Reflection

= Reflection =

 I’m quite excited about this course. Although I have a huge love for math, I do find that I often lack in the creative aspect of teaching. This worries me as I find that engaging students is your first line of defence to helping them learn and understand math. I know I am able to adapt if something doesn’t go according to plan but worry that this will not be enough.
 * Day 1 – Introduction and Classroom Management **

 I found the idea of bell work quite interesting. I think it’s a great way to get students settled into the classroom quietly. A cool trivia question about current events or a question from last day’s lesson would be two way I would like to get students interested at the beginning of a lesson.

 I think it’s important to find one solid way of getting students attention when you have a class everyday. This will help with setting up routines so the students know what is expected of them. I think in this way it is very important to make your expectations very clear.  I think the main thing with classroom management is to be strict with what you expect and classroom rules up front and then loosen up a bit when you know more about the students and what kind of people/group you are dealing with. In this regard, I think the TRIBES program will be great to attempt to integrate into a classroom setting although I am still sceptical that it is possible when the class time is short. I hope to eventually lead a community in a class that really values mutual respect.

 After watching the video of Alfie Kohn talking about rewards and punishment my views have somewhat been turned around. I see what he is saying about how rewards can devalue intrinsic motivation. The only thing I’m not sure of is how to respond to students appropriately. If a student shows me a great piece of work they have done, am I supposed to tell them it is sufficient with a blank face? I’m still not sure how to react...or if I am able to hide the positivity I usually put forth to students.
 * Day 2 – Motivation and Minds On **

 I think having students help out in deciding the rules at the beginning of the school year is a great idea. I think it shows mutual respect. What may be good is to have them brainstorm rules and have your rules already ready and then try and funnel their suggestions into categories such as ‘respect’ so that they see the rules more broadly.

 I think competition will always exist and you can’t get rid of it completely. Although I’m sure many disagree with me, I think a certain amount of losing and winning can help people strive to do their best without getting cocky.

 It is very important to me that math be relevant to my students. However, as I mentioned in my first post, I am worried that I will not be creative enough to do this. I think handing out a sheet at the beginning of the year to find out students interests might be a good way to gear learning toward what some students are interested in.

 My placement last week was good and bad. I find placement a hard thing as you are placed in a situation where you don’t want to overstep the AT but also want to prove that you can contribute and help in any way and are willing to do so.
 * Day 3 - Practicum Recap **

 I was surprised at some of the techniques my AT used only because of what I had learned the week before. My AT provided me with many good tips such as to always have extra work on hand for when students were done early or require each student to have a book in case they are done early. But he also did some things that seemed to work but I’m not sure that I would use them. One thing was giving out candy. My AT gave out candy rewards to classes daily. They were small, like one jellybean a day, but I couldn’t help thinking about Alfie Kohn. My AT swore by these little rewards and told me they made students listen more and that they were more focused.

 Also, my AT told me to try my best not to spend money on anything for my classroom unless I knew it would be a good contribution. For example, he bought his classroom a projector and screen. I thought this was good advice.

I think many of the strategies presented in class today would be great to use in class. I like the idea of a math story but as was said in class, I would be worried that the students would find it a bit juvenile.
 * Day 4 - Strategies **

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">I think the visual organizers are a great way to have students working and using different ways to learn. It helps the visual learners as well as the ones who like to think in their head and put their own definition into words. It also has students thinking about how math concepts relate to them.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">I would also really enjoy bringing drama into the math class. I really enjoy getting up in front of the class and it makes the students think outside the box. With the thinking outside the box, the Fermi problems are a great way to get students to think of problems they couldn't know for sure. Although it leaves me slightly unsettled because I really like concrete answers, I think it would be a fun activity for students that are a bit more creative.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">At the beginning of day, we talked about teaching a lesson that students might not find relevant. In this instance, it's good to make the lesson fun, maybe by an activity that gets them up and moving such as milling to music or a think-pair-share.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> I think manipulatives would be a great tool in the classroom! I think they engage students in a tactile manner and make them think of math more concretely for those who have trouble with basic math concepts. Manipulatives can be used as a minds on to show students how to think about a certain concept before the lesson is introduced, as part of a lesson, or for consolidation. They can also aid students through a self-directed lesson in pairs or groups so students can see their answer.
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Day 5 – Paper folding and manipulatives **

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> I think I will try and use a variety of manipulatives in my teaching. The paper folding technique is great for showing multiplying fractions. Victoria and I thought up a great way for getting students understanding probability using linking cubes. These could also be used to show the area of a square or rectangle, or to show fractions. Geoboards are a great way to have students recognizing patterns. Also, the online resource we have is great for demonstrating so the entire class can see. Pattern blocks can show ratios and algebra tiles are great for explaining the zero principle. I hope to learn and use more manipulatives on placement as well.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> As the net generation goes through their schooling, I think it is very important to try and incorporate technology into your classroom. This being said, I think there is a lot of value to have basic non-computer guided skills such as knowing multiplication tables. I think it’s great that a student knows how to use their cell phone or computer to generate numbers but my fear is that their problem solving skills suffer. I also think that technology should not be forced into every lesson. If students are not subjected to a variety of teaching approaches, they will become bored of the way they are learning even if it does involve technology. I think this varied approach is a great way to bring things like clickers into the classroom and reach every student while still making it exciting for the students to come to class each day.
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Day 6 – clickers, Geometers Sketchpad and Tinker plots **

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> At times I find it hard to break up things like tools into categories that make sense to me. For this reason, I really enjoyed today’s lesson and how things were separated into different types of tools. This lesson also made me think outside the box to what technologies I use outside the classroom and how or if I could bring them into the classroom to engage students in a lesson.
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Day 7 – Web-Based Educational Tools **

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Information tools can be used as minds on or to refer students who may be struggling with certain topics. It’s great to help students whose parents may not be strong in math or for refreshers if students are struggling to access prior knowledge at home. <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> The interactive tools have students doing something technology based while learning math. Many applets and games can be found to aid in this area.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> The collaboration tools are great for having students work together using forums they are probably familiar with. These will also maybe give them ideas on collaboration for things like school projects if they don’t have enough time to meet with their group. <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Production tools are great, as are the other tools, for students to have autonomy. I could assign a project where students can present in a style of their own choosing. By being familiar with the production tools, I can give students a choice while knowing how to use the software for each.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> I really enjoyed working with Michelle today to create our real world problem. It made me think about problems to teach students math that are not money related and had me think again, outside the box. I also enjoyed looking through the Kahn videos and other videos that may be useful later on in my teaching.
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Day 8 – Discussion and Real World problems **

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Looking through the notes on creating a discussion, I think it’s a really good way to organize your dialogue for the students and what probing higher order questions you can use for the class. I have also realized how much more I have to work on my wiki and that I should post all the things I’ve been collecting.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">It was interesting to hear Alfie Kohn’s view of homework. I think I will still give homework from time to time but I do understand what he says when he talks about how students focus more on finishing the work than on understanding it. I do worry, however, that students don’t have enough practise on basic math which makes teaching high school math a bit more difficult. I guess I will have a better view of this after being in a high school. This is where assessment will be useful, both to determine the students levels and also to give them feedback and help them move forward. This feedback should be given both orally and written so that students are clear of your expectations.
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Day 9 – Assessment **

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">All the ideas for consolidation will be very useful for lesson planning. I know that many of the ideas I have learned in this class will be useful for math planning as well as for other classes.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">It was great to watch Rick Lavoie’s video. I had seen the beginning of it but had not seen the entire thing. It is a great video to help people understand a few different learning disabilities. I think one of the things that had the biggest impact on me was when he has the participants look at the picture of the cow. It’s crazy that you can’t see it until someone tells you what it is. It drives home the point that people see things in different ways and that you can’t explain things in one way. I think this is something that I need to work more on with students. I try to explain math in different ways but at times I get caught up in the concept and have trouble relating it to real life. This is something I need to work on for students who may not love math.
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Day 10 – Individual Differences **

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">No matter what your class, it is important to recognize that every student is an individual and you should never make assumptions about any student. Being aware that every student has individual needs and that you have to get to know your students to meet those needs will help me relate to and hopefully help them with not only curriculum but their social awareness and confidence. Although I have worked with different students with special needs while teaching swimming, I know that has not prepared me for all that I will learn as a teacher. I do hope however that I am able to build on what I have learned and will be able to adjust my teaching accordingly.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">I know that it is very important to reflect on teaching practices. It is especially good to sit with my classmates and discuss our experiences. By hearing their experiences and being able to tell them mine, I see consistencies and inconsistencies between schools and teachers. It is great to hear of what works for some teachers and doesn’t for others. I definitely noticed which lessons worked and which did not and how grade 7 and 8 students interact. These placements can be tricky because the students needs time to get to know you and if they trust and respect you. Although I didn’t have too many issues with this, I know given more time with the students, I could have developed a better bond with them and helped their individual needs better. <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Day 11 – Wiki Time **
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Day 12 – No class **

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> The think-pair-share about strategies to use in high school was really useful. I now have a list of 20 strategies which I will refer to when I’m lesson planning to ensure I have a varied approach to teaching.
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Day 13 – Teaching Strategies **

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> The video on mathematic teaching strategies was also quite useful. I liked the idea of students helping and teaching other students. It was also good to see many different styles students would use. I liked the idea of giving students small tasks that they can do with a partner and initial beside when they are done. This helps them work together and see how much they can get done. The learning log may also be a great tool for high school classrooms. When students try to use each others, they can recognize the holes and help each other to learn. I would also consider trying to get my hands on a motion sensor for a math or physics classroom to really show students how to make different graphs.


 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Day 14 – No class **

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Today we watched several teams go up and present their lesson plans to the class. After each group presented, we gave them feedback on how their lesson plan could be improved or what was well done. All the groups had great ideas. I liked the use of stations in one of the lesson plans when the stations can be self-directed so that students can fulfill each task. I really liked how Liz and Rubina included notes for supply teachers and also how their answers or probing questions were written in a different colour. This made it easy for the teacher to see quickly and easily just by glancing at her notes. Brad and Mala also displayed some neat websites that could be used as a minds on, lesson or consolidation. I liked the idea of optional homework if students were interested in learning about an upcoming topic. Although I realize that this may not be all students, some, such as myself, are interested in these things.
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Day 15 – Lesson plan presentations – Part 1 **

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Again there were many great lesson plans and ideas today during presentations. I enjoyed Nadine and Kathryn’s idea to get the class outside and immersing them in a real life situation but worry students would struggle with what they are being asked. I really liked the stations brought up by Alex and Steve. Having all these lesson plans <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">at my disposal on the curriculum wiki will be a great asset to my learning.
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Day 16 – Lesson plan presentations – Part 2 **

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Today we watched more great presentations with ideas to bring to the classroom. Yana and Brian had some great ideas about bring things students were interested in into the classroom. However, I worry that the students would just eat the data and there wouldn't be sufficient data to yield good results. Julian and I presented today. Our lesson was deemed too long to tackle all at once. It would have had to be paired down and made into a few separate lessons. It was great to get feedback from the class and as always, to be reminded that I have a lot to learn and a long way to go before I feel comfortable and feel that teaching is not such a stressful struggle, but a good struggle.
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Day 17 - Lesson plan presentations - Part 3 **

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Today was the last day of math methods class. We played with the TI-83 calculators today. It was good to test them out as I have never used one before. The buttons are not as intuitive as your normal calculator so it is good that I had a chance to play with one before I have to help students use them. Practicum starts this Friday and I am nervous and excited. I know I can make it through but I will have to put my mind to it and force myself to push through the next three weeks. Being in practicum is nothing like having your own classroom so I'll try and make connections and reach a mutual respect with the students and remember that what I take with me can only help me from here on in. Thanks for all the technology and strategies Robin! Happy Holidays ALL!
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Day 18 - LAST DAY! **