Group Assignment - Math Transformation

Think, Ink & Talk

Rather than planning lessons and assignments that ask students to demonstrate only content knowledge, plan opportunities that allow them to challenge misconceptions, build evidence to support a claim, or consider multiple strategies. Powerful learning opportunities are low-floor, high-ceiling problems in which students need to apply content and skills in new ways, to solve authentic problems.

Opportunities

Identify and document strategies that the other groups may use in their classroom instructions.

Think, Ink & Talk

NOTE: You do not have to be a Mathe teacher to use this strategy

Are your math values and beliefs reflected in the way your math class is structured? Would students be able to identify what is valued? When leading a whole-class number talk, give students wait time to think before they share. Take the time to fully explore one rich problem rather than zooming through a dozen surface-level problems. Students should leave the math class feeling energized and excited, not stressed and overloaded.

Time

In this group,select the strategy that identify with your class. Discuss with your team members how it is used in your class. As a team select the strategy that you think would be most effective for the school.

As teachers, we are very familiar with instructional modeling; however, this doesn’t shape the culture of the classroom. We must model our own thinking dispositions, calling attention to times that we are reflective, creative, or taking risks. Be authentic; when you share your own struggles and passions as a thinker and learner, students will feel safe to do the same.

You do not have to be a Math teacher to use this strategy

MODELING

How do you currently use this strategy in your classroom. How can you improve this strategy to to effect/change the Math culture in this school

Our words have the power to define the culture of the classroom. What language would a mathematician use? Do your students have the opportunity to speak the language of math? As students work through problems, note and name the strategies and dispositions used. When we intentionally and explicitly communicate the types of thinking being used, students develop their metacognition and demonstrate these behaviors more frequently.

Choose a strategy from one of your team members that will be effective in your class.

LANGUAGE

• Are you using positive, encouraging and motivating words with your students & colleagues ?
• Share and briefly five strategies that you use in your class.

The physical environment of the classroom can enhance learning and build culture. Student thinking and learning should be visible throughout the classroom. Learning is dynamic; create a space that is flexible and responsive to the changing needs of your learners. If you want to truly transform the way math is taught and learned, focus on the culture first.

You do not have to be a Math teacher to use this strategy in your classroom

ENVIROMENT

• Does your classroom facilitate flexible and responsive learning base on the needs of our learners?
• How can you transform your classroom to facilitate students needs?
• Is culture displayed in your classroom? Show it to the group.

This is the force that has the most impact on the culture of a math classroom. Positive interactions and relationships show “a respect for and value of one another’s contributions of ideas and thinking in a spirit of ongoing collaborative inquiry” (Ritchhart 2002). The most powerful learning opportunities arise when students learn from one another. To achieve this, we must create an autonomous learning environment in which students feel that their thinking is valued.

You do have to be a Math teacher to use this strategy

INTERACTIONS

Think, Ink and Talk

• Share three positive interactions that you have used with your students.
• How do you build relationship with your students?
• Do you provide an opportunity for students to learn from each other?

In a well-managed classroom, established routines are everywhere, from how to clean up manipulatives to how to work together in a small group. Consider the power of adding visible thinking and learning routines: Intentionally and consistently plan when and how to use these routines, and they will become a pattern of behavior.

You do not nave to be a Math teacher to use this strategy

Routines

Think, Ink and Talk

• Take a look at your classroom.
• Does it reflect the routines in this script.
• Share one strategy with your table mate that you recommend (s)/he will use in use in their classroom.

This does not refer to our expectations of students but our expectations for students. To transform the culture of math, we must communicate our expectations for students: they will focus on deep learning, rather than just completing work; they will be able to learn both independently and collaboratively; and they will learn from their mistakes and persist through challenges.

You do not have to a Math teacher to use this strategy

EXPECTATIONS

Think, Ink & Talk

• What is/are your expectation(s) for your students?
• Are you practicing differentiation in your classroom?
• How do you address students mistake?