Action Research 4

NCTM Annual Meeting and Exposition - San Francisco

Which doesn't Belong?

How about this one?

(Cathy Yenca - http://wodb.ca/images/wodb-numbers.JPG)

There is not 1 correct answer. Each square has a reason why it doesn't belong. If there is no wrong answer, then there is no excuse for a lack of having an opinion.

With our adjusted focus now on inquiry, we were able to absorb content through the 4 days we spent at the National Council of Mathematics Teachers (NCTM) Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Francisco. We got to meet and hear discussion from some of the leading mathematic teachers in the US (and some not so leading, but still had a message to present), most of which, surprisingly focused their presentations in getting discussion in the classroom, via questioning and inquiry techniques. To culminate the event, we were able to hear the presentation from a person at the forefront in adjusting mathematics education, Dan Meyer, who's inquiry and fundamental based approach is leading the way to the adjustment in mathematics teaching in the world, let alone the US.

(http://blog.mrmeyer.com/)

His message was to turn the "volume down" and initially present mathematics at it's bare bones, leading the students to the most basic of questions. Once you have them, "hooked", slowly turn up the volume, but don't be in a rush to get to maximum.

Don't start here:

An example he demonstrated this through his idea of "Deleting the Textbook" was a simple area question.

This at max:

He then proposed that instead of starting at max, to turn the volume down:

But even at this level, he still felt it's not a good starting point. There is too much information given and therefore students go into robot mode.

Instead turn the volume down more:

Here we have a good basis for inquiry. It should lead to some questions leading toward students finding the required information to find the area themselves, some coming up with interesting ways of measurement, others simply seeking rulers (is not wrong).

But Dan Meyer suggests that there is a better starting point. Instead, turn the volume down more:

This is he is suggesting students should start. And inquiry comes from using specific questioning techniques to get students to think at the bare bones level. Once students have an feel for the problem, start turning the volume up.