Getting creative with maths

This week I wanted to do something different for maths. Something that would really excite my learners and encourage them so share their mathematical thinking. While talking to my friend Miss Stone I decided to do an open-end problem to get my learner applying the strategies we had learnt. Miss Stone said she had just the problem so she allowed me to take her problem and adapt it for my learner.

This is the problem:

Because the problem is so open children came up with different answers and the lessons focus sifted from working out and answer to what am I doing when I am working out this answer. Learners also worked in small groups and were encouraged to discuss their thinking throughout the process and make decision together. It was interest that at first learners struggled to follow each others thinking but as they discussed more with each other and me talk their thinking became visible. For me as a teacher the excite and engagement of all learner made this a really successful lesson.

From there working I asked each learner to create a sketch its of their thinking so that their process is not just visible to them but to others on their blogs. I introduced this by showing them an example I had created and together we talk through my process.



I also outlined the requirement of a sketchnote that:
- it uses to containers to spectate information
-it uses arrows to link ideas ( show the process)
- it uses words, numbers and picture to show the thinking.
The. I provided learners with a google draw template that had containers and arrows around the outsides for them to copy and use.

It is interesting that one teacher commented to me that the learner were so excited and engaged they didn't even think it was math. I think this is because they were making their thinking visible. They weren't just sharing maths they were sharing their though process.

Please check out their blogs and leave a comment on their finished work.
Zaeeda
Caleb
AJ

More blogs links will be added as they are complete.