How to Engage Your Students in Math

Jose Vilson has followed recent discussions about the teaching of math, math anxiety, and whether all math curriculum topics are really necessary for most jobs.  So many students feel such a failure. 
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.

1. Allow More Mistakes
2. Support Their Struggle
3. Let the Kids Teach, Too
4. Answer a Question with More Questions
5. Personalize the Questions

Have you used any of these strategies yourself?  How effective were they?  What else might you try?

Engaging Students in Math.  Jose Vilson. 10.15.12.  Edutopia
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/engaging-students-in-math-jose-vilson

Teaching Math Outside the Box

This article is so excellent and an wonderful story of a math teacher engaging students in real world problems that affect household management and the business  world.  Combining her prior experience in the corporate world and further teacher education she has inspired her students in learning.
You may have a bit of trouble reading the article.  The publication is by subscription, but you can read a limited number of articles of the next 30 days.  I had no trouble and the article was featured in SmartBrief.  In case you have difficulty accessing the article, contact me because I copied it in Word.

Teaching outside the box: Kathi Christy gets creative to make Northwest Middle students think.  Donna Isbell Walker. 10.17.12  GreenvilleOnline.com
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20121017/CITYPEOPLE/310170046/Teaching-outside-box-Kathi-Christy-gets-creative-make-Northwest-Middle-students-think

Teach Math Like a Eating Healhy Diet

Author, Robert Kaplinske compares math instruction to eating a balanced diet. Mistakes teachers make in solving robust problems:  breaking down the problem to individual skills so that students have consumed all required skills.  The math problem then no longer resemles the original form; instead, they become a collection of disconnected skills as in a textbook factory. The Common Core Standards the potential to take a more balanced approach, not the current long list of skills taught in isolation with no context.  This he says is like taking lots of dietary supplemenhts instead of maintaining a healthy diet of whole foods rather than adding a bunch of vitiamin/mineral pills.
Strange comparison, but Kaplinske has it correct.  It makes sense to teach one skill thoroughly.  How do you feel?

Eat Your Math.  Robert Kaplinsky. 6.6.12. Education Week.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/06/06/33kaplinsky.h31.html?tkn=XTPFG%2Fp0b%2FUMY6hWHNL9ZNIEgVL8vRo96Chi&cmp=ENL-EU-VIEWS1

Start The Year With Clever Math Activities

Starting off Title I math classes with interesting fun activities will motivate students. Mrs. Ratzel's activities are well suited to Mimio and adaptable to our situation, especially to the level of math abilities in a given group. Be sure to read the many comments from readers.  Some have used her basic ideas for other core subjects.
Any fun activities you'd like to share with our teachers?  Please comment.

First Week of School --anything but boring.  Mrs. Ratzel 8.5.12. Refections of a Techie - Reflecting on using 21st century technologies to amplify learning.
http://teachingtechie.typepad.com/learning/2012/08/first-week-of-school-anything-but-boring.html

Part 2-"Procedural Fluency" in Math

2nd article by David Ginsburg about procedual fluency.  Do you understand what "procedural fluency" really means?  This often misunderstood phrase from Common Core is clarified in this article.
This post is very important to us as teachers.  Definition by National Research Council ---

"Procedural fluency refers to knowledge of procedures, knowledge of when and how to use them appropriately, and skill in performing them flexible, accurately, and efficiently." 

Now you know!  Can we do all this in T1?  What ideas can we use in our small group math classes?  How can we collaborate with our classroom teachers about procedural fluency?

Procedural Fluency:  More Than Memorizing Math Facts.  David Ginsburg. 7.25.12 Education Week - Teaching Tips
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/coach_gs_teaching_tips/2012/07/procedural_fluency_more_than_memorization.html?cmp=ENL-EU-VIEWS2

Part 1 - Procedural Fluency in Math

David Ginsburg discusses procedual fluency in the first of 2 articles on the subject.The National Research Council defines procedural fluency as....

"Procedural fluency refers to knowledge of procedure, knowledge of when and how to use them appropriately, and skill in performing them flexibly, accurately, and efficiently,."

Ginsburg phases it this way....

"Yes, it does mean learning memorizing math facts, but it involves thinking.  Students must know when, as opposed to just how, to use a procedure.  And they must not only be able to perform procedures accurately, but also flexibly and efficinetly-- think stamina."

Read more and check out the embedded links.  This will probably be a challenge in Title I.  We need to go slowly and deeply for the students to think through the "when" and then the "how."
How do you think this will happen with our students?


Procedural Fluency - More Than Math Facts.  David Ginsburg. 7.15.12  Education Week Teacher
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/coach_gs_teaching_tips/2012/07/procedural_fluency_more_than_memorization.html?intc=es

Important! Attention Math Teachers....A must read

Embedded links in this important article will help math teachers understand the "why" kids feel the way they do about math.  Very helpful ways to help are offered.   Six major areas are discussed.  And don't forget to learn more by checking out the embedded links.
Understanding students' feeling about math will help us when we work with them.  After reading this article, what strategy might you try?  If you have already tried one, tell us how successful it was.

Important Facts to Know About Learning Math.  Tina Barseghian. 8.1.12 Mindshift
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/08/important-facts-to-know-about-learning-math/

Timed Tests for Math? Good Idea?

Have you wondered about timed tests for math?  Games to increase speed?  This researcher claims they encourage math anxiety.  Timed tests seem to be a matter of disagreement among many teachers.  Please read the comments after the article for legitimate disagreements.
What do you think?  Have you used timed tests?  Did they increase fluency which certainly is part of the Common Core expectation in math.  What have you done to decrease anxiety levels in some of your students?
This is a Pay to View article from Education Week but not fully assessible on that website.
You can get the whole article by using the URL below.  Then Click on the VIEW button.

Timed Tests and the Development of Math Anxiety. Jo Boaler. 7.3.12 Education Week
http://mathlanding.com/content/timed-tests-and-development-math-anxiety