In the comment section below, share at least one "aha" moment (evidence) and "why." Read comments by other group members and respond to posts by at least two other teachers.
Chapters 8 and 9 have been and will continue to be a resource that I come back to over and over. The students are so much more engaged in menu-lessons where they can choose to access the task from a point that they understand. I have also tried to use heterogeneous groups to problem solve together and report their findings to the class. The time taken to report out has been problematic with larger classes. I end up needing to allow only one group to report each day so that discussions stay focused. The reporting to the class is so important for the accountability of the students. They really want the class to know that they know their stuff.
Finally the resource suggestions in Chapter 9 are excellent.
The whole process takes so much time----and yes, the kids all are so excited about what they learned that they want to share EVERTHING! Keeping their sharing concise would be a valuable skill to work on. How do you keep the listeners interested/engaged? I've found that sometimes students are not truly paying attention, or the presenters lose the audience in a complicated explanation.
I agree the grouping helps the students. Ability grouping encourages accountability from all students . The students who are having difficulty with the material will soon be working on a lower level expectation if allowed , but if they are working in a group they will be getting peer help also.
Aha moment that really ties in with our discussion at yesterday's professional development, and that is that we often rush into the algorithms when we should take the time to solidify the concrete examples. Yesterday's discussion plus this chapter reinforces the importance of fully exploring concrete models, relating them to representational models, and then bringing in the algorithm once the concept is fully developed. The conversations around how to use the models and the discovery of "what works" and "what can't be" are a valuable part of learning that takes time---these connections are lost if the algorithm is expected too early.
I liked the methods that were addressed in these chapters for helping all students be successful. Giving students choice in how they show their learning is always a more successful strategy. Oftentimes, we don't even realize how much a student really understands until we let them express it in their own way. I have used menus in the past and found that even reluctant learners are excited because they have a choice. I agree with Mr. Reever that these 2 chapters should be referred to often. They are full of ideas and resources for helping all student be successful.
I think the ideas and resources would be great for further exploration. I think combining the format with CCSS can be a great way for teachers to plan in cohesive units and can aid in co-teaching. I hope we can work towards implementing with support and collaboration.
In chapter 8, I really liked the menu time idea. Students enjoy when they are allowed to choose what they want to do. It puts them in charge of their learning. I also liked how the menu time had so many different ways to incorporate differentiation into the lesson. I also liked chapter 9 because it gave so many resources to help a teacher to teach those critical concepts to students.
My aha moment in Chapter 8 was the part about the disadvantages of ability grouping. Whereas I am familiar with the benefits of mixed ability groupings, I'd never thought about one reason being that mathematics skills are not necessarily a linear process. I slightly disagree due to the validity of their being a scope and sequence for certain mathematics, and I think the concept of "prerequisite skills" is still necessary for learning. I also think that as long as expectations are kept high, some students certainly benefit from instruction at their level. I do think we need to allow such learners to struggle some with the math, to build independence and confidence, but within their grasp and not frustrate students with the hopes that they will somehow "figure it out" as the book suggests.
I agree with Mr. Reever in regards to using this section of the book as a resource for ideas as you are working with finding ways for your students to report their learning from their groups. I have found this year that having students talk about not only what their findings are, but HOW they have found them really helps the understanding and learning of all of the students. And having those Heterogenous groupings really lends itself well to having the students help each other learn, which is much more powerful then my droning on and on about different mathematical concepts.
Chapters 8 and 9 have been and will continue to be a resource that I come back to over and over. The students are so much more engaged in menu-lessons where they can choose to access the task from a point that they understand. I have also tried to use heterogeneous groups to problem solve together and report their findings to the class. The time taken to report out has been problematic with larger classes. I end up needing to allow only one group to report each day so that discussions stay focused. The reporting to the class is so important for the accountability of the students. They really want the class to know that they know their stuff.
ReplyDeleteFinally the resource suggestions in Chapter 9 are excellent.
The whole process takes so much time----and yes, the kids all are so excited about what they learned that they want to share EVERTHING! Keeping their sharing concise would be a valuable skill to work on. How do you keep the listeners interested/engaged? I've found that sometimes students are not truly paying attention, or the presenters lose the audience in a complicated explanation.
DeleteI agree the grouping helps the students. Ability grouping encourages accountability from all students . The students who are having difficulty with the material will soon be working on a lower level expectation if allowed , but if they are working in a group they will be getting peer help also.
ReplyDeleteAha moment that really ties in with our discussion at yesterday's professional development, and that is that we often rush into the algorithms when we should take the time to solidify the concrete examples. Yesterday's discussion plus this chapter reinforces the importance of fully exploring concrete models, relating them to representational models, and then bringing in the algorithm once the concept is fully developed. The conversations around how to use the models and the discovery of "what works" and "what can't be" are a valuable part of learning that takes time---these connections are lost if the algorithm is expected too early.
ReplyDeleteI also think it is important not to rush into algorithms and to spend more time on those concrete and representational stages.
DeleteI agree and think having students discuss their thinking will be beneficial to themselves and to their peers, and an assessment tool for teachers.
DeleteI liked the methods that were addressed in these chapters for helping all students be successful. Giving students choice in how they show their learning is always a more successful strategy. Oftentimes, we don't even realize how much a student really understands until we let them express it in their own way. I have used menus in the past and found that even reluctant learners are excited because they have a choice. I agree with Mr. Reever that these 2 chapters should be referred to often. They are full of ideas and resources for helping all student be successful.
ReplyDeleteI also believe when students are giving choices they are more successful in their learning.
DeleteI think the ideas and resources would be great for further exploration. I think combining the format with CCSS can be a great way for teachers to plan in cohesive units and can aid in co-teaching. I hope we can work towards implementing with support and collaboration.
DeleteIn chapter 8, I really liked the menu time idea. Students enjoy when they are allowed to choose what they want to do. It puts them in charge of their learning. I also liked how the menu time had so many different ways to incorporate differentiation into the lesson. I also liked chapter 9 because it gave so many resources to help a teacher to teach those critical concepts to students.
ReplyDeleteMy aha moment in Chapter 8 was the part about the disadvantages of ability grouping. Whereas I am familiar with the benefits of mixed ability groupings, I'd never thought about one reason being that mathematics skills are not necessarily a linear process. I slightly disagree due to the validity of their being a scope and sequence for certain mathematics, and I think the concept of "prerequisite skills" is still necessary for learning. I also think that as long as expectations are kept high, some students certainly benefit from instruction at their level. I do think we need to allow such learners to struggle some with the math, to build independence and confidence, but within their grasp and not frustrate students with the hopes that they will somehow "figure it out" as the book suggests.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mr. Reever in regards to using this section of the book as a resource for ideas as you are working with finding ways for your students to report their learning from their groups. I have found this year that having students talk about not only what their findings are, but HOW they have found them really helps the understanding and learning of all of the students. And having those Heterogenous groupings really lends itself well to having the students help each other learn, which is much more powerful then my droning on and on about different mathematical concepts.
ReplyDelete