Issue 60: Sep 14, 2009 Connections Newsletter
Know the ROPES!
Debbie Cargill
Sep 14, 2009
Learning to solve problems in mathematics is about knowing what to look for. Knowing and using a process leads students to try solving problems more readily. When students are familiar with a variety of strategies for problem solving, they are more likely to choose appropriate strategies for a given situation or problem. And, as they become more proficient, they recognize the value of approaching problem solving in a systematic manner.
Standardized tests include math items which require a higher level of thinking and the use of strategies to recognize and analyze data presented to solve the problems. "Solving problems is not only a goal of learning mathematics but also a major means of doing so. Students should have frequent opportunities to formulate, grapple with and solve complex problems that require a significant amount of effort and should then be encouraged to reflect on their thinking." (NCTM)
LEARNING-FOCUSED recommends a problem solving process called ROPES. Each letter in ROPES represents a step in solving word problems:
R - Read the problem thoroughly and underline the important data.
O - Omit unnecessary data.
P - Plan, using the strategies.
E - Efficiently carry out the plan, checking as you solve.
S - Study results and check for accuracy.
Once learned, this structure will give students an effective way to approach problem solving, examine information, and organize data. "Effective problem solvers constantly monitor and adjust what they are doing..." (NCTM)
Additionally, problem solvers need specific strategies to make sense of situations. Early on, students learn to explore and build concepts in mathematics through the use of manipulatives, patterns, drawing pictures, etc. As they mature and become more proficient at solving problems, they develop their own toolbox of strategies for mathematics. "Different strategies are necessary as students experience a wider variety of problems... Strategies are learned over time, are applied in particular contexts, and become more refined, elaborate, and flexible as they are used in increasingly complex problem situations." (NCTM)
Both a problem solving process and problem solving strategies shou! ld be ta ught directly and explicitly so that students internalize and make them a part of their own repertoire or mathematics toolbox. Initially, the teacher models the process and the "thinking about" appropriate strategies to choose. The ultimate goal is that students will use the process and select a strategy for multiple and diverse situations.
View the LEARNING-FOCUSED Math Instruction Collection by clicking here.
The Power of Feedback
Jennifer Partrick
Sep 14, 2009
Not giving our students feedback is a missed opportunity to help them grow. When students' work is returned without comments or an opportunity for conversation with a teacher, the student only knows what questions they got correct or what they got wrong. What students need to know is, why they got it right or wrong and what to do next if they are to improve. What then are some advantages of giving feedback?
It is not just a grade: When teachers give feedback (notes or conversation) they are sending a clear message to students that their learning is more than a grade. The teach er is saying that he/she is aware of what the students know and what they do not know and is giving support in order for them to grow.
How to improve: Students need to know what and why they made mistakes. Was it faulty thinking, failure to include information, failure to read the assignment clearly, not knowing the information, etc.? When students know where they made mistakes and possible reasons for why they made mistakes, they then have a clear path towards fixing the mistakes and ultimate growth.
Self-monitoring: When students receive feedback it helps them self-monitor. They know where they are and what they have to do to get a better grade, and more importantly, to understand the material.
Motivation: Knowing how to fix mistakes creates motivation. As students repair mistakes and learn, they become motivated to do better. As they grow they feel better about what they are learning and are motivated to do better the next time. They understand what they nee! d to do in order to grow.
You care: Taking time to give feedback shows that you care. You care enough to write a note or have a conversation that helps the student improve. Good relationships between teacher and students are critical for learning.
Strengths and challenges: Students need to know what they are doing well and where they are challenged. Most importantly, students need to know what they can do to get better. They need to know how to optimize their strengths and overcome their weaknesses.
Planning: Teachers are able to plan for instruction once they can articulate what their students know and do not know. Perhaps some students should be grouped for remediation, or some should be grouped based on pairing strong students with students who need support, or more time should be spent working on a specific body of information.
Teachers know their students: Each time teachers give feedback, th ey are getting to know their students better. Knowing your students improves relationships and supports how you instruct in order to help all of your students, because you know what each student needs.
Assignments: Knowing your students can support how you differentiate assignments. Teachers truly learn how their students think, what they know well, their strengths and weaknesses, and their affinities. Having access to this information helps teachers design assignments that support how their students learn.
Giving feedback is a critical part of instruction if teachers want their students to learn. It does not have to be long or in-depth. It simply needs to be straightforward, easy to understand, and give the students sufficient information in order to repair the problem or to do better next time.
Follow this link to view the LEARNING-FOCUSED Assessments Collection.
What Are the Solutions for Education Myopia?
Barbara McSwain
Sep 14, 2009
In the March 9, 2009 Policy Brief for Alliance for Excellent Education the following excerpt appeared in an article entitled Short Sighted: How America's Lack of Attention to International Education Studies Impedes Improvement: "Imagine a teacher who, thirty years ago, was considered the role model for all educators in her school. Drawn by her engaging teaching style and high student outcomes, many new teachers made observing her classroom their first stop. As the decades passed, however, both teaching conditions and techniques changed. The student population presented additional challenges as well as educational needs. Rapidly advancing technology and rising education standards required that teachers constantly adapt and improve their instructional practices to engage and successfully educate their students." The article continues and describes someone who, for whatever reason, is not willing to collaborate with fellow teachers and unwilling to learn new techniques and practices. The writer states, "Teaching as he/she has always done, he/she shuts his/her door and ignores opportunities to learn, even though his/her students perform poorly on math and reading tests while other teachers work hard to get better results. Clearly, this teacher's current and future students will suffer from his/her apathy; their learning will stagnate and th ey will fall behind peers with whom they must someday compete for college admission and jobs. Who could doubt that his/her educational myopia is selfish and short-sighted? "
The article questions, "Does this sound like an unrealistic scenario?" It is always difficult to change, to learn something new. However, time after time, I have heard teachers repeat what Crystal, an elementary teacher told me years ago in a LEARNING-FOCUSED Conferencing visit, "I would never go back to teaching the way that I once did. My students are so much more engaged. I love coming to work now! I never believed that this school could make AYP, but we are now doing just that every year!"
Although the article is focusing on a veteran teacher, it could have been a teacher fairly new to the profession, who, for whatever reason, was poorly trained in researched based strategies but is not open to learning more appropriate techniques and practices. At first glance, one may reflect on attitudes and behavior that takes place each year within the school building regarding professional development and implementation. LEARNING-FOCUSED emphasizes that it is not the training, but what teachers/administrators do with it following the workshop. Data time and time again shows situations where workshop participants have been trained by the same trainer, received the same materials, but one school is successful, while another never gets beyond the implementation phase. What is your school's or your classroom's accountability for implementation? What goals do you have this year for your students? For yourself? For your school? Are we ready to compete on behalf of our students? As consultants, administrators, and teachers, what are our responsibilities to those students who are not learning? Will they be able to earn a living or gain admission to college in a competitive market?
The United States' once superior school system has lost its competitive edge, not because its education outcomes are declining, but because as U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan noted in his Senate confirmation hearing, "The United States is not advancing as fast as others."
The OECD is a highly respected membership organization financed by thirty industrialized democracies. These thirty member nations, together with additional partner countries and economies that take part in the PISA assessment, make up almost 90 percent of the world‘s economy (*Policy Brief, Alliance for Excellence in Education, March 2009).
The March 9th Policy Brief continues:
"In the early 1960s, the United States produced the highest high school completion rates among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)* member nations, but by 2005 it slipped to eighteenth out of twenty-three OECD member nations with available data. In only ten years, 1995 to 2005, the nation‘s college graduation rate slipped from second to fifteenth among OECD member nations with available data.
While others are "whining" about their demographic and behavior changes in students, I recently received an email from Joel McGuire, principal of Lake Region Sr. High School in Polk County, Florida, regarding test scores. Lake Region is quietly going about the business of making changes to increase student achievement. They began implementing LEARNING-FOCUSED in 2007. Remember, change is a process and does not occur overnight. "LFS is working!!" writes McGuire. Max Thompson, founder of LEARNING-FOCUSED stated at the 2009 National Conference in Atlanta, "It takes 3-5 years to successfully implement LEARNING-FOCUSED."
Lake Region Sr. High students at or above grade level in Reading 2004-2009:
Lake Region Sr. High students at or above grade level in Math 2004-2009:
How do we cure this myopia? First, we must replace it with a sense of urgency. We must recognize now that the demand for skills has increased. This is related not only to the global economy, but technology. All jobs now are requiring some level of expertise in the use of technology. In the past, blue collar workers certainly needed manual dexterity, but now they also need the ability to problem solve, communicate and innovate quickly in a complex environment. If our classrooms look and work like they did 30 years ago, even 10 to 20 years ago, how does that match today's market place? Second, we must implement research based practices and systematically monitor for consistent and pervasive use. Finally, we must believe in ourselves and our abilities to do what needs to be done in a timely manner for the benefit of our students, our school/district and our country. Only then, will we be able to answer positively when another article poses the question, "How will future generations rate the current education myopia?"
There are schools that have created this sense of urgency and are making progress. To arrange a visit to these sites or to schedule workshops contact Client Services at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 866-95-LEARN.
