3. Everything was going along fine until one day
the Number 6 machine broke down!
No worries - just put the liquorice through the Number
2 Machine and then the Number 3 machine.
4. Liquorice Factory
In these times of hardship how many machines
do we really need? And what are they?
Those who have the most efficient factory stay
employed!
9. Pose the Problem
Knows
Need to knows
Next steps
Work on the problem
Intervention
Scaffolding
Move around
exemplar ideas
clarifying questions
Obtain a solution
debrief process
link to previous
content?
10. Group 4 Solve
x+y=5
⎫
⎬
2
2
x + y = 13⎭
y = x − 3⎫
⎬
xy = 10 ⎭
y = 2x − 2
⎫
⎬
2
y = x − x − 2⎭
x − y = 1⎫
⎬
xy = 2 ⎭
y = 2x − 5
−x − 5y + z = 17 ⎫
⎪
−5x − 5y + 5z = 5 ⎬
2x + 5y − 3z = −10 ⎪
⎭
⎫
⎬
2
y = x − 4x + 4 ⎭
Each machine takes our ‘base unit’ piece of liquorice and stretches it to the desired length - so put it in the 33 machine get a 33 piece
Have a go!
The alternative is a lecture style presentation on factors, multiples composite numbers primes etc followed by a textbook exercise
Teach the content - direct instruction - lecture style - 5 examples that cover all possible permutations of the questions
Then a bunch of questions to practice the skills - problems
followed by a summative assessment
If we want our kids to creative problem solvers then why are we giving them the recipe before challenging them with problems - when does this ever happen in real life? -Factory model!
When have you ever (in real life) had to solve a problem just after being taught the skills required to solve the problem
Front load the problem - back load the learning -a real ‘flip’ of the classroom
Much more realistic
Encourages creative thinkers
Relate story - most intense mathematical situation I have ever been in - pager going off - back of pumper making calculations!
Pose the problem - can be linked to real life - can be straight pure mathematical!
- knows - need to knows - next steps - a good idea to anticipate what the students will need to know - what the desired need to knows are and what questions you will ask to facilitate the desired need to knows!
Next steps - problem solving strategies! - Act it out, look for a pattern, make a systematic list, guess and check, simplify the problems etc. - must be student generated- students need ownership of the learning
Work on the problems - the student questions are where the learning is taking place - students must be actively struggling with the problem
Solution - debrief is vital - what links to previous - what strategies worked/didn’t work- exit ticket - assessment: Posit it notes - A lightbulb moment, don’t forget, Improved, something you still have a question about
Problem to be solved can be purely mathematical - but without the spoon feeding before hand
The New Curriculum was an opportunity - and something to blame!
To change the perspective that the textbook is the bible and that we should be designing ‘learning activities”
•Set Up of [email_address] - Google Drive account
oNot waiting for rollout across DEC
oWill be easy to transfer to Google Apps in DEC – hopefully!
oAll staff created their own gmail acouunt (If they didn’t have one)
oA structural outline created
oStaff are linking activities - rich tasks and problems directly to curriculum content
probably helps that I made a key component of registration being contributing to the collaborative program
but teachers still want the textbooks….. - need to find a balance