Building Mathematical Excitement! ~ First Thoughts on Spiral Math in Intermediate

By -
The purpose of this post is to reflect upon my first experiences with spiral math and document the initial process of teacher learning and planning. As an educator new to intermediate this year, I feel grateful to be a part of this learning journey with my teaching partners. Last spring we gathered together with our consultant to develop a conceptual understanding of spiral math. What is spiral math? How is it planned and implemented and why? How might it benefit student learning? The prezi below gives a great snapshot of some of the theoretical understandings that support this approach.




During this session, we dove into the curriculum and began extracting big ideas that would be the foundation of our spirals - common threads weaving concepts and processes together. Grant Wiggins podcast on big ideas offers insights into the pedagogy of big ideas.

Our BIG IDEAS collection: 
-We represent our thinking in many ways
-We identify, connect and compare relationships
-We efficiently solve problems using multiple strategies
-In order to make sense of math we estimate, predict, interpret, infer, judge reasonability of our work and draw conclusions
-We recognize multiple ways of reasoning (proportional, algebraic, spatial) are embedded throughout math

Then over the summer I spent some quality time familiarizing myself with the curriculum and 'doing math'. Resources such as Edugains and Big Ideas from Dr. Small  were extremely helpful not only in developing awareness of the content, but also the conceptual knowledge and understanding rooted within mathematical tasks and ideas. Towards the end of the summer the group met back together again to start our curriculum sort. The purpose behind this task was to link specific expectations with our big ideas - finding commonalities and connections between concepts. Then we began grouping expectations into initial spirals- thinking about possible iterations to build complexity throughout. Now after 6 weeks into the school year I really see the value in dedicating time to this task. Organization is key! With that being said, flexibility is also essential. Spiraling has allowed me to be far more responsive to the needs of the learners - adjusting pace and complexity based on needs.

Here is an example of a rich problem with multiple entry points allowing for a variety of methods to represent and find solutions. In order to help develop a growth mindset, I often attempt challenging problems like this one for the first time with the students. In this case, I grabbed a bucket of manipulatives and started to model the problem. Some students used trial and error or equations and came to a solution much before I did. Other students who were struggling a little, looked up with wide eyes and smiled when I asked for a few more minutes to come to a solution myself before checking in with them and to please verify with each other and compare strategies. We are on this journey together. Me included! When I finally arrived at a solution, I jumped up in the moment and yelled "Yes!". It was a great moment for all of us. We are learning to celebrate our successes and our failures and to lend support to each other along the way.


I am also having a lot of fun bringing in math from the world around us. This has included examining data during the elections, you tube 'likes' for integers, and my favourite - pumpkin math! Helping students see math in context is something I hope to continue focusing on this year. Spiraling has allowed for the connection between and within concepts to become apparent.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Thoughtful Note (on Building Thinking Classrooms)

By -
Image
This past week I attended a PD session facilitated by  Peter Liljedahl   entitled Building Thinking Classrooms. Two things I noticed right away: 1) No mention of the word mathematics in the title. It's about the thinking. 2) Participants were tossed into the role of learners. It's about the students. (We were thinking about mathematics but the thinking proceeded the math) During his consolidation piece, Peter Liljedahl discussed the role of note taking and suggested that perhaps we encourage students to write notes entitled "A letter to my future dumber self" (or otherwise known as thoughtful notes). So here it goes... A letter to my future dumber self, It wasn't too long ago that you saw the acronym #VNPS and thought really?, isn't that just a whiteboard? A gentle reminder to dig deeper before forming an opinion. Vertical Non-Permanent Surfaces represent a shift in the learning environment that directly impacts the student experience. The name me...
Read more

Puzzle Cube Project: Spatial Reasoning & Design Thinking

By -
Image
The first 6 weeks with our 3D printer centered around experimentation and debugging. We familiarized ourselves with TinkerCad, conducted research, and spent many hours grappling with our failed prints and mishaps. With our new motor installed, and heightened appreciation for the functionality of this amazing tool, we got started on our first design project. I brought a few wooden mind puzzles into the classroom for interest and relaxation, but also for their value in developing spatial reasoning. They provided us with the inspiration we needed for our first project! My purpose for integrating 3D printing in the classroom stems from a curiosity of students' spatial reasoning abilities and how designing and creating in a virtual 3D world might enhance their thinking. These capabilities are essential in many STEM careers (science, technology, enginering, and math) and are linked with overall mathematical performance. Spatial reasoning is an area in mathematics education that is a...
Read more

[Summer Reading] Comprehension and Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action

By -
Image
"And today, fresh discoveries in cognition, inquiry, and collaboration show us even betters ways to help learners engage with ideas and drive each others' thinking- not just to remember information, but to build knowledge, to care, to act" (Harvey and Daniels, 2009, p. 7). How does what I know about teaching and learning in primary apply to the intermediate division? What structures and supports are necessary in the classroom environment to evoke the kind of thinking required for learning? My own "puzzle drive" led me to this book written by Stephanie Harvey and Harvey Daniels.  It came highly recommended by  @JennyLoebsack , a friend and mentor who I consider to be an inquiry-guru! What struck me instantly about this text, is the manner in which theory and practice are examined and explored. The authors share information and their own thinking in a highly conversational way. Part 1 lays the foundation, explains the why , of small group inquiry projects. ...
Read more