Math in my classroom | Piktochart Infographic Editor

Math in my classroom Copy Copy | Piktochart Infographic Editor

Math in my classroom | Piktochart Infographic Editor

Math in my classroom Copy Copy | Piktochart Infographic Editor

Students with Socio-economic issues, Poverty

My mission statement and plan of action for constructing an effective learning environment for all of my students.

Focus: Students with Socio-economic issues, Poverty

My background:

When I was younger, I had good teachers and I had ones I remember not so fondly. From the ones I liked, I remember the teachers really cared about me as a person. I believe my success in school was directly related to the teachers who believed in me. When I first moved to Ottawa, my parents had divorced and my mom brought myself who was 8 years old and my sister who was 4 years old to a new city. We came from Kingston and were originally in a French-Immersion setting. The first school we went to, my sister and I both had bad experiences with the teachers we had. My mother at the time, was a single-mom trying to make ends meet for us financially. She worked full-time and could not afford to put us into extra-curricular activities. We weren't poor but we were different because we didn't have everything that all the kids had at that time (e.g Money for pizza lunches, $ for field trips, nice clothes etc). This made me feel upset at times because I couldn't do what other children from a two-parent home could do, financially speaking. For me I remember math class specifically in that school because that was where my anxiety towards math stemmed. I had a teacher who would make me stand up in front of the room and had me stay there until I figured out the math problem on my own. This is in no way a good strategy to help a student succeed in math. Alternatively, I had an amazing teacher the following year who did a lot of hands-on math. She didn't humiliate me in front of my peers and made learning math fun. I take these experiences as great learning experience for what not to do and what to do as a teacher and how to engage learners in mathematics. The teacher I remember fondly, took the time to get to know me, my background and living situation. She was very understanding and non-judgmental. I felt like I could talk to her about anything. She encouraged me to always do my best and not worry about other students and their achievements but focus on my work and how I learn best. This teacher was amazing. I felt cared for and understood. I felt like I was capable of anything I put my mind to! Despite coming from humble beginnings, I was able to build resilience and I persevered in my schooling and became unstoppable. I loved school and as a direct result of this teacher, I wanted to become a teacher for those very reasons. Help children do their best and be there to support them along the way. Not just to teach the 'curriculum' but to help children learn in the ways they like best so as to instill a love of lifelong curiosity and love of learning. This is truly my mission as a teacher!

Connection to Poverty in schools:

“In a truly equitable system, factors such as race, gender, and socio-economic status do not prevent students from achieving ambitious outcomes. Our experience shows that barriers can be removed when all education partners create the conditions needed for success.” (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2008, p. 8)

**Therefore, teachers, admin, community partners need to collaborate and work together in order to help students who come to school from low-income households, succeed at school.
It takes a village to raise a child!

Some statistics about Poverty in Canada:
http://tvo.org/whypoverty/info/poverty-in-canada

• Poverty affects children, unattached adults, single-parents, Aboriginal Canadians, recent immigrants, people with disabilities and seniors.

• Survey: What's the cause of poverty in Canada?

  • 51% “Circumstances beyond the control of the poor.”

  • 11% Respondent unsure

  • 37% “People aren't doing enough to help themselves”

Source: Angus Reid. “Canada and United States Concerned Over Poverty: North American Poll: Canada & U.S.” 2007.

One in Six: Education and Poverty in Ontario

After watching this video: 

• A lot of thoughts come to mind. The statistic that really hit home with me was “25% of homeless people in Toronto are children under the age of 2.” In the richest city in Canada, how is this even possible? This statistic astounds me!
• From the video, “Sameness is not the issue when we speak about Equity, we must treat people differently based on their needs.” I really believe, that teachers need to get to know the needs of each child in their classrooms.
• Kids who come from impoverished homes really can fall through the cracks if teachers don't take heed to their circumstances. Teachers really can make a difference!
• Divorced/single moms are disadvantaged and this impacts their children. These mothers may be fighting depression, mental health issues, anxiety, trying to find a steady job or to coping with working 2 jobs to make ends meet. This in turn can have a direct impact on their child's academic achievement.
• Children who come from low-income families may have trouble attending school. If they are not bused, the parent may have difficulty getting their child to school. Missing school means missing content and this may become a vicious cycle and the student will fall further and further behind the rest.

Case Study: Chen

http://tvo.org/sites/default/files/Poverty-and-Education-infographic.pdf

Chen is 9. He came to Canada with his mother from China. No father in the picture. They live in Public Housing.

•  One in six Ontario children live in poverty.(The People for Education. The Measure of Success: What Really Counts. Toronto: The People for Education, 2011. Print.)
• The rate of poverty is 50% higher for aboriginal children, children of colour, and children of female single-parents.
•  47% of new immigrant children live in poverty.  (Ciuffetelli Parker, Darlene, and Joseph Flessa. Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario. Poverty and Schools in Ontario: How Seven Elementary Schools are Working to Improve Education. Toronto: Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, 2011. Print.)
• Chen is a statistical representation of the poorest kids living in Ontario
• Chen’s mother works nights in a factory. She’s asleep on school mornings. Chen has to get breakfast for himself, but often he can’t find anything to eat.
• Chen would benefit from a breakfast program and ESL training at his school.

- When reading about Chen, it brought a lot of ideas to mind in how to help him. If I was his teacher, I would ask him each day if he had breakfast. If my school had a breakfast program (e.g. Kickstart Breakfast Program sponsored by the Ottawa Food Bank in the OCDSB) , I would make sure he was able to make it there every morning before school started to get a full nutritious meal. Children who have had a full breakfast are more ready and able to learn. I would also try and arrange a meeting with Chen's mom to discuss her needs and what I could do to help her and Chen. I would offer her to check out resources my schoolboard offers for example; the free Parenting and Family Literacy Centre, The Education Foundation. (The Education Foundation is an organization that helps parents/students meet basic needs. They raise money to buy school supplies, winter boots, snowsuits, fees that cover class field trips etc.: http://www.educationfoundationottawa.ca/about/our-studentsocdsb/). If my school offered supports for ELL, I would direct Chen and his mom to get help in learning English as a second language. “Children raised in poverty are much less likely to have these crucial needs met than their more affluent peers are and, as a result, are subject to some grave consequences. Deficits in these areas inhibit the production of new brain cells, alter the path of maturation, and rework the healthy neural circuitry in children's brains, thereby undermining emotional and social development and predisposing them to emotional dysfunction (Gunnar, Frenn, Wewerka, & Van Ryzin, 2009; Miller, Seifer, Stroud, Sheinkopf, & Dickstein, 2006). (Jensen, 2009).

Poverty and Math, the barriers:
-"Ginsburg and Russell (1981) found that preschool children with different socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds performed differently in various mathematical problems, showing an effect of the home environment before any formal schooling takes effect. It is possible the home environment experienced by the children affects mathematical learning opportunities."
-"It is possible the children of higher SES backgrounds have parents/careers with higher education and more tendencies to discuss mathematical concepts with their child, encouraging them to think and analyse mathematics when away from school. These children are not necessarily more skilled in mathematics but the chance to explore and practise gives them an advantage when being tested later in school (Nunes et al., 2009).
*Therefore, a students' home environment may impact their learning. Also, children from low SES backgrounds may not have parents who have gone through formal education and may be struggling to teach themselves math. Math talk may not be a priority for these parents.
Source: http://learning.wales.gov.uk/resources/learningpacks/mep/numeracy/numeracy-and-inclusive-practice/barriers-to-numeracy-learning-poverty-and-social-factors/?lang=en

"One of the most consistent findings in the educational literature is the strong link between socioeconomic status and educational achievement. Poverty matters in education. But fortunately, Ontario educators are proving that poverty is not destiny. Direct interventions, such as our Ontario Focused Intervention Partnership (OFIP), are already helping to narrow the achievement gap between poor children and their wealthier counterparts." 

 (Ontario Ministry of Education, Reach Every Student, 2008)

My Mission statement and Plan of action:

I think this graphic represents my mission statement towards teaching students from low-income households. To me, equity means that we must treat each person based on their individual needs. We can't treat everyone the same because not everyone is starting from the same place (e.g., some families have more $ than others and two parents who work, others have 1 parent working 2 jobs to make ends meet etc.) When it comes to students from low-income families, they need their teacher to help bridge the gaps they face and be their advocate. Students who come from families with lower SES don't have the resources available to them to practice math and reinforce their learning of math at home. Parents may not be educated or able to help their child with homework. Teachers can help!

Strategies to help all students:

*Develop a good relationship with students and their parents from the first day

*Recognize student difficulties early on and try to identify programs/resources they can access in the school or community

*Provide alternatives to field trips or cover the costs for them if they request it

*Provide homework that helps the child reinforce concepts of math at home:

• Have math games prepared so that students can borrow and play at home

• Providing access to a computer. If the child has extra time in class allow them to play some math games on the computer in order to help reinforce concepts.

**Try and identify students who may be having difficulties in math early on so they can benefit from extra help and support by Learning Support/Resource teachers. Give the student extra time to complete assignments (if needed).

*Make math class fun and hands-on, pair students up and have them work on a problem of their choice.
*Have 1 on 1 conferences with students to see if I am meeting their needs in math, what do they need from me to learn the best?

*Be flexible
*Host a parents night where kids and parents play math games together, maybe even make an evening out of it with a dinner too!
*Get kids and their parents talking about math. Offer an evening where I could teach parents how to talk about math. For example, they can take skills developed in the workplace home to discuss real-life examples with their kids. This will bring in a real-world connection to math for students.

References:

Angus Reid. “Canada and United States Concerned Over Poverty: North American Poll: Canada & U.S.” 2007.

Barriers to numeracy learning: Poverty and social factors. (2013, January 1). Retrieved February 11, 2015, from http://learning.wales.gov.uk/resources/learningpacks/mep/numeracy/numeracy-and-inclusive-practice/barriers-to-numeracy-learning-poverty-and-social-factors/?lang=en

ETFO Provincial (April 23,2013). One in Six: Education and Poverty in Ontario. Retrieved

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqk99s-y0Q4.

Jensen, E. (2009). Teaching with Poverty in Mind. Chapter 2. How Poverty Affects Behavior and Academic Performance. Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109074/chapters/How-Poverty-Affects-Behavior-and-Academic-Performance.aspx

Ontario. Ministry of Education. (2008). Reach every student: Energizing Ontario education. Toronto

Poverty in Canada. TVO (2013, January 1). Retrieved February 11, 2015, from http://tvo.org/whypoverty/info/poverty-in-canada

Poverty in Education. A day in the life of a child living in poverty. TVO. (2013, January 1). Retrieved February 11, 2015, from http://tvo.org/whypoverty/info/poverty-in-canada

Cross-Curricular Planning and Math

Cross-Curricular Planning and Math

It is very important as a math teacher to incorporate lessons that link to other areas of the curriculum into your lessons. Math cannot be taught in isolation. Its a part of everything we do in our everyday lives. Students can benefit greatly by reinforcing what they know through different areas of the curriculum. When I was a student, I did not enjoy math class at all. In fact I dreaded it. However, if math was integrated into other subject areas such as The Arts, Phys Ed or Language, maybe I would have been able to demonstrate my understanding of certain concepts in a much easier fashion.

  "By linking expectations from different subject areas, teachers can provide students with multiple 

opportunities to reinforce and demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a range of settings."

Students learn in different ways. I also believe when we ask students to show us what they know (summative assessment), it is best if they can show it to us in a way that is best for their learning style. Its a teachers job to learn the different learning styles of their students and tailor the programming accordingly. Everyone has a preferred learning style according to Howard Gardner, "In the  classroom, a teacher can differentiate instruction and assessments according to the multiple intelligences. For example, a learner who has a strong musical intelligence might learn basic multiplication facts quicker if they are made into a rap or song." 

When I think about Assessment of Learning, a good  strategy for teachers is to give students options. This is where the Cross-curricular links come into play. Along with traditional approaches to assessment (i.e. rubrics, observations), giving choice is important as well. Whether a student shows what they learned about area/fractions by doing a drawing of a robot (Visual arts), or if they wanted to create a dance to demonstrate their learning of fractions (Dance) or do a play to show understanding of multiplication (Drama), teachers can incorporate The Arts or Language into their assessment of student learning.  Students need to express themselves in a variety of ways and when they are able to use a learning style that best suits them, they are able to gain confidence in themselves and get a deeper understanding of the topic they are studying on different levels.

Cross-Curricular Links and Integrating Technology:

There are many positives about integrating technology into the classroom. Students these days are plugged into technology outside the classroom so why not integrate it into your math class?

Here is a link where students can demonstrate their learning in mathematics:

http://edshelf.tumblr.com/post/107222506261/edshelf-weekly-student-assessment-tools

Sources:

 edShelf Weekly-Student Assessment Tools. (January 5th, 2015).[Blog post].

   Retrieved from http://edshelf.tumblr.com/post/107222506261/edshelf-weekly-student-assessment-      tools

 Gardner's Multiple Intelligences (n.d.). In Decoding Differentiation.
   Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/decodingdifferentiation/home

Cross-Curricular and Integrated Learning. The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8: Mathematics, 2005 (revised), p.26.

Effective Unit/Long range Planning

How to plan a unit effectively:
I saw this cute picture and I want to relate it to planning. Students today each have a toolbox that they fill each day with the things they learn. I thought the backpack was a good visual for the 'toolbox'. We as teachers want to teach students to think for themselves, infer, question, use their schema, highlight important information, visualize and find out what the questions is really asking them. This is an example of a well-rounded math student that is ready to take on the world!

Source: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Good-Mathematicians-Poster-Girl-956315

Source: http://eberopolis.blogspot.ca/2012/09/writing-in-math.html

As well, we want to teach our students to persevere and do the 'hard math' as they say. We don't want to give them the answers but guide their thinking and empower them to figure it out by themselves!

Unit Planning: Things you need to consider

• Planning a unit involves determining the Big Ideas (curriculum expectations) you want your students to know by the end of the unit. Maybe have a discussion at the beginning of the unit and set the learning goal for that unit. Students and teacher can co-construct generic success criteria for the unit.  Example from http://democlassroomsharing.blogspot.ca/2011/03/three-part-lesson-money.html:
  
• Getting some information about your students prior learning on the topic. You can ask them to tell you or show you what they know (using a KWL chart). Or do a diagnostic quiz/test.
• Determine the Instructional strategies you want to use: i.e. use of manipulatives, gallery walk, BANSHO, 3 part math lesson, do your lessons flow from one concept to the next? Do your lessons build on previously learned concepts/ideas? Find some open-ended questions that could potentially get the students thinking about the math concept being taught.
• Assessment tools/strategies: Checklists, rubrics, self-assessments, peer assessments
• Cross-curricular connections: How will your lessons tie into other areas of the curriculum?

Long Range planning:  Looking at the big picture is important when preparing a long-range plan. When I taught Grade 3, we had to be very organized with our long range plans because we had to have the students ready for EQAO in May. Therefore all units had to be taught by then in order for students to succeed. When you do a successful Long-Range plan, you can see the whole picture and this better enables you as the teacher to help your students succeed!

This is an example of Long range planning:

Long Range Plans

Grade 3 

		Math
Sep	1	Data collection & graphing (DMP)
	2
	3
	4
Oct	1	Number Sense Place Value (NN)
	2
	3
	4
Nov	1	Patterning (PA)
	2
	3
	4	Addition and Subtraction (NN)
Dec	1
	2
	3
	4
Jan	1
	2	Add/Sub cont’d
	3	2D and 3D Shapes (GEO)
	4
Feb	1
	2	Time, Mass (MEA)
	3
	4

Mar	1	Fractions (NN)
	2
	3
	4	Multiplication and Division (NN)
Apr	1
	2
	3	Distance, Perimeter, Area (MEA)
	4
May	1
	2
	3	Equality (DMP)
	4
Jun	1	Probability (DMP)
	2
	3

The Importance of Planning Daily

Daily Planning and 3 Part Math Lesson:

As a Math teacher it is very important to plan for your lessons each day. This will help you remain organized and focused on the Big Ideas that need to be taught each term (Backwards design). The goal when organizing a lesson should be for your students to understand the math concepts being taught. By getting everything you need ready ahead of time, this will help the lessons flow, ease stress and help set up students for success. As well, from day 1, setting up a positive learning environment that enables students to feel safe and willing to contribute their ideas is of utmost importance. By using a 3 Part Math structure for your daily math lessons, students will be engaged and working to solve a variety of math problems. Its through the 3 part math lessons that students really learn to understand. According to The Report of the Expert Panel on Mathematics in Grades 4 to 6 in Ontario (2004),

 Today, there is extensive evidence that if students are engaged in mathematics communication in  which they are expected to explain their ideas clearly and follow other students’ reasoning (rather  than just the teacher’s instruction), they are much more likely to develop a deep understanding of the  concept. (p.13)

Traditionally, math was taught by the teacher at the front of the room. Students were expected to listen and copy down the sample problem on the board. Students were expected to follow the instructions and use the sample problem to help them solve a bunch of similar problems. Understanding wasn't a big priority, neither was communication between peers on a math problem. Individuals were expected to solve the problem on their own. This was my experience in my grade 5 math classroom and let me tell you, it didn't teach me to love math by any means. My teacher would call us up individually up to the front of the room at random and expect us to show our work. She made us stand there until we could solve the problem. This just instilled a fear of math problem-solving in me and didn't help me understand math any better.

Today math is taught differently (thank god)! The 3 Part Math lesson structure works well for students and is better able to help students understand a math problem or concept than the traditional way of teaching math.

For those of you who do not know what a 3 Part Math lesson entails: Watch this 4 min video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UjTq3T9e64

Also: Sketch of a Three-Part Lesson: 

http://professionallyspeaking.oct.ca/march_2010/features/lesson_study/three-part.aspx

Here is a comparison chart that shows the differences:

Traditional Lesson

Three Part Math Lesson

- Teacher driven questions/computations - Teacher introduces key concepts/ideas -Teacher models problems on the board -Teacher shows how to answer problems -Students copy a few examples of problems and how the teacher answered them -Students practice similar problems on their own quietly, not encouraged to discuss with partners -Not a lot room for differentiation as teacher is not able to walk around and field questions as she/he is too busy modeling the answer to a perfect problem

- Getting started: organizing and setup of lesson, explain problem and answer student questions as needed -Working on it: Students work on small groups or in pairs, students can use manipulatives, chart paper and different strategies to solve the problem, they learn from each other -Reflecting and connecting: Teacher begins a discussion, students share strategies used to help everyone make sense of the problem, students learn from others, teacher can determine next steps and tailor subsequent lessons to student needs *Problems are connected to real-life, thus engaging kids in the math *Use of manipulatives *Student driven learning, students asking each other questions *Instills confidence in students

As you can see there is a lot more positives on the side of the 3 part math lesson. I believe this is the ultimate structure for planning and vehicle for which student learning can soar in math class!

Sources:

Teaching and Learning Mathematics, The Report of the Expert Panel on Mathematics in Grades 4 to 6 in Ontario, 2004.

Effectively Planning for Mathematics

Hello all, this is my first attempt at creating a blog. It is my ultimate goal to help you understand from what I am learning so far in my Math Part 1 course how to effectively plan for math.

Topics to be covered:

• Big Ideas

• Math Teachers in Ontario need to start with The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8: Mathematics, 2005 (revised) as a guide for teaching math. "The development of mathematical knowledge is a gradual process. A continuous, cohesive program throughout the grades is necessary to help students develop an understanding of the “big ideas” of mathematics – that is, the interrelated concepts that form a framework for learning mathematics in a coherent way." (The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8: Mathematics, 2005 (revised)].

• The Big Ideas flow from Kindergarten to Grade 6 and its a teacher's job to build on students' prior knowledge and help foster understanding so they can go to the next grade and make even more connections to their learning.

• Teachers need to use the Big Ideas as a guide in order to plan and create lessons so that their students can achieve the curriculum expectations.

• Teachers also need to come up with innovative and creative instructional strategies in order to reach all learners, as well develop appropriate methods for assessing students that tie back to the Big Ideas.

• Importance of thoughtful and clear planning
• Day, unit and long-range plans
• Cross-curricular planning

I will also touch on: What I have learned about planning... and the burning questions that are left in my mind...

To create an effective math program for students we must first look at the Big Ideas.

 BIG IDEAS:

Pros: It helps teachers stay organized and focused, teachers can use the Big Ideas to 'chunk' their units, teachers can also use the Big Ideas to communicate expectations to students for their learning of a unit and to their parents on the report card. Using the Big Ideas when planning a unit can also help teachers teaching combined grades teach lessons to both grades as a lot of the Big Ideas are similar and build on each other!

**Students become engaged when they can see the connections between the mathematical concepts they are learning and how they apply to real life situations.**

Therefore, as you can see, starting with the Big Ideas is a Must!