Reflect:
- Video Link: Part 6: The Root of Math Fluency
Consider the following questions:
- Now that you've watched all six parts, what are your biggest takeaways from this series? How will your math time look different?
- What caused you to pause and think during this video?
Respond:
After watching the video, please post your response to one {or more} of the prompts above.
Interact:
Read your colleagues' reflections. Feel free to respond to someone by sharing a comment, insight, or interesting possibility.
I absolutely loved the videos and the learning in this series. I think what resonated the most with me during this series was all of the conversation around non-fluent math students and what their thinking looks like, because it is what my thinking is! I grew up in the 90s and the tips/tricks that are no longer recommended today were all taught to me! I also grew up being taught to carry over a 1 with no explanation as to why, just something you have to do. I can see the implications of not being fluent with my math and how important that flexible thinking is for my students.
ReplyDeleteI also loved the examples of math fluency with multiplication throughout the series. I teach kindergarten so I am not teaching any multiplication but more often than not when Christina was talking about different ways to solve a multiplication problem is kind of made sense to me and then when she would show the visual, it clicked! It reminded me how important visuals are, because there is always going to be that visual learner out there who needs it.
I am going to focus on trying to create more opportunities in my classroom for flexible thinking. I think more problem based learning and open-ended questions is a great place to start!
Kristin - I can relate with a lot of what you shared. Getting out of the habits that I have ingrained in me and relearning math myself is really the first step. As I retrain my own brain, I can feel my teaching shifting more and more.
DeleteI am grateful that you found the videos worthwhile, Kristin! I know that we are all sooooo busy...thank you for carving out some space for this! 💙
ReplyDeleteLots of takeaways! I would say my math time will look different because I am going to look at the math a little different myself. I notice myself just being more aware of opportunities for math talk and building authentic understanding. I find myself using examples she did with her children at home with mine. It is great to practice both in class and at home, so that I am becoming more comfortable/confident with building math fluency.
ReplyDeleteA big thing I have already started implementing is visuals and not underestimating, even in fifth grade, how important models/visuals/hands on learning are to our students. I came from a very different school population where I taught for the last eight years in a gifted/advanced learning population. Math looked pretty different (we actually used the exact curriculum - Math Expressions and then Illustrative), but what my students seemed to need has shifted. I do feel like with any learner, these opportunities to really "get" the why and explore is so important. I am enjoying adding in more think time, open ended questions, visuals, and problems that might seem "basic", but can present deep learner and help further their understanding.