Vera Teschow.ca
  • Home
  • About
    • Overview
    • Education & Diplomas
    • Consulting & PR
    • Teaching Experience
    • Workshop Facilitation
    • Volunteer Experience
    • Extra-Curricular Leadership
    • Writing
  • Learn
  • BLOG
  • Contact

Partner CLIPS and a few other Tricks for Grade 8 PA

1/14/2015

0 Comments

 
Whereas my Grade 7 students have been working through our Patterning and Algebra Unit via a series of learning centers, my instructional coach and I cooked up a different plan for my Grade 8 class.

My Grade 8s, you see (or rather, some of their families), have not been quite as enthusiastic about my unconventional-yet-research-based approach to teaching and learning math as I was when I began this school year.  And rather than presuming positive intentions, and probing to find out more, some of said families went directly to the boss to complain -- they did not pass GO, they did not collect $200 (or information from their child's teacher/classroom) -- and so my success some areas has been more limited than in others.

However, Growing Success calls on us to develop and deliver "creative and judicious differentiation in instruction and assessment to meet the needs of all students" (page 2), and no less than 47 references are made in that document alone to "differentiation".  And besides, I've been teaching long enough to know that despite being a know-it-all, judgmental parent myself, parents actually don't always know better.

So -- despite considerable damage to my admittedly fragile ego -- I was not ready to throw in the towel just yet.  :)
Picture
reblogged from Mamma Simmons
I enlisted the support of our Board's instructional coach in developing a slightly modified and yet still differentiated approach for this next unit.  (I also demanded a little one:one tutoring and guidance from both my math genius girlfriend and a retired math professor friend of ours to review the relevant mathematical concepts, so that I had them down cold!) 

Rather than full-on math centers for the Grade 8 Patterning and Algebra Unit, we developed a series of lessons using a partnered learning approach, and integrating technology.

Assessment Informs Instruction

After writing a formative test on expressions, equations and variables that match the curriculum-linked learning goals we had set for the unit, and submitting a proposal for who might make a good learning partner for the next two weeks, students were partnered up (mostly with someone working at a similar level of mathematical understanding and demonstrated ability, and almost exclusively with someone they had elected to work with) and assigned a laptop from the semi-functioning computer cart for the subsequent 6-8 math periods to work through a series of patterning-related, online learning activities developed by the Ministry of Education in conjunction with OAME, Math Clips.

Picture
Precision Teaching 

As partners began working through the cluster of learning activities on linear growing patterns on the Math Clips website, my instructional coach and I were freed up to meet with individual and small groups of students to either teach mini-lessons on concepts that we had identified as gaps from the pre-assessment, or suggest extension activities and assign "stretch your thinking" problems to students we had identified as ready to move ahead in their learning.

Although a few of the students continue to struggle with the small group meeting/teaching format (some of them seem to be of the mindset that group work and teacher conferences are "primary" or babyish), many of the students were really demonstrating growth in their algebraic understanding once removed from the pressure of having to "perform" in front of a large group of their peers.  And because they were partnered with a "near partner", mathematically, for the CLIPS activities, most of them were really focused on and engaged in their work!

Differentiated Assessment

At the end of each of the two CLIPS activity clusters, students were given two options to demonstrate their learning:  At the end of the first cluster (CLIPS 2), students could either complete a series of problems from the math textbook, or they could sort and group a series of linear patterns expressed algebraically, graphically, descriptively and in a t-table and create a poster of their pattern groups.  The second activity (CLIPS 3) had students choosing to apply their knowledge and understand either through more mix and match practice, or by building, describing and photographing a series of geometric patterns.

Since students were completing their work at different times depending on when they finished each of the learning activities, there was never a giant stack of marking to do for the teacher.  My coach and I just marked a few assessments at a time as they came in, and provided feedback using the learning maps below:
Student Metacognition

As students are being encouraged to develop self regulation across the curriculum, we also built in an opportunity for them to self-assess their progress in relation to the unit success criteria, and select appropriate homework that would move them forward.  In some cases, students benefited from extensive teacher guidance and encouragement to complete the "next steps" section specifically and fully.  "Responsibility" and "Initiative" marks are noted under Learning Skills for homework completion.

A growth mindset self reflection exit ticket will also be completed at the end of an upcoming class.

Traditional vs. Differentiated Approach

Although a more traditional, full-class approach to teaching math is most certainly easier in terms of teacher workload (and I am planning to teach at least one of the next two math units in that fashion!), I am excited by the great learning leaps I see being made by some (though admittedly not yet all) previously struggling students in the class.

I am also appeased to see some of the more math-competent students beginning to rise to the challenge of extending their learning by engaging in some of the rich problems we had prepared for them to work through if and when they had completed the CLIPS learning activities expeditiously.
Picture

As we continue to refine this approach to teaching in the Intermediate grades, I look forward to continued confidence from all learners and an increased climate of growth mindset.

At least from the students. And, eventually, maybe even their families!
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    About Vera...

    Vera & her Sons, April 2021
    After writing for several teacher and multiple birth publications, including ETFO's Voice Magazine, Multiple Moments, and the Bulletwin, Vera turned her written attention to prolific blogging for some years, including BiB,  "Learn to Fly with Vera!"  and SMARTbansho .  Homeschooling 4 was her travel blog in Argentina.  She now spends more time on her Instagram (@schalgzeug_usw)  than her blog (pictures are worth a thousand words?!) 
    DISCLAIMER
    The views expressed on this blog are the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the perspectives of her family members or the position of her employer on the the issues she blogs about.  These posts are intended to share resources, document family life, and encourage critical thought on a variety of subjects.  They are not intended to cause harm to any individual or member of any group. By reading this blog and viewing this site, you agree to not hold Vera liable for any harm done by views expressed in this blog.
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Argentina 2013
    COVID 19
    COVID-19
    Cycling
    Family
    Flying
    Geocaching
    Honduras 2011
    Lakeshore
    Lgbtq
    Math Eyes
    Music
    Other Stuff
    Prince Edward Island
    Teaching And Learning
    Teaching-and-learning
    Travel

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2022
    January 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010

Vera C. Teschow, OCT, M.Ed., MOT
Toronto, ON & St Peter's Harbour, PE
www.verateschow.ca 2021
Photos used under Creative Commons from Sean MacEntee, Studio Paars, Bengt Nyman, zeevveez, GoodNCrazy, CJS*64, Accretion Disc, CharlesLam, Courtney Dirks, CJS*64 "Man with a camera", Accretion Disc, Bobolink, Ian Muttoo, BioDivLibrary, Alaskan Dude, IsabelleAcatauassu, runran, Transformer18, jglsongs, Create For Animal Rights, david_shankbone, Paul J Coles, foilman, Newport Geographic, Photo Everywhere, kevin dooley, Claudio , Alex Guibord, Tscherno, f_mafra, Terry Madeley, musee de l'horlogerie, BobMacInnes, wwarby, jonathangarcia, amboo who?, chimothy27, Elin B, cliff1066™, Grzegorz Łobiński, Rennett Stowe, Farhill, Phil Manker, Guitarfool5931, airguy1988, dierk schaefer, Rob Stemple, katerha, StockMonkeys.com, Ramotionblog, andrewk3715, charlywkarl, AJC1, rachel_titiriga