Geometric Thinking Homework Reflection
Reflecting on the last few weeks, my learners have been highly engaged with Geometry. Prior to the start of the term, it had been decided that angles would move to term 4... however, how does one learn about different types of triangles and quadrilaterals without understanding the different types of angles? It really highlights the shift in expectations from the old curriculum to the new. A great example is protractors. We have only ever gone up to Year six. Protractors were whipped out in Year 7 & 8 in the old curriculum... therefore we don't actually have any protractors in the school! I've ordered a class set, so I will await being able to use them. With others teaching in my space, it's been really important for learners to know where they can go back and reference meanings, etc. We have limited wall space, so making sure terminology and vocabulary get to a defined space (in case it is wiped off the whiteboard) has been invaluable.
Connecting with Manaiakalani
Statistics is an area where it's really easy to harness digital affordances to amplify learning. There are so many opportunities to use real-life contexts to explore statistical concepts. How can we tap into localised content to create authentic statistical learning experiences?
Why have I (and all my learners) got a site bookmarked for dice, when we could just be using the omnibox!!!? Maths Talks - for communicating and reasoning
Purposeful Math Talks are hugely empowering. It increases engagement and also develops confidence in their own mathematical language and thinking. It also gets the learners focused on actively listening to the ideas of their peers.
What do you notice?
What do you wonder?
What's the same?
What's different?
What do we know?
What do we need to know?
I find that this becomes default thinking when learners are given mathematical problems, such as in PATs, etc.
Data Talks
Using data and asking those key questions is a really important life skill for critical thinking. Slow-reveal data representations can get learners predicting and having really rich discussions as part of their routine. Making connections to all other learning areas.
What is Statistics?
FUN FACT: We are the first country in the world to name our curriculum "Mathematics and Statistics".
Statistics is used in a plethora of ways in everyday life. It is the algorithms that seem to drive the content we have available these days. To be critically literate, our future users really need to understand what drives the data that is so strong in impacting their lives in invisible ways.
I hadn't heard of the PPDAC Cycle before today!
So many connections can be made across the mathematical strands.
Statistical Investigations.
We need to make sure we are modelling the precise vocabulary in the correct context.
Potentially the most important aspect... If it's not effectively planned, it's not effectively learned.
Lies, Lies and Statistics - Statistical Literacy
It's really important to make the connections between the vocabulary used in different contexts; however, we need to be really clear about what misconceptions there might be too.
Census at School
Loads of ways to harness and utilise Data within the classroom and for students.
I'm registered and am looking forward to using it with my class.
Data section... Loads of teacher resources. Just check whether it aligns with the old or new curriculum. Well worth a look.
Take a Chance - Probability
It really needs to be experienced by the learners in order to embed the conceptual understandings.
So...what next?
- Codek
- CensusAtSchool
- Gemini Canva to make games for learning.
- Explore Class On Air
- Remind teachers to register for toolkits next week. Also plug the database on Looker Studio for past toolkits.
- More learners could be recording their learning experiences and sharing their learning.
I have really enjoyed using Gemini lately to create visual vocabulary posters. It really is working smarter, not harder. There might be one somewhere lurking in "the Drive" but you waste so much time in the rabbit warren that it is... that you can create a new one, with the specific information you want presented in a matter of minutes (or less). My next step is to delve into Gemini Canvas to create tools to consolidate learning. I'm thinking about vocabulary games.
I've noticed, while supervising PAT
s, that learners often lack the skill of understanding how the key represents what is on the graph. It's a key concept that transfers across curriculum areas, but if missing it really impacts their ability to understand what they're looking at.
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