Chapters 5,6, and 7 - Math, Social Studies, and Science
Please share with the group the most important information you gained from your content area. What will you do differently with your students this year based on what you read?
There was so much important information in this chapter! I found the following to be the most important information that will help me be a better math teacher during the upcoming school year.
1. Teaching math is not just teaching numbers and computations. We are also focusing on patterns and relationships. This is something I want to focus on in my classroom. That book suggests teachers emphasize big ideas and connect them to other concepts. So frequently I am focused on numbers and making sure students understand the value of numbers and how to build numbers but I rarely focus on patterns and relationships between numbers. I feel this will really help my students have a deeper understanding of numbers and computations later on in the year.
2. We must help students believe that math makes sense and is something they can use. I believe this goes back to using real life connections in your teaching. I want to do this more with my first graders this year. By connecting math to real life situations, students will see that math is important and it is something they are going to use outside of the classroom.
3. Problem solving is no longer something students are expected to do after they master a concept. It is now used as a way for students to begin mastering the concept you are teaching. Some of my favorite times during math instruction this year were when I just gave groups of first graders problems and they had to discuss how to solve them on their own before I explained to them how to do it correctly. Watching them think things through allowed me to see their learning in action and also let them take responsibility for their learning. Even though sometimes it did not go as well as I liked, I really want to use problem solving as a way of teaching this year. It allows students to be independent as well as giving them the opportunity to look back on their prior knowledge to solve a problem.
4. This chapter discusses teaching a variety of strategies allowing students to decide which strategy works best for them. I love that idea! We did this quite a bit in first grade this year and I found myself letting go of the idea that students have to solve a problem one specific way. I also watched my students who are less confident in math feeling more confident because they found a strategy that worked for them. I want to keep this in mind this year.
5. Just as we think aloud in reading, we should think aloud in math as well. I often forget this in math. I talk out how to solve the problem but I don't always discuss all of my reasoning or why I chose a particular strategy to solve a problem. I want to do this more with my students this year and I want to give them opportunities to discuss their reasoning as well.
I loved this chapter! After reading this chapter and then beginning to plan math with our district's new plan yesterday, I can see a lot of what I read in this book working well in this new plan. This chapter made me look at math instruction differently and I plan to make many changes in my math instruction during this upcoming school year.
My chapter focused on social studies. Basically when teaching social studies, this book is suggesting that we teach it to help make our students become real world thinkers- diving deeper into current issues and encouraging group work, discussions, and problem solving. This chapter also encourages us to help out students become involved in the community and to be aware of school/community needs. I will list some key thoughts from this chapter (mainly taken from the chart on pg. 241).
1. You should provide activities that allow student inquiry and problem solving about significant human issues rather than memorizing random facts from different texts.
2. Help to build a sense of community by involving students into the community- helping them to become responsible citizens. For example, they could identify needs of the school and help to meet them. They could write community members a letter addressing concerns and/or issues. They could help raise money for a local support and help the community to become aware of needs, etc.
3. Don't solely lecture students, but allow students from all different types of learning levels to participate in interactive and cooperative classroom study processes.
4. Don't always assume that your students are ignorant when it comes to psychology, sociology, economics, and political science. Try to activate prior schema and ask about their previous experiences with such things.
5. Expose students to a wide variety of cultures.
6. Plan other assessments besides ones for the end of the unit or ones that only ask memorization type questions.
All in all, this chapter was a helpful reminder to get kids active and involved in THEIR learning. I think it would be fun to present my students with separate topics and have them do the research to present (or teach) the class. I'd also like to give more time for open discussion and also time to be a part of their community.
My chapter was about science. With the new science standards right around the corner, I believe teachers will need to start thinking about their science instruction in different ways. This chapter shared a great vingette from a second grade classroom. I suggest you read that part of the chapter when you get a chance. :) Key points in this chapter include:
1. Building on students' innate curiosity: Since students are always asking questions, why not use their interests to engage them in the learning and build a classroom of inquiry? Begin your new units with an "I wonder..." chart and give students an opportunity to ask questions about the topic. Then, use those questions to give students a reason for taking the work seriously.
2. Do more than merely cover topics; help students immerse themselves in doing science: Keeping students disconnected from the lessons will not lead to deep understandings. Science students should feel like scientists when exploring science concepts in the classroom. Lectures on facts will not help students learn the content they way it should be learned.
3. Build on students' prior knowledge: We always try to help students connect to what they are reading, so why not help them connect to what they are learning in science? Student learning can be extended by linking concepts they already understand to newer concepts.
4. Balance individual learning and collaborative group work: Real-world scientists do not always work alone, and neither should our student scientists. Much learning can occur due to discussions and differing of opinions and ideas.
5. Help students become increasingly self-directed in their learning: This means students should become more metacognitive (sound familiar?) in their thinking so they can recognize what they do not understand and therefore seek more information.
6. Use meaningful assessment of students' learning in science to promote inquiry: If we really want students to "do" science instead of just learning facts, then we must assess the "doing" part of the lessons and learning. This can include performance assessments, portfolios, interviews, and self-assessments.
Chapter 5: Best Practice in Mathematics
ReplyDeleteThere was so much important information in this chapter! I found the following to be the most important information that will help me be a better math teacher during the upcoming school year.
1. Teaching math is not just teaching numbers and computations. We are also focusing on patterns and relationships. This is something I want to focus on in my classroom. That book suggests teachers emphasize big ideas and connect them to other concepts. So frequently I am focused on numbers and making sure students understand the value of numbers and how to build numbers but I rarely focus on patterns and relationships between numbers. I feel this will really help my students have a deeper understanding of numbers and computations later on in the year.
2. We must help students believe that math makes sense and is something they can use. I believe this goes back to using real life connections in your teaching. I want to do this more with my first graders this year. By connecting math to real life situations, students will see that math is important and it is something they are going to use outside of the classroom.
3. Problem solving is no longer something students are expected to do after they master a concept. It is now used as a way for students to begin mastering the concept you are teaching. Some of my favorite times during math instruction this year were when I just gave groups of first graders problems and they had to discuss how to solve them on their own before I explained to them how to do it correctly. Watching them think things through allowed me to see their learning in action and also let them take responsibility for their learning. Even though sometimes it did not go as well as I liked, I really want to use problem solving as a way of teaching this year. It allows students to be independent as well as giving them the opportunity to look back on their prior knowledge to solve a problem.
4. This chapter discusses teaching a variety of strategies allowing students to decide which strategy works best for them. I love that idea! We did this quite a bit in first grade this year and I found myself letting go of the idea that students have to solve a problem one specific way. I also watched my students who are less confident in math feeling more confident because they found a strategy that worked for them. I want to keep this in mind this year.
5. Just as we think aloud in reading, we should think aloud in math as well. I often forget this in math. I talk out how to solve the problem but I don't always discuss all of my reasoning or why I chose a particular strategy to solve a problem. I want to do this more with my students this year and I want to give them opportunities to discuss their reasoning as well.
I loved this chapter! After reading this chapter and then beginning to plan math with our district's new plan yesterday, I can see a lot of what I read in this book working well in this new plan. This chapter made me look at math instruction differently and I plan to make many changes in my math instruction during this upcoming school year.
My chapter focused on social studies. Basically when teaching social studies, this book is suggesting that we teach it to help make our students become real world thinkers- diving deeper into current issues and encouraging group work, discussions, and problem solving. This chapter also encourages us to help out students become involved in the community and to be aware of school/community needs. I will list some key thoughts from this chapter (mainly taken from the chart on pg. 241).
ReplyDelete1. You should provide activities that allow student inquiry and problem solving about significant human issues rather than memorizing random facts from different texts.
2. Help to build a sense of community by involving students into the community- helping them to become responsible citizens. For example, they could identify needs of the school and help to meet them. They could write community members a letter addressing concerns and/or issues. They could help raise money for a local support and help the community to become aware of needs, etc.
3. Don't solely lecture students, but allow students from all different types of learning levels to participate in interactive and cooperative classroom study processes.
4. Don't always assume that your students are ignorant when it comes to psychology, sociology, economics, and political science. Try to activate prior schema and ask about their previous experiences with such things.
5. Expose students to a wide variety of cultures.
6. Plan other assessments besides ones for the end of the unit or ones that only ask memorization type questions.
All in all, this chapter was a helpful reminder to get kids active and involved in THEIR learning. I think it would be fun to present my students with separate topics and have them do the research to present (or teach) the class. I'd also like to give more time for open discussion and also time to be a part of their community.
My chapter was about science. With the new science standards right around the corner, I believe teachers will need to start thinking about their science instruction in different ways. This chapter shared a great vingette from a second grade classroom. I suggest you read that part of the chapter when you get a chance. :) Key points in this chapter include:
ReplyDelete1. Building on students' innate curiosity: Since students are always asking questions, why not use their interests to engage them in the learning and build a classroom of inquiry? Begin your new units with an "I wonder..." chart and give students an opportunity to ask questions about the topic. Then, use those questions to give students a reason for taking the work seriously.
2. Do more than merely cover topics; help students immerse themselves in doing science: Keeping students disconnected from the lessons will not lead to deep understandings. Science students should feel like scientists when exploring science concepts in the classroom. Lectures on facts will not help students learn the content they way it should be learned.
3. Build on students' prior knowledge: We always try to help students connect to what they are reading, so why not help them connect to what they are learning in science? Student learning can be extended by linking concepts they already understand to newer concepts.
4. Balance individual learning and collaborative group work: Real-world scientists do not always work alone, and neither should our student scientists. Much learning can occur due to discussions and differing of opinions and ideas.
5. Help students become increasingly self-directed in their learning: This means students should become more metacognitive (sound familiar?) in their thinking so they can recognize what they do not understand and therefore seek more information.
6. Use meaningful assessment of students' learning in science to promote inquiry: If we really want students to "do" science instead of just learning facts, then we must assess the "doing" part of the lessons and learning. This can include performance assessments, portfolios, interviews, and self-assessments.