Transcript The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org Unsilence Students’ Voices Suzanne Alejandre, The Math Forum, Philadelphia, PA Bushra Makiya, CIS 303, The Leadership and Community Service.

The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Unsilence
Students’ Voices
Suzanne Alejandre, The Math Forum,
Philadelphia, PA
Bushra Makiya, CIS 303, The Leadership and
Community Service Academy, NY
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Introductions
 Suzanne Alejandre
 middle school mathematics and computer
teacher 1973–1977, 1988–2000
 Math Forum Staff 2000–present
 Bushra Makiya
 7th and 8th grade math teacher since 2004
 Math for America Master Teacher
 Bank Street Math Leadership Program 2014
Audience ?
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Our Classrooms
PREMISE: a person “learns” when they have
a voice (mental, verbal, written)
PREMISE: every classroom has silenced
voices
PREMISE: there are different reasons why a
student’s voice is not heard
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Take a moment:
 Think of your students (past or present)
 Choose one to focus on today
 Or create a composite in your mind
 Write down the name/brief description
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Reasons
Too many voices, not enough time
Lack of fluency (or confidence)
Passive conditioning
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Too Many Voices/Too Little Time
If we consider the time we have and the
voices that need to be heard, how do we
maximize the time for students’ voices?
Tip 1: As you call on students during a
classroom discussion, do not repeat.
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Demonstration
“Wooden Legs” Read Aloud
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Reflect on how your “student”
would react to this activity.
 Would they engage mentally?
 Would they talk?
 Would they then write?
“Wooden Legs” Read Aloud
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Let’s watch and listen:
http://mathforum.org/blogs/suzanne/2011/12/01/wooden-legs-videos/
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Claim #1
When a teacher repeats what a
student says, it robs them!
The thought no longer belongs
to the student – it transfers back
to the teacher.
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Too Many Voices/Too Little Time
Tip 2: Create environments
that maximize the number of
students talking.
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Demonstration
“Turn and Talk”
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Reflect on how your “student”
would react to this activity.
 Would they engage mentally?
 Would they talk?
 Would they then write?
“Wooden Legs” Turn and Talk
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Claim #2
A teacher cannot hear
everything each student says.
Ultimately the student owns
each of their thoughts.
It’s okay if a teacher
doesn’t hear everything!
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Lack of Fluency in the Language
Mathematics is a language.
Learning a language requires an
environment with a need to
communicate.
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Claim #3
It is our tendency
to communicate
using the language
from the initial meeting.
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Lack of Fluency in the Language
Our students need:
 expections
 scaffolding
 practice
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Tip 3: Use “scenarios” to help
create a need to talk about
mathematics with each other.
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Claim #4
Establishing and developing
environments can help
unsilence voices.
Remove pressure – all responses
accepted – no right/wrong
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
http://mathforum.org/workshops/cmc/2011/hogan.html
 What do you hear?
 What do you see?
 What do you see
in the diagram?
 What do you notice
as we read?
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
What do you hear?
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
What do you see?
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
What do you see in the diagram?
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
What do you notice as we read?
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Reflect on how your “student”
would react to these activities.
 Would they engage mentally?
 Would they talk?
 Would they then write?
Scenarios:
 read-alouds
 viewing pictures
 viewing diagrams
 reading together one part at a time
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Lack of Fluency in the Language
Tip 4: Provide students with lists of
questions to ask, scaffolding their
need and ability to communicate.
 I am not sure I understand.
 How does that work?
 Why did you use “(insert a word)”? – can
you tell me what it means?
 Why did you say that?
 Can you tell me more?
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 How do you know?
 How does that make sense?
 How can you say that in a different way?
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Moving from Passive
to Active Learners
Tip 4: Provide a question to practice
and then another and another
until they have a working list
of questions to ask
during their mathematics discussions.
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Let’s summarize:
Too Many Voices/Too Little Time
Lack of Fluency in the Language
Moving from Passive to Active Learners
Are there others?
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Connecting to CCSSM
MP1 Make sense of problems and
persevere in solving them.
MP3 Construct viable arguments and
critique the reasoning of others.
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Let’s Revisit These:
PREMISE: a person “learns” when they have
a voice (mental, verbal, written)
PREMISE: every classroom has silenced
voices
PREMISE: there are different reasons why a
student’s voice is not heard
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Online Resources
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Notice/Wonder
CMC-North 2011: Get Your Students Hooked On Noticing
and Wondering
ComMuniCator, December 2010:
Problem Solving–It Has to Begin
with Noticing and Wondering
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
ComMuniCator, September 2012:
Unsilence Students’ Voices
Suzanne’s Blog
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
http://mathforum.org/workshops/amtnys2012/
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Opportunity