These are the questions that you may blog/journal on.
1) Andrew's principal wants to know what your schools are using for a definition of a cone.
2) Bill would like to know about differentiation of instruction as well as planning tips for short classes.
3) I want to know what everyone has decided on for their masters' project. If you just posted about this you can skip it but if not, please share the idea with the rest of the class. It does not have to be technology.
4) Your reaction to the state tests that you had to give this week.
5) Aha moments you would like to share with us (and the world).
6) I would like everyone to revisit the proof of the sum of the angles of a triangle = 360 degrees. What would you write for this one? You saw one approach in class today.
7) Post a sentence or two about the article you choose to read, from the NCTM Research Book. ("Student Understanding" and "Measure Up" - these items are at the bottom of our course reading list on Blackboard.
Take care and see you in two weeks.
Our definition of a cone varies from Jr High and High School that we use. They are as follows:
ReplyDeleteJr. High: A solid or three dimensional figure that has exactly one circular base and one vertex. Which is lumped in with the talk about the difference between prisms and pyramids. I tell the kids that a cylinder is like a cylindrical prism (2 bases) and a cone is like a cylindrical pyramid (1 base)
High School:(Pre Algebra) A three dimensional figure with one circular base. A curved surface connects the base and vertex. Interesting though they never address what that "curved surface" is, so I show them using a snow cone holder what that "curved surface" is when it is laid out flat. (sector of a circle).
Hope this helps!!!
With regards to the ISTEP Testing I have a very personal problem with the test. My son Nicolas is in third grade and is autistic. He is very high functioning but has a real difficulty with failure and its acceptance. The fact that he failed ISTEP has crushed his spirit. He is very intelligent and has come an enormous way from not speaking until he was four years of age to where he is now. In no way shape or form did it address his gift of knowing animal and dinosaur facts beyond probably what 95% of the population at large, knows. He is devastated that he must take summer school and feels he is dumb and stupid because he failed this test(his words not mine). I know we need to test knowledge but there must be a better way, especially for students with IEP's. So yes it's personal with me!
ReplyDeleteAndrew
ReplyDeleteAccording to my math series--Houghton Mifflin--Cone The bottom is a circle, and the top is a point.
Mary
A teacher I work with is doing a lot of research and work with differentiating right now. She uses a lot of stations (centers) and has students working on similar skills but at different levels.
ReplyDeleteHere are some books she recommended:
The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners-Carol Ann Tomlinson
Differentiation in Practice: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum in Grades 9-12
-Carol Ann Tomlinson (step-by-step guide)
Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom--Diane Heacox
Integrating Differentiated Instruction & Understanding by Design--Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe (this one is good if you understand UbD curriculum model)
Anything by Carol Ann Tomlinson is excellent.
For Bill's question on differentiated instruction, I think it is probably harder to do in a secondary situation. I teach first grade, and daily use differentiated instruction. I use different level homework for different students, which is probably the easiest thing to do. A few students do a challenge homework in both Reading and Math, most do the grade level homework, and I have a handful that take home a below level, or more basic, homework. I also do things in centers, but the homework may be an easier way for older kids. It does then mean that you have different pages to grade, but it works for first grade.
ReplyDeleteBill, I think that you may have even mentioned different ways to group students. In kindergarten, yes we group by abilities, but sometimes we group by other things. For some activities, it is great to put a high student with a low student. Peer teaching can be very effective. Sometimes we group by similiar interests (i.e. kids that like Power Rangers and kids that like Spiderman). Grouping the kids like this may get two students talking that may never have spoken to each other. I know that grouping by silly things like this won't work in MS or HS, but if you can find some common ground or some hip topic to group them by, then the learning or conversations may just take off! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAndrew,
ReplyDeleteI think that this is an interesting question? Does your school system agree on all defintions for math? I have taught both at our MS and at one of the elementaries and I have never been informed of official defintions of anything. So, I guess would say that we would go with what definition that the book that we are using says, but even that is complicated. Our elementaries use a different series than our MS and then geometry and Algebra classes at the high school had an option to go with a different book. So, I bet it depends on what level you are with what definition is being given to our students. Wow, I had not thought of how confusing that must be to our students.
Bill,
Although at my grade level we do do not truely differentiate we do group our fifty students into four different ability levels. There are about 16 in a higher achieving group where they do more enrichment than skil development. Then there are about 19 in a somewhat lower group. These are students who did not pass ISTEP and had average grades in the classroom. Then there are 4 who are placed with the resource room. Then the lowest 6 of the somewhat lower group are going with the Tittle 1 teacher in a small group. I teach the somewhat lower group where we work on skills with a concentration on test taking skills. In my group, I do give out different homework assignments because even though we have tried to group as much as possible there are still varied skill levels within every group.
Hope that is insightful.
Master's project idea...
ReplyDeleteI think that I will make a powerpoint presentation to introduce geometry's confusing terms to my students. I will do this with GSP clips to illustrate the terms. I will also add some writing aspects to the lessons and ask the students to apply what they have learned to the logo program.
Wendy,
ReplyDeleteUsually we would also use the text's definition, but our school has a couple of different Math programs. Primary (K-2) is piloting Everyday Math. All others have H.M. The problem is, both use completely different definitions. My principal wanted to have a consistent definition for our school.
Bill,
Carrie is right about being able to have different groups. Maybe you could allow your more advanced students to complete a higher level content while your on-grade or below-grade level students could work on "easier" content. This would create more work for you, but it may cut down on behavior problems and make the lazy students begin to work harder if they see that they are going to be placed in "certain groups." Not that I'm for ability grouping, but a little natural competition is pretty healthy.
kcrump - I understand your feelings about the test situation. I have been reading and listening to what the DOE is saying about the test. I find it interesting that the government expects, no mandates that ALL students will be able to pass a test that was designed for the top 20 percent of the student population.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I were talking about the lack of "compassion" that education receives from the government, yet the government delays the national conversion from analog to digital commications just because "some" adults aren't ready yet. We have known about this switch for a year and a half, yet we waste millions of dollars so that those that waited will be waited on. I think we are dealing with a bunch of idiots that don't know their head from a hole in the ground.