Blog 14

Blog #14!

Observation: Anchor charts are helpful! 

Reflection: While I was in my placement, walking around the school, I noticed many classrooms with various anchor charts hanging all over their walls. While most of them are very visually appealing, I started to wonder if there was even a point to having them hung up everywhere. Did the students even notice they were there? Or was it just for show?

Reflection on Reflection: I started to notice that when the students were completing their math assignments and homework in class, they continuously turned to these anchor charts as a reminder or a refresher. I think that classrooms do not have enough of them! They serve as a helpful tool that students can use to become independent and not rely on the teacher for answers to a simple question. I noticed that it makes the students feel as though they are able to solve the problem on their own, and they really do spend time reading the anchor charts. It just reinforces that visual aids are great learning tools for kids! 

Blog 13

Blog #13!  

Observation: Deal or No Deal game show activity 

Reflection: We learned in math class a fun and interactive way to teach about probability in real life circumstances that I thought would be a fantastic way to introduce average/median to students!  Using file folders you can create brief cases with each dollar nomination that also appear on the board in each brief case. 

The idea to use this in a classroom would be similar to the game show. You would nominate a student and just like we did in class, the student chooses one brief case, which will be theirs throughout the whole game. Then go around the class and ask students to pick a brief case to be eliminated and so on and so fourth.  The teacher would act as the "banker". After each time the banker puts out an offer, the teacher can stop and have the class find out the median amount of the money is left on the board, and decided whether or not it’s a good idea to take the offer.

Reflection on Reflection: I feel as though this game is an excellent and intriguing way to introduce averages in math to junior/intermediate students.  At this point in the junior and intermediate grade levels, the students are beginning to understand the value of money and its importance for a good lifestyle. Therefore, I strongly believe this activity would spark every student's interest and make for a hands-on activity to introduce the topic of averages in math. Great idea and I will definitely try it out! 

Blog 12

Blog #12!  
"Probability!" 

OBSERVATION:  Introducing the idea of “probability”  

REFLECTION: In class on Monday, professor Antosz made a pretty risky bet with all of the teacher candidates in the room that he thought at least 2 people in the class had the same birthday. We went through the class and students stated their date of birth. Professor Antosz proved himself soon after we started this activity, as there were 2 sets of students who had the same birthday.

REFLECTION ON REFLECTION: I strongly believe that this is an excellent activity to strike students attention about the probability of something being true or correct. It’s a fun way to get them involved and it is something that will definitely capture their attention, because it is all about them!

Professor Antosz said in his lecture that only once was he proven wrong where no students shared the same birthday in the classroom. This intrigued me, as I am interested to see how true that statement is. I think I will try this theory and activity out the next placement I go to, should I find myself teaching the unity of probability. It is a very good “hook” to the beginning of the unit. If I enjoyed this lesson, I can only imagine how much an elementary class would like it!

Blog 11

Blog #11!

Observation: Level 4 does not mean using words to explain your answer during a math test.  

 

Reflection: At the Professional Development day during placement, the principals of the school spoke about how a teacher might mark a math question on a test. They presented a question to the teachers and gave them 4 different responses from students. They asked the teachers to use their judgment and grade the 4 different responses.

The question was as followed; “Andrew blinks his eyes about 3 times per minute when he is awake. He is awake approximately 14 hours per day. Does he blink his eyes more than 1 000 000 times in one year?

Circle one:    Yes        No.

Justify your answer.

From the answers that were given, the level 1 and 2 seemed obvious. Listening to the conversations, the majority of the teachers graded the level 3 answer that had the correct response, however did not explain their answer using words and complete sentences. The level 4 was given to the answer that was incorrect, as the student used 360 days instead of 365, however showed all their work and explained their answer using sentences and numbers.

Reflection on the Reflection: To many people’s surprise, when they were given a booklet with the correct way to mark this question, (according to the board office) the level 4 was the answer who got the correct answer, however used absolutely no words to explain their answer. Many teachers were shocked that it was not the one who justified their answer using words. They said that level 4 answers should be ones that complete the word problems using a concluding sentence.

They were told, however, that level 4 answers do NOT require words and sentences in math. As long as students show their work and come to the correct answer, they will receive a level 4. This was interesting to listen to as I thought the same thing as many of the other teachers in the room.

This was a valuable workshop to sit in on, as it taught me that in math, students do not need to write a concluding sentence in order to reach a level 4. This will definitely make me stop and think the next time I mark a math test. Just because students do not answer the question with words, does not mean they have not reached a level 4 score.