This session explores the power of math discussions in fostering confident mathematicians and stronger problem-solving skills at all levels. Math discussions create a safe space for students to share ideas, clarify understanding, and learn from each other. By explaining their thought processes and listening to others' approaches, students refine their reasoning skills. Students learn from different perspectives, build communication skills, and develop a sense of shared responsibility for solving problems. Discussions showcase the beauty of mathematics, encouraging students to be creative and adaptable in their problem-solving approaches. Effective communication empowers individuals to tackle complex problems in all areas of life. By fostering a culture of discussion, we can nurture confident mathematicians with strong reasoning and problem-solving abilities. We make math a conversation, not just a set of procedures.
This presentation looks at the proven benefits of flipping the traditional model, where students engage with content outside class, enabling richer in-class experiences. We will look at activities that promote active learning, accommodating diverse learning styles and boosting student engagement and achievement. We will discuss a student-centered environment that cultivates success in Geometry and beyond.
In this session, we'll delve into a range of rigorous problem-solving tasks designed to cater to the diverse needs of learners in your classroom. Through interactive discussions, we'll explore the effective use of small group instruction to tailor lessons that are intentional, targeted, and impactful in improving student achievement.
Our primary focus will be on the intricacies of lesson planning using the backward design approach, where we'll emphasize the importance of aligning instructional goals with rigorous problem-solving tasks. Additionally, we'll delve into the significance of integrating performance indicators and data analysis into your teaching practices to ensure student progress is accurately monitored and guided.
Expect to leave this session equipped with a comprehensive toolkit that includes ready-to-use resources and practical strategies, all geared towards immediate implementation in your classroom. Through hands-on activities and collaborative learning opportunities, you'll gain valuable insights into fostering differentiated instruction that caters to the unique learning needs of each student. By the session's end, you'll be empowered with the skills and knowledge to effectively guide your students towards reaching grade-level proficiency through personalized and data-driven instructional approaches.
Raising student achievement is about moving students from novice to expert. In mathematics, becoming an expert relies heavily on the ability to problem-solve. What I have discovered is that my typical homework assignments have removed a crucial step in the problem-solving process: identifying the deep structure of the problem. The questions on my assignments often provided only surface-level variations of questions with the same underlying problem structure. To become experts, students need experience identifying the deep structure of problems, selecting appropriate mathematical concepts, and planning strategies to apply those concepts. To provide this necessary experience to students, I began to integrate purposeful instruction in metacognition, utilizing a blend of mathematical tasks and journaling in my Algebra 2 classroom. In this session, we will explore the implementation of metacognitive instruction in the classroom along with its outcomes. Additionally, we'll examine existing assignments and brainstorm strategies to enhance them, fostering students' development as adept problem solvers.
Word problems are always an area of frustration for teachers as well as students. Identifying key words to solve world problems in math is a common practice that often confuses students. Come find out how to shift the focus from identifying keywords to modeling and making sense of problems that you can make work in your classroom tomorrow!
Within the CCSS the term "Fluency" is used within all K - 5 grade level expectations. So just what exactly is "Fact Fluency", and how do we work as teachers of mathematics to develop student's fluency with their basic facts? This session is focused on providing an awareness of the research based progression of developing student's math fact fluency. Additionally, participants will leave with an understanding of supportive structures designed to assess student fact fluency while moving students toward a deep conceptual understanding of the basic facts that ultimately leads to fact automaticity.
