Local Curriculum Review - Learner Attributes

John is leading the charge on updating the local curriculum. We spent some time looking at the Learner Attributes. We discussed what is still relevant and changes that could be made. 

Maths PLD: Talk in the Classroom

 

MATHS Reading Term 3 2018: How to get Students Talking!

Reading presented by John and Carl

Definition of discourse .

……….ways of representing, thinking, talking, agreeing, and disagreeing; the way ideas are exchanged and what the ideas entail; and as being shaped by the tasks in which students engage as well as by the nature of the learning environment. It is not a natural way that children interact and thus has to be modelled and practised.

Garcia goes on to say...

that one way to deepen conceptual understanding is through the communication students have around concepts, strategies, and representations.

Five Teaching Practices for Improving the Quality of Discourse in Mathematics Classrooms

1) Talk moves that engage students in discourse,

2) The art of questioning,

3) Using student thinking to propel discussions,

4) Setting up a supportive environment, and

5) Orchestrating the discourse.

Talk Moves:




Questioning: Questions which promote reasoning might include…..

How did you reach that conclusion?

Does that make sense?

Can you make a model and show that?”

Does that always work?

Is that true for all cases?

Can you think of a counterexample?

How could you prove that.

This discourse helps to extend thinking and engage all learners in discussion around proving an answer is correct.

Questions which promote Problem solving, inventing etc.

What would happen if?

Do you see a pattern?

Can you predict the next one?

What about the last one?

Finally, teachers use questions to


Questions which connect Mathematical ideas….


How does this relate to . . .?

What ideas that we have learned were useful in solving this problem?


Student Thinking Propels Discussion:

Discussion demands that students summarize and synthesize the mathematics they are learning

student thinking is a critical element of mathematical discourse.

misconceptions are made clearer to both teacher and student,

conceptual and procedural knowledge deepens.

Mistakes and misconceptions are considered and enable students to challenge their own thinking and the thinking of others

Environment

Physical, students facing each other

UDL

Emotional, a safe environment where students can challenge each other

The focus is the person who is talking and being listened to.

Orchestrating the Discourse

The teacher like a conductor

Five Practices Model

The Five Practices Model

The teacher’s role is to:

1) anticipate student responses to challenging mathematical tasks;

2) monitor students’ work on and engagement with the tasks;

3) select particular students to present their mathematical work;

4) sequence the student responses that will be displayed in specific order

5) connect different students’ responses and connect the responses to key mathematical ideas.

6) Hold students accountable to their ideas and keep discussion on track.

Modelling the behaviours necessary to make it work

Explicit teaching of the necessary behaviours

Modelling the language, eg. I expect to hear you discussing vertices, faces etc.

Modelland describe how they need to be listening to each other

Use goal setting and reflection for students to track their learning

Make the students do the work

Concluding:

Maths Teachers must decide what to pursue in depth, when and how to attach mathematical notation and language to students’ ideas, when to provide information, when to clarify an issue, when to model, when to lead, and when to let a student struggle with difficulty, and how to encourage each student to participate.

Students that are encouraged to share their thinking and engage in mathematical debates are furthering their own knowledge and challenging misconceptions.

The whole Article

PLD Social and Emotional Wellbeing

In a nutshell:  

• ‘Behaviour management’ initially impies negatives but with our POS Ed background we began thinking about positive aspects  - At WBS we call is ‘Social and Emotional Wellbeing’ with a focus on preventative and pro-active strategies to support relationships.
• We would rather focus on teaching kids ‘to be powerful’
• The Think sheet no longer fits with WBS values and philosophy.
• A trigger plan is a better tool that ensures we are planning and thinking about positive ways to respond to these.  Each case will be different however some similar situations will surface especially in the playground.
• The colour chart is used in different ways across the school.
• Words create worlds - What you focus on flourishes.
• Nathan Mikaere Wallis shared research about how kids will react and often do what someone instructs them ‘not’ to do.   This is because when you frame a “DON’T …...instruction” students will visualise that exact action. This results in them doing what they have been told not to do.
• Our praise, feedback, coaching and encouragement (Language in general) needs to be framed in the ‘desirable’ IE:  What we want to see …….
• We deal with situations - triggered events in private -  Maintaining and up holding the MANA of all.

Trigger may not also be the right word to use -  so in the pipelines