Today we have the pleasure of hearing from expert in real life math, Alice Aspinall of @EveryoneCanLearnMath. If you follow Alice on social media you will see her beautiful pictures of real life math and practical tips on how to use opportunities in our everyday life to incorporate math! I knew having a guest blog post from her would be super helpful as we start our year. This blog post if FULL of great ideas that you can use at the beginning of the year to get your students talking about real life math!

Introducing… Alice Aspinall of Everyone Can Learn Math

Alice Aspinall is a Portuguese-Canadian secondary mathematics educator in Ontario, Canada. She is a strong advocate of the growth mindset and is continually looking for ways to build young people’s confidence in math and to make math fun, challenging, and satisfying. Alice is also a champion for females in STEM by encouraging girls to pursue science and mathematics both in high school and in post-secondary education. Alice believes everyone can learn math and she is on a mission to prove it.

A Guest Post by Alice Aspinall: Starting Math Class with Real-Life Math

Starting the year with Real Life Math Examples

As the beginning of a new school year quickly approaches, we need to consider how we are going to build a positive math culture in our classrooms. I believe that every math class can be inviting and exciting for our students if we are intentional about creating joyful experiences. One of the key features of an engaging math class in the elementary grades is providing real-life math opportunities.

Math is visible all around us – if we are looking for it! When we are in a classroom with our students it might be more challenging to find those math moments, but we can bring the real-life math to the classroom using photos and math talks. I love a good math talk. I don’t necessarily structure my math talks in any specific way because I like to see where students go with their thinking and their questions.

Real Life Math Talk – Strategy #1

Years ago, my good friends Kyle and Jon over at Make Math Moments introduced me to one of my favourite ways to start a math talk from a photo. Present a photo to your class and simple pose the two questions:

What do you notice?
What do you wonder?

I tell students there are no obvious “noticings” and no wrong “wonderings.” This introduction to a math talk is non intimidating and allows for entry by all students, no matter their level. This also allows for some funny and non-math related answers – but this is all part of the fun! If students are not leading to the math you want to talk about, start guiding your questions toward the topics you want them to discuss. If you hold math talks often, students will start to catch on to the “math” part of the talk and will naturally look for the math.

Real Life Math Talk – Strategy #2

Another way to start a math talk is by posing a very open-ended question. For example, I first learned this technique from Christopher Danielson who poses a collection of items and asks:

How many?
How did you count them?

The photo for this questioning could have multiple different kinds of items, eliciting different answers from students depending on what they choose to count. Or the photo might have items arranged in a way that allows for subitizing in multiple ways, provoking a variety of methods to count the items.

I have chosen two photos to demonstrate how to use a real-life photo to start math talks in your classroom. For each photo, I am going to offer specific prompts I might use to get students talking about the math in the scenario. Consider using the notice/wonder questions before starting with the specific prompts to get students engaged and intrigued by the photo first. I like to give everyone a chance to participate if they want to and the notice/wonder questions are a good way to begin.

Real Life Math Example- Arrays

Possible topics: counting, repeated addition, skip counting, multiplication

Arrays are powerful in helping students learn to count items. They can cover many different topics and lead to subitizing. Arrays are found in many everyday scenarios and the arrangements make counting items faster than counting one-by-one.

 Consider the following photo taken at a local playground: 

For this math talk, my goal as the educator might vary depending on the topic/grade level of my class, but ultimately, I think we are looking for the total number of tires in the photo. It is how we get there that allows for differentiation.

Before getting to a final answer, estimating is always a good entry point. I would first ask my students to estimate the number of tires in the array. Take down their estimates to make everyone’s response feel valued.

Then, I would move on to discussing the number of rows and columns. Once this is established, I might continue with, “There are 4 rows and 5 columns. Which is the easier way for you to count the total: 4 groups of 5 or 5 groups of 4? Why?”

I might prod further to ask how they calculated the total number of tires, “Did you skip count? What number did you count by? Did you multiply? Is this a multiplication fact you know?”

If I had a younger class, my goal might simply be to have the students count the tires with correct one-to-one correspondence. If some students bring up skip counting, I would explore that further by asking the student to explain or by helping the whole class through it.

Estimation in Real World Math Talks

Possible topics: number sense, logic and reasoning, number ranges

Estimating is a necessary skill for students to develop. Good estimation skills can help in many real-life situations including purchasing enough items, putting out enough food at a party, gathering enough materials to build something, and many more. The objects and the quantities you ask your students to estimate will depend on their age level. You want to start with small quantities in the younger grades and work toward larger, more difficult quantities in older grades.

Consider the following photo taken at a local farm:

Questions that I might ask to get my students estimating include (but not limited to):

How many cows do you think there are?
How many ears?
How many legs?

At first, the estimating of how many ears and legs might seem like a straightforward calculation, but the estimating comes from the number of cows in the photo. It is impossible to count the exact number of cows that you can see, so we must estimate.

If I had an older class, I might take a strategy from Andrew Stadel and ask students to first develop an estimate that is “too low” and “too high.” This can be done as a whole class discussion or in small groups, but the key is to discuss why an estimate might be too high or too low. The purpose of this discussion is to create a reasonable range for the estimates.

Here is an example of how this thinking might go: I know there are at least 10 cows because I can count 10 definite cows in the photo. This number can be used to calculate “too low” estimates for the number of ears and legs in the photo. I know there are no more than 40 cows because I think I can count around 20 cows, and I don’t think there are twice as many as that in the photo.

If students are too conservative with their “too low” and “too high” numbers, challenge them to narrow the range a bit using some reasoning like the example above.

When students are ready to give their final estimates, write them down to acknowledge their responses. I think this goes a long way in a math classroom to show that every student’s thinking is valued. In this case, we don’t know the actual answer and that doesn’t matter. It is the thinking and reasoning in the math talk that is important here.

If I had a younger class, I might just stick to the four most prominent cows and use the photo to focus on counting and skip counting.

The Big Picture- Real Life Math in the Classroom

The important thing to remember when doing math talks is that they should be natural and not too forced. What I mean by this is that memorizing a script of questions will not necessarily produce the results we want as educators. With practice (by you and your students), the conversation will begin to flow, and the questioning will become more organic. What matters is that we are trying to present these everyday scenarios to our students so that they know that math is all around them and part of their lives beyond the classroom.

 Arguably, the best part about math talks started from a real-life photo is that the outcome will always be different. Each photo and each class will produce a different conversation. This might make some of us uncomfortable, but beautiful things arise from discomfort. Imagine being able to pick a math concept out of a photo that one of your students provides. Unplanned and going with the flow, together with your students, talking about the math you see and trusting that strong thinking will result from it. To me, this is a powerful, productive, and positive math culture to have in any classroom.

A bit more about Alice…

Alice Aspinall

Twitter: twitter.com/aliceaspinall, twitter.com/everyonecanmath

Instagram: Instagram.com/everyonecanlearnmath

Facebook: facebook.com/everyonecanlearnmath

YouTube: youtube.com/MrsALovesMath

Website: everyonecanlearnmath.com

Alice Aspinall, B.Math(Hon), B.Ed, is a Portuguese-Canadian secondary mathematics educator in Ontario, Canada. Alice has written several children’s math books inspiring a love of mathematics through growth mindset, perseverance, and real-life math exploration. Her books have sold all over the globe and are highly rated and recommended by educators and parents. They are available at most online bookstores including Amazon: bit.ly/aliceaspinall 

Math Discussion… Let’s Keep Talking…

Check out this blog post to Engage your Students in Math Discussions 

Or this blog post about how I use problem of the day to engage students in math discussions.

Increase Engagement with Problem of the Day for Math

Engage Every Student in Math

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In the analogy of building a student centered math class is just like a house, we are in step 2- the structure. When you’re building a house first you need a solid foundation. In this case, it is your math vision established through reflection on math stories and mindset. Next, is the structure! Every good house has solid joists, plumbing, electric and other structures that make the house live-able. In our math house we need routines to make our home function.

Why are we Teaching Classroom Routines?

When we are teaching classroom routines we allow our students to know exactly what we expect of them in that moment. This creates a sense of safety. Students can confidently carry out the tasks without help from adults, they know what to do! In fact, it allows students to take ownership over the classroom and let’s them lead!  Your classroom routines need to be so clear that students don’t have to rely on you to execute most of the class. Instead, they simply carry out the routines you taught them!

Routines allow students to feel safe because they know exactly what to expect each day. Safety breeds belonging. When students feel like they belong and confidence in what to do in the classroom… then that they are more willing to participate, take risks, and share their thinking! And isn’t THAT what we’re going for in math class?

How do we teach classroom routines?

My 3 step process:

Step 1: Think each classroom routine through completely

Step 2: Teach, Model, Demonstrate, Explain

Step 3: Practice, Reflect, Revise, Repeat

Here’s an example of Teaching Classroom Routines

Greeting & Entering the Classroom Routine

Step 1- Here is the routine completely typed out (and I’m still probably missing things).

• Wait in line- straight, still, quiet.
• Greet teacher with a handshake & verbal greeting
  • firm, eye contact, pleasant face, speak up
• Shake TA’s hand (standing inside or near closet) with same criteria as above
• Hang up your coat & backpack on your hook.
  (We have a coat closet not lockers, so adjust to fit your needs!)
  • Go straight in and straight out.
  • Hang your backpack up, unzip, unpack, re-zip
• Go directly to your seat using the shortest path possible.
• Place your materials on your desk.
• Read the morning message.

Step 2- Teaching the Classroom Routines using Modeling, Demonstration, & Explanation

On the very first day we will go back out into the hallway and practice! I’ll have everyone sit in the hallway while I model what this will look like (silly & dramatically, but also serious). Then, we will line up like it’s the beginning of the day and walk through the whole routine.

Step 3- Next, I’ll ask students to reflect.

“What did we nail and do really well? What could we improve?” I also like to call this ” a glow & a grow”. We name one thing we did well (a glow) and one part we need to grow in!
Then, we might even try part of it again. “I’m going to give you another chance to nail going into the coat closet and coming out without chaos!!”

If you need even more support with teaching routines, check out the guru, Harry Wong.

Next Steps for Teaching Classroom Routines

So, are you ready to get this party started? I know you are! No matter the time of year, year of teaching, or current catastrophe… YOU GOT THIS! I created a routine list to get you started. Use this to start and then add to it. Think of ALL the routines you’ll need to teach your students and add them on.

Remember, think through any part of the day that you want your students to be able to do something (real

ly anything) without having to give directions. You could also consider times of day that tend to be chaotic or challenging. These times also need some routines. Break them down into small bits and try to think of every single element of the task.

Download your copy here!

If questions come up… as always, reach out! I’m happy to help! locallearnersandco@gmail.com

Free Ebook to help you create a Student Centered Math Classroom

More resources for you!

Teaching Math Growth Mindset is essential to establishing a solid my classroom culture. Check out this post to get started!

You might also be interested in reading about how I use mistakes in my math classroom!

You also MUST check out this post from my friend Teaching with Kaylee B  about 9 Classroom Routines & Procedures 

The post 3 Simple Steps to Teaching Classroom Routines in Math appeared first on Mona Math.

Reflecting on our math stories can help us analyze how we got to where we are in math. Our past experiences, current mindset about teaching are all part of our math stories.

Our Math Stories: Past, Present, & Future

Let’s start by reflecting on where’ve we’ve been, our past. What memories do you have of math class? What happened in math class that helped you learn or what caused you to not understand math? These experiences are so essential to understanding our own journey and translating that into how we show up in our math classrooms today.

How are our math stories formed?

Take a look at this quote about teachers, and all adults in America. The education system we graduated from taught us math in ways that in most cases were damaging. Rarely did we engage in discourse, sense making tasks, or grapple with complex problems. We learned rules, were timed, and pressured to perform calculations error free. Few of us grew up solving real world problems that allowed us to apply math to our everyday lives.

Quote from Why Do Americans Stink at Math? by Elizabeth Green

We know our system is flawed and progress has been made in the past decades toward change. I’m curious to know what you are working to change about the education system or your opinions on what needs to change. I’d love for you to leave a comment below with your thoughts!

In NCTM’s book Principles to Action they start off with noting the progress made and celebrate. Some notable points include, The percentage of 8th graders scoring proficient or above on the NAEP rose from 15% in 1990 to 36% in 2013. On the same test fourth graders proficient or above scores rose from 13% in 1990 to 42% in 2013. However, as noted in Principles to Actions, these are impressive increase due to the hard work of educators in the United States, but when compared to more diverse range of test takers we are far from where we need to be.

If you’re looking to create a student centered math classroom, then you need this free ebook!

5 easy steps to start your student centered classroom. Click the image below to grab your copy!

How do our Math Stories show up in our teaching?

Let’s take a look at how our math experiences (aka math stories) translate into our teaching careers.

Quote from Why Do Americans Stink at Math? by Elizabeth Green

This quote accurately describes a big part of my own math story. You see, when I started teaching math to 1st & 2nd graders I brought along all the misconceptions and lies I had been told about my math capabilities. I was told how good of a reader and writer I was through out school. I quickly learned that my talking and questioning that was welcomed in social studies class had no place in math. I wasn’t fast at my multiplication facts and still used my “count by songs” to solve 7 x 8, even on my first day of teaching. I wasn’t a math person, I was a reading and history person. To top it off, I was completely at peace with that. So, when I went to teach math I didn’t have the same sparkle I had with reading. I used the curriculum. I taught the script and walked my students through completing the worksheets. It was working for me… but not my students.

You can read more about my teaching journey with math here. 

Changing Math Without Addressing our Math Stories

Here’s the deal, we know that we are coming out of a broken system. Thanks in large part to the work of NCTM and the researchers we have guidance on how to develop math classrooms that strive for sense making and conceptual understanding. We are seeing shifts in curriculum and we’re submerged into this “NEW” way of teaching. However, the oversight in these shifts was the teachers. Yes, we have professional developments and trainings, but they often focus on the program or curriculum and little on addressing the fact that this is new math to us, too.

So, what was learning math like for you?

In research from Rachel McAnallen (2010) she found that 33% of elementary teachers report having math anxiety. They describe the anxiety stemming from traumatic memories such as…

• timed tests – feeling nervous and sweating
• teachers expecting them to solve at the board and being unable to do it correctly and getting ridiculed.
• getting big red Xs on all of their math papers & never remember actually getting any help to understand.

What would you add to this list?

For me it was the pages and pages of math problems that I had no idea how to do. So, I would flip back in the text book and find the example and just copy it subbing out the numbers from the problem.

How do our math stories play out in our classrooms?

We know, as the above quote illustrated, that how we were taught is what we default to when we teach. I urge you to reflect on the practices in your classroom and consider how those practices are writing your students’ math stories.

As you plan for next year consider…

What is your math mindset?

What is your math vision for your classroom?

What is a mathematician in your class? (What do they do? say? feel?)

Implement a Student Centered Math Classroom!! Get started now with this free ebook! http://www.locallearnersandco.com/ebook

Maybe you’re ready to make some changes?

Releasing in May of 2020 is a new pd series just for you! We will take the math stories to a new level, diving into our students’ math stories & use them to create a vision for math in our classrooms. This training addresses strategies to develop mathematicians that are empowered and engaged. I would LOVE for you to join this work!

You’ll walk away with 3 ready to use activities with your students, a fresh mindset, and inspired to inspire your students to love and understand math!

In fact, it’s a 3 part series!

I’d love to have you on the wait list for this series. I know it is going to bring value and clarity you’ve been looking for as a math teacher.

Part 1: Mind over Matter

Part 2: Creating a Community

Part 3: Strong Start: A step-by-step guide to your first 4 weeks of student centered math!

Join the waitlist! 

The post Math Stories: Using Our Pasts to Empower Students appeared first on Mona Math.

Why Math Discussions?

If you haven’t read 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions you need to. This is basically the mecca of math discussions. Published by NCTM in 2018 it addresses how you can implement math discussions in your classroom.

So, let’s chat about why we need math discussions? Read this quote below about how globalization has changed the demands on the types of thinkers we need in the job force.

The thing is jobs used to allow for people to use basic skills, but now in today’s world we need critical thinkers. We need our students to be able to think, reason, and problem solve. Especially, as the quote says, girls and minorities. So, I ask you…

What opportunities are you giving your students to develop these critical skills needed to be successful in today’s world?

How do you support and engage your students in opportunities to engage with complex problems?

So, now let’s get clear on what we want our students to be able to do. What does it actually look like in a student? Read the quote below.

We want our students to be able to explain and justify with evidence their math thinking! We want them to be able to reason through their ideas and the ideas of their peers. In addition, we want our students to be able to provide evidence and rationale for their math ideas that demonstrates their deep understanding of mathematics. Friends, this can happen… in fact it can all happen through math discussions.

What do you mean ALL Learners Engaged in Math Discussions?

But first, I just want to clarify what I mean by all learners. I mean…

ALL LEARNERS

I’m not trying to be dramatic… okay, maybe a little. But I’m serious, we have to believe that every single child can achieve, be engaged and understand deeply. So, yes. Your learners that are shy, energetic, resistant to math, those that learn differently or take longer to process. Every single learner can be engaged in math discussions.

Engage Every Learning in your Student Centered Math Class with this Ebook!

You can get a head start by downloading my free ebook on the 5 Steps to a Student Centered Math Classroom. Grab it by clicking the picture below!!

5 Tips forEngage All Learners in Math Discussions

#1 Choose a worthy Math Task for Math Discussions

In order to engage your students in a math discussion they need something to talk about. We know there are a few kids in our class who could carry on a discussion about anything. However, we want to use this math discussion to move their understanding of math concepts forward. So that means we must choose a worthy math task. One that has a “low floor’ meaning it allows for students to access the problem with a simple first step. Then, a “high ceiling” in which all learners are challenged within the task. Low Floor High Ceiling tasks are open in nature which allow students to approach problem solving in any way that makes sense to them. If you want to know more about the research of low floor, high ceiling tasks this video from Jo Boaler is helpful.  Find out more about my favorite math task- Problem of the Day at on this post. 

#2 Turn & Talks Engage Students in Math Discussions

Using turn and talks are a great way to get students talking in math discussions.  I suggest using a turn & talk at the beginning of the math discussion to engage every student. It might go something like this…

• a few students share their work from the task.
• ask students to turn and talk about the strategies and models.
• come back together and ask partnerships to share what they talked about to get the discussion rolling.

Be sure to set up clear expectations and procedures for your turn and talks. You don’t want to loose valuable minutes managing student behavior during the turn and talk.  So spend the time at the beginning laying the foundation of a solid procedure & expectations. Then, practice! I like to turn and talk to get to know each other first to practice our procedures and meeting expectations!

#3 Use Opened Ended Prompts to Engage All Learners in Math Discussions

I always start our math discussion off with an open ended question. I LOVE “What do you notice?” or “What do you wonder?” These open ended questions allow students to drive the thinking and discussion. This is also a great prompt to give students for a turn and talk. Be sure you listen closely as students share what they notice. This is the perfect time to do a quick check for understanding and decide the direction you’ll take the math discussion.

#4 Accept All Answers in Math Discussions

Students are often nervous about what to say or how to say it in math discussions. I urge you to accept all answers in math discussions. That will allow students to see that it is safe to share a response that is incorrect. If students are discussing flawed reasoning or a misconception point them to the models to use evidence to explain & ask then to clarify their thinking. It is important that the job of reasoning and explaining stays on the students.

#5 Give Students a Way to Opt-Out in Math Discussions

As you continue to build your students ability to participate in math discussions it is important you give them

a way to opt-out. It is so important we teach students real world skills, and the truth is sometimes you’re not ready to share. I like to make an anchor chart of a few phrases students can use if they aren’t ready to participate. It usually includes, “I need another minute to think.” “Could I get some help please?” “Could you come back to me please?” This allows the classmates to jump in and help and the door open for us to come back to the student.

I do want to note it is important this is not interpreted as lowering the expectations for students, but instead accommodating students until they are ready. I continue to encourage students to participate and remind them participating is the best way to learn. We discuss our expectations for discussions every time we start, so students know they are expected to participate. This approach of allowing students to “opt out” helps build community and develop a sense of belonging in the students. It is my hope they know that we want them to participate when they are ready and there are supports in place to help them become ready.

Looking for other Discussion Resources?

Here is a blog post on discussion stems. 

Check out this blog post about 3 number talk ideas to improve your students’ fact fluency!

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Friend, let’s make this official. Be sure you’re following me on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter!

The Math Teacher Collaborative

Are you looking for a community of like minded teachers to collaborate with? We have a weekly live training and opportunities for Q&A! You must join us if you’re looking to deepen your practice as a math educator and collaborate with some other amazing folks. I hope to see you there.

Reach All Learners in your Student Centered Classroom with this Ebook!

Downloading my free ebook on the 5 Steps to a Student Centered Math Classroom. Grab it by clicking the picture below!!

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In my classroom Problem of the Day for math is an instructional routine that helps students achieve deeper learning through inquiry and exploration of mathematical ideas. Okay, so real talk– it’s a routine we use everyday so kids can THINK deeply about math. The routine is simple, but the potential is insurmountable.

Problem of the Day is based on the research of Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI). CGI is a student-centered approach to teaching math. It is based on the assumption that children already have a lot of intuitive number sense & problem solving capabilities. This approach is responsive to students through listening closely to their thinking, asking questions, and engaging them in sharing their thinking with peers. The goal is always deeper learning through expanding their mathematical understandings. 

Well, to be honest with you it took me a while to be convinced to give Problem of the Day a try. It went against everything I had previously done in math– one problem vs. multiple practice problems, a lot of time for students to talk (even if they are wrong), not directly teaching students how to solve. However, once I finally took the leap of faith and tried Problem of the Day I almost immediately noticed a change in my students. Students were engaged, excited, and willing to participate. Math quickly became everyone’s favorite part of the day. 

In my second year of implementing Problem of the Day my students made 2 and 3 years worth of gains in their math scores on the standardized test. Nothing beats the smiles on faces of kids that just surpassed a growth goal in June they had no hope of meeting in August. Disclaimer- standardized tests are not the only way (or even the main way) I help students track their growth. Almost every year my students are so validated as they click through the test questions with confidence that they can solve any and every problem. 

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If you asked your students to name a Black Mathematician, could they?

There is a serious issue happening in our students from underrepresented groups… they don’t see themselves as mathematicians. I believe that is due in part to the fact that we don’t teach them about mathematicians that look like them. I mean, do we even teach about mathematicians?
So, I’m on a mission to ensure my students find role models in math, people that can inspire them to think critically and set goals to reach high in math.

So, we are going to start with 7 powerhouse Black Mathematicians. One that is a football player, another that loves to tinker from an early age, and another that invented water gun. These mathematicians’ stories broke glass ceilings of gaining the first PhD in mathematics, worked on space ships, and trail blazed at NASA. Find out all about each of them here!

Why teach Black History Figures?

If you’re here you likely already believe that teaching & celebrating Black History is important. Maybe you’re wondering why your students need to know about these Black Leaders in math.

First, Black History is OUR history. Black History should be taught in all subjects and in all parts of the day. Add in an extra recognition and celebration in February.

Second, celebrate Black Greatness and Excellence as part of teaching Black History. I believe that looks like sharing influential and inspiring leaders from all professions and disciples. Too often our students don’t see themselves represented in the STEM field.

It is my goal that my students both see themselves and people that are different than them represented in all the parts of my class. So, I incorporate Black History Figures from the field of math into our celebrations and studies.

What is a Mathematician?

Have you asked them what they think a mathematician looks like? In my experience, students often don’t have a clear definition for what a mathematician is or even a vision of what they look like.

Here’s what I do: (you can read more about this lesson here)
I ask students to reflect on what they think a mathematician is by drawing a picture (see photo above). Then we start to make a list or web of all the things we think a mathematician does. At some point we arrive at the fact that WE ARE ALL mathematicians and add the things we do in class to the web. We go back to our drawings and add pictures of ourselves.
After this lesson we start getting to know mathematicians by reading their inspiring words through these quote posters.

Why teach Black History Figures in Math?

You see, I don’t just teach math. I teach little people. I’m on a mission to ensure those little people leave my class not only as mathematicians, but as good people. I want my students to live in a world, to MAKE A WORLD, where every person is represented. So, in math we all belong… and one way I create that sense of belonging is being sure to include texts, tasks, and quotes that represent all folks.

How can you teach Black History Figures in Math?

I have 3 suggestions for how you can teach and celebrate Black History Leaders this month and hopefully all year.

#1 Start your Class with a Black History Figure’s Quote

I use these slides to start every math class. These reflection quote slides provide opportunities for my students to reflect on Black History Figure’s inspiring words. Through these reflections students start to develop their math identity. I believe that if we are not teaching students the character traits and mindsets to do the work of the real world, then we aren’t preparing them. I have witnessed in my own classroom the power of taking time to reflect, discuss, and goal set. So, I suggest investing the time to allow students to reflect and in turn gain so many valuable experiences and skills.

#2 Black Leaders in History Biography Project 

Create a biography project that allows your students to synthesize the information from their research a Black History Leader in Math. Ask students to start their research by reading one of these biographies (found here). The accompanying graphic organizers can help students gather information to use in the creation of their final product.  Students could find an online source and read additional texts to support these articles. I like to have my students think about which Black Leader in math inspired and empowered them with this project. Then, have students share their completed biography project in a sharing party where students present their Black History Figure and learn from one another.

#3 Use the Book “Women Who Count: Honoring African American Women Mathematicians”

This book is a treasure trove of information and fun activities that help students connect to female Black History Leaders in math. If your students are studying Black Mathematicians this is a must have book. It is a great companion to these mini book or one page close reading biographies. You’ll find the word searches, puzzles, and games a fun addition to the biographies inside the book. I discovered many new women mathematicians while reading this book. Be sure to get a copy because I have a feeling it will be one you’ll reach for often.

Check out this blog post for more information about helping your students feel seen & represented in math class.

Want to know more about how you can create a math classroom where students are empowered to love and understand math? You need the Guide to Engaging Math Discussions Grab it for free right here. 

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Problem Solving Definition

Let’s form a common definition. My training and research comes from a book called Children’s Mathematics: Cognitively Guided Instruction. This training opened my eyes to my problem solving definition. So here it is,

Problem solving to me isn’t just an approach that works in math, it helped me develop lessons that allowed me to plan lessons where students could drive the thinking in every subject.

Problem Solving Process

The problem solving process in my classroom is by far the best part of the day – in my opinion and my students. In fact, on the days we don’t do problem solving I hear groans and moans. It’s actually quite beautiful to see their love for math.

On a typical day of problem solving most of our learning happens in a circle. Read about why I love circles here. We use circles to send the message that every single one of us is vital to the problem solving process. You see, this isn’t a routine just for each child to push themselves, but it is a way for us to work together to collectively gain understanding. This process is just as much about our community working together to develop an understanding as it is for the individual.

launching the task

We start in a circle with launching the task. I make strategic moves to help students envision the math problem as a story. We don’t zoom into key words, instead we work toward a total comprehension of what the problem is asking.

grapple time

Next we move onto independent “grapple” time. This time allows students to get up close with the task and challenge themselves to persevere for only 8 minutes. I have found this is the perfect amount of time for most tasks and for most grade levels. During this very quick amount of time I observe. I look for how students are solving, really trying to get inside their thinking. I don’t use this time to one-on-one teach or coach students.
By giving students this time to grapple we show them that they have the ability to do hard things.

share and discourse

Then, we come to the carpet for select 2-3 students to share. I select these students based on what I see students’ current level of solving. The goal is that students will learn from their peers and be nudged along the trajectory toward more advanced models and strategies. 

Steps to problem solving

My problem solving routine is a total of 25-28 minutes. We do this every day within our math block.
And yes, I also teach fluency and my curriculum addressing all math standards. Here is the time break down for each step.

Launch Task (5 minutes) 

Grapple Time (8 minutes) 

2-3 students share (5-10 minutes) 

Student led discourse driving toward deep understanding of students’ shares. (5- 10 minutes) 

As I’ve said before this is the best part of our day and worth every single minute.

If you would like even more details on how I do this, grab my eBook titled
5 Steps to a Student Centered Math Classroom: Empower Students to Love & Understand Math

Problem Solving Examples

Check out this video in my actual real life classroom. Please know this is not perfect example, but it’s a good idea of how you can empower students to have ideas and think in math without directly teaching math strategies.

Another example of what this looks and feels like in my classroom is located here. I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.

Problem Solving Techniques

These teacher moves are something I will be perfecting for the rest of my life. Isn’t that exciting? I have found a teaching practice that not only helps students learn, but also helps me learn!
Leading a discussion, listening, and questioning are the key skills I’m working to be a better facilitator. 

There is a long list of skills we can teach our students. For example; how to start solving a problem, how to get over a road block in solving, how to analyze a solution of others, and so on. That’s all for another time!
Hint… look for a teacher training designed just for you/with you this summer!

Ready to Implement?

Are you ready to give this a try in your classroom? Or maybe you just want to see how all the pieces fit together? Grab the lesson plan below where I will walk you through each part of how I go about teaching my favorite math routine!

The post How Problem Solving Changed my Math Teaching appeared first on Mona Math.

Are you virtually teaching? I am going to assume your inbox has been inundated with emails from every tech company that has ever made an education tool. The onset of virtual teaching in March of 2020 opened the flood gates on technology tools for education. Let’s be honest, it is overwhelming. 

I’ve been 100% virtually teaching since March 15, 2020 and I’ve learned a lot about what works and what surely does not. Number 1 is…

if you’re not invested, it’s not going to work. But that doesn’t just apply to technology that literally applies to anything about teaching… or life.

So, here is what IS working for me teaching virtually math. If you’re here you’re struggling to find the right tech tools to teach virtually hopefully seeing what works for me will help you!

I created a quick criteria list that I was looking for in each tech tool. I hope these will help you decide which tools will fit your needs.

#1) Padlet for Virtually Teaching Math

Pros for Padlet:

1. Easy to use. Students can easily access this tool. I drop the link in the chat, they click it and we get started.
2. Open Ended- There are so many possibilities with Padlet because it is so basic and open ended. However, you can add background images, Titles, Headings, etc.
3. Interaction Tools. When you create the Padlet you can add an interaction tool for each post. You can include a “love” button, a rating, thumbs up or down, 1-5 star rating, and more. This allows students to engage with posts without having to write a comment. I have noticed an increase in engagement when I include the reaction feature.
4. Easy to share photos. Padlet is the easiest platform I’ve found to add a picture. That’s it. It’s simple.
5. Great for discussions. Padlet offers different types of formats for the posts. This allows for different types of discussions. I truly love this tool the best for getting an online discussion going. 

Cons for Padlet:

1. No Drawing Tool. For most of my text tools I’m looking for a way for students to draw on the slide or page. However, since I’ve mostly used Padlet for discussion, this really isn’t that big of a deal.
2. Logging in can be challenging. If students are logged into their google account their name will pop up when they access the link. If not, they will appear as anonymous. I combat this by asking students to start each post with their first name.

Notes for Padlet:

Everyone can see everything– This a pro & a con. It makes it very easy to monitor student’s participation, but no privacy limits student participation. I have noticed students take less risks in putting their work “out there” when everyone can see it.

Voice Recorder– I love that students can also record their voice to leave their response. Really gives the “discussion feel” to their posts.

#2) Nearpod: For teaching Math Virtually

Nearpod is my go to for making my slides accessible for students. I have found their free version gives teachers the best value. The other tools that are similar (PearDeck) tool’s free version doesn’t give as many functionalities.

Pros for Nearpod for Virtually Teaching:

Cons for Nearpod.

1. Time Consuming. It can take a while to convert your slides. It does add another step to your lesson planning, after you have created your slides to convert them to Nearpod. However, I think it is worth it for the benefits Nearpod offers.
2. Logging in. Definitely takes time to log in and teach students how. You can share a direct link, which I think is the best method. You can also share a code that students can enter at their website.
3. Limited Storage. On the free version you are limited in the amount of storage you have. However, I have not yet met my storage limit.

Notes about NearPod.

Monitoring & Sharing student Work. The teacher dashboard is truly BEAUTIFUL. You can see the students working on their slide in a tiled grid view or a large view of each students slide. You can also select “share with class” button to show the whole class one student’s work. I use this to get our discussions going by asking students to share their work.

Teacher Reports. After your live class you get a report that shows the students’ engagement, all of the responses to each type of questions, and more. This is really hugely helpful and all available on the FREE version. 

#3) Jamboard for Virtually Teaching Math

Pros for using Jamboard to teach virtually.

1. Drawing. Hands down best part of Jamboard is the options for drawing.
2. Google Product. We know it, we love it. Google makes things simple and Jamboard is SIMPLE. Easy to use and easy to access.
3. Open Ended. As stated above, Jamboard is simple and simple to use making its possibilities endless.
4. Very Easy to Use. Yep. Very easy.
5. Post it Feature. The sticky notes allow students to not only draw but type! Type, then move your typed comment anywhere.

Cons for Jamboard for Teaching Virtually

1. Sometimes Lags. With a lot of people logged onto the same Jamboard something it will lag. This has made using Jamboard frustrating for my students.
2. Students can edit all the slides. This is problematic when students start editing others’ work or slides. With older kids this is less of an issue, but definitely know that anything on the Jamboard can be edited by anyone.
3. Put your name on you paper! There is no way to track who did what on the Jamboard, so students my “tag” their work with their name. I’ve found that if you assign one board for each student that seems to help… but they still have to put their name on it.

Notes on Jamboard

Update! You will soon be able to upload your own background. This will make it more similar to Nearpod, where you could upload a worksheet and students could complete with the drawing feature.

Everyone can see everything. This sometimes limits what students are willing to do or put out there. Some privacy helps students build confidence and willingness to take risks. Something to consider as you’re building your community up to use this tool.

Now it’s your turn… 

I hope you have found something here that will help you choose the virtual teaching tools that will work best for virtually teaching math.

I would love to hear from you about the tools you are using and how it is going. Leave a comment below! 

If you have any questions or want to connect to learn more about how I’m using these tools please feel free to reach out, any time! LocalLearnersAndCo@Gmail.com.

If you’d like to try out the Math Warm Ups I use Virtually Teaching grab them here by leaving your email in the sidebar.

The post Virtually Teaching Math? 3 Tech Tool Reviews! appeared first on Mona Math.