Elly Warnock

Chapter 7: From Tracking to Growth Mindset Grouping One key factor in student achievement is known as "Opportunity to learn."  Put simply, if students spend time in classes where they are given access to high-level content, they achieve at higher levels. LOW FLOOR, HIGH CEILING TASKS Students start behaving badly when they are given the message that they cannot achieve . When students start to believe they can achieve, and they understand that I believe in them, bad behaviour and lack of motivation disappear. To encourage students to take maths to different levels: 1. Provide open-ended tasks. open-ended low floor, high ceiling. These are the MOST engaging and interesting maths tasks They are tasks that teach important maths, inspire interest and encourage creativity. In a growth mindset classroom, it is the teachers job to challenge, support, and stretch them at exactly the right level. Such teaching, although demanding, is also extremely fulfilli...

Most Likely To Succeed What factors are going to ensure our students will succeed?? School is about now! It shouldn't be about drudgery/assessments... Now ... 53% of college graduates in the states cannot find a job - why? Because of the advances in technology. 1843 - last major educational change - the Industrial Age.  Age, ability and subject were split up at this time. 'The Committee of Ten' designed our curriculum and by and large, it hasn't changed since. The 20th century was a century that was full of people who had good skills in the 3 r's and an economy that required those skills. This is no longer the case! Life is not segmented into subjects! High Tech High - USA   Do you need me to micromanage your way through school or do you want to do it on your own? Need to set up situations to help kids do it on their own. No bells, no subject areas, teachers are hired on one year contracts, what they teach and how they teach is up to each teacher...

Chapter 6: Mathematics and the Path to Equity "We need all teachers to believe in all students, to reject the idea of some students being suitable for higher-level math and others not, and to work to make higher-level math available to all students, whatever their prior achievement, skin colour, or gender." "There is an imperative need for mathematics to change from an elitist, performance subject used to rank and sort students (and teachers) to an open, learning subject, for both high-achieving students, who are currently turning away from mathematics in record numbers, as well as the low-achieving students who are being denied access to ideas that they are fully capable of learning." Equitable Strategies 1.  Offer all students high-level content. 2.  Word to change ideas about who can achieve in mathematics. 3.  Encourage students to think deeply about mathematics. "Girls, more than boys, desire a depth of understanding that is often unavailable i...

It was great to go and visit School A today - always so refreshing seeing a different school in a different context and how things roll! What stood out for me? Ease of teachers planning - maths boxes prepared and ready to go. Engagement of students Whole class teaching, but students often working in mixed ability groups - still the risk of the best mathematician doing all of the maths - how do you eliminate this?  Imperative for students to ask questions of each other. Why did you do that? Explain to me how? This is a culture that would be prominent in many NZ schools - how do you break it?   How do you ensure understanding at ALL levels? All about teacher questioning - working in pairs - ask the student who has less understanding to explain - Dinah's "We thought/We did" Maths books with no lines or squares Look into Maths 300 - this looks well worth the subscription fee!  $400Aus for the first year, $200Aus every year after that. Mathematicscentre Po...

Chapter 5: Rich Mathematical Tasks "Teachers are the most important resource for students.  They are the ones who can create exciting mathematics environments, give students the positive messages they need, and take any math task and make it one that piques students' curiosity and interest.  Studies have shown that the teacher has a greater  impact on student learning than any other variable." (Darling-Hammond, 2000). Engaging maths = curiosity, connection making, challenge, creativity and usually collaboration. Maths excitement = maths engagement. Number sense is crucial. Students have to be taught to listen to and respect each other's thinking. It is crucial to engage in "low floor, high ceiling" tasks. What comes first?  The chicken or the egg?  THE EGG!  Give the real problem first as this engages the students and ignites their curiosity and then give them the method. We want students to think intuitively about the problem. We want stude...