Reflect:
- Video Link: Part 4: Students with Math Fluency
- Read the first few pages of your grade level's Number Talk packet:
- Think about how you might fit a Number String or Number Talk into your math time this week. The slide decks are ready to use:
Consider the following questions:
- How do Number Talks encourage kids to be flexible math thinkers?
- Which of the five math experiences shared in the video resonated most with you? Why?
- What caused you to pause and think during this video?
Respond:
After watching the video and reading more about Number Talks, please post your response to one {or more} of the prompts above.
Interact:
Read your colleagues' reflections. Feel free to respond to someone by sharing a comment, insight, or interesting possibility.
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| A Number Talk from one of our classrooms |
I think the math experience that resonated the most with me is the ability to decompose and recompose numbers being an indicator of fluency. I know so many students get overwhelmed looking at a math problem or seeing "big" numbers or facts they know they don't have memorized. If they were better able to break things into more "friendly" numbers, the problems become less daunting. I always try and ask "how are you going to break this problem down into things you DO know to help you?" So many students seem to have no clue how to do this, but it definitely is incredibly useful. I know I use it in my own life daily!
ReplyDeleteI wish that I would have been given more opportunities to become a flexible thinker when I was learning math. I don't remember anyone ever telling me to break numbers into friendlier numbers. Would have helped me so much!
DeleteI like to encourage students to turn those "icky" numbers into friendly ones that feel easier to work with. This is a strategy I remember being told in middle school and it was a huge game changer for me as a mathematician!
DeleteIn my class this week we started Chapter 3, division in grade 4. This is the perfect time for me to start incorporating the division number strings into our daily warmups so kids can start looking at different strategies they are using to solve division problems. Not many of them came to 4th grade remembering how to divide or how to break numbers apart for division. This will help us build those foundational skills to truly understand what division is and how to divide without jumping into a standard algorithm that kids can do, but don't know why they are doing the steps. The part of the video that resonated the most with me is the ability to decompose and recompose numbers fluently. I love that you don't have to use the numbers you are given if you can manipulate them into "nicer" or "easier" numbers to work with. This is still difficult for some of my kids- they like to say they just stacked numbers inside their head when doing mental math. This shows me we need to do a lot more work on manipulating numbers and having kids show their thinking and how they manipulate numbers.
ReplyDeleteYes, "nicer" numbers. As a student myself, this was never even an idea! Something so simple and easy to use to provide number sense!
DeleteI started using the multiplication number strings in my class as a way of building that flexibility and it is amazing to see how strong their number sense is already. I think it ties well with the strategy she talked about (I think it was the 4th?) with using problems they already know to help them with the ones they don't. The number strings are perfect for this, and I find that I have a lot of students getting excited to share their logic behind solving problems even throughout the lesson when they are working alone.
ReplyDeleteThe experience that resonated with me was seeing math all around. She said something about shifting thinking from math being just about solving problems to math being the vehicle to solve problems in life. It was a great reminder that encouraging students to look at numbers with flexibility gives them a toolkit to use math for a variety of every day tasks. It is also a good reminder to model this as a teacher and point out those "math moments" that may be happening mentally in my head, and also giving students the opportunity to share their "math moments" throughout the day. I love hearing my what my students come up with during number talks and it's amazing how even a first grader can come up with stuff that never would have occurred to me!
ReplyDeleteI love that he is seeing math everywhere and that he is thinking about it in a lot of different ways. This resonates with me because he feels comfortable enough with his knowledge and practice in math that he is finding problems all around for him to solve. Giving students flexibility in solving problems the way they see it helps them to be more comfortable trying it in real life and not being afraid to fail. Also, in the end when she is decomposing the numbers of Gatorades and recomposing was so great to see.
ReplyDeleteI am always impressed with my students thinking. We always share "show me what you know"! I ask my students to be the teacher and show us how they solved. It helps me understand their thinking and for other students to make connections. I believe giving them to power and flexibility to solve the way they see fit, can really develop their confidence in math. The part that resonated with me her talking about seeing math all around. I have some complex thinkers that ask, "am I ever going to use this in life?" Math is everywhere drives that important lesson home!
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