Math Message
April edition
Spring Fever
Spring is in the air--that magical time when routines are running smoothly, relationships have been established and the classroom is buzzing with energy. The downside...many students have had that taste of spring break and may be less motivated to work. As educators, we know the importance of "finishing strong". Now is the perfect time to add some novelty and variety into your routine. Students can get in a rut and a novel way of expressing what they know or having more choice in how they work might be the perfect path to motivation! Do you need inspiration? Check out twitter, ask a colleague for ideas, or call an Instructional coach for that end of year boost to help you and your students work productively and joyfully together through June 2nd!
Blogspot
Last month, I introduced you to the idea of mathematics as an open, beautiful and creative subject. To continue looking at math in this way, I invite you to see what Dan Meyer has to say in his blog. Meyer is a former teacher, holds a doctorate in math from Stanford and is the current CAO (Chief Academic Officer) of Desmos. He has been quoted as saying, "I sell a product to a market that doesn't want it, but is forced by law to buy it" so he proposes a process called "patient problem solving". This process focuses less on the computational side of math, and more on mathematical reasoning with real world applications.
What happens when your students say they "hate math"? According to Dan Finkel, in this inspiring TED Talk, he proposes five principles of extraordinary math teaching which include inquiry, curiosity, and a sense of play! Try any of these, and you might just hear, "I love math!"
Speaking of "math love," check out this great website shared by Instructional Coach, Sharon Gardner. It has resources, and new lesson ideas for all grade levels.
Mathematicians At Work
Kinder
Students in Mrs. Butt's class at BCE use Go Noodle to "get their wiggles out" before getting back to work!
1st grade
Glenhope gators in Mrs. Bisballe's class work on Marcy Cook's number tiles to build number sense!
1st grade Aspire
Problem solving in Mrs. Rubison's class at GHES is fun when you create your own and use ipads to record!
2nd grade
Mrs. Davis' 2nd graders at OCT are exploring money!
2nd grade
Geometry and technology make a winning combination in Ms. Read's class at OCT.
2nd grade
Student led learning at GES in Mrs. Stackfleth's 2nd grade geometry lesson.
"I don't get it.....YET!"
Growth mindset is a "hot topic" in the world of education these days! As math teachers, we must work even harder to help students (and parents) develop a growth mindset especially when "I'm just not a math person" is a common phrase spoken by many adults.
So, where do you begin?
- Set up your classroom environment to support this culture. (see pic gallery below)
- Create class norms to encourage a positive math mindset (click here for an example)
- Read books to your students that support a growth mindset and acceptance of mistakes
- Introduce the concept with a video
- Grow your own mindset by reading this book!
Here is additional research to support the value of making mistakes?
"My favorite no"
I saw this strategy modeled in Julie Kerr's 4th grade math class and was hooked! It is great for a warm up and formative assessment and building growth mindset all at the same time! Here is a video of this strategy in action. It uses 8th grade content, but you can adapt easily to your own grade level. You can also use this book for support.Kindergartners in Ms. Otto's room came up with key phrases to say to each other to encourage a growth mindset.
In Mrs. Vinten's class, 5th graders make an anchor chart to show examples of both kinds of mindsets.
Mrs. Osborne's students grow their brain and their mindsets!
Parent Support
It is so important to inform parents about math instruction in our classrooms! Many of our parents remember the way they learned math and may be confused by some of the strategies we are teaching our students now such as using models or place value to solve problems before teaching algorithms. Here is a great video by istation to show parents at Curriculum Night or to put on your website.
Number Sense
This newsletter is jam packed with information so I am going to wait until the May edition to continue my series on number sense. I will introduce and give a preview of four important number relationships. We will dig deeper into each of them next year!
Book study coming soon....
Are you ready to collaborate with other math educators across GCISD to make your classroom more exciting, creative and equitable? Click HERE for the big reveal for our upcoming book study! Please join us as we have our face to face kick off on May 18! You will have the summer to read the book. Starting in the fall, we will connect in multiple ways such as Google hangout, Twitter chats, and face to face to discuss our take-a-ways! Please click the link above to order your book by May 6.
Contact Information
Website: http://gonzamel.blogspot.com/
Phone: 682-558-1367
Twitter: @gcisdMelanie