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!