Week 3 Math Reflection

Small. (2009) Place Value Riddles.

This week was another action packed class in math where we discussed operations with whole numbers. Presentations started this week and, to my surprise, I really enjoyed learning from my peers. They were able to break down topics in a very simple way. You'd think whole number operations would be a piece of cake considering the many years of schooling I've experienced. Truth be told, I forgot more than I thought. It's amazing how quickly you can forget simple math strategies that you used for so many years. With that said, it also amazes me how quickly that information comes back to you while listening to some of the excellent presentations. 

I found the presentation of place value to be excellent. Not only were the fundamentals covered, but strategies for teaching place value were also introduced. We used riddles to solve for certain place values as a technique for teaching. Not only was I completely engaged in the activity, I can honestly say it was fun! One of the goals I have for myself is to find ways to make math fun and engaging for my students and using riddles as a way of teaching a math concept such as place values is a prime example. For more lesson plan ideas using riddles and place values check out Lakeshore Learning.

I also used this week to explore online learning resources. Riddles are one type of activity to engage students but I wanted to look further. I didn't have to go far to find Adapted Math Mind. This website has something for every learner. You begin by picking your grade and then choosing a subject. I went into grade 5 math and chose factoring and multiples. You then pick from a variety of monster characters and make your way through an animated world by completing math problems. Students are given the opportunity to level up each time they successfully complete a section of the game. Below is a screen shot of the interface used in the game. Using technology and gaming to engage students in math is a great idea and one that I believe could be very effective.  I could use a game like this in my classroom to get my students involved in their learning. I'll also admit that I found playing the game extremely useful in refreshing my math skills for a specific grade. This website is also a rich resource because it covers many areas of the Ontario curriculum for mathematics. 

This course continues to show me new and innovative ways to engage my students in math. I'm also continuing to redevelop my own understanding in math along the way and thus far, I'm feeling pretty successful. 

Adapted Mind. (2013). Grade 5 Activity Screen Shot.

Genius In More Ways Than One!

Pixabay. 2015. Lightbulb [online image]. Retrieved from
 https://pixabay.com/en/light-bulb-lighting-electric-341059/

We've been learning all about Genius Hour in the classroom. After researching the concept and starting my very own Genius Hour project, I really get the idea. I understand why this would be so engaging for students and how exciting it feels to learn about something you're passionate about. It got me thinking - could I apply this to other learning environments? I believe the answer is YES!

I'm always trying to relate what I'm learning back to the hockey team I coach. I work with 15, 16 and 17 year-old athletes who dedicate six nights a week to our team. It's my job as their head coach to develop their physical skill and mental understanding of the game. I do all of the facilitating of this learning and create my practice plans well in advance. What if I gave my players Genius Hour time? 

If players had the ice time and access to coaching staff to work on skills that they felt are important maybe we could increase their development even more! Players could get 20 minutes of ice every week to decide what they want to learn. As coaches, we could provide guidance, critique and even structure if they so wished. Would this create more buy-in from my players? Would they feel more engaged in something they prioritized as important? These are questions I can answer by testing it out and that is exactly what I'm going to do! Stay tuned. 

Week Two Math Reflection

©Breakey, D. 2015. In Class Math Problem.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, math has never been my strongest subject. What intimidated me most about math was the process. I wanted to be able to find the answer quick and easy but that was very rarely the case. I lacked confidence and often said, “I am not a numbers person”. What I have realized as I’ve gotten older is that anyone can be a ‘math person’ but, some have to work harder than others. I should have worked harder at math and committed myself to improving my skills. Instead, I shied away and settled for mediocre grades. I enjoyed subjects like English and politics where I could argue my points through words. Math was a subject you needed to show your process and it is a difficult subject fake. This might be why there is a negative opinion about mathematics. I believe that many students struggle with translating mathematical formula’s into something they can easily and confidently apply to math problems. I also believe that many students feel intimidated when approaching math questions and determining what steps and skills are needed. I’ve now used the words 'lack of confidence' and 'intimidation' multiple times in this post. If you ask me what I think makes a great math teacher I would say someone who can teach students the skills they need, and how to apply them, in order to make them feel confident when they come to class. Students need to be taught to ask their own questions and understand that there are multiple ways to get to a single answer.

What struck me about reading the grade 1-8 Ontario curriculum was the emphasis on problem solving and the idea that this needs to be at the foundation of mathematical instruction. This supports what I said in regards to having a teacher who encourages students to ask their own questions. The 4 step model is a great method students can use to solve problems without fear of making mistakes. In step 4 they are expected to look back and check results. If the results are wrong they can begin the process again. Something that surprised me was the emphasis on promoting a positive attitude towards math. This suggests that a negative opinion of math may exist and that it is critical, as a teacher, to demonstrate a positive disposition towards math. The curriculum suggests that students need to feel they are capable and I completely agree with this. Feeling capable goes hand in hand with feeling confident. If students are equipped with the tools they need to be capable of working through problems, they will develop confidence in the subject and this could create a positive attitude towards math. If students are able to be successful they have the chance to enjoy the subject. One strategy we discussed in class was modelling a situation for students so they could have a more hands on approach to math. Using tools such as smart board, connect blocks or elastic boards is a great way for students to work through their problem with a visual aid. This is always a way to appeal to students who learn in a variety of ways. The picture above shows an in class math problem and the many ways a single answer can be displayed and worked through. It will be my goal to encourage my students and provide them the tools they need to be capable and successful in math.

My Genius Idea

If you've been following my blog you'll have read about Genius Hour. Just to recap, Genius Hour gives students a designated amount of time each week to work on a  project of their choosing. This gives them a chance to incorporate their personal interests, develop a question and conduct research which they will present in a format of their choosing. Luckily, we are putting this Genius Hour to the test in my Digital Learners class. 

I bet you're dying to know what my Genius Hour question is. I've chosen explore one of my passions - hockey! I'm asking: How does strategic and detailed team building initiatives impact the success and cohesion of a hockey team?  The goal is to explore a variety of team building strategies and see which ones seem to be most effective. I'll examine proven successful hockey teams and a few unsuccessful teams and contrast their team building strategies. This project can help me right now with coaching the Guelph Jr Gryphons Midget A hockey team. We emphasis team building as a key component to our season. I am going to use my team, and their experience, while they are at a team building retreat weekend and then draw ideas and research on what works best for them. 

The contrast between successful teams and unsuccessful teams in professional hockey will help demonstrate which team building strategies work best. I will also examine the strategies suggested by Hockey Canada. I am very excited to get started on my project and I love that I was able to pick something I am passionate about to study. I can only imagine how excited younger students must feel! Stay tuned for updates on my Genius Hour project!

How To Stay Infringement Free

Jone, D. (2014, Sept 7). Child with laptop [online image]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/photos/donnieray 
 

It’s simple really, if it’s not yours cite it. Wait … even if it IS yours cite it! For some reason copyright can be a tricky thing to understand but if you stick to a few key points you’ll protect yourself from copyright infringement. The first thing to understand is that all original work is protected by copyright and you must get permission before using it. The trouble is, in a world where resources of all kinds are available with a simple Google search, it is easy to forget that those resources or works belong to someone. Here’s the good news, in Canada there is something called the Fair Dealing law and, in short, it says that if you’re using the work for purposes of private study, research, criticism, review or news reporting you’re not guilty of copyright. Still, in a classroom setting you cannot show a video, YouTube video or distribute documents in class without making a payment to the copyright owners. Luckily, the Creative Commons was founded in order to create a place where open sharing was promoted and authors could choose how their creations could be used by others. This is a great way for students and teachers alike to find what they need while making sure they are legally allowed to use it. 

The second, and very important thing to remember, is you must cite your work. You have to give credit to the original author otherwise it could look like the work is yours. This is something I would make an area of focus for my students. They have to understand how to check if something has a Creative Commons license and how give credit to this work properly. This is a skill they will need for their academic and professional life. You can check out the Creative Commons website for more information. Do your research, site your work and stay infringement free!

Pixabay. (2013). Student using computer [online image]. Retrieved from
https://pixabay.com/en/photos/download/students-99506_1280.jpg

Genius Hour Is A Genius Concept!

Last week, I went to my first Teaching Digital Learners in the Digital Age class (I know, a bit of a mouth full!). The purpose of the class is to give me the knowledge and practical skills I need to bring media and technology into my classroom and use them as tools for teaching. Pretty great right? Teaching a generation that is growing up with landlines cellphones,  paper and pen iPads and books google is not easy! The world is at their finger tips and I have to be able to not only keep up but lead the way! In class on Friday I learned about a teaching tool that I wish was being used when I was a student. Genius Hour is a designated period of time during class where students can work on a project of their choosing based on their interests. Students brainstorm a list of things they are interested in or passions they have. They narrow it down to one and come up with a question or focus for their project. They then do research on their topic and present their findings ... wait for it ... however they want! For example, I love hockey and could choose to do research on the rate of concussions amongst NHL players. I would conduct research and present my findings in a manner of my choosing (poster, speech, essay etc.). This is an amazing way to get students to self direct their learning. It creates an environment where students can explore their passions, are engaged in their topic and can share their results in a way that suites them. This has excited students written all over it. Check out the video below for more details. Genius Hour is a genius idea I won't pass up!

Back to Math Class

https://sites.google.com/a/share.epsb.ca/hillcrest-library/learning-tools/math

I thought I had left math class in high school. Turns out I was wrong! Since I just started my first semester at Brock University as a teacher candidate, math class and I will be getting reacquainted. If I am honest, math wasn't my best subject or my favourite. I struggled with certain concepts and never believed I was much of a 'math person'. I had a mix of good and not-so-good teachers along the way but ultimately I think math intimidated me. Luckily, I have the chance to learn how to teach math and make sure my students have nothing to fear! I hope to learn strategies to teach math effectively and my goal is to make math interesting for my students. I want them to be excited about tackling problems and not anxious (as I used to be) about having to take those problems home! Over the course of this semester I will post reflections about what I'm learning in class, tips and strategies for teaching math and best of all, I'll be putting it all into action when I go to my first placement! I'll also post useful resources along the way. This blog will also follow my journey through J/I Language and Digital Learners in a Digital Age. If you ever want to find my posts exclusively about math, click the label "math" on the sidebar. I'm excited to get started this semester and I hope I can turn that fear of math into history!

Let Me Introduce Myself!

Breakey, D. ©2015

Welcome to my blog! My name is Darcy and I'm a 23 year old teacher education student. I graduated from the University of Guelph in 2014 with my Bachelor of Arts in International Development Studies (IDS). When I embarked on my post grad education I envisioned graduating and working my dream job at the United Nations! I had unlimited optimism about changing the world and making a difference. After 4 years of discussing big world issues and complex problems facing people around the world I felt overwhelmed. There are two major things I learned from taking IDS: First, there is no right answer. Everything is circumstantial in a world that is ever changing and becoming more global every day. The second thing is, you can't take on the entire world all at once but you can find your place and make an impact. I went in to my freshman year with all the optimism a young eager student could bundle. During my third year I hit an all time low feeling extremely cynical and questioning my decision to take IDS. But, by graduation I had come to realize I just needed to find my place. All the talk I had done about issues abroad and learning about everywhere else had given me this urge to stay right here at home and make change in my own community. This is the moment I knew I wanted to be a teacher. 

I have always had a passion for coaching an instructing. My first love is hockey. I put on a pair of skates when I was 4 years old and have never taken them off. When my competitive career ended I jumped right into coaching. I always felt I'd be a better coach then player and I think I was right! Today, I take all the experiences I had during my time playing and pass it on to the next generation of players. I am the head coach of the Guelph Jr. Gryphon's Midget A team and there is nothing I love more then giving back to a game that gave so much to me. I enjoy working with kids and helping them realize their own potential. I am a big believer that players (or students) have the capability already within them and that it is my job to help them bring that capability to the surface. I am the facilitator of their development but they are the leader in their journey. Nothing satisfies me more then to see a player or student realize their goal and knowing that I helped them along their journey to success. 

I am beyond excited to finally start my journey to becoming a teacher. I hope I can inspire my students to think in a global context, to be socially responsible citizens of the world, to find something they love and create dreams out of it and most importantly to find their place and make a difference. But, before all that can start I have to get through the next 2 years of teachers college!! This is me, making my first ripple in the sea of teaching and this blog will chronicle that journey.