Manaiakalani Maths practise Intensive - Day 5

Today focus on the MPI was Algebra.

Vocabulary

I was reminded of the vast amount of vocabulary students need to comprehend in order to understand algebraic thinking and reasoning. 

This has got me wondering how I can go about ensuring my students are being exposed to this vocabulary regularly. A good example of this is number properties as listed below. While my students have experienced these properties they would not be familiar with the names of the properties. I will be endeavouring to teach vocabulary more explicitly with my students. 

Equations, Patterns and Relationships

I was also reminded about giving my students multiple opportunities in a variety of contexcts to recognise and analyse patterns and relationships. Progressing from recognising and predicting patterns to generalising and identifying rules. I got some interesting new ideas to try with my students that I suspect both them and I will find engaging.

 

Manaiakalani Maths practise Intensive - Day 4

Today we spent the day exploring number - Place Value, Fractions, Decimals, Percentages and Integers. Below are some of my takeaways. 

Materials/Manipulatives

I was reminded again how important it is to use materials to introduce new maths concepts, to further student's understanding and to correct misconceptions. In the coming weeks I'm looking forward to using deci-pipes and deci-mats to teach decimals. 

Vocabulary

I was also reminded how important maths vocabulary is in students mathematical understanding. I have come away thinking about how I can be more intentional and explicit about tending to this vocabulary. I have been guilty of focussing so much on teaching a new mathematical concept that I can brush over the vocabulary instead of taking the time to tend to it. 

Choral Counting

Choral counting is an activity in which the teacher leads children in counting aloud together by a given number. Today was the first time I was introduced to it. I can see how beneficial it could be for developing student's number sense and computational skills. I'm interested in using it particularly with decimals numbers for my year 7/8 students.