Use 4 pieces of paper with the numbers 1, 2, 4 & 8. Four people, one foot, make me the numbers from one to fifteen, go. What's the highest number you can make using addition? What's the highest using multiplication? What numbers can't you make? Can you make 27 using a subtraction? Only using 5 feet, make 18 using mult/div/add/sub/all. Doesn't need to be complicated. Keep it simple, sweetheart. Convince us which is the best.
Maths session with Dinah: Fractions Where do we start? What do we know about fractions? Here is a rich task to get us started and find out what you know. Leave 5 minutes for students to struggle and make a start. Come back together. Start with the group who has a blank page. Ask them to share what they were thinking? What were you discussing? Students responded with the questions they were asking each other. E.g. What is 1/5 of 200? Teacher responds with a comment about that this is exactly the type of question you need to be writing down. Teacher now asks: do you know what you need to do next. Teacher moves to the next group with the least on the page. She uses the first group and asks them to explain to the new group what their next step is. As the teacher moves around she uses the k owl edge and next steps of the group to build on and connect to new learning. Don't be afraid to move to the side to fill a gap. How do we make sure our fractions are equal sizes? What happens when the denominator is an even number? What happens when the denominator is odd? Comes to the last group who has the answers written down. The thing that is missing here is I don't know how you got these numbers and I don't know if they are the right numbers. Explain to us, where did you start? 1/10 of 200 = 20 because 1/10 of 100 = 10. 10 x 2 = 20. Now pull out the equipment and demonstrate how to work out the rest of the numbers. Make sure you use correct language. Reorganise these so that they are eAsier to work with: What fraction does the peanuts and the raisins make? 2/4 or 1/2. How many half weigh? 100! These 5 things = 100g. How many tenths fit into fifths? 2. So how many grams is 1/5 of 200? 40. Demonstrate how to solve part of the problem using the linear model. Now I want you to use the model to work out how many grams of peanuts. Use the model and use the division. (H) E = experience l = language P = picture S = symbol Now try this! Independent activity idea: Once again, teacher uses each group to explain just on step or phase of how you solve the problem using the model. Now try this! Tri-squares:
Draw half a dozen Tri-squares... Split into 3. If the whole is 12, how many is each part worth? Split into 6 equal parts. Now how many is each part? Split into 3 equal parts. How much is each worth if the whole is 1/2? Now split into 3 unequal parts. If the whole is 12, what is the value of each part?
Today really stretched me. Like really stretched me. But by golly, at the end of the session I felt I had a complete aha moment.
This 'light bulb' moment helped me connect the dots between sharing back learning of how students worked out their problems and how to actually do this so that each student has the opportunity to see their next step within the task. Ok, Ive just re-read this and realised it sounds like gobbly-goop. Put simply, a teacher must carefully select the students to share back so that this discussion is a cue for another learner to go back to their problem to do the next step. Like using the knowledge of the group to inspire each other.
The "first try" / second attempt idea is an amazing idea to show our impact as teachers. Also, to show a growth mindset. You can actually see what you have learnt.
It's been a couple of weeks now since Dinah has been in. I am trying to transfer what I've learned about orchestrating the learning to my own practice. Man. What a mission! She makes it look so easy!
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Teacher Blog ArchiveKia Ora, this is my teacher blog during 2008 and 2019. Archives
June 2020
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