Tag Archives: EDRD 6530

Math Writing Workshops

The writing workshop approach could work in a math class even though at first it seems like it may not work. One example that stood out to me was having students work through a content related problem either as a team or individually accompanied by a writing exercise. This would include a written explanation of their solution, what they learned and what might still be challenging for them. This example from the text allows for ten to twenty minutes of writing time. Not only does this help students to reflect on their methods for solving content related problems, it gives plenty of opportunity for students to practice using academic language and to practice writing clearly. As a follow up to writing reflections of their methods for solving, I would have students trade papers to see if they can follow the directions of their classmates. This would make students be sure to write clearly and give specific directions. During the writing process, I can work with students who may be struggling readers and writers. I can have them verbally explain their methods to me and then go back and write it out. I think the process of verbally explaining will help students formulate their thoughts and the progression of their method before having to commit their words to paper. I do not know how often I might use this technique but it seems like a wonderful tool to use at various points during the school year.

Daniels, H., Zemelman, S., & Steineke, N. (2007). Content-Area Writing: Every Teacher’s Guide (pp. 1-111). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Combatting “The Writing Crisis”

I think the two sides that Daniels et al. (2007) put forth about the idea of a “writing crisis” in our country are both valid. The argument for a writing crisis is backed by the idea that formal writing is becoming a lost art and students are no longer writing the way their teachers want them to. On the other hand though, students are finding various other ways to become “authors”. So much of our new technology is linked to writing and authoring, text, email, web design etc. just in a different format.

Writing to learn strategies are a great way to use writing and thought formulating to have students reflect on their learning. Two strategies that stood out to me included writing breaks and admit slips. Writing breaks would be useful in math classes for students to individually reflect on what they have learned, what was important from a lesson and to come up with questions to ask during the lesson. These can be used at any point during the class period, not just at the end of class. Similarly, admit slips or warm up activities would be a great use of time. I would have students come up with their own real world math problems, trade with another student and solve the new problem. From these problems, I could check for understanding at a “meeting standard” level (can they solve the problem) as well as an “exceeding standard” level (can they write a clear and effective math problem).

Daniels, H., Zemelman, S., & Steineke, N. (2007). Content-Area Writing: Every Teacher’s Guide (pp. 1-111). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

The Importance of Academic Vocabulary with Struggling Readers

Secondary students often struggle with content area reading because of a “slump” that occurs around the fourth grade. While secondary teachers cannot monitor everything that happens around this time, they can provide strategies for combating this slump and increasing the confidence of struggling readers. Some of these strategies include: activating prior knowledge, questioning, creating mental images and summarizing (Session 3 PowerPoint, Gritter). For a math classroom, constantly defining and reviewing academic vocabulary are going to be key strategies for me to include on a daily basis both for my struggling readers and for my grade level and beyond readers (Daniels & Zemelman, 2014). Tier 1 and tier 2 vocabulary will tend to be the dominant focus in my classroom as common, everyday words and words that span across various disciplines will be the most beneficial for struggling readers in the long run. Boosting their vocabulary a few words at a time, a “slow and steady” approach, will glean the highest results in improving their reading skills. Lastly, I want to incorporate content area reading and investigation that goes beyond just my lessons, textbook chapters and word problems. This may take longer to incorporate, as I will have to be creative in where I look for math based reading, but it will be a welcomed challenge to be able to really apply our classroom topics to the real world while boosting the reading level of my students.

Daniels, H. & Zemelman, S. (2014). Subjects matter: Exceeding standards through powerful content area reading, second edition. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Textbooks

Since textbooks were introduced into American classrooms, they have been the main focus and source of information for our classes. Using only one resource provides a one sided and narrow view of the world. I may not face this specific issue on a daily basis in my secondary math classes but an issue I will face is combating the specific type of thinking that textbooks fosters throughout the year. Each text has it’s own outline and structure, which funnels students into this “one way” mindset for solving problems. We need to allow students to glean “specific practical thinking strategies that help [them] to dig meaning out of a document in any content field” (Daniels & Zemelman, 2014, p.4). As a math teacher, I constantly want to be incorporating other content areas into my lessons so as to create real world connections for my students. While textbooks try to provide these connections, I would prefer to utilize other sources such as newspaper or scientific articles, literary texts and technology. Allowing students to find our math topics in their everyday lives will increase retention rates and help them draw deeper connections to the material.

Daniels, H. & Zemelman, S. (2014). Subjects matter: Exceeding standards through powerful content area reading, second edition. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.