tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2066303616691178304.post4532220276467504731..comments2022-04-26T21:07:24.624-07:00Comments on Room 118 Reflections: Characteristics of a successful math lesson:Our day...your thoughts?Nina Sudnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17865747758048319725noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2066303616691178304.post-86949240323013569402015-12-09T18:19:01.070-08:002015-12-09T18:19:01.070-08:00Thanks, Marilyn! We have done more work this week...Thanks, Marilyn! We have done more work this week with both circles and rectangles which I will include in my blog later this week. It seems the students made the transition fairly easily but I need to reflect upon it and discuss it with them too.<br /><br />I appreciate the link to the Math Reasoning Inventory site. I just watched all 3 videos and am now inspired to ask the same question of my students. I am wondering also about the linear aspect of this fraction question as opposed to the area model of fractions. I'll keep you posted.<br /><br />Ah yes! Am very familiar and found great value with BPP by Julie and Meghan. I am eager to spend time with the new book too, Beyond Invert and Multiply.<br /><br />I think the children and I could spend each and every hour of the day studying fractions! A never ending supply of math goodness!Nina Sudnickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17865747758048319725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2066303616691178304.post-32912024867402063582015-12-09T17:41:03.091-08:002015-12-09T17:41:03.091-08:00I so very much appreciate the details in your blog...I so very much appreciate the details in your blog. They provided a wonderfully thorough description of what went on during the class. I often feel that the details of planning lessons are essential for their success, and it seems that you had a structure that allowed you the freedom to listen to the students, and to encourage students to listen to one another. <br /><br />I’m also curious about any differences that between using the context of oranges vs the context of candy bars. <br /><br />I look forward to reading future blogs.<br /><br />Also, I revisited the video clips on the Math Reasoning Inventory site, specifically the one that asks students to compare 6/8 and 3/4 in the context of distance. (Carlos lives of a mile from school. <br />Terrell lives of a mile from school. Which of these is correct? <br />• Both boys live the same distance from school. <br />• One boy lives farther from school.)<br />Take a look: https://mathreasoninginventory.com/Home/VideoLibrary <br />I got this idea from a book that I’ve found to be really helpful: Beyond Pizzas and Pies by Julie McNamara and Meghan M. Shaughnessy. Students can sometimes convert from one to the other and not understand that they represent the same amount of the same whole. <br /><br />Marilyn BurnsMarilyn Burnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16127025673987723020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2066303616691178304.post-41249867144378505462015-12-08T04:34:06.728-08:002015-12-08T04:34:06.728-08:00Nina, your reflections about what made this lesson...Nina, your reflections about what made this lesson a success are spot on. However, there is one glaring omission: your relentless drive to improve your practice. That combined with your bravery to put yourself our here to the wide world and solicit further improvements is what makes you the teacher you are.<br /><br />Many of the people who know you are well aware of your ability as a teacher, but not everyone has had the opportunity to work with you and see the process that leads to your students' success. You drew a map here that is paved with hard work, humility, and an unyielding desire to help every child that crosses your path become a young mathematician. I look forward to many more reflections from room 118 both for your benefit and for ours.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02894064823822296340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2066303616691178304.post-44083415749753880032015-12-06T12:56:46.723-08:002015-12-06T12:56:46.723-08:00Nina! You're finally blogging! The world is fi...Nina! You're finally blogging! The world is finally being exposed to the greatness that happens in your classroom! First and foremost, the community that you have built in your classroom speaks volumes to the successes your students have on a daily basis. Those 4th graders are comfortable and secure which leads to great risk-taking in room 118. You and Mark are masters at building this community and focusing in on whole group and individual reflections to help move learning forward. I have to agree with all of your own reflection points about why this task was such a success. In particular, I think the steps you took to increase success rates and impact learning more are essential: scaffolding fraction lessons and understanding, working on the intentional math talk, seeking out new ideas, <br />constantly incorporating the SMPs, and focusing in on the importance of refection...why it's important and how to do it well. One big reason for all the success that can't be overlooked is the dedication of you as a teacher and your drive to continually grow and learn, for your benefit as well as the benefit of your students :) Kudos to you, my friend!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17801120891498170490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2066303616691178304.post-54714919958858643462015-12-06T07:06:50.192-08:002015-12-06T07:06:50.192-08:00Hi Kristin! Thanks again for sending me the link ...Hi Kristin! Thanks again for sending me the link to your blog, https://mathmindsblog.wordpress.com/2015/03/03/fractions-as-division-say-what/! <br /><br />We, too, need to uncover fractions as division and your lesson gave me great ideas on how to extend my lesson. Thanks!Nina Sudnickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17865747758048319725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2066303616691178304.post-89776474497810559412015-12-06T05:11:27.866-08:002015-12-06T05:11:27.866-08:00Thanks, Kristin! I love the idea of comparing the...Thanks, Kristin! I love the idea of comparing the rectangles and circles! I will give it a try and post the results.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing your lesson! I will check it out this morning.<br /><br />A final thanks, Kristin, for encouraging me to blog! You gotta love the world of Twitter math ed colleagues.Nina Sudnickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17865747758048319725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2066303616691178304.post-40863042429879730382015-12-06T04:47:37.245-08:002015-12-06T04:47:37.245-08:00Thank you, Simon and Isobel! I am honored by your...Thank you, Simon and Isobel! I am honored by your feedback. It is so valuable!<br /><br />I am grateful to you, Simon, Mark Pettyjohn and Kristin Gray for encouraging me to blog. Mark and I were debriefing the lesson Friday evening and he said, in his kind and supportive voice, "You need to blog about this lesson and your reflection and it really should be done this weekend!" Mark is the best colleague anyone could hope to have and his advice is always spot-on so...a blog was born! Also, I get so much value from reading your blog and others, like Tracy Z and Kristin, maybe if I share my classroom it might be of value to you all and others. So, thank YOU again, Simon!<br /><br />Mark Pettyjohn, is the one who originally designed this Problem of the Day structure. We try to meet every Friday night to reflect on the week, (something we've nicknamed "Friday Night Lights") and we were wondering last year how to make our math classes a richer learning environment. Mark is a big believer in having structures in place so that the content can take the main stage. I simply adopted his successful structure and the children thrive in it. Each part of the structure, too, is valued by the children. With our work on intentional talk we need to zoom in on Plus Power (pair share) because I am concerned there is more "I did this..." versus "Interesting, why did you do this?" Sounds like another modeling conversation to me! <br /><br />Another great aspect of the Problem of the Day (POTD) is that it gives you and your students opportunities to work individually, in small group and in whole group, so it appeals to all students. It gives me time to monitor each child's thinking about the problem, during Math by Myself, and to decide who could share to scaffold our understanding. It also gives me time to talk to each student 1-on-1 a few times each week. I have an co-teacher, intervention specialist, Deb Nogrady, who works with us part of each math class period and the POTD structure gives her time to work 1-on-1 with students as well as another teacher, and she is an amazing teacher, to join our whole group conversation. It is a marvelous experience for us all!<br /><br />Yes, this was a rather long blog! Everything was flooding my mind so I needed to write it down. I appreciate the encouraging words, Simon, about the time factor. I think I just needed to start and now that I did I can use the blog frequently for shorter posts and an occasional more in-depth post.<br /><br />Thanks again! I am honored! NNina Sudnickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17865747758048319725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2066303616691178304.post-60100727339332869592015-12-06T04:21:48.086-08:002015-12-06T04:21:48.086-08:00Nina, what a wonderful lesson and reflection on th...Nina, what a wonderful lesson and reflection on the whole journey! I agree with Simon, I love the structure for student thinking to allow students to think alone and engage in the problem before moving into collaborative work. I try to make that a part of my lessons too! <br />I had the same question Tracy did on Twitter about the oranges and I will be interested to see how they think around rectangles. It may be neat to do a comparison between the two afterwards. Will circles always be easy? is a question that pops in my head because if they were not oranges, being predivided, I wonder if it would have been more challenging to think about divisions. <br />I look forward to reading so much more from you! <br />-Kristin<br /><br />Here was my lesson on fractions as division with a journal reflection that may be cool for your students to think about: https://mathmindsblog.wordpress.com/2015/03/03/fractions-as-division-say-what/kgrayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00385187692877248447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2066303616691178304.post-84286016769718227242015-12-06T01:25:53.106-08:002015-12-06T01:25:53.106-08:00Totally agree, Si. A lovely lesson and idea. May...Totally agree, Si. A lovely lesson and idea. Maybe we could use or adapt the structure whilst exploring new ideas chez nous? Y6 did a similar activity last year and it led to a 'penny dropping moment' to do with division. Well done Nina - your students are very lucky to have you!Isobel Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06090224371946024483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2066303616691178304.post-8775125820823152252015-12-06T00:52:37.429-08:002015-12-06T00:52:37.429-08:00First of all - - - you blog is begun! And begun wi...First of all - - - you blog is begun! And begun with an explosion of brilliant things! Thank you so much for sharing all this! <br /><br />I agree with your list. I'm pretty sure that there's a classroom culture that underpins all of this too. Which is a lot down to you - showing that you value the thoughts and work of your students, showing in all sorts of little ways that you're interested in the maths itself, warmth and positivity. When a student says something like, "I love it when we talk about a math problem this way because it helps me really understand math and answers the questions I have" you know there's a good vibe in that classroom! <br /><br />As you say, having the prior understanding refreshed and extended just the week before, with manipulatives and with games meant they were primed<br />to be set off on this problem on their own. It was simple enough, and they had tools enough, that most of the students could be expected to find something. And then, I love the bansho-board - what a visible representation of all their thinking, of a communal effort to understand! <br /><br />I love your Problem of the Day approach -Math by Myself, Plus Power, Knowledge Multiplier and Reflection. I'm much less regular in how my lessons are structured, and I'm sure this great combination gives a lot of security to the students, from which they can then take risks! I want to see how my students would handle the orange question now! I was thinking about fractions in the last week of term - I might need to swap it round and do it this week!<br /><br />Nina - I hope this is the first of many many posts from you. You mustn't feel that you have to write this much every time - there are so many things to do in evenings and weekends! - but then again, it was a delight reading every sentence!<br />SimonSimon Gregghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07751362728185120933noreply@blogger.com