Have you ever asked a student to explain how they solved a problem and they answered, “That’s how my teacher did it�? The process those students were using to do the mathematics wasn’t their own. They were simply following the step by step procedure laid out for them.
In the past, mathematics instruction was just about getting the right answer. Today being mathematically proficient isn’t just about following procedure and getting the correct answer, but also about the thinking process that comes with it.
The Mathematics Design Collaborative (MDC) is an initiative that provides professional development and instructional tools to support teachers as they transform how they are teaching and students are learning.
The Model
MDC uses formative assessment lessons and tasks developed by the Shell Centre to engage students in activities that provide opportunities for deeper learning and involves students in a productive struggle that builds their procedural fluency and conceptual understanding. In plain English, that means that students are really learning the math instead of just memorizing it. This process also helps students gain confidence and take ownership for their learning. Instead of saying “That’s how my teacher did it,� students move to “I solved the problem this way.�
Carla Joyner, instructional facilitator at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability and MDC teacher, says the formative assessment lessons allow teachers and students the opportunity to monitor student progress on specific standards. “These lessons provide opportunities for great mathematical discourse in the classroom,� she says, noting that the teacher becomes more of a facilitator moving away from lecturer.
Teachers in the collaborative attend ongoing professional development, including two or three days of initial training and follow-up training sessions throughout the school year. Teachers also partner with an instructional coach who monitors progress and implementation of the lessons, provides instructional support to the teacher and encourages the teacher to reflect on the learning experience after using a lesson.
The Lesson Design
The formative assessment lessons are classroom-ready lessons for grades 6-12 available free of charge. The lessons are scripted to support the teacher with suggestions, sample questions and examples for each phase of the lesson:
- Pre-Assessment: Students are given a pre-assessment that allows them to demonstrate their prior knowledge and abilities on the topic or concept.
- Data Mining/Grouping: Teachers analyze student responses to the pre-assessment looking for any obstacles, misconceptions and/or gaps in learning. Teachers use the data to create feedback questions for students to use in the collaborative activity. Additionally, the student responses are used to place students in homogenous groups of “like thinkers� as they work on the collaborative activity.
- Main Lesson: The instruction is given in three parts — whole class structured discussion, collaborative activity and whole class discussion again.
- Post-Assessment: Similar to the pre-assessment, students are given the opportunity to apply any new understandings.
The Results
NC New Schools/Breakthrough Learning brings this opportunity to network teachers to help change math instruction. As an instructional coach, I’ve monitored and helped implement several formative assessment lessons. The results are amazing.
I watched students persevere, have rich discussion about the mathematics, work collaboratively, think critically and have fun doing math. Teachers witness their students learning and observe increased levels of engagement. As a result, teachers in the collaborative are changing the way instruction looks in their classroom, from teacher-centered to student-centered.
But don’t just take my word for it. Here’s what the students have to say…
- “This activity helped me understand what I didn’t understand. Now I know what questions to ask my teacher.�
- “I like the card sorts because they help me see the connection between the equation and the graph. I don’t have to use my calculator all the time.�
- “These are fun. We aren’t just sitting down taking notes.�
- “I don’t have to remember to rules for transformations anymore. I figured them out on my own.�
And here’s what the teachers have to say…
- “I am able to assess student learning for each student and address misunderstandings prior to the test.�
- “The post-assessment data help me structure review so that I am focusing on areas of need.�
To learn more, a brief guide for teachers and administrators can be found at http://map.mathshell.org/docs/map_cc_teacher_guide.pdf.
Lessie Anderson is an Instructional Coach at NC New Schools/Breakthrough Learning.
Great article !