Professional Growth Central

Authentic Audience

2006-05-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt like your students just don't put that much effort into their work? Does it seem like they just don't care? One of the ways we can help students take more pride in their work is to provide them with an authentic audience. When students know their work will be seen by others it tends to boost their effort and attention to detail. We've probably all tried to give our students an authentic audience by telling them their work will be hung in the hallway, having them share with another class or with parents, or inviting guests into hear or view their work. If you're really adventurous, and you want to give your students a world-wide audience, you might want to consider sharing their work on the web. Of course, this comes with some challenges, but I think the experience you provide for your students is well worth the effort. The link below is to a blog of a first grade teacher who has recorded her students reading their own writing and posted it on the web as podcasts. Check out what these first graders did! There are many more examples out there of ways to motivate your students by publishing their work on the web. This is something I am interested in learning more about-- Anyone else interested?

http://barblcohen.edublogs.org/

Tools Or No Tools?

2006-05-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

Should kids be allowed to count on their fingers to solve math problems? Will children become reliant on tools and be hampered in their ability to learn more efficient strategies? What are the benefits of allowing your students to work with tools? The article linked below has answers to these and more questions and makes a strong case for the use of tools. It also shares strategies for helping students effectively choose tools and strategies for solving problems. It's kind of long, but it's very interesting.

http://my.nctm.org/eresources/view_media.asp?article_id=7461

Cooperative Learning

2006-05-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

In this article the author shares ideas for successfully facilitating cooperative learning and groupwork in the area of mathematics. We all know the benefits of having students work in groups, however, some people shy away because it can be noisy and difficult to manage if you don't have much experience with it. This article gives some pretty good examples and specific things you cant try to help with the management piece. While the suggestions are specific to mathematics, I think the techniqies would be effective in any subject area. If you've had success with cooperative learning groups in your class, please feel free to share strategies that you've used that have worked.

http://www.mathgoodies.com/articles/coop_learning.html

More on Assessment FOR LEARNING

2006-04-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

The link below is to another Stiggins article on the idea of Assessment FOR learning. It is a pretty long article, but it's very informative. It helped deepen my understanding of the difference between basic formative assessment and true assessment for learning. I'd love to hear your ideas about how we can make this a part of our regular teaching practice. Are you already doing these types of assessments in some areas? What types of training do you think we would need?

http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k0206sti.htm

Assessment FOR Learning

2006-03-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

Summative assessments? Formative Assessments? Assessment FOR Learning?
With WASL testing on the horizon I'm sure assessment is on everyone's brain. The link below is to an article by Rick Stiggins that was printed in Phi Delta Kappan. In this article, Stiggins talks about how the focus and purpose for assessment has changed in the last several years, quite dramatically in the past few years. I felt good reading the article knowing that we are already doing a lot of the things here at Spinning and in our district and state that he talked about--frequent on-going and varied types of assessment, learning targets are clearly defined for kids, strong and weak examples of work are shared, students recieve frequent descriptive feedback, students regularly self-asess their own learning, goal-setting. Sound familiar?

http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k_v87/k0512sti.htm

Is Smaller Class Size the Key?

2006-03-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

The link below leads to an interesting article that details the findings of a study on the effects of class size on student achievement in reading. I must say I was surprised at what this study found. I know that as a teacher one of my biggest challenges is finding the time to give each student the individualized attention they need. Should we be using funding in ways other than to reduce class sizes? Did this study miss something? Are there other factors/benefits of smaller class sizes that would warrant us to fight for this even if there isn't a significant impact on student achievement?

http://www.johnlocke.org/acrobat/spotlights/spotlight_276-classsize.pdf

Back To Basics?

2006-03-16T10:28:00.000-08:00

In your boxes you will find two short articles. They share two different perspectives on teaching "the basics" in mathematics. Do these author's views challenge your current thinking? Do you agree with what they have to say? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

If you are interested in reading more perspectives on this topic, click on the link below.
http://www.nctm.org/dialogues/1999-10.pdf

Hands-on Learning and Standardized Tests

2006-03-09T15:47:00.000-08:00

This week I'm linking back to an old favorite, the Committed Sardine, so you can hear Ian Jukes's views regarding standardized-tests and hands-on learning. While I agree with what he says about the need for hands-on learning, I think his comments are slightly misinformed as far as testing requirements for NCLB . He says that only tests corrected by a computer are counted for meeting NCLB requirements, thus taking out the ability to assess students' complex thought processes. I think the WASL actually does a pretty good job of assessing students thinking and reasoning, and it is definitely not scored by computers.
After reading the article I'd love to hear your overall reactions, or thoughts on these questions.
Are we just teaching our kids how to answer questions on tests, or are we providing them experiences to build enduring understanding? I was not surprised by his example of the students from the physics class and the limited understanding they got from a lecture. This type of teaching seems to be the norm more often than the exception in colleges and universities. I think this passive, talking-head type of teaching might be occuring in elementary classrooms more than it should too. What do you think? What kinds of things are you doing to help your kids experience hands-on learning?

http://homepage.mac.com/iajukes/blogwavestudio/LH20041201110546/
LHA20060306052627/index.html

Concepts VS. Procedures

2006-03-02T12:42:00.000-08:00

The link below is to an article that addresses the longstanding debate over whether we should be teaching our students mathematical algorithms and procedures(like most of us learned), or spending time first building their conceptual understanding.

The author suggests that teaching kids formulas and traditional algorithms before building their conceptual understanding, may actually inhibit or interfere with their ability to learn the mathematical concept. What do you think?

http://my.nctm.org/eresources/view_article.asp?article_id=6430&page=1

Math in Asia

2006-02-23T12:25:00.000-08:00

With all the "Conversations in Math" this week I figured it would be a good time to take a look at math in other parts of the world, particularly Asia. Attached are two articles about math instruction in Singapore and Japan. Just yesterday we were having a discussion at lunch about how math was taught in Singapore (They ranked #1 in the world on the TIMSS, an international ranking test in Math and Science). I wasn't surprised to read that they emphasize teaching mathematical concepts in a problem-solving context rather than focusing merely on procedures. If you open either of these links below you will see a whole list of articles about the teaching of mathematics in Asia. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

http://www.nctm.org/dialogues/2001-11/20011102.htm

http://www.nctm.org/dialogues/2001-11/20011103.htm

More on Technology

2006-02-16T12:05:00.000-08:00

At our CSIP meeting yesterday we were discussing the idea of purchasing books or CD's on tape for a listening library and listening centers in the classrooms. One suggestion was to purchase portable CD players for check out. Understandably, there were some grumblings and doubts about whether students would take care of them or if we'd just be wasting our money. I somewhat jokingly said to someone next to me that maybe we could download the books onto their IPODs to be listened to. It looks like my suggestion was really not all that far-fetched. The link below will take you to an article from Newsweek that tells how several universities around the country are downloading lectures onto IPODs. Children today truly are growing up in a technology-driven world and are "wired" to learn in completely different ways. How can we change what we are currently doing to address the learning styles of children growing up in our technology-rich world? Can you think of ways to use technology to enhance learning? Feel free to comment on these questions or the article.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10117475/site/newsweek/from/ET/

2006-02-10T07:53:00.000-08:00

The Secret To Positive Parent Interactions

by: Detra Davis

It is not a secret that parents are sometimes not the easiest people to get along with or understand. They come in all shapes and sizes, all races and cultures. So is there any wonder why teachers and parents sometimes hit a bump as they together travel down the proverbial path called education. Everyone involved in the educational process must be reminded that each is looking at their concerns from a different vantage point and although neither is wrong, they are often different.
Teachers know the dynamics of education, educating, child development and working with children. Parents know the dynamics of love, compassion, advocating for their child and protection. Where is the happy median? The happy median lies in educating one another.
There has long been a need for parents to understand how to “do” school. It’s really like the old adage about raising children…if only they came with an instruction booklet. Remember parents don’t get an instruction booklet on how to understand the dynamics of educating their children either. They are often caught up in earning a living or just surviving from day to day. This is no excuse but remember there are three sides to every vision; the teacher’s side, the parent’s side and the truth.
If it is the goal of the teacher and school district to truly commit to positive interactions then educating parents should be a primary goal. Educators are serving the public and the public can be a challenge, but offer your services without a sense of attitude and remember your best is good enough.
Teachers will never be able to please every parent and parents will never be able to please every teacher. Both parents and teachers must begin their communication effort with mutual respect and an open ear; and follow these tips to develop and maintain positive parent interactions:
- Before a situation escalates, move quickly to let parents know of the issue. Make a phone call, email, fax, just get the information to the parent immediately.
- Listen to your parents and don’t be quick to judge. The more you listen, the more you learn. My advice is so eloquently conveyed in this little poem. ”There once was an old owl who lived in an oak, the more she heard, the less she spoke, the less she spoke the more she heard, so why not be like that wise old bird.”
- You must always act in a respectful, responsible and tactful manner. Anger is not an option.
- Disagreement comes about because of the inability to communicate clearly and effectively. Say what you mean, don’t beat around the bush.
- Avoid being negative and fault finding. Encourage and motivate in a good way.
- Do not react to anger. Less is more, end the conversation or take a break and never meet with an angry parent alone.
- An aggravated parent who protests your every comment is often masking another issue and may in fact be frustrated by the issue or their child’s inability to achieve
- Don’t throw your hands up in disgust, have problem-solving strategies ready to present to parents.
- Choose your words carefully and refrain from saying the first thing that comes to mind.
Organization is the key to addressing both academic and behavioral concerns. Always have your grade book, the student’s portfolio and any notes taken about behavioral concerns. If attendance is a problem, have solutions ready that might remedy the issue. It is import to exhibit compassion and empathy when talking to parents and know that this too shall pass.
Parents want the best for their child and they often verbalize it in the most inappropriate manner; don’t take what parents say personally, know that a lot of what is said is based on emotion and frustration. Remember at the beginning of the school year put all your cards on the table and give parents as much information as possible about your expectations so there will be few surprises once the school years begins.

Group Study

2006-02-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

THE BENEFITS OF GROUP STUDY

Petress, Kenneth C

Group study in and out of the classroom is strongly advocated in this article. Group study improves students intellectually; when done effectively, it stimulates interest and increases confidence; effective group dynamics also improve classroom management strategies.
Group study is typically resisted by students until they are exposed to, understand, and experience its benefits. 1. Group study involves sharing of: ideas, personal and collective time management, and task preparation; cooperation amongst group members; collective responsibility both for the group task and for each other's welfare; and a willingness to be an active group participant. 2. These attributes are needed for truly successful group participation.
Group study has benefits that fall into the cognitive [what we think and know] and affective [how we feel and express our feelings] domains. 3. Such study enhances student social skills, helps bolster student confidence, and helps students practice assertiveness. Group study skills are transferable to other tasks. Learning quality group study skills prepares students to enter expanding work arenas where teamwork is demanded. 4. Group study requires students to articulate what they know to fellow group members. It also requires students to listen to fellow members' ideas. 5. These group activities sharpen members' communication skills as well as enhancing their cognitive skills. Well prepared group members likely will have read, observed, or thought about assignments in variant ways. Such diversity awareness, tolerance, and acceptance is another group study benefit. Being aware of, understanding, and applying diverse learning styles and learning outcomes implicitly prepares students for later vocational and community realities.
Group study validates what students really know if they are required to articulate in the presence of others what they have learned. When they are able to clearly articulate what they know, are able to answer probing questions about their knowledge, and are able to withstand challenges to what they know, their knowledge is reinforced and verified. Such validation lessens stress related to examinations by lessening self doubt about what they know.
High quality group study involves rotating study assignments within the group. Members should be assigned, at varying times, the following task dimension duties: goal setting and adjusting, data gathering and organizing duties, the job of summarizing group tasks, procedural and outcome assessment and probing responsibilities, and the agenda setting job. The following group maintenance duties also need to be rotated so as to broaden each member's group skill repertoire: giving each member a fairly equitable opportunity to participate, focusing/refocusing on the task, recognizing and breaking group tension, mediating member disagreements, celebrating success on tasks/subtasks, and caring for individual needs.
A third role group beyond task roles and maintenance roles are called individual roles. These are behaviors asked for, demanded by, or offered to an individual group member that temporarily takes the group away from the group's task(s). Such behaviors as frequent exception to norm requests, the "group clown," whining, late arrivals/early departures from meetings, needing to "catch up" due to missed meetings, and other behaviors focusing on individual members' needs are examples of individual roles. All members, from timeto-time need individual attention, care, and forgiveness; however, no group can function successfully and harmoniously if such behaviors occur frequently. Effective group leadership is essential to limit these individual behaviors.
Students who want to form successful groups need to find classmates who possess the following traits/characteristics: (1) their major reason to join a study group is to learn; (2) they are responsible and will attend group meetings regularly, on time, prepared, and in the mood for work; (3) they are willing to and able to actively participate in group work [groups cannot afford to carry non-participating members; this burden causes eventual resentfulness and slower progress];6 and (4) they can be tolerant of others' ideas, learning styles, and conclusions drawn from group study. Successful groups normally do not exceed five members; exceptions can occur. Too large a group invites unfair and debilitating labor divisions, allows some members to shirk full responsibility, promotes sub grouping [cliques], and makes group management too high a priority for this type of group activity. It has been the author's experience both as a group member/leader and as an assigner of group tasks that effective group behavior is more likely when the monitoring and handling of disruptive behavior is handled from within with minimal external influence. It is recognized that in school environments - and some working world settings - that some external resolution to specific group problems becomes necessary; these need to be kept to a minimum, however. It has been found that successful study groups frequently dissolve the familiar reluctance to engage in group work. Success tends to feed on itself and acts as a motivator for future experiences. When classroom groups are formed, it is wise to see to it that at least some members who have precious positive experiences are in each group.
Unsuccessful study groups occur due to: (1) incompatible member goals; (2) group study sessions deteriorate into social "bull sessions;" (3) clear group goals remain unstated, vaguely or ambiguously stated, or change frequently; (4) members do not come to sessions fully prepared; (5) some members participate unequally, if at all; and (6) all members do not fully respect each other. It is crucial that students become aware and are frequently reminded that groups are not - and should not be - solely task oriented; that there is and ought to be a social dimension to group dynamics. Students need to understand that the social dimension is not the group goal but is a means to a task accomplishment.
Group work is rewarding when it functions well. Not all tasks are appropriate for groups to accept. Some tasks are simple and short enough for individuals to do. Groups work best when idea diversity is needed/wanted, when division of labor is called for, and when feedback from fellow members is desired and useful. I recommend students seek out classmates and form a serious [but fun] study group. Your learning will improve with a quality study group; you will learn more this way, will learn more quickly, and will retain more of what you learn.
References
1. This statement is based on the author's 30 years experience teaching the group communication course and teaching other classes where group dynamics were assigned.
2. See John F. Cragan, David W. Wright, and Chris R. Kasch. (2004). Communication in Small Groups: Theory, Process, Skills, 6th ed. Thomson.
3. Isa N. Engleberg and Dianna R. Wynn. (2000). Working in Groups: Communication Principles and Strategies, 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin.
4. Isa N. Engleberg and Dianna R. Wymn. Chapter 2.
5. Isa N. Engleberg and Dianna R. Wymn. pp. 121-129.
6. Ken Petress. (2001). The Ethics of Classroom Silence. Journal of Instructional Psychology, pp. 2-3.
KENNETH C. PETRESS
Professor Emeritus of Communication
University of Maine at Presque Isle
Copyright Project Innovation Summer 2004Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved

Technology

2006-01-27T10:00:00.001-08:00

For this week's entry I'm leading you to another BLOG! Please, try to contain your excitement. It's called "The Committed Sardine Blog" and belongs to Ian Jukes, the keynote speaker at the OSPI conference. He shared some pretty exciting, and sometimes overwhelming, information about technology and it's implications on education. Browse through the postings listed on the left and find one that is of interest to you. If you like what you read, you might even want to add the blog address to your favorites. Have fun!

http://homepage.mac.com/iajukes/blogwavestudio/index.html

Article #3

2006-01-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms, Revised Edition
by Jacqueline Grennon Brooks and Martin G. Brooks
Introduction
Judging from our conference presentations, our consulting work, and our mail since the 1993 publication of this book, the basic tenets of constructivism clearly strike a responsive chord with a great many teachers and administrators.
Constructivism is a topic on the conference programs of virtually all prominent national educational organizations and has been widely described and analyzed in professional journals. Recent publications have presented constructivist theory in a variety of contexts: curriculum mapping, teacher education, and school leadership, to name three. University faculty and national teacher associations have endorsed constructivist lesson design and instructional practices. Moreover, a few state education departments (New York, California, and Kentucky, among others) have identified constructivist teaching practices as preferred, and have included explicit examples of student-designed work in their state curriculum frameworks and standards.
Learning: Not a Linear Process
Interestingly, all of these events have occurred at a time when the politics of education has taken a turn away from the principles on which constructivist-based education rests. The thinking behind this turn is exquisitely simple: develop high standards to which all students will be held; align curriculum to these standards; construct assessments to measure whether all students are meeting the standards; reward schools whose students meet the standards and punish schools whose students don't.
This simple, linear approach to educational renewal is badly flawed. It is virtually identical to all the other approaches to renewal that have preceded it, and it misses the point. Meaningful change is not accomplished through political pressure but, rather, through attention to the idiosyncratic, often paradoxical nature of learning. As many states are discovering, "raising the bar" by commandment results in a jump in high school dropouts, increased spending on student remediation and staff preparation for new assessments, constriction of curriculums as they are aligned with the new assessments, and loss of public confidence in schools as large numbers of students fail to meet the standards. Missing from this mix is evidence of increased student learning.
Why? Learning is a complex process that defies the linear precepts of measurement and accountability. What students "know" consists of internally constructed understandings of how their worlds function. New information either transforms their old beliefs or . . . doesn't. The quality of the learning environment is not merely a function of where the students "end up" at testing time or how many students "end up" there. The dynamic nature of learning makes it difficult to capture on assessment instruments that limit the boundaries of knowledge and expression.
Please note that we are not saying that classroom practices designed to challenge students in transforming their current thinking and student success on tests are inherently contradictory. However, there is much evidence (from NAEP [National Assessment of Educational Progress] and TIMSS [Third International Mathematics and Science Study], to name but two sources) that classroom practices specifically designed to prepare students for tests do not foster deep learning that is applied to new settings. This evidence has led many school districts to question the philosophical underpinnings of the long dominant pretest-teach-posttest model of education. Despite completing all their assignments and passing all their tests, too many students simply are not learning.
A Process of Making Personal Meaning
Consequently, many programs and curriculums recently adopted in districts throughout the nation and created not by political pressure but by teacher conviction and demand are centered around the notion that, classroom instruction notwithstanding, students make their own meaning. Examples of such programs include process writing, problem-based mathematics, investigative science, and experiential social studies.
In a constructivist classroom, the teacher searches for students' understandings of concepts, and then structures opportunities for students to refine or revise these understandings by posing contradictions, presenting new information, asking questions, encouraging research, and/or engaging students in inquiries designed to challenge current concepts.
In this book, you will read about five overarching principles evident in constructivist classrooms.
Teachers seek and value their students' points of view. Teachers who consistently present the same material to all students simultaneously may not consider students' individual perspectives on the material to be important, may even view them as interfering with the pace and direction of the lesson. In constructivist classrooms, however, students' perspectives are teachers' cues for ensuing lessons.

Classroom activities challenge students' suppositions. All students, irrespective of age, enter their classrooms with life experiences that have led them to presume certain truths about how their worlds work. Meaningful classroom experiences either support or contravene students' suppositions by either validating or transforming these truths.
Teachers pose problems of emerging relevance. Relevance, meaning, and interest are not automatically embedded within subject areas or topics. Relevance emerges from the learner. Constructivist teachers, acknowledging the central role of the learner, structure classroom experiences that foster the creation of personal meaning.
Teachers build lessons around primary concepts and "big" ideas. Too much curriculum is presented in small, disconnected parts and never woven into whole cloth by the learner. Students memorize the material needed to pass tests. But many students, even those with passing scores, are unable to apply the small parts in other contexts or demonstrate understandings of how the parts relate to their wholes. Constructivist teachers often offer academic problems that challenge students to grapple first with the big ideas and to discern for themselves, with mediation from the teacher, the parts that require more investigation.
Teachers assess student learning in the context of daily teaching. Constructivist teachers don't view assessment of student learning as separate and distinct from the classroom's normal activities but, rather, embed assessment directly into these recurrent activities.

The Search for Understanding
The power of these five principles is compelling, but only to those not wedded to linear approaches to educational renewal. We acknowledge that, for some, it is easier to disseminate information from the front of the room, assign chapters from textbooks, and grade workbook sheets and exams than it is to help each student search for personal understanding and assess the efficacy of that search. And, it probably seems more reasonable to structure lessons around one right answer to each question than it is to value different, often contrasting, points of view. And, yes, it is presumably more comforting to think of all students as blank slates with similar cognitive profiles than it is to view them as individuals whose life experiences have shaped singular sets of cognitive needs.
Nonetheless, more and more teachers continue to gravitate toward constructivist principles because . . . well, because they make sense. Teaching and learning are complicated, labyrinthine processes filled with dead ends, false positives, contradictions, multiple truths, and a great deal of confusion. Trying to simplify and quantify the teaching/learning dynamic wrings out its essence and renders it a reductio ad absurdum.

Over the past several years, then, the case for constructivist classrooms has been strengthened and also has become more acute. Virtually all school districts profess to want their students to be thinkers and problem solvers. In the classroom, the individual search for understanding lies at the heart of this pursuit. The languid instructional practices of the past, even dressed in new clothing, cannot trick students into learning. Engagement in meaningful work, initiated and mediated by skillful teachers, is the only high road to real thinking and learning.
During a workshop several years ago, a teacher, reflecting on her own education, noted that the teachers who influenced her most were the few who made difficult concepts accessible by seeking to understand what she knew at the time. We have heard many people recount similar stories about their most memorable teachers. For the most part, these remarkable teachers mattered so much because they were less concerned about covering material than they were about helping students connect their current ideas with new ones. These teachers recognized that learning is a uniquely idiosyncratic endeavor controlled not by them but by their students, and they knew that conceptual understanding mattered more than test scores. These teachers are constructivists, and they're the ones we remember.

Copyright © 1993, 1999 by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. All rights reserved.
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Implicit Associations

2006-01-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! This week instead of posting an article on here for you to read I have a task for you to complete. Go to the website http://www.implicit.harvard.edu When you get to this page click on the "Demonstration" button. Read that page and then click "Go to the Demonstration Tests". Navigate through the next few pages until you get to the list of tests. Choose and take the RACE IAT. It shouldn't take more than 10 - 15 minutes to do this.

Your results are for your eyes only--I'm not asking anyone to share (unless you're just dying to). As we prepare to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day I thought it would be a perfect time for us to spend a little time reflecting on our beliefs and building an awareness of our own unconscious associations, perhaps even alert us to some we're not aware we have. I recommend that after taking the test you read through some of the frequently asked questions as well as the "Interpreting Results" section under the Background info tab. If this is of interest to you, you might want to try some of the other IAT tests or try the RACE IAT again.

I will also put an excerpt from a book in your box that can shed some more light on these results. Have fun with this... Don't feel bad or insulted.

As always, you are welcome to comment on this experience by clicking on the post comment link below.

Reflection on Jan. 4 Training

2006-01-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

Since we didn't get a chance to debrief immediately after our Step Up to Writing training the other day, I would like to have some reflective discussion on this blog. I know this wasn't the best training I've ever been to. I felt like there was a little too much sitting and listening and not enough concrete strategies we could use to improve our students writing. While the training didn't fully meet my expectations, I feel like there were a few good things that we could take away from it.
I would like to hear what you thought about the training. Please take a minute to respond to these two statements.

(1.) One thing I learned in the training that I will try using with my students is...
(2.) Something I am still wondering about is...

If you feel like you have a good solution to someone's statement number 2, feel free to address that as well. Or, if you have things you could add on to what the presenter shared, let's hear it.

Please read the next posting too, Article #1. There are instructions on there as to how to post comments. Let the professional dialogue begin!

Article #1

2006-01-05T12:51:00.000-08:00

This is a simple, very short article. It is probably nothing that you haven't heard before, but I think it reinforces the importance of using effective questioning with our students-- especially in math. Some of her ideas and activities sound very similar to things we are using with the new math curriculum. If you want to comment on this article, you will need to set up a blog account--they don't allow anonymous comments. It's really easy to do, just click on the comment link below the article and it will walk you through the set-up process. Let me know if you need help doing this....but just like you would expect of your students, please try it on your own before you ask me for help. You will learn it way better if you figure it out yourself than if I just show you how. Enjoy!

March 2004
March 2004 Volume 7 Number 6Improving Achievement in Math and Science
Using Math to Teach Thinking
Cindy Hansford

“I don't know what to do.”
Are some of your students quick to decide that they don't understand something—sometimes even before attempting to solve a problem? And are you sometimes too quick to supply a formula that students can apply and memorize? Here's the hitch: when we simply give students the steps to follow, they may be able to find the correct answer more quickly, but they may not be able to explain whyapplying a particular formula resulted in the right answer.
A better approach, I've discovered, is to hit the ball back into the students' court: “Well, what do you think you should do?”
We need to help students to become thinkers. How? By asking them to attempt problems, examine answers, share strategies, and then reexamine their processes and solutions.

Asking Questions
Helping students become reflective problem solvers begins with asking questions: What's the purpose? How did you solve that? Is there a more efficient way? Although the teacher usually begins the practice, students soon start asking themselves these questions on a regular basis.
We then need to use real-life problems that children can relate to. We want students to see how daily life can be part of the great math experience. For example, I may write on the board: Bottled drinks can be purchased, 4 for $5.00. How much is each drink? Students copy the problem and work through it in their own ways. When they're ready, I visit with each student and ask him to tell me what he did. As the students share, they reflect. Some will ask for reassurance, some will change their minds. I simply listen and respond with questions to promote more thinking. When students are successful, I encourage them to look for ways to solve the problem more efficiently.

I also ask students to share their problem-solving processes with their peers. How can we be better thinkers if we aren't exposed to new ways of thinking? Volunteers approach the board and show us their strategies. As a group, we decide if the methods make sense. I always ask for someone to solve the problem a different way, hoping that it will prompt children to compare and contrast: “Oh yeah, that seems easy!” or “I like my way better.” My goal is to enable students to use the strategy that best makes sense to them.

Talking About Numbers
At least three times a week, for about 10 minutes each time, my students and I engage in “Number Talk.” Here's how it works:
First, I display a problem such as 23 + 19 = ? on an overhead or write it on the board. Students mentally solve the equation and put their thumbs underneath their chins when they have the answer (this lets me know when they are ready without interrupting other students).
Next, I make a list of students' answers and ask them to decide: Which answers are possible? Impossible? Students immediately begin to reflect, and some may want to change their answer or take it off the list.
Then, children show and describe how they arrived at their answers. This sharing time is so powerful because it allows students to see that, while we are all working on the same problem, there are many different paths of thinking. Our purpose is to identify patterns and efficient ways to solve problems. In fact, to promote different thinking even further, I often require students to work the same problem two different ways.

Moving Beyond Formulas
I do think that it's my responsibility to introduce to and explore with my students math concepts such as friendly numbers, doubles, negative numbers, patterns, and charts. Students will use these concepts as tools in solving problems. My key responsibility, however, is to help students activate their higher-order thinking and reasoning skills. In doing so, they will be equipped to grapple with the much more challenging problems they'll have later in life.
I must give my students opportunities to make decisions. Will they make poor choices? Of course. Everyone does. But, they will also be prepared to evaluate their own thinking to determine if a better solution is possible. Children with this capacity will be the competent and competitive leaders of tomorrow.

Cindy Hansford (Chansford@shelbyed.k12.al.us) is a 3rd grade teacher at Meadow View Elementary School in Helena, Ala.

2006-01-03T08:34:00.000-08:00

STEP - UP to Writing Training
I just wanted to remind everyone that we will be having a STEP-UP TO WRITING advanced training on Wednesday, January 4 from 1:30 - 4:30 in the commons at PHS. Please remember to be there and ready to start at 1:30 sharp. Please bring a pen and something to take notes on.

DMI Training Opportunities
In your boxes you will find a flyer for two different DMI (Deveoping Mathematical Ideas) courses being offered in the district. Building A System of Tens is for those who have not already been trained in this system. It will help you see and teach mathematics in a completely different way. If you have not already taken this course, I highly recommend it. For those who have already taken this first course, the district is offering Making Meaning of Operations Part 2. It will further your understanding and skills learned in Building a system of tens. You must have taken the first course to enroll in this class. I hope we can have good representation from Spinning in these classes. You will need to email ProDev to register.

What is This For?

2005-12-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

This will be a place for staff members to share articles they think others would find valuable and for people to talk about classes they have attended. All posts will be open for comments in the hopes that this blog will provide a forum for professional dialogue.