I sooooooooooooo enjoyed this lesson!!!
I always loved being challenged with different types of thinking. The Mars counting problem was right up my alley. Doing this in the classroom can introduce students to different ways of thinking and different ways people have thought. You could expand on this sooo much it is amazing. Learning to count with different systems is a really cool idea. I just hope that when I'm teaching I will find these ideas very useful in the classroom.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Assessment
Our assessment discussion showed me that our students deserve attention and respect when we are planning and putting into place our plans. Assessment should reflect what the students need, not what the teachers has to do. We al know that teachers have a lot of pressure on them to satisfy all the outcomes in the curriculum for that year but we cannot lose sight of what the students need. Assessment would be our way to help us understand where our students are in learning or if they need more time. We should always remember that assessment is ongoing. It has been drilled into our minds last year. Assessment is one of the most important thing we can do when we are reflecting on our teaching. It will help us learn more about our students as well ourselves.
Team Teaching November 27th
Again so many ideas!!!
Liz and Diedre's lesson was very amusing. We all acted like students who would secretly eat our M&M's while doing our tasks. Slowly our piles grew smaller and smaller. But it was the using of colors and graphs that would help students become aware of learning. The use of a book was amazing. Who would have thought you could read a book about Math?? Reading books to me seems limited to Language Arts. But With all the books out there and the many topics, books should be used in all areas of the curriculum. This lesson was very enjoyable as well as tasty.
The lessons on pattern with Danielle and Elaine and Christa and Megan were great too. The use of simple manipulatives was great because it helps the kids visualize and work with their hands to solve the problems. It helps them construct their own knowledge. All these lessons were designed to be used in the classrooms with real students (though we tried our best to act like primary elementary students lol). I know when I go to my classroom i will think back to these days and try them.
Liz and Diedre's lesson was very amusing. We all acted like students who would secretly eat our M&M's while doing our tasks. Slowly our piles grew smaller and smaller. But it was the using of colors and graphs that would help students become aware of learning. The use of a book was amazing. Who would have thought you could read a book about Math?? Reading books to me seems limited to Language Arts. But With all the books out there and the many topics, books should be used in all areas of the curriculum. This lesson was very enjoyable as well as tasty.
The lessons on pattern with Danielle and Elaine and Christa and Megan were great too. The use of simple manipulatives was great because it helps the kids visualize and work with their hands to solve the problems. It helps them construct their own knowledge. All these lessons were designed to be used in the classrooms with real students (though we tried our best to act like primary elementary students lol). I know when I go to my classroom i will think back to these days and try them.
Team Teaching, November 29th
So many ideas and so much learning!
I was amazed by the lessons we have come up with. It just goes to show that teaching is a creative art!! I enjoyed the last class of teaching because it just made me realize how much we need to do for our students. Raylene and Peter's geoboards was very very interesting because I have never used a geobaord before. In my school experience, all we had was the sheet of graph paper with dots on them. So it was so much fun. I was finding shapes and just experimenting before I even knew what we were supposed to do lol. It just goes to show that the simplest learning for students can go a long way.
It was the same with Larissa's and Leah's lesson. They used tanograms. This was little more frustrating but it just goes to show that it is more important for students to construct their own learning without always looking to the teacher for the answer. When I was growing up, the teacher was the key to all problems. If we were stuck we would go to her/him and get the answer. We were always checking and re checking in the back of the door for the answers. If we had the right answer then we were good at Math. But now it's soooooo much more than that! The students hold the key for the answers and the teacher is just a guide. She is there to help students find more answers or different ways to find those answers. But we do not give the answers. With the tanogram lesson it was frustrating but once I got it, it was so exciting. I Did this on my own. I can do this was running through my mind. So if this was running through my mind, then the students would surely have the same thing.
Next it was Nicole's and Heather's lesson. Food is such a motivator for learning Math. It's amazing. The cake idea was so good that I was becoming hungry at the end of the lesson! Again it just goes to show how simple ideas can be the best ones to help students learn fractions or place values or even how to add or subtract. As teachers we need to find the best way for our students to learn. Using food can give them the visualization that some may need or it could just get them more interested. If we bring out lessons to them instead of bringing the students to our lessons the the involvement will more interesting.
The same with Angela's and Krista's lesson. Time is one thing that we used constantly! But finding a way to bring it to Math was very interesting. It just helps students learn about time management and organization. All kepy concepts that everyone should have. It was just really interesting to use a clock to count the time. I really enjoyed it.
All the lessons I have witnessed are all excellent ideas that we can use in our classrooms. We can diversify our lessons so that our students do not become bored. Even though some pen and paper tasks are required, at least we know that we can use different ways to help students keep interested.
I was amazed by the lessons we have come up with. It just goes to show that teaching is a creative art!! I enjoyed the last class of teaching because it just made me realize how much we need to do for our students. Raylene and Peter's geoboards was very very interesting because I have never used a geobaord before. In my school experience, all we had was the sheet of graph paper with dots on them. So it was so much fun. I was finding shapes and just experimenting before I even knew what we were supposed to do lol. It just goes to show that the simplest learning for students can go a long way.
It was the same with Larissa's and Leah's lesson. They used tanograms. This was little more frustrating but it just goes to show that it is more important for students to construct their own learning without always looking to the teacher for the answer. When I was growing up, the teacher was the key to all problems. If we were stuck we would go to her/him and get the answer. We were always checking and re checking in the back of the door for the answers. If we had the right answer then we were good at Math. But now it's soooooo much more than that! The students hold the key for the answers and the teacher is just a guide. She is there to help students find more answers or different ways to find those answers. But we do not give the answers. With the tanogram lesson it was frustrating but once I got it, it was so exciting. I Did this on my own. I can do this was running through my mind. So if this was running through my mind, then the students would surely have the same thing.
Next it was Nicole's and Heather's lesson. Food is such a motivator for learning Math. It's amazing. The cake idea was so good that I was becoming hungry at the end of the lesson! Again it just goes to show how simple ideas can be the best ones to help students learn fractions or place values or even how to add or subtract. As teachers we need to find the best way for our students to learn. Using food can give them the visualization that some may need or it could just get them more interested. If we bring out lessons to them instead of bringing the students to our lessons the the involvement will more interesting.
The same with Angela's and Krista's lesson. Time is one thing that we used constantly! But finding a way to bring it to Math was very interesting. It just helps students learn about time management and organization. All kepy concepts that everyone should have. It was just really interesting to use a clock to count the time. I really enjoyed it.
All the lessons I have witnessed are all excellent ideas that we can use in our classrooms. We can diversify our lessons so that our students do not become bored. Even though some pen and paper tasks are required, at least we know that we can use different ways to help students keep interested.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Team Teaching
Our Plan was to introduce measurement and the concepts of periemeter and area to students in the elementary level. We thought the concept of Santa Claus with no helpers was cute in the way that it would make the connection to the students a little easier. This concept was very vague in the idea that we did not give enough instruction for students to find the answer that we were looking for. Rather it was just enough instruction for students to think of ideas of how to solve the problem themselves drawing on previous knowledge of measuring and estimating.
This plan could be used for any grade because it can introduces so many concepts or help sutdents relearn concepts for earlier grades. We had anticipated some confusion with the start of the lesson but we were wrong. When we introduced the problem and just handed the boxes out, the students just rolled with it. It was easy to begin, the students did not need much instruction for us and it was simple to conduct. All in all the team teaching went extremely well and we were surprised at how well.
It was fun to be able to be the teacher for once. Being in observation days you are considered a teacher but do not necessarily get the chance to teach the whole class. This helped me become more aware of the challenges I will face as a teacher. I would have to be constantly aware of how well the students are faring with the problem and come up with solutions for those who are having extreme difficulty with the problem at hand.
This plan could be used for any grade because it can introduces so many concepts or help sutdents relearn concepts for earlier grades. We had anticipated some confusion with the start of the lesson but we were wrong. When we introduced the problem and just handed the boxes out, the students just rolled with it. It was easy to begin, the students did not need much instruction for us and it was simple to conduct. All in all the team teaching went extremely well and we were surprised at how well.
It was fun to be able to be the teacher for once. Being in observation days you are considered a teacher but do not necessarily get the chance to teach the whole class. This helped me become more aware of the challenges I will face as a teacher. I would have to be constantly aware of how well the students are faring with the problem and come up with solutions for those who are having extreme difficulty with the problem at hand.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Team Teaching
Natalie and Carla: I found their activity really good. They created an idea that can apply to real life situations as well let the children have fun. I had fun doing the problem so I would imagine grade 1's woud have a ball! it was so simple and easy to conduct that it was possible to add more condiments to their sandwich for those who are finished early. The best thing I liked about this topic was the fact that it helped students find patterns but apply it to a real life situation.
Amanda and Nichole: Like Natalie and Carla's idea, they decided to use food to help students find the math. The pizza party with fractions was very interesting because I am so used to using pie for fractions. With this topic, the students can apply to everyday life. They could figure out how many people can go to their parties and how much food they need. They would become helpers for their parens. I found it enjoyableand aware that I was continuing looking for solutions after I was done. It stuck in my mind.
I enjoyed these two lessons and hope to use them in my classroom.
Amanda and Nichole: Like Natalie and Carla's idea, they decided to use food to help students find the math. The pizza party with fractions was very interesting because I am so used to using pie for fractions. With this topic, the students can apply to everyday life. They could figure out how many people can go to their parties and how much food they need. They would become helpers for their parens. I found it enjoyableand aware that I was continuing looking for solutions after I was done. It stuck in my mind.
I enjoyed these two lessons and hope to use them in my classroom.
Fractions Class
This class was a very interesting experience for me. I am so used to to following procedures and quations that this class kind of stumped me. Over the course of my Math experiences in school, it has been drilled into my mind that the only way you can solve a math problem is to use the procedures or equations. This class had me so frustrated. I was trying to place myself in the shoes of a student but I could not help but think "No this is not the way!!" It was so hard for me to do this without writing everything down on paper. I know the kids would find it great because you are not woritng but doing hands on. But what if there is a student in my classroom like me? How would I accommodate him/her if I do this as an activity for mental math?
As for using this type of tool for fractions in my classroom, I will definitely find it beneficial for students to get the complicated topic of fractions. If students have the ability to visualize what they are doing, then it woiuld be a push for students towards success. However, I would have to work and understand this tool very clearly before I give it to the students. If I cannot help them when they ask questions about how to use it, then how good of a teacher would I be?
As for using this type of tool for fractions in my classroom, I will definitely find it beneficial for students to get the complicated topic of fractions. If students have the ability to visualize what they are doing, then it woiuld be a push for students towards success. However, I would have to work and understand this tool very clearly before I give it to the students. If I cannot help them when they ask questions about how to use it, then how good of a teacher would I be?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)