While in class, we participated in a card game, Jeopardy, and a visual activity that emphasized that there are multiple approaches to answer math questions and watched a few videos. The one video that really struck me was how Grade 8 students tried to solve a math problem that involved 125 sheep and 5 dogs. Have a look here.
The participants needed to determine the shepherd's age. Unfortunately, 24 responses did not make sense while only 8 students' answers did. The message was that students who make sense of problems should be able to explain the meaning of a problem, plan a solution pathway rather than guessing or jumping into a solution attempt and continually ask themselves, "Does this make sense?" Three easy steps and a great strategy that I plan to incorporate into my teaching when encouraging my students to use when solving problems.
This is evident in the Mathematics document, Paying Attention to Mathematics Education which presents seven foundation principles for improvement in mathematics. The document provides some great approaches and the first principle is to focus on mathematics. On page four, it states, "that all educators use a variety of critical thinking and problem-solving strategies to engage all students in making connections between content and process as they work toward a thought understanding of mathematics." There are six other foundation principles that can help all of us pre-service teachers when teaching math.
I really enjoyed the math module that provided the characteristics of both Growth and Fixed Mindsets. I think that this segment was very important because it described what mindsets are and how they affect the classroom. We can revolutionize the way students think about success and intelligence in the classroom. It takes an understanding that everyone can learn math. Effort, hard work, and perseverance equals success. It has nothing to do with looking smart or believing that people have a pre-determined amount of intelligence. I have to admit that before this course, I felt that I had a growth mindset with some fixed mindset ideas. I have learned that there is no room in math or any other subjects to have a fixed mindset. I will continue to work on that and make a conscious effort to maintain a growth mindset for the sake of myself and students. It will be our jobs to help our students embrace a growth mindset because it matters in schools.
Another video that I watched about math messages highlighted that most students have fixed mindsets in math compared to any other subject. As future educators, we have the knowledge to stop that. Simply, it can be in our dialogue. Telling students that they are smart can be detrimental. Instead, we should tell them to not give up, work hard, and that failure can be a good thing. Our responses and messages to students are very important. We must constantly reflect and reassess the way we praise students' abilities and potential.
Wrapping up, I see a definite theme to this week's activities, videos, and readings; tasks, advice, and strategies that teachers can use to encourage learning and a growth mindset in mathematics. I am signing off until next week.
Hi Matt, great post! I complete agree that there is no room for a fixed mindset in the classroom, however, I think we have to be understanding that there will be frustrations. Through these frustrations we and our students can grow. I agree that we as educators have the power to reduce the fixed mindset through our actions and dialogue and I hope we can achieve that one day!
ReplyDeleteHey Matt, there are many things in your post this week that I enjoyed reading. I love that you have three steps that you already know you want to incorporate into your future classroom, what a great way to approach a year, with a plan in mind.
ReplyDeleteI also like that you touched on how it does not matter whether or not "we look smart" or believing that people have pre-determined intelligence. I also believe that you have a great point when you stated that it is important that we must constantly reflect and reassess the way we praise students and their abilities. Great post!
I really enjoyed the part of your post that dealt with 'the shepherd question' because it made me realize that sometimes students that take advantage of class time and work really hard to finish all their work, may not always be what you want to see as a teacher. Having watched the video you shared, I now know that it would be much better for a student to express to me the fact that they are having difficulty with a problem rather than working quietly alone, in a nonsensical manner. The video also highlights the importance of making sure our students have a deep understanding of all the concepts covered in class, that way, when they leave our classrooms and graduate they will have the understanding and capabilities to work independently and successfully.
ReplyDeleteHi Matt,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post! Along with Mohammed I really enjoyed the "shepherd question" and think it is important for students to be able to express their feelings if they are having difficult. I also enjoyed watching it to see different ways students approached the question.
Thanks for sharing!