1. ServingGiftedStudents

2. I’m a Tool
1. State your name
2. Proudly and boldly proclaim
“I’m a tool”
3. Describe your purpose as a tool
4. Describe methods in which people use you
5. Get other people to guess what tool you are

4. Tools
Purpose
Method of Use
Practice Develops Mastery
Mastery Produces Growth

5. Purpose
Math is the language by which
we study and establish
relationships between us and
the universe around us.

6. Method of Use
Verbal
Numerical
Algebraic
Graphical

7. Verbal
If you can't explain it simply, you don't
understand it well enough.
– Albert Einstein
If you don’t understand it well enough any
simple explanation won’t be simple.
SB

8. Understanding Statements (Verbal)
Major Concepts and Sub-concepts
These are the written statements of truth, the core to the
meaning(s) of the lesson(s) or unit. These are what connect
the parts of a subject to the student’s life and to other
subjects.
It is through the understanding component of instruction that
we teach our students to truly grasp the “point” of the lesson
or the experience.
Understandings are purposeful. They focus on the key ideas
that require students to understand information and make
connections while evaluating the relationships that exist
within the understandings.

9. Numerical
• Tables
• Maps
• Can be substituted for variables or unknowns
• Can be used to determine patterns
• Can be misleading
– Patterns may not be established correctly
– Placement of numbers is crucial

10. Algebraic
All we know is still infinitely less than all that
remains unknown.
– William Harvey
• How many different ways can we use an “x”, or other
symbols?
• Variable vs unknown.
• Do students understand the equals sign?

11. Graphical
A picture is worth a thousand words.
– Unknown
• Graphs
• Drawings
• Any visual representation of data
• Calculator

12. Practice Develops Mastery
• He who loves practice without purpose is like
the sailor who boards ship without a rudder
and compass and never knows where he may
cast.
– Leonardo da Vinci
• In theory there is no difference between
theory and practice. In Practice there is.
– Yogi Berra
• An ounce of practice is worth more than tons
of preaching.
– Mahatma Gandhi

13. Verbal Numerical
Graphical Algebraic

14. Name
Unit
Verbal Numerical Graphical Algebraic

15. Mastery Produces Growth

16. Who’s Responsible for Learning?
• Teacher or Student
• How do teachers know if students are
learning?
• How do students know if they are learning?

17. Grading
100 point scale
–A 90 – 100
–B 80 – 90
–C 75 – 80
–D 70 – 75
–F 0 – 70

18. AP Grading
5 Proficient work on all objectives and advanced
Extremely well qualified
work in some objectives
4 Proficient work on all course objectives
Well qualified
3 Proficient work on most important objectives but
Qualified
not in all objectives
2 Proficient work on half the objectives and missing
Possibly qualified
some important objectives
1 No recommendation few objectives if any
Proficient work on

19. 5 Point Scale
1 2 3 4 5
•No clue. •Feels •Feels •Feels •Masters all
•Does few comfortable comfortable comfortable concepts.
things right with few with most with all •If there are
but can’t concepts. concepts. concepts. any mistakes
explain them. •More gaps. •Few gaps. •Can explain they are
•Hard time why they got minimal.
making any the wrong
connections. answers.
•Makes more
mistakes than
would like.

20. Using the 5 Point Scale
• Tests
– Corrected but not scored and returned
– Students must self assess and score 1-5
• Expectation is for 1-3s to get extra help
– Gives students a chance to prove to me what
they have learned
• In Class Quick Assessment
– Hands up 1-5

21. Goals for 5 Point Scale
• More specific to subject, units, and
concepts
• Used for homework to help students
verbalize their strengths and weaknesses