Reflect:
- Video Link: Part 6: The Root of Math Fluency
Consider the following questions:
- Now that you've watched all six parts, what are your biggest takeaways from this series? How will your math time look different?
- What caused you to pause and think during this video?
Respond:
After watching the video, 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.
At the beginning of the video, I had the thought, "we should be providing opportunities for students to build strategies rather than focusing on teaching the strategies with fluency" and then she synthesized that at the end and it was just such a big "ah-ha" moment. I would say my biggest takeaway with this course has been to provide opportunities for students to not only come up with their own strategies, but also provide them opportunities to share them because it allows other students to learn something from their peers. This, I think, makes the number sense more meaningful. I have already moved away from the math workbook quite a bit, but I want to move away from worksheets more and have students play more games and work on number routines and bring in more visuals to my class. I think getting hung up on completing all the tasks in the textbook make it hard to provide the flexibility students need to enhance their fluency and it just makes math boring or frustrating for them; they end up getting so consumed with getting the task done to move on rather than growing along the way. I have noticed when I use number routines or move away form the workbook to even do whiteboard practice, students are more excited to share what they did and how they got to their solution. This video also made me pause and think about a student I have that was using his own multiplication method, but there were some holes in his thinking and rather than help him modify his own strategy he came up with, I had him shift to the traditional algorithm. I think I'll have him go back to his strategy and work with him on the areas that need it so he can be more engaged with his own "math mind."
ReplyDeleteMy biggest takeaway is that we need to be building number sense/flexibility with numbers and number sense. I need to have students in front of the room sharing their thinking and explaining their flexibility to their classmates. It's so much more powerful to have another student explain how they solve a problem vs me explaining how it "should" be done. Another takeaway is number sense/flexibility needs to and can be taught in every grade level. The more exposure kids have to flexible ways of thinking the more fluent they will become. Another takeaway is the thought of number sense before strategies. This resonated with me so much because I feel our math curriculum focuses on the strategy over the number sense right now. It will show 4 strategies to multiply or 3 ways to divide but not explain what you are actually doing to the numbers. If you incorporate the number sense into your teaching your kids will understand what they are doing instead of following a route formula.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest takeaways are to really allow students to develop their own strategies and encourage and support their number sense, even if it doesn't go along with what is "planned" for the day or the strategies they are learning in class. In our limited time in MAP, it is a constant struggle to fill in students gaps in learning while also attempting to support what they are currently learning in class. After watching these videos, I've concluded it's worthwhile to go WAY back for many of the students and try and catch them up on their basic number sense, because, in the end, this will support ALL of their future math learning.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest take away is to let students explain their thinking. Students might see things differently and that could help others. I also took away how important subitizing and visuals for numbers is. I do use manipulatives and visuals, but I see how important they really are for future understanding of math. Flexible thinking helps student to build their math fluency and their number sense. At the very end of this video, she said that number sense comes from experience for student that allows them to catch those number sense strategies. And each person has their own number sense and strategies to solve problems.
ReplyDeleteMy greatest takeaway is that number sense is "caught" not taught. Students need to be given experiences to build their own number sense which can then be used and translated into strategies. It shifts the traditional role of a teacher to more of a facilitator which can feel unnatural at times in the classroom. This can take more time and patience because it involves much more student led discussion and in a way puts your students in the driver's seat of your lessons. I appreciated her visual of the root system behind the two problems as it really helped explain the importance of developing those basic understandings in order to become fluent and flexible with numbers. I am looking forward to getting back into my classroom (after my maternity leave) to incorporate these ideas and to really focus on helping students develop strong number sense.
ReplyDeleteProgression is key. In the beginning counting on fingers is okay while they are building their fluency overtime however by 5th grade, we don’t still want them using their fingers. Taking the root system and making connections! A lot of work in benchmarks help build their fluency. It is about the number sense, building their flexibility and don’t focus on the strategy. My biggest take away was FOCUS ON NUMBER SENSE. Strategies cannot be taught. Caught, not taught! Students must have number sense before they can use a strategy to solve. Provide the experience for your students!
ReplyDeleteNumber sense:
One/Two More/Less
Benchmark
Spatial relationships
Part-part-whole
Really enjoyed sharing all of your reflections! Thank you so much for being life-long learners. We have lucky kids here in Tahoma!
ReplyDelete