To counteract negative student responses, Vilson has 5 principles for assuring that all students can enter into the math, and also for creating the conditions for math success.
I'll list the 5 principles but you'll need to read the article for further descriptions.
- Allow More Mistakes
- Support Their Struggle
- Let the Kids Teach, Too
- Answer a Question with More Questions
- Personalize the Questions
Engaging Students in Math. Jose Vilson. 10.15.12. Edutopia
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/engaging-students-in-math-jose-vilson
I really like and agree with Jose Vilson in this article on engaging students in math. Since I am currently teaching grades 6-8 in both reading and math I am able to apply much of what he said in my teaching.
ReplyDeleteI found as I was reading the article that I do many of the strategies that he speaks about without even realizing it. For example, I believe and allow my students to make mistakes and to not feel bad about them. I think it is a vital part of the learning process to make a mistake and go back and no how to correct it. This sometimes can be difficult because in order for students to make mistakes and be okay with it, they need to know that they are in a safe environment where no one will make fun of them for struggling.
I also love the idea of having the students talk more than the teacher. I think that the students can learn a tremendous amount from each other and many times have an easier time listening to their classmates than the teacher. I also think that often a student will have a different way to teach something (solve a problem) that may help the other students learn. Just recently I had a student show my class a new way (new to me) to solve a multiplication problem. This was helpful to my other students because then they had a couple options to solve these types of problems.
Lastly, I have found that many times I answer a students’ question with a question. I think this helps them take responsibility for their own learning. Also, I almost always use my student’s names in math story problems. I have found that they become more interested in the problem itself when it is personalized.
What a wonderful comment! Thanks Janelle. This is what we try to do. You are right on!
DeleteI found this article to be interesting and helpful. The students that we service in Title I are already struggling in their regular math class, so any strategies we can use that will increase their confidence and make them feel successful are necessary for our instruction. This is my first year using the Mimio with my math instruction and I have noticed a huge improvement in how engaged and involved the students are in their learning. The Mimio is also an excellent tool to implement the "Let The Kids Teach" strategy. I also agree with the statement about allowing more mistakes. When a student gives a response that may not be correct I always try to support them by saying "Let's try it and see." This allows the student to try their answer and come to a conclusion of whether it is right or wrong on their own. It also gives them a chance to explore why their first idea didn't work and what they can try next. I plan to work on adding in the "Answer a question with more questions" strategy to further engage my students. I am excited to learn that I am using some of the ideas already and I feel the other strategies will be easy to implement into my group instruction right away.
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