Reflecting on the importance of repetition and not going too fast while learning
Reflecting on the importance of repetition and not going too fast while learning
Embedded Files
How many times can you do the same maths activity? This question has been on my mind, especially when reflecting on why students love ongoing projects (creating dreamhouses, Easter treasure maps, gingerbread) or after a Michael Ymer visit, where we are so excited about a new game that we play it everyday for the next week! Students are engaged, they look forward to the session, they are quick to begin the task and are more willing to discuss what they are doing and why.
To clarify my position, I mean the same maths activity throughout the week with additional tweaks and prompts based on what has been observed each day. I have been fortunate enough to have explored this while team teaching with Erin. Based on the Peter Sullivan activity ‘Number clouds’ (see diagram) we planned to run the same activity each day with ‘tweaks’ based on the misconceptions or needs of the students modelled during the lesson. It was interesting to observe that on the first experience, renaming was an obvious collective need. As the students were excitedly writing their numbers and trying to be impressive, students were writing examples like: sixty six thousand, forty three hundred and seven. As they began the process of saying, writing as words and writing as numbers, students knew there was a problem, but had difficulty understanding how to find the solution. The goal for the next lesson had been identified and we planned our introduction to address this issue. This pattern became our formula for each lesson. Our activity remained the same with a different focus for the introduction, conferencing and objectives for the lesson.
Samples of student reflections from Day 2
Prompt: Two thousand Six hundred and Two
Say it, Write it as numbers, Draw it, How many thousands, hundreds and tens, Dear Erin / Mr Scott (anything you want to tell us about how you are going so far)
Samples of student responses from student reflections. Most students fell into one of these categories.
Day three: After an amazing introduction by Erin; using best practice samples to show efficient ways of modelling numbers. The students entered ‘the zone’. I describe ‘the zone’ as a feeling in the room where students know what to do, are applying the skill and the teacher engages in valuable conferencing time. We stood together and marvelled as the students engaged in the same activity, purposefully making numbers, saying numbers and modelling them in their books. The students who had shown they had understood this step where using decimal numbers but applying the same steps of saying it and modelling it.
Noted benefits:
The pre-assessment BOOKER NUMERATION assessment was useful in gauging where students entry points would be and planning for teaching
Teachers switch from explaining a new activity to ‘teaching’ students what they need to know.
Less talking from the teacher and more empowering students to share their methods.
Students are guided each session with smaller bits of information that they can apply instantly.
Multiple exposures enables students to form a deeper understanding by applying what is taught to them rather than trying to remember what was said.
The teacher has a better idea of where each student is currently performing by having more time working with students and timely student reflections
Students are more willing to share their uncertainties and go deeper while reflecting because they know this will be used to inform the next lesson.
The post-assessment BOOKER task will be a celebration of learning and how they have grown rather than meaningless test.
Above are samples of the progress of learning shown through reflections.
How many times can I do the same activity? If we continue to explore and implement quality tasks (especially trialling the work from quality researchers such as Peter Sullivan, Jo Boaler and George Booker), I say why rush? It will become obvious from your collection of data when students are ready to move on and when they need more exposure to the concepts. We want students to have a deep understanding so that they can use these skills in meaningful ways rather than recalling facts to get them through until the next maths topic.
In our constant battle to create amazing activities, perfect planners and tick boxes, I think it’s important to slow down and position ourselves as learners. How many times do we need to practice before we understand something rather than remembering something?
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse