I love being a student-learner. It is why I teach. This week I’m taking the 2013 3-Day Implementing Common Core Mathematical Practices with TI-Nspire facilitated by the awesome Jennifer Wilson (@jwilson828). Now, I know lots about the TI-Nspire, but very little about Common Core Mathematical Practices. What I know about the Math Practices I have learned from reading. Jennifer is an active practitioner with student-learners of the Math Practices. To read stories and see artifacts of learning from the perspective of a teacher-learner and student-learners, read her blog, Easing the Hurry Syndrome.
Jennifer’s blog title says it all about her work and leadership. Our day – day 1 – was awesome! We meandered through several – 3, I think – TI-Nspire lessons: What’s my rule?, Area of a Quadrilateral, and Do the Mast. I’ve done all three of these lessons before but not through the lens of the Common Core Math Practices. One might wonder how you could fill a day with three lessons.
Jennifer guided us to learn, experientially, about the Math Practices by challenging us to read, process, understand, and identify the practices as we found them in our own work and when watching videos of kids working in class.
Implementing technology is about engaging in visualization, pattern-recognition, critical reasoning, and application/blending of knowledge. Look at the algebra and geometry used to solve the Mast problem.
The essential learning for the day, perhaps the three days and beyond, is for the teacher-learners to be able to say I can recognize and apply the CCSS Mathematical Practices in my own problem-solving; and I can facilitate and coach other learners to recognize and apply the CCSS Mathematical Practices. A portion of my public notes from the day are shown below.
There are several powerful takeaways for the day. Implementing the Mathematical Practices is about making thinking visible, persistence, and honoring the perspectives of others.
Experiments in Learning by Doing 