Kay Toliver - Math Lessons

Green Thumbs  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovwL50FtvHQ&feature=related

  

The Tinkertoy Derby 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNfwZX1sRog&feature=related

 

The Eddie Files
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEQ0GpUGC0o

Teacher Talk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JKRhaYHxEE&feature=related

Math Is NOT Just For Boys!

Secretary Is Top Job for Women -- Just Like 60 Years Ago!

“Secretary” was the sort of role most common for women in 1950, when career opportunities were -- ahem -- more limited, to say the least, and only a tiny fraction of women held college degrees. And it’s still the most popular role now, despite the facts that more women earn graduate degrees than men, and women are soaring across a vast number of industries.

http://www.ivillage.com/census-says-secretary-most-popular-job-women/8-a-520344

Who can be a BAKER? Who can be a MATHEMATICIAN?

Dan Meyer: Math class needs a makeover

We need more "patient problem solvers."

Mneumonics & Raps

Larry Bell’s UNRAAVEL For Math

Underline the questions

Now predict what you think you need to do to solve the problem

Read the word problem

Are the important words circled? (especially clue words)

Apply the step(s) you chose to solve the problem

Verify the answer (is it reasonable: does it make sense?)

Eliminate wrong answers

Let the answer stay or rework the problem

Larry Bell’s UNRAAVEL For Reading

Underline the title
Now predict the passage (in one sentence)
Run through and number the paragraphs
Are you reading the questions?
Are the important words circled? (Write down their meanings.)
Venture through the passage
Eliminate wrong answers in multiple choice.
Let the questions be answered (Write the paragraph number where you found the answers.)

“Cultivating the Trust of Black Parents” by Beverly Tatum

Teachers listening to the concerns of parents

Representation of all -environment, conversations, curriculum

Understanding potential for bias

Sensitivity toward parent distrust

Talking openly and truthfully

“Teaching and Transcending Basic Skills” by Amanda Taylor

Temporary and targeted

Readiness

Assessment and acceleration

Needed to

Scaffold

Critical thinking

Expectations high!

Necessary to

Demonstrate intellectual ability

“Confronting the Racism of Low Expectations” by Julie Landsman

New way of thinking

Ongoing dialogue

Intelligence refined

Do something

Immerse in other cultures

Open and safe environment

Tell them they can do it

Success for all

Grammar Rap by Chike Akua: (This came up in the small group on Engagement)

Good communication skills are essential.

The power of the word will make you influential.

We need to know the eight parts of speech.

Master the language; go as high as you can reach.

A noun is a person place or thing;

An idea in my mind that makes me dream.

A verb is a word that always shows action;

Like divide, multiply, and do subtraction.

An adjective always describes a noun,

Like a big, red truck you can drive around.

An adverb usually end in –ly;

Clearly a verb is what it modifies.

A pronoun takes the place of a noun;

Like when she, he and they walk around.

Conjunctions connect phrases, clauses and words;

And, but, or, nor and yet haven’t you heard?

Here’s a word that’s definitely on a mission,

Let me give you some examples of a preposition:

In, on, from, to and around:

During, after, up and even down.

Now we need to learn about interjections,

A word with enthusiasm, lots of expression

Like: Stop! Go! Wait! Yes! And No!

Wow! Great! Awesome! Uh-oh!

Now that you know the eight parts of speech,

Master the language, go as high as you can reach!

Larry Bell - Strategies That Close the Achievement Gap

In a course, Strategies to Close the Achievement Gap, that my colleague, Elli Stern, and I teach, we ask participants (teachers, counselors, administrators, tutors, nurses, etc.) to get into a group and "become the expert" on an article that we have assigned for homework.  To this end, we then ask the group to construct a graphic organizer, mnemonic, or other visual aid to help "teach" the other groups about the article.

 

Larry Bell cites the importance of getting students emotionally involved. The poetry template invites sharing emotional content, for example, with the starter, "I worry about__________," personal expression and deep insight is encouraged.

Larry Bell’s multiple “fishbowl” allows every child to both be seen and to see.

Increasing communication with parents is important. Little or no parent support is a characteristic of low performing students.

Larry Bell’s UNRAAVEL For Math

Underline the questions

Now predict what you think you need to do to solve the problem

Read the word problem

Are the important words circled? (especially clue words)

Apply the step(s) you chose to solve the problem

Verify the answer (is it reasonable: does it make sense?)

Eliminate wrong answers

Let the answer stay or rework the problem

Larry Bell’s UNRAAVEL For Reading

Underline the title
Now predict the passage (in one sentence)
Run through and number the paragraphs
Are you reading the questions?
Are the important words circled? (Write down their meanings.)
Venture through the passage
Eliminate wrong answers in multiple choice.
Let the questions be answered (Write the paragraph number where you found the answers.)

Larry Bell 12 Power Words

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dguxb5VuB0Y

Slavery Examples Used In Georgia School Worksheet Upsets Parents

The danger of transforming curriculum when someone denies the impact of historical racism and isn't paying attention to "intent vs. impact."

Also, view video from Huffington Post website here:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/08/examples-of-slavery-in-school-worksheet_n_1192512.html

It's not just the word problems that are sparking criticism, but the way it's being handled. According to the AJC, district officials said the elementary school's principal will "work with teachers to come up with more appropriate lessons."

District spokesperson Sloan Roach told the station the teachers were trying to incorporate social studies lessons in math problems for a "cross-curricular activity."

Math Class Dancing to the Area of a Circle

And, if that's not enough for you, here is a song about Pi's history.  PLEASE review language to make sure it is age-appropriate for your grade level.

Culturally Relevant Teaching - from Teaching Tolerance

Culturally Relevant Teaching http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-36-fall-2009/relevant-beyond-basics: Culture is an important survival strategy that is passed down from one generation to another through the processes of enculturalization and socialization, a type of roadmap that guides and shapes behavior. If new information is not relevant to those frameworks of culture and cognition, people will never remember it. If the information is relevant, they will never forget it. <snip>

The cultural norms and behaviors of schools are based on a very specific set of mainstream assumptions. When there is a cultural mismatch or cultural incompatibility between students and their school, certain negative outcomes might occur, such as miscommunication; confrontations among the student, the teacher, and the home; hostility; alienation; diminished self-esteem; and possibly school failure.  <snip>

Teachers need to find pertinent examples in students’ experience; they need to compare and contrast new concepts with concepts students already know; they need to bridge the gap between the known (students’ personal cultural knowledge) and the unknown (materials and concepts to be mastered). <snip>

If you have a true, caring relationship with your students, you don’t have to be lucky. You will know what their interests are, what information they relate to. Even in an abstract discipline like mathematics, relationships with students matter. When you’re talking about distances, it certainly helps to be able to say, “I heard you talking about your cousin Miguel. How far do you think you go to visit him?”

Culturally relevant teachers recognize that they do not instruct culturally homogenized, generic students in generic school settings. Teachers armed with a repertoire of generic teaching skills often find themselves ineffective and ill‑prepared when faced with a classroom of culturally diverse students.

Teachers need to re-envision their roles in schools. Culturally relevant teachers are systemic reformers, members of caring communities, reflective practitioners and researchers, pedagogical content specialists and antiracist educators. <snip>

Thinking of culturally relevant teachers as action researchers extends another important component of the reflection process. Action research is inquiry conducted by teachers for teachers for the purpose of higher student achievement. Action research requires teachers to identify an area of concern, develop a plan for improvement, implement the plan, observe its effects, and reflect on the procedures and consequences.

Finally, student achievement is not the only purpose of a culturally relevant pedagogy. Culturally relevant teachers must also assist students to change the society, not simply to exist or survive in it. For some teachers, this can be very challenging. When teachers promote justice they directly confront inequities in society such as racism, sexism and classism. Far too many teachers appear to be not only colorblind, but also unable or unwilling to see, hear or speak about instances of individual or institutional racism in their personal and professional lives.

Using Photographs to Teach Social Justice: Exploring Identity

Using Photographs to Teach Social Justice:  Exploring Identity http://www.tolerance.org/activity/using-photographs-teach-social-justice-exploring-identity?newsletter=TT060711 An individual’s sense of identity is made up of many different elements. Some of those elements are individual. Statements like “I am good at math” or “I have five sisters” represent personal experiences. They help define you as a good student or as a member of a family.

Other elements of identity are related to membership in a specific group. For example, “I moved here from the Dominican Republic” means that part of your identity in the United States is as an immigrant. Another part of your identity is (likely) that Spanish is your first language. Factors such as race, gender, religion and physical ability can also form part of how you know yourself and how others know you.