Improving Mathematics Achievement of Students

in the Junior Division

TDSB and LNS

Junior Math Strategy (CIL-M and GCS)Fri, Mar 25, 2011

Wanda De Castro Jung Choi-Perkins MaryLou Kestell

your co-learners

Learning Goals

• Articulate strategies to improve student achievement

• Practise teaching 3-part problem solving lessons in Math Talk learning communities

• Understand how to use Gap Closing materials to help students struggling in grade 6 mathematics

• Practise using Differentiated Instruction during instruction

• Build teacher pedagogical / math content knowledge

Norms

• Start and end on time 9:00 – 3:30

• Comfort breaks and “crack”berry breaks will be provided

• Active participation is required and suffering is optional

• Respectful listening

Agenda9:00 - 9:15 Welcome and introductions

9:15 - 10:30 Do math together

10:30 - 10:45 Break

10:45 - 12:00 Overview of project and GAP

Closing pre-test

12:00 – 12:45 Lunch

12:45 – 1:15 Goal setting

1:15 – 2:45 Split up gr 4 & 5 and gr 6

2:45 – 3:30 Wrap up and wish lists

6

Let’s Start by Doing Math Together:

Getting Started

• In our project, there will be 24 people altogether.

• There will be about:– 15% admin and math facilitators– 50% Spec Ed and ESL teachers– 35% classroom teachers

How many of each kind of

educator will work with us?

8

90 students in a school have visited at least two other provinces.

If this represents 24% of the students in the school, how many students are in the school?

Student TravellersW

ork

ing

On

It

16

Elastic Meter Manipulative

100

24

x

90 =

Elastic Meter

Manipulatives

Consolidation Parts 2 and 3Part 2

The notes we make about our mathematical thinking during this lesson (to meet the learning goal)

Part 3

Independent practice (what students can do alone – after they have learned collaboratively in their zone of proximal development)

BREAK15 min

What will our work look like?

Consolidation Part 1

Consolidation Part 2

Today’s 3-part Problem Solving Lesson

3-part Problem-Solving Lesson Design BEFORE • Activating prior knowledge; discussing previous

days’ methods to solve a current day problem

DURING • Presenting and understanding the lesson

problem • Students working individually or in groups to

solve a problem• Students discussing solution methods

AFTER• Teacher coordinating discussion of the methods

(accuracy, efficiency, generalizability)• teacher highlighting and summarizing key points• Individual student practice

(Stigler & Hiebert, 1999)

Dates by School

Legend: Red text Full-day CIL-M studiesBlack text in white box GCS daysBlue text in shaded boxes

TDSB Mobile Computing Strategy• Within TDSB Mobile Computing Strategy,

intervention for students is based on identifying in particular students who are at and below level 2 in mathematics as well as below their grade level. In this intervention, Grade 6 teachers and the special education resource teacher (SERT) or the Methods Resource teacher (MART) will engage in a collaborative inquiry focussed on the big ideas of student learning of mathematics and incorporating technology and its intervention possibilities for students with special needs.

Junior Math Strategy (JMS)

• Intentional emphasis and focus will be to connect JMS with the TDSB Mobile Computing Strategy to address learning mathematics in a digital environment, specifically in building teachers’ capacity and optimising teachers’ expertise in using technology in a thoughtful and powerful way in creating customised conditions for learning that support differentiated learning.

Gap Closing ResourceThe Gap Closing resources is for Grade 6 students who are struggling in mathematics but not in other subjects. This resource is intended to target specific gaps in number sense and provide appropriate remediation to close the gap. This research based resource is for small groups, provides appropriate remediation to close the gap and is designed with open questions.

GC

S G

r 6

Gap Closing ResourcesG

CS

Gr

6

• What is it?• It is only a new resource – an aid for

differentiating instruction – consequently useful for teachers of grades 4 and 5 too

Pre-test and Post-test• To be administered to ALL students in grade

6

– Lynnwood Heights and Pauline Johnson March 28 or 29 if possible

– Highland Heights March 28, 29, 30 if possible

• To be marked by Ministry appointed markers – results returned within 3 weeks

• Will confirm your choice of Marker Students but will we start with students identified by you

GC

S G

r 6

LUNCH

45 min

Flexibility and In-flexibility Within Flexibility and In-flexibility Within CIL-MCIL-M

• Teaching through problem solving using the 3-part lesson framework

• Role of learners

• Asset model

• Classroom component with co-teaching

• Use of professional resources

CIL

– M

Some aspects include:• Valuing curiosity, wonder and risk-

taking• Honouring diversity of ideas,

thoughts and actions• Fostering rich opportunities to

question and test ideas• Accessing resources including

high-quality professional resources and research literature

Collaborative Inquiry for Learning – Mathematics for Teaching

• A collaborative model of work used by teachers, coaches, administrators to build knowledge of mathematics for teaching

• Inquiry means we focus on your needs of providing effective instruction to ALL students in your classes

• Occurs in a 3-part lesson format and includes co-planning, co-teaching, and co-debriefing

• Focuses on students: student thinking, student demonstrations of understanding and active construction of math knowledge

CIL

– M

Collaborative Inquiry for Learning – Instructional Model

CIL-M is– focused on formalizing student-generated,

informal, mathematical thought

– begins with students’ mathematical thinking

– is centred on making sense of the thinking everybody shows (evidenced)

– and is concluded and consolidated by summarizing the collective thinking of the class

– meant to include the introduction and formalization of the mathematical notation, vocabulary and conventions of representation

CIL

– M

Collaborative Inquiry for Learning – Instructional Model

CIL-M, of course includes…– the formalized mathematical knowledge is

applied, connected, argued, proved, discussed and practised after consolidation

– the shared knowledge is continually reviewed, adapted, refined, represented, described and communicated and used to make decisions when solving problems throughout the rest of the unit of study, the day, the month, the year

CIL

– M

Ideally, the strategies, vocabulary, number fluency, organizational senses, analysis, and logical thought learned in math class are used in the lives of the students again and again, throughout the day, the month, the year, and FOREVER.

Setting Goals and Articulating Success Criteria

• What are your goals for our 9 weeks of working together?

• How will you know you have been successful?

Goals and Success CriteriaThink – Alone– brainstorm your own queries

and learning goals and write a few words to represent your idea on a post-it (5 min)

– paste them on sheet of chart paper

In your school group…– group stickies with similar

statements– label the groups– write 2-3 shared learning goals

What are the learning goals at your school?• Using post its

• Identify your needs to best serve your students

• you want us to address during this PLC

• What is it that I professionally need out of this experience?

• Sort circle label/ name

• Write learning goals

• Learning goals for each school…

Grade 4/5 Wanda and Jung

Gr 6 - MLK

GC

S G

r 6 Gap Closing Strategy

A Frayer model

Student Surveys

• We will give you the student surveys today along with the GCS materials

• The surveys are to be completed at the beginning and then again at the end of the project. It will take students about 10-15 minutes to complete.

In-between days

• We will define the actions for these days as we go.

• Please make suggestions, for learning activities that you would benefit from and we will try to accommodate them.

JMS

Pre-test and Post-testG

CS

Gr

6Let’s see what’s in the test…

Reflection

Wish Lists

Remember Dates

pm