Dispositions (residuals of learning)

• Curious
• Skeptical
• Open minded
• Imaginative
• Strategic
• Meta cognitive
• Reflective
• Reflective
• Truth seekers
• Inquisitive
• Responsible
• Independent
• Listeners
• Adventurous
• Inventive
• Original
• Creative
• Flexible
• Questioning
• Risk takers
• Mindful
• Considerate
• Full of wonder

Do we promote a culture of work in our classes: “does this count towards my grade?”

Should we promote learning – what do our students learn about learning? If students don't see the point of learning, they should feel empowered to ask for the point of it.

Do we tell students what we want them to learn, or just the work we want them to do?

Do students have to complete the exercise of work if they have already learnt what we wanted them to learn?

Reflections from The AIS Conference. Speaker: Ron Ritchhart (Senior Research Associate, Project Zero, Harvard Graduate a school of Education)

Posted with Blogsy

To assist students preparing for in-class test-style assessment tasks we have a focus in class and at home.

In class

• We complete quizzes either online or on paper (one page maximum), usually about 5 questions. These are then either peer marked or if I have the time, I mark them. The key is that students should get feedback from this process.
• We typically complete a “Chapter Review” or “Diagnostic Test” at the end of a topic so that students can be aware of the content they are not confident in.

At Home

• Summary sheet – my students already have thorough notes, by completing theory booklets that I give them in class. I get my students to summarise these so that there is at most 1 page per topic. (I find the human brain can focus more readily on what it can see and not have to turn a page) When preparing for an actual task, they are to further summarise so that there is one page for a test. I tell my students to act as if they were creating a cheat sheet – they need to choose very carefully what to put on the page (This is a key learning process). Students then use this as a cover and check type study or cross things off as they learn them. I tell them to take a photo with eir phone so that they can print out a fresh copy when they need it.
• Past Papers – we make around 3 past papers available to student that I recommend they do under test conditions at home. They then mark this and hopefully work through and find the content that they do not know. I say hopefully as I do not check this and am fearful that a few students stop at having competed the test and may not even mark it themselves.
• Extra Revision – I point students to YouTube videos and KhanAcademy videos to review any small concepts that they are not sure about. It is a good idea for students to have someone different explaining concepts if they did not understand they way I taught it in the first place.
• Online quizzes – there are usually online quizzes that accompany the textbook, otherwise I direct students to KhanAcademy or sites such as Mathletics or MathsOnline if they have a subscription or create my own quiz on various sites
• I also make myself available to students if they want extra help, but I have a 36hour lockout rule here I won't give them assistance the day of the test or the day before. They should be studying in advance and not leaving it until the day before.

For the future

• I want to encourage my students to prepare notes of their own on a ongoing basis more than they have been so am thinking of establishing an A5 book for each of them to write notest for the week and review notes of the week before.

Posted with Blogsy

I have often used the Microsoft Snipping Tool when creating tests and have previously written in using Screenr.com to record videos to flip the classroom. These two tools have been combined in a nice program that allows both full screen and partial screen picture as image or video:

http://ohsoft.net/product_ocam.php

Posted with Blogsy

1. Why is this question asked of Maths more than other subjects?

I have to ask why this question is asked of Mathematics more than any other subject. Students do not regularly ask in English, History or Science when we are going to use. It is taken that this information is beneficial in and of itself. A History teacher argues that if you don’t know the past then you can’t learn from it as a society, but on an individual level this argument has little weight.

2. This maths is needed for Further Mathematics

There is a difference between subjects studied in High School as at University. Some University/TAFE courses are vocationally based and are practical in their approach (Mechanics, Plumbing, even Law to an extent) but many others (Arts, Science, etc) are broad and do not link to a particular career.

With some of the work being more abstract, Maths does lend itself to this question being asked more than in other subjects.

This is a cop-out answer, although very true in many circumstances. Students like to know the use of Algebra, and with much of the beginnings of Algebra the truthful answer is that it is useful for further Mathematics.

We do ask word questions, “I bought two pencils and have $5 remaining. If I had $25 to start with how much does each pencil cost?” (2x + 5 = 25). Despite the absurdity of some of these questions (not being realistic at all – each pencil costing $10) they are not how anyone would realistically complete this question! Everyone would just think ‘take off 5′ and then ‘halve’.

Students are left unsatisfied with this response, but teachers can give this answer if they have developed a level of trust with the students.

3. Answer using a Career

Many parts of Mathematics are useful for particular careers. Often though, they are useful for quite a narrow career field or the maths required is not much past Year 7 or 8 Mathematics. There are some good examples on many careers websites.

However, telling a class that a Zoo Keeper uses ratios probably won’t satisft many students as they will not necessarily want to be a Zoo Keeper.

http://www.mathscareers.org.au/ (by AMSI) is an excellent website that details how mathematics is used in a number of careers, including:

• Traffic Engineer
• Sports Statistician
• Guitar Marker
• Store Manager
• Travel Agent
• Motor Mechanic
• Personal Trainer
• Chef
• Zoo Keeper
• Builder
• Nurse
• Electrician
• Hairdresser
• Financial Analyst

4. A Satisfactory Answer – It teaches you to think!

I started this series by posing the question “Why is this question asked more of Mathematics?”

I believe that every subject in High School is beneficial because they teach students how to learn, think, understand in different ways. The research techniques learnt in history, the report writing of Business Studies and the problem solving logical approach of Mathematics are all important to develop a well rounded student.

This being said, we must ensure that our teaching approach does promote problem solving, mathematical thinking and logical clear reasoning. The Working Mathematically strand of the current NSW Syllabus and the Australian Curriculum Syllabus in New South Wales strongly support this emphasis in our teaching.

In other words:

Maths teaches you to think!

I believe that every subject in High School is beneficial because they teach students how to learn, think, understand in different ways. The research techniques learnt in history, the report writing of Business Studies and the problem solving logical approach of Mathematics are all important to develop a well rounded student.

This being said, we must ensure that our teaching approach does promote problem solving, mathematical thinking and logical clear reasoning. The Working Mathematically strand of the current NSW Syllabus and the Australian Curriculum Syllabus in New South Wales strongly support this emphasis in our teaching.

In other words:

Maths teaches you to think!

However, telling a class that a Zoo Keeper uses ratios probably won’t satisft many students as they will not necessarily want to be a Zoo Keeper.

http://www.mathscareers.org.au/ (by AMSI) is an excellent website that details how mathematics is used in a number of careers, including:

• Traffic Engineer
• Sports Statistician
• Guitar Marker
• Store Manager
• Travel Agent
• Motor Mechanic
• Personal Trainer
• Chef
• Zoo Keeper
• Builder
• Nurse
• Electrician
• Hairdresser
• Financial Analyst

In the next and final post in this series, I will give what I believe is a satisfactory answer 100% of the time.

We do ask word questions, “I bought two pencils and have $5 remaining. If I had $25 to start with how much does each pencil cost?” (2x + 5 = 25). Despite the absurdity of some of these questions (not being realistic at all – each pencil costing $10) they are not how anyone would realistically complete this question! Everyone would just think ‘take off 5′ and then ‘halve’.

Students are left unsatisfied with this response, but teachers can give this answer if they have developed a level of trust with the students.

I have previously suggested the PTPen, although on testing the accuracy was not quite good enough to make it a perfect solution. I used to have a tablet PC that I loved but now need a new solution. I have used an Epson Brightlink projector, but the resolution of the pen was not good enough for writing in OneNote or Word using the inking pens available.

I have recently acquired a Wacom Bamboo CTH-470. I have also purchased a wireless module, so have the flexibility to be connected via USB cable or work within about 5-6m from my laptop. As long as you are looking at the projector screen, it becomes quite easy to write on the bamboo and see it come up on the projector. I was a little disappointed when I first got it out of the box that only part of the black area is actually active and usable – but I am now used to this. I rarely use the touch option and therefore the model without touch CTL-470 could be preferable for the cheaper price.

I bought it at Officeworks, but have also seen it at Harris Technology. (About $180 including the wireless module)c

Overall a great solution in the classroom and also writing up solutions.

Note: the CTH-670 is larger and has a larger writing area. I think this could be better, but have not used it myself walking around the classroom.

I have not investigated the professional intuous5 as they are more expensive and these consumer products suit my needs. If you've got any more questions, just ask in the comments.

Troubleshooting: occasionally the wireless drops out. If I unplug the wireless unit and plug it back in then I am back up and running in about 20 seconds.

Posted with Blogsy

Why is this question asked of Maths more than other subjects?

I have to ask why this question is asked of Mathematics more than any other subject. Students do not regularly ask in English, History or Science when we are going to use. It is taken that this information is beneficial in and of itself. A History teacher argues that if you don’t know the past then you can’t learn from it as a society, but on an individual level this argument has little weight.

There is a difference between subjects studied in High School as at University. Some University/TAFE courses are vocationally based and are practical in their approach (Mechanics, Plumbing, even Law to an extent) but many others (Arts, Science, etc) are broad and do not link to a particular career.

With some of the work being more abstract, Maths does lend itself to this question being asked more than in other subjects.

Over the next few posts I will give some possible responses and approaches to give in answering this question.