What is Math Workshop?
What is Math Workshop?
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Math Workshop is similar to reader's workshop or writer's workshop, whereby students receive the exact instructional support they need based on what they already know how to do versus what they have yet to master.
Math Workshop is similar to reader's workshop or writer's workshop, whereby students receive the exact instructional support they need based on what they already know how to do versus what they have yet to master.
Pretests
Pretests
Math M.A.P.
Math M.A.P.
Mentors
Mentors
Posttests
Posttests
Students take a chapter pretest that has been customized to allow students to show their knowledge and understanding of that chapter's math content standards.
Students receive a score on each standard or skill assessed. There are typically 4-6 standards/skills per chapter. Students receive a personalized "Pretest Analysis", which notifies them of the required activities for the chapter.
Students receiving a "1" or "2" on a standard, complete all of the activities listed on the Math Activity Plan (MAP) for that standard, including a guided lesson with the teacher in a small group setting.
Students receiving a "3" on a standard are assigned work that targets their weaker areas for that specific standard.
Students receiving a "4" on a standard are exempt from activities on that specific standard.
The MAP is the "Math Activity Plan". This is a color-coded document that lists out every learning activity for the chapter.
The activities are separated by specific standard or skill, which matches the Pretest Analysis that students receive after their pretest is scored.
Students track their work completion in the "Date" column of the MAP and turn this in on GoogleClassroom along with any PDFs or worksheets they've completed and other digital work assigned through the GoogleSuite.
Any students earning 88% or above (which is a "4" on our district report card) are considered "Mentors" and will compact out of the unit. They have shown mastery on all (or most) of the standards and skills assessed on the pretest and have proven they have what it takes to utilize that knowledge on a rigorous set of activities or projects in the "Mentor Zone" of the MAP.
Mentors are the students that classmates know they can go to for help when the teacher is working with other students.
"Partial mentors" are students who scored well overall (80% or higher), but have a weak area on a standard or skill that they need to brush up on before moving on. These partial mentors are individuals our classmates can ask for help, too! Partial mentors usually have MAP work to do for a standard or skill, but also have a chance to complete some of the mentor activities.
Pretest scores do not count in the grade book (except for mentor scores that ware 88% or above). Therefore, students complete a posttest after they finish their MAP activities, which includes a chapter review/practice test that aligns to both the pretest and the posttest.
Posttests are identical in format to pretests in terms of the standards and skills assessed, but the problems are different and numbers are changed.
Most students experience a significant increase between their pretest and posttest scores, which proves that math workshop really works!
Ch. 2 MAP (page 1)
Ch. 2 MAP (page 1)
Ch. 2 MAP (page 2)
Ch. 2 MAP (page 2)
Our teacher creates a "MAP" (Math Activity Plan) for each chapter. After students take the pretest for a chapter, their answers are analyzed and they are given a "Pretest Analysis", which tells them how they performed on each standard assessed and lists which activities they must do for that chapter. They refer to the MAP (which is color-coded) for more detailed information about assignments as well as links to videos and other tasks. If a student has any tasks in a colored section (ie: red), then he/she must sit in on the mini-lessons for that concept. During mini-lessons the teacher reviews strategies, students take notes, and we do practice problems together.
If a student is a mentor for a chapter, their Pretest Analysis informs them of this status and lists any "fix up" assignments they must do (usually limited to 1-2 tasks) to master concepts they were proficient in, but not yet masters of. Mentors then work on their Mentor Zone activities.
Students work at their own pace and often finish the chapter activities on the MAP before the mandatory post-test date. In this case, students may sign up for the posttest early and then move on to the following chapter's pretest. This process repeats for the school year. At any given time, there might be three or four different math chapters being worked on throughout the class
The Mentor Zone
The Mentor Zone
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