If you are looking for a way to grow as an educator this year, I would recommend becoming more active on Twitter.
I'm sure you have other social media accounts, but this one will give you so much professionally! Remember that there was a time when you didn't know how to upload a photo to Facebook or how to use a filter in Instagram or Snapchat? You took them on and figured them out! You can do the same with Twitter. It doesn't take very long to become more comfortable with the platform.
I use Twitter now mainly as a math educator, but when I first became familiar with it, I used it to gain access to technology and classroom ideas. It is all about following others. You'll be amazed at the number of ideas and free resources you can find!
I would also recommend trying one of the many weekly chats that are on Twitter. The first time or two, you may want to just read others' Tweets, but after a few times, you'll be ready to give it a try. People on Twitter are very helpful and understanding. Here are some weekly chats that happen throughout the school year that I would recommend.
#elemmathchat : Thursdays at 8:00 pm CST Math leaders from around the country lead discussions of different math concepts
#mathstratchat : This chat is not a live chat like the others. Pam Harris posts a problem on Thursdays, and people tweet the way that they solved it. It is amazing to see so many flexible thinkers!
#mathconceptions : Mondays at 8:30 pm CST half-hour long chat with great people around fun topics
#kinderchat, #1stchat, #2ndchat...: Search these hashtags to learn more about each grade levels chats. They are usually weekly.
At the time of the chat, just search the hashtag and then go to Latest. It will help you see the conversation unfold...
If you are looking for some people to follow, here are some people (mainly math people) that will get you started. Also, most of your schools have a Twitter account. You can follow them, too.
@pearse_margie
@joboaler
@mraspinall
@educatormomof3
@gcouros
@Trianglemancsd
@JoyKirr
@Mathgarden
@eriksonmath
@dbc_inc
Give it a try! I am happy to help you however I can. Before you know it, you'll be tweeting, retweeting, and using hashtags! #goals
Showing posts with label professional development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label professional development. Show all posts
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Goals for the New Year
What goals do you have in mind for your mathematical teaching for the remaining half of the school year? What can you do to help not only your children grow, but also yourself? Here are some things you might consider trying in 2019, as well as some resources to help you get started. Pick one or two to get started.
1. Making Number Talks and other Mathematical Routines part of your instruction
2. Trying one of Jo Boaler's Week of Inspirational Math
3. Using 3 Act Tasks to build student engagement and understanding
4. Using Visibly Random Grouping when putting students to work on tasks
5. Allowing more collaboration and talking among students. Learning should be social.
6. Using more Concrete and Representational models during instruction, and encouraging students to use and understand them as well
7. Eliminating pages of rote practice problems and instead finding rich problems that make students collaborate and problem-solve together
8. Participating in a Twitter chat. #mathconceptions is on Mondays at 8:30 for a 1/2 hour, and #elemmathchat is on Thursdays at 8 for an hour. Great professional developmennt
9. Working on building a better understanding of DOK for you and your students
10. Using explorations as a way for students to make sense of the math in their own way before being "instructed" in the way things "should be done."
Good luck! Let me know if I can help!
1. Making Number Talks and other Mathematical Routines part of your instruction
2. Trying one of Jo Boaler's Week of Inspirational Math
3. Using 3 Act Tasks to build student engagement and understanding
4. Using Visibly Random Grouping when putting students to work on tasks
5. Allowing more collaboration and talking among students. Learning should be social.
6. Using more Concrete and Representational models during instruction, and encouraging students to use and understand them as well
7. Eliminating pages of rote practice problems and instead finding rich problems that make students collaborate and problem-solve together
8. Participating in a Twitter chat. #mathconceptions is on Mondays at 8:30 for a 1/2 hour, and #elemmathchat is on Thursdays at 8 for an hour. Great professional developmennt
9. Working on building a better understanding of DOK for you and your students
10. Using explorations as a way for students to make sense of the math in their own way before being "instructed" in the way things "should be done."
Good luck! Let me know if I can help!
Thursday, April 19, 2018
What do I do with all of these ideas?
I recently completed providing some professional development to teachers in our district. At the end of the final session, I asked teachers to come up with some goals of things they would like to try. Hopefully, they will get a chance to try it now before the end of this school year instead of waiting until next fall. Here were some of their takeaways:
Goals are important as they help us and our growth mindset. It is good practice to after a training to take one big idea back with you to help you grow as an educator!
Of course, while participants found resources and ideas to put into their classrooms, questions remained. These are some that were left on my question board at the end of the session:
How do I fit all of these ideas into my workshop along with my activities?
With everything that a teacher has to fit in during the day, I see where this can be a concern. I understand how difficult it might be to get in your lesson each day. Some of the activities/resources that I have shared with you might be good opening activities in lieu of or in addition to the mini-lesson. In addition, once you have taught the routine, the activity might be an activity that students can complete independently or with a partner.
In all, we need to be intentional as we plan our lessons to determine what pieces of our text we want to use--maybe doing all of the math journal problems won't be necessary? Maybe students can practice a few of the problems instead of the whole page, and that will leave you extra time for some of the extra resources you are getting. I might also recommend that a technology station that students use, like IXL, is not necessary every day. The rich problem solving activities and thinking routines will provide them with far more realistic practice than the rote practice of problems that some online sites might offer. Mix it up! Every day doesn't have to look the same, and building our students' conceptual understanding and problem solving skills is worth finding the time for.
If you continue to struggle finding ways to make it work, consider a coaching cycle or meeting to help you wrap your brain around all of your options.
How do I use the number rack and beaded number line whole class? How can I teach them when and how to use that tool?
The rekenrek and beaded number line are great tools for our students to use to make sense of problems. We should encourage their use at all elementary grade levels. The more that these tools are used as part of our instruction, the more likely that the students might be to use the rekenrek independently.
There are many online resources to help you better understand the use of the rekenrek and beaded number line.
Here are a few: Rekenrek Activities
The rekenrek as a visual model
Top 5 Rekenrek Activities
Beaded number line for 3rd grade
Beaded number line for 4th grade
Beaded number line for 5th grade
How do I set a growth mindset in math? I have kids that give up before even attempting a problem.
Great question! I believe that setting this tone from the beginning of the year is key. Jo Boaler's youcubed website has some great resources about this topic. If you look through her Weeks of Inspirational Math activities, growth mindset is prevalent, and it will help guide your classroom learning. She also has other resources available that focus on the growth mindset.
This topic has many resources available online with just a little searching. Certainly, praising effort over intelligence is a key change that can have a big impact!
If you look at the word cloud on the right side of the screen, you may notice that I have written about these topics in the past as well. Maybe following one of those links will give you other ideas or resources, too.
I enjoy providing PD for our district, and participant feedback is important to me. I want to be sure that I am meeting the needs of our teachers. I hope some of these resources will help!
Goals are important as they help us and our growth mindset. It is good practice to after a training to take one big idea back with you to help you grow as an educator!
Of course, while participants found resources and ideas to put into their classrooms, questions remained. These are some that were left on my question board at the end of the session:
How do I fit all of these ideas into my workshop along with my activities?
With everything that a teacher has to fit in during the day, I see where this can be a concern. I understand how difficult it might be to get in your lesson each day. Some of the activities/resources that I have shared with you might be good opening activities in lieu of or in addition to the mini-lesson. In addition, once you have taught the routine, the activity might be an activity that students can complete independently or with a partner.
In all, we need to be intentional as we plan our lessons to determine what pieces of our text we want to use--maybe doing all of the math journal problems won't be necessary? Maybe students can practice a few of the problems instead of the whole page, and that will leave you extra time for some of the extra resources you are getting. I might also recommend that a technology station that students use, like IXL, is not necessary every day. The rich problem solving activities and thinking routines will provide them with far more realistic practice than the rote practice of problems that some online sites might offer. Mix it up! Every day doesn't have to look the same, and building our students' conceptual understanding and problem solving skills is worth finding the time for.
If you continue to struggle finding ways to make it work, consider a coaching cycle or meeting to help you wrap your brain around all of your options.
How do I use the number rack and beaded number line whole class? How can I teach them when and how to use that tool?
The rekenrek and beaded number line are great tools for our students to use to make sense of problems. We should encourage their use at all elementary grade levels. The more that these tools are used as part of our instruction, the more likely that the students might be to use the rekenrek independently.
There are many online resources to help you better understand the use of the rekenrek and beaded number line.
Here are a few: Rekenrek Activities
The rekenrek as a visual model
Top 5 Rekenrek Activities
Beaded number line for 3rd grade
Beaded number line for 4th grade
Beaded number line for 5th grade
How do I set a growth mindset in math? I have kids that give up before even attempting a problem.
Great question! I believe that setting this tone from the beginning of the year is key. Jo Boaler's youcubed website has some great resources about this topic. If you look through her Weeks of Inspirational Math activities, growth mindset is prevalent, and it will help guide your classroom learning. She also has other resources available that focus on the growth mindset.
This topic has many resources available online with just a little searching. Certainly, praising effort over intelligence is a key change that can have a big impact!
If you look at the word cloud on the right side of the screen, you may notice that I have written about these topics in the past as well. Maybe following one of those links will give you other ideas or resources, too.
I enjoy providing PD for our district, and participant feedback is important to me. I want to be sure that I am meeting the needs of our teachers. I hope some of these resources will help!
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