Have you checked out wodb.ca? It’s a #mustdo for developing mathematical flexibility and deepening learning.
No one threw rocks at me last week when I launched WODB with our entire teaching faculty, not just the math faculty. Actually, I think it was quite fun.
How might we lend each other our observations and thinking? What if we improve the way we notice and note our observations? Can we help the young learners in our care to construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others?
What if we try? Can we slowly hack away at the “one right answer” culture in our classrooms?
Suppose you choose which one doesn’t belong and it is different from the one I selected. Is it possible that we can both be correct? Can we construct a viable argument to make our case? In other words, can we say why we see things the way we do? Can we critique the reasoning of someone who sees it differently? Are we able to teach listening to and seeing another’s point of view?
Will listening to another add to our understanding and the flexibility of our thinking?
Do we apply what we learn? If teaching very young learners, run – don’t walk – to check out Christopher Danielson’s A Better Shapes Book.
As a faculty, we played with WODB on Friday. On Monday, it was put into practice with our youngest learners.
What might we learn if we risk trying new things? How might we learn and grow?
Be brave.
Risk.
Experiment.
Learn by doing.
Bourassa, Mary. Which One Doesn’t Belong? N.p., n.d. Web.
Danielson, Christopher. Which One Doesn’t Belong: A Shapes Book. A Talking Math with Your Kids Production, 07 Jan. 2015. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.
I did this with Fourth Graders this past week. Not only did they love it, they were able to defend their choices, critique the reasoning of others, and expand their ability to think flexibly. What I love the most is the potential for growth in math self- confidence. So many possibilities!
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