1. Mathshell in Practice Ready Made Quality Group Work 6-8
map.mathshell.org mathsilvernail.wordpress.com
Presenters:
Mary Ann Nickloy
Deb Silvernail
Mathematics Assessment Resource Service University of Nottingham & UC Berkeley
For more details, visit:
© 2012 MARS, Shell Center, University of Nottingham May be reproduced, unmodified, for non-commercial purposes under the Creative Commons license detailed at - all other rights reserved
Mathematics Assessment Project
CLASSROOM CHALLENGES
A Formative Assessment Lesson

2. How familiar are you with map.mathshell.org ?
Place a colored sticky note on the mini- white board based on your answer: Pink: Clueless, never seen it or wanted to try it but …. Yellow: A little, tried something or use something but …. Blue: Novice to Pro, have tried some and want to ….

3. Pre-Assessment
A couple of days or a week before the start of the project, have the students complete the Pre- Assessment. Assure them that they will not be graded; it is to inform the teacher of where they are at on the concepts and what we need to do next for a project in the near future.
The pre-Assessment can be given back to students in the beginning or middle of the group work. They should have a few questions to get them thinking about what they may need to improve on.
Because I am planning to do this again, as well as having 28+ kids in the class, I like to save time.
Pre Assessment to Systems of Equations

4. Formative Feedback
Focus on 2 or 3 questions that you write on the student’s Pre-assessment. Not to hit all areas, just the NEXT STEP .
OR Use a template of probing or leading questions and attached to each pre-assessment with specific questions highlighted for each student.
Differentiate
Do not highlight all questions for the weak student and nothing for the advance level student. It will send the wrong message that a weak student has too much to learn and she will give up. Conversely, the strong student has nothing to work on and won’t need to try. Pick 2-3 key questions for each student and you may need to write some in for the student who needs a challenge. If 80% of your students did really well on the pre-assessment, then you have been informed about the needs of your students and do not need to complete the project.

5. Interpreting
Distance Time Graph

6. Interpreting
Distance Time Graph

7. Sample Notes

8. Interpreting
Distance Time Graph

9. Interpreting
Distance Time Graph
Stopped editing am 3/18

10. Interpreting
Distance Time Graph

11. STUDENTS
ROLE
Clear expectations of what is expected is provided for each group member.
Part of group work is learning to listen to each other. Don't interrupt your classmates. Make sure each person's ideas are heard and that the group answers each person's questions.
If you are confused, ask your group to explain. If no one in the group can answer the question, and it is an important question, raise your hand for the teacher.
If someone in your group uses a word or an idea you do not understand, ask for an explanation. You are responsible for learning all you can from your group. You are also responsible for contributing to the work of your group. Your attempts to explain to others will help you to understand even better.
Give everyone in the group a chance to talk about his or her ideas. Talking out loud about your thinking will help you learn to express your arguments and clarify your ideas.

12. How will progress be assessed for students?
Soft skills that are needed to be successful in any job.
Not from Mathshell and may not be recommended. Found a this from
Modified from ©2011

13. Mathematical Practices & Content Standards
Combined to become a summative assessment

14. The teacher is to facilitate student learning and support students by:
Giving students time for “productive struggle” with each task
Questioning, rather than explaining the math (explaining what you want them to do but not how to approach it)
Asking for explanations, not answers. (Tell us how you got that. Why does that make sense? and, asking again, Can you say more about that?)
When you ask a question of a small group, don’t look for a quick response but leave it with them. It takes thinking time to create a worthwhile response to a good question.
TEACHER’S
ROLE
create the opportunity for students to dig in and make sense of some mathematics

15. TEACHER’S ROLE …and avoiding:
“Scaffolding” – breaking up a task into steps, part of problem solving is the act of finding the steps
“Clearing up misunderstandings”
“mini-lessons” that try to “fix” students’ misconceptions and wrong moves so that they get a “right answer” Instead, ask questions that help students think more about their work and assumptions. This helps them make progress with the task, and more importantly with the content.
evaluating student responses, in words or looks; keep them responsible for that. Instead, ask a further question like: Why do you think so? or ask another student.
TEACHER’S
ROLE
Clear expectations of what is expected is provided for each group member.

16. Projected during work sessions

17. How will Teacher we able to keep track of groups’ progress?
Modify as needed for different projects.
Learn what you may need to teach a different way so the students have a better understanding of the concept.

18. Work Together & Asking the right questions
Teacher’s will act like a reporter at times recording what you hear and see what is happening in the groups.
Tough part: Asking the right questions to lead students to discovery
NOT telling the group what they have wrong and teaching them the correct solution.

19. Sample Work

21. POST-Assessment
At the end of the Group Project, an individual Post Assessment can be given to evaluate and compare with the results of the Pre-Assessment.
I have counted it as a individual quiz grade, taken a mean of each group member as a grade, or incorporated the Post-Assessment as part of a Unit Test.

22. Your turn to be the students:
6th grade: Using Proportional Reasoning
7th grade: Using Positive and Negative Numbers in Context
8th grade: Classifying Solutions to Systems of Equations

23. WORKING TOGETHER There is
a Pre-Assessment you can do alone or with someone at your table
Copy of Power Point directions for group work
All pieces needed & tape if you want to make a finished sample poster

24. Closing Discussion Q & A:
This has NOT been the sole instructional source in my classroom, just one of many teaching methods, materials, and resources.
Teaching/learning the same way gets boring for both you and your students. Mix it up, experiment with teaching and enjoy your job!
Take a chance, try one of these Classroom Challenges Post State Test, on the post standards.
Try on a major concept the kids did NOT understand and you don’t know why.
Build up to using one a semester, one a quarter, and try a different one each year.
We must be willing to take risk & problem solve IF we expect are student’s to!

25. Check out the sources on: map.mathshell.org
Thank you for the opportunity to share what happens in the classroom of Deb Silvernail!
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