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Goal

To help students work together in small groups to help them better understand the material and to better understand how to tackle problems thus improve their "thinking skills."  

 

Category

Class Furniture - Carpets, choral risers, transitional seating/desks, etc. 

 

What will be done with my students

I have been using any board space whether whiteboard or chalk board and have been having students complete problem sets from small pieces of colored paper...mild, medium, chili pepper, and ghost pepper. These sets encourage students to coach each other through gradually increasing math problems in a collaborative manner. We usually incorporate this learning method 2-3 times per week in the Math for College Algebra and Math for College Liberal Arts. I post a "bubble key" so students can try the problem and then check their answers. It encourages mastery of each level and upward movement to more challenging problems. I currently have a class with 36 students and do not have enough boards or materials. I need white boards to replace the chalk boards as well so that each student can have a different colored marker. This will help us better see that each and every student is participating and working through problems together.
This Thinking Classroom strategy works well with ESE students as well as other students because it allows more individualized attention. I currently have ESE support in three of my classes. Ms. Spencer and Ms. Begnoche are excellent teachers. This strategy allows them to better assist their supported students and creates an environment where the ESE students are supported anonymously because the groups are chosen at random via category cards. The students consistently work with new small groups helping to create an atmosphere of students coaching students as well as getting more individualize attention from teacher(s). 

 

Benefits to my students

Students work in small groups to better understand the material. This allows more individualized learning and coaching from student to student as well as direct learning from teacher to small group. More students receive the help that is needed to help them "fill in the gaps" in their math skills. It definitely helps them become more independent learners and encourages engagement as well as mastery.
To better show the benefits to my MCA and MCLA mathematics students I have listed below several benchmarks for Semester 1 that the Thinking Classroom learning strategy will better help students understand. I plan to continue this strategy into Semester 2 as well.

MCA has many Benchmarks that will use this learning strategy very effectively. Listed below are a few of the Benchmarks that will be covered within the Thinking Classroom activities within the first semester of MCA:

MA.912.AR.1.2, MA.912.AR.2.5, MA.912.AR.4.2
MA.912.AR.1.2, MA.912.AR.2.4, MA.912.AR.2.5, MA.912.AR.4.4,
MA.912.AR.9.10, MA.912.F.1.2, MA.912.F.1.3, MA.912.F.1.6
MA.912.AR.9.4, MA.912.AR.9.6
MA.912.AR.1.3, MA.912.AR.1.5, MA.912.F.3.2, MA.912.NSO.1.2
MA.912.AR.3.8, MA.912.F.1.2, MA.912.AR.8.1, MA.912.AR.1.9

MCLA covers many Benchmarks as well within the first semester. The following are a few that will be covered within the Thinking Classroom Strategy:

MA.912.AR.2.5, MA.912.F.1.6
MA.912.AR.2.5, MA.912.AR.5.3, MA.912.AR.5.4, MA.912.AR.5.5, MA.912.AR.5.6,
MA.912.F.1.6, MA.912.GR.4.3
MA.912.FL.3.1, MA.912.FL.3.2, MA.912.FL.3.4
MA.912.GR.1.6, MA.912.GR.4.3, MA.912.GR.4.4, , MA.912.GR.4.5, MA.912.GR.4.6,
MA.912.T.1.2
 

 

Budget Narrative

Items are very useful and will be put into use immediately. Thank you for your support. 

 

Items