Mathematics PD Assignment Fall 13

Mathematics PD Assignment Fall 2013 

As a way to further develop and incorporate the ideas we've been working on - both the 8 math practices and using more cognitively complex problems with students - each teacher will have their class work on a cognitively complex problem and write up that activity. The problem and write-up are due on Dec. 13th, 2013 as the final requirement of your participation in this PD opportunity.

The activity/problem should target specific math practices in support of preparing students to persist in the face of math problems of Depth of Knowledge levels 3 and higher. Problems should meet the following criteria:

•  students are unable to proceed directly towards a solution 
•  the problem can be solved in different ways 
•  there is a perplexing situation that the student understands 
• the solution requires the use of mathematical ideas 
• offer teachers an opportunity to draw out and develop some of the 8 mathematical practices

In addition to moving to a common language in the way we talk about math instruction in our program and with our students, we are also striving to develop a more common format in our lesson plans. To this end, please include the following components in the write-up of using a rigorous math task with your students:

Part 1: Planning: Answer before you work on the problem/activity with your students 

• How does this problem meet our criteria for cognitively challenging math tasks? 
•  Describe how you solved the problem. 
• Create a list of questions you can ask students to help them uncover their methods and/or a solution for solving.
• What are others ways to solve the problem? 
• Identify three challenges you think students will have in solving this problem. For each challenge describe what questions you would ask to support the problem-solving efforts of those students without giving too much away. 
• Which math practices are you hoping to develop by using this problem? (It might be helpful to consider which practices you used in order to solve the problem) 
• What do you want students to get from working on this problem?

Part 2: Student Work: Collect your students’ work and choose one or two samples for further analysis.

•  Describe the specific problem-solving strategies of each student. What do you appreciate about each student’s method? How could each student’s method be improved? 
• Briefly describe some of the challenges your students had while working on the problem. 

Part 3: Your Reflection: 

• How did it feel doing this problem with your students? 
• What did you learn from using this problem with your students (about math, about individual students, about your class, about student thinking in general)? 
• Briefly comment on how your class (individual students, or as a whole) benefitted from their work on this problem. 
• Did all of your students get what you wanted from the problem? How do you know? 
• Describe one highlight from the class discussion of the problem and solution methods. 
• What (if anything) would you do differently if you used this problem again? • What advice/message do you have for a teacher who is considering using this problem with their class

Part 4: Student Reflection: At the end of doing the activity with your students, please have them reflect on the experience by writing a response to one of the following prompts.

• What did you learn from working on this problem? 
•  What are you still wondering about? 
•  Describe what was easy and what was difficult for you. 
• What is one thing you want to remember? 
• What was difficult about this problem? What did you do when you felt challenged/confused by this problem?

 In your write-up, please include the prompt you choose and a few excerpts of your students’ responses post your lesson write-up to the blog by December 13th, 2013. You can post it as a new comment or a new post.