New Strategy!
Application Cards = A constructivist approach centered on activities which involve learning which proceeds from more basic ideas to more complex. The expected products generated by the students are determined by the teacher.
Today in math we talked about application. Why do we need to
know how to subtract? Why do you need to know what a cup, pint, and quart are?
At first the kids answered that they needed to know these things to get good
grades and to get an E on their tests. I was so disappointed to hear these
responses. We then had a deep discussion about WHY we go to school and WHY we
need to grow and learn. We talked about the importance of reading and math
skills. The kids brainstormed how they will use these skills outside of our
school building. To get all kids involved with this strategy, I had each
student get a white board to explain their reasons through drawing or writing.
This is a great strategy! My students had to apply their knowledge to the real
world. I need to use this strategy frequently.
It is a MUST that our kids know WHY they being taught certain concepts.
Here are a couple short videos of my students using the
application strategy.
Nikki,
ReplyDeleteI really like how discussed with your students the importance of learning subtraction and why and where they could apply it in real life. I think it increases motivation and engagement for students in any grade level. I also like how you used the whiteboards and gave the students an option to draw or write about their thoughts. Great idea! I will keep this strategy in mind for my sixth graders. :)
I love your article about application AND, even better, the short videos of your students. I was very inspired. It is so important for students to know how it all fits into the real world. Thanks for taking the time to submit all that. I also want to learn how to embed videos - very cool!
ReplyDeleteNikki,
ReplyDeleteIt was great meeting you at the conference in April. I really enjoyed reading about how you are motivating your students to start thinking about the real-world applications of what they are learning. Drawing and writing about the real-world applications seems to help them internalize their learning. Thanks for the videos- it's fun to see your students in action.
Your experience reminded me of interviews I did with my students on the importance of math share and reflection at the end of math workshop. Initially, their answers to "Why do we share our learning at the end of math?" typically centered around showing me that they had done their work or that they completed the assignment. However, after weeks of implementing my active learning strategies, including a meaningful math reflection, they began to understand that the math share was to share ideas/learning with others and to help them internalize what they had learned that day.
I'm excited to read more about what you are doing in your classroom and plan to do next year.
Steph
Hi Steph! It was nice to meet you in April! I went to a session at the spring conference where she talked about math reflection. This teacher had her kids "math share" as a part of her math daily 5. I like to hear how important that is, because I would like to try it next year. Thanks!
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