Monday, November 24, 2008
Increased Student Thinking
I am beginning to see students voluntarily verbalizing their thinking and finding their own way of doing things. It is VERY exciting! A recent example, the math program that we use teaches a strategy for adding 19 to a number. The suggested strategy is to add 20 and then subtract 1 from the sum. So, 25 + 19 would be 25+20=45, then we subtract 1 from that sum 45-1= 44. One of my 7th graders very quickly said, "Why would I need to do that? Why couldn't I just take one away from the 25 making it a 24? Then I put that 1 with the 19 to make it 20. My new problem is 24+20 which equals 44." YES! And his process made more sense to the others in the group, so we are now using Nick's method instead of the suggested book strategy. This particular student has always been very hesitant when it comes to math, but ever since he had that success, he is starting to take more risks and is always looking for his own way. I'm loving watching his thought processes!
Blind Student
Hello Everyone,
I've been out of blog, couldn't log in, but FINALLY have been able to set up a new account. So, here goes...
One big dilemma that I am having in math instruction is dealing with how to get across math concepts to a blind child. Has anyone dealt with this in the past? I've been using a lot of manipulatives in class, but am having trouble with how do I modify this so that he can "see" what we are doing.
Friday, November 21, 2008
National Math Advisory Panel's Report
I found some fascinating reading for you all over the holidays that comes from the National Math Advisory Panel, a group established by the Bush Administration in 2006 to pull together all the research that has been done in the field of teaching mathematics. This was in response to a study that showed that American students performed significantly below world-wide standards in math. The final report of this group was published in March of this year. You can find the report in its entirety at http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/report/final-report.pdf To get to the nuts and bolts of the report, scroll to page xvi. There's lots of fodder for blogging if you need ideas! If you'd rather watch video, there are some overviews at
http://dww.ed.gov/topic/topic_landing.cfm?PA_ID=8&T_ID=20
I was especially interested in item 14 : "Experimental studies have demonstrated that changing children's beliefs from a focus on ability to a focus on effort increases their engagement in mathematics learning, which in turn improves mathematics outcomes: When children believe their efforts to learn make them "smarter," they show greater persistence in mathematics learning....This is a critical point because much of the public's self-evident resignation about mathematics education...seems rooted in the erroneous idea that success is largely a matter of inherent talent or ability, not effort."
We've talked about the importance of having a positive attitude, but this goes a step beyond that. I think looking at a student's efforts sometimes happens in my own teaching, but not in a thoughtful, conscious way. That's something I can start to do right away.
http://dww.ed.gov/topic/topic_landing.cfm?PA_ID=8&T_ID=20
I was especially interested in item 14 : "Experimental studies have demonstrated that changing children's beliefs from a focus on ability to a focus on effort increases their engagement in mathematics learning, which in turn improves mathematics outcomes: When children believe their efforts to learn make them "smarter," they show greater persistence in mathematics learning....This is a critical point because much of the public's self-evident resignation about mathematics education...seems rooted in the erroneous idea that success is largely a matter of inherent talent or ability, not effort."
We've talked about the importance of having a positive attitude, but this goes a step beyond that. I think looking at a student's efforts sometimes happens in my own teaching, but not in a thoughtful, conscious way. That's something I can start to do right away.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
the power of games
We have a school-wide initiative this year to use the Investigations curriculum. My new 3rd grade students have been struggling to comprehend and be able to apply the mathematical concepts that are based on already having the foundation of two to three years of Investigations under their belts, which they do not have. As usual, it has been a dance of one step forward, two (or more) steps back, because there is no point in continuing to try to move forward if the groundwork is not truly understood.
Investigations makes much use of games, and for the first time in my teaching of math, I am not limiting their time playing games to only a few trials (out of a need to "accomplish more.") We have been playing lots of games over and over again during classtime, and I am really amazed and pleased with the learning that has been going on during this time. It's a great way for kids to internalize the math concepts (in this case, place value, "trading up," and being able to see 120 as 12 tens, for example) while they are enjoying themselves! They are really learning concepts and beginning to be able to apply them in other mathematical settings.
Looking at the learning involved in playing games, and modifying for differentiation was the focus of the coach's training sessions, and Maggie also used games in both musters this past month, encouraging us to think how a game could be made easier/harder. I think this focus has helped me to realize how powerful games can be, and has given me permission to spend the time playing games in the classroom. And it's a lot more fun!
Investigations makes much use of games, and for the first time in my teaching of math, I am not limiting their time playing games to only a few trials (out of a need to "accomplish more.") We have been playing lots of games over and over again during classtime, and I am really amazed and pleased with the learning that has been going on during this time. It's a great way for kids to internalize the math concepts (in this case, place value, "trading up," and being able to see 120 as 12 tens, for example) while they are enjoying themselves! They are really learning concepts and beginning to be able to apply them in other mathematical settings.
Looking at the learning involved in playing games, and modifying for differentiation was the focus of the coach's training sessions, and Maggie also used games in both musters this past month, encouraging us to think how a game could be made easier/harder. I think this focus has helped me to realize how powerful games can be, and has given me permission to spend the time playing games in the classroom. And it's a lot more fun!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Suggestions Please
My students have been working on their place value and most of them can now work with small and large numbers in terms of standard, written, and expanded forms quite well. Very few of them may still need some work on one of those, but overall they are fine.
This past week, in iSucceed Math program, I began to work on their rounding numbers and they are fine up to the hundreds but for larger numbers they really get confused and just look at the number they need to round, rather than look at the number on the right, to determine whether they need to bump that number up or they should keep the number the same.
I have worked with each group on rounding numbers and they practiced, where they created their own 6 or 7 digit numbers and together they round the numbers. Their conversation was very interesting and I had to restrain myself from interjecting by trying to correct spelling words right in front of them. Most of them, occasionally, looked at me for some kind of signs, especially when they needed to argue. We checked them together and that was when they found out whether they were correct or not. I usually gave students practice sheets but thought that if they could create their own numbers it would be better. It went particularly well, I think because each of them contributed to this.
I have used the number lines and the number charts, but are there other tools or games to make it more interesting for them? Perhaps we can create games:):)
This past week, in iSucceed Math program, I began to work on their rounding numbers and they are fine up to the hundreds but for larger numbers they really get confused and just look at the number they need to round, rather than look at the number on the right, to determine whether they need to bump that number up or they should keep the number the same.
I have worked with each group on rounding numbers and they practiced, where they created their own 6 or 7 digit numbers and together they round the numbers. Their conversation was very interesting and I had to restrain myself from interjecting by trying to correct spelling words right in front of them. Most of them, occasionally, looked at me for some kind of signs, especially when they needed to argue. We checked them together and that was when they found out whether they were correct or not. I usually gave students practice sheets but thought that if they could create their own numbers it would be better. It went particularly well, I think because each of them contributed to this.
I have used the number lines and the number charts, but are there other tools or games to make it more interesting for them? Perhaps we can create games:):)
Sunday, November 2, 2008
developing numeracy with the rekenrek (grades 1 and 2)
I have been searching for ways to develop numeracy among my sped students at about grade 1 and 2 and have had a lot of good results using the rekenrek. It's a small abacus with 20 beads that is divided up into fives (five red and five white beads on the top row and the same on the bottom row). I find it really helps my students to see how to make tens when adding numbers (such as seeing that 5+ 6 is actually 10 + 1 and 7 +7 is actually 10 +4) . Rather than just struggling to memorize those facts or always counting up to find the answer, they can begin to visualize pictures in their mind (by first seeing it on the rekenrek). If anyone is interested you can find a lot of information by looking up "www.rekenrek.com" on the internet. If anyone has other ideas about developing numeracy (especially with addition/subtracion facts) with this grade level I would love to hear your ideas.
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