our parents taking us kids to a game. Before and after running around under Riverfront stadium and getting all the autographs including 1 who put band leader by his name. Without the benefit of ballcards and breaking down the stats i can honestly say i think Jim Rice, Yaz, and Dwight Evans is the best outfield i know in last 50 years.

 

Basketball-If Kobe Bryant shoots 100 times and scores 38 points and larry Bird shoots 50 times and scores 34 espn says Kobe had the better game. In the earliest times of espn players were judged by number of championships, lets just take a look into that. I have watched LeBron on TV in high school at state due to him playing a team down the road from my town. Stephen A. Smith was asked what place LeBron was on his list as best of all-time. Since he had no championships Smith said not even in his top 100. Once he got the championship it was top 15. So what changed in James game, the amount of money an owner spends for talent to get him to go to Miami and play. Don't be fooled when they say how hard james has worked on his game in the off-season just because he used his left hand for something other then a lay-up a dozen times in 82 games. His 1 weakness is the same today as his rookie year, the outside shot. Without seeing shooting percentage on the back of a ballcard i might be tempted into believing Stephen Smith played the game or knows something based on he attends a lot of games. My opinion the best was Pete Maravich, wont even get a shout out at espn because no championships or a lakers team to spend money for players around him.

 

Lots more thoughts have crossed my mind since first reading this i wont put into words, but i guess my main point is this. How do you expand the minds with kids when fed so many bias years of pretty much 1 sports outlet that the parents are telling the kids. I hardly think fantasy is the reality of education.