Our Year 3 and 4 students have been working together in Maths. We have been thinking about our strengths in Maths.
These are our Mathematical Superheroes/ Avatars displayed in Māhutonga
We have been thinking about our Mathematical Superpowers so that we can build our Community of Inquiry. We all have different strengths in Maths. If we collaborate and use our different strengths then we are stronger! We have created our own Maths Justification League...
The Justice League have their individual strengths: Together they are stronger!
On Friday we worked with the Year 4 students from Māhutonga.
We are learning about the properties of a square and problem solving together. We explored the concept of “squareness.” We know that a square has 4 equal sides and 4 right angles.
We asked: How many squares can you find that have dots from this array as their corners?
This week some of us have been measuring the perimeter and area of shapes. We have been learning how to use maths strategies to add all the different measurements.
We learned about measuring using blocks to count the area inside the shape and then designed some block people.
We are now using different maths strategies like repeated addition and multiplication to work out the measurements.
During the holiday break we ran a workshop on Number Talks. This was attended by 30 teachers and principals from 10 schools as well as Maths advisors from the Wellington region. We wanted to share what we have been doing at Worser Bay because it has a big impact on student engagement and achievement.
What does developing a Mathematical Community of Inquiry mean to us?
Mathematics is a creative and challenging real world activity.
Positive beliefs about mathematical ability are essential.
Maths has to be visual and collaborative; with time and strategies to investigate, discuss, explore concepts and reflect.
At Worser Bay School, we have been inspired by the work of Jo Boaler who is a professor at Stanford University. She provides resources and ideas to help students get excited about Maths.
"You have probably heard people say they are just bad at math, or perhaps you yourself feel like you are not “a math person.” Not so, says Stanford mathematics education professor Jo Boaler, who shares the brain research showing that with the right teaching and messages, we can all be good at math. Not only that, our brains operate differently when we believe in ourselves. Boaler gives hope to the the mathematically fearful or challenged, shows a pathway to success, and brings into question the very basics of how our teachers approach what should be a rewarding experience for all children and adults."
For a Number Talk to be successful, students need to be respectful in discussion. We have co-constructed (with our students) the rights and responsibilities for discussion in a Number Talk.
We have been using statistics to find our favourite animals and also to find out how much plastic we bring to school.
Our favourite birds:
How much plastic is in our lunch boxes:
The link is that many animals are getting sick from all our plastic rubbish. We have been writing about what we think about it. The green highlighter means that we are checking our writing and using our writing goals:
Some students in Matariki and Mahutonga were so inspired by their Maths learning that they ran a workshop on 3D shapes with Tautoru kids.
Megan: We taught year 1s, 2s and 3s to make a cube tower. They did it really well. They persevered a lot. It felt weird to see how tricky it was for them but it was cool when they finally worked it out. It made me feel good that I could help other people and give back to the school.
Ruby: The kids were really nice and did their best! I had to use perseverance and kindness. Sometimes the kids (and sometimes me) found it challenging. It can be quite hard to explain. I had to use courage because it can be nerve wracking. I thought that they might not listen. It was fun and would love to do it again. It is good to help others to try new things.
In Week 9, Term 3, we had the Parent Workshop on Maths Learning. As I said, we are very proud of our Maths academic results. In 2017 a colossal 86% of our children were at, exceeding or well exceeding curriculum expectations in Maths for their year level. And we are tough on our judgments, as the reviewers from the Education Review Office noted in their feedback to us! But that doesn't mean we rest easy. We have never known so much about how students learn - thank you to the inventors of MRI scanning technology.
All of our teachers are undertaking Maths professional development through Stanford University - focussed on the latest research and thinking in Maths education as to where and how you get the biggest shifts in achievement. The Board recognises the importance of ongoing teacher development and, as a consequence, Nicola was awarded a study grant this year, yes - you guessed it - focussed on Maths. Nicola and Ximena have also been selected to present at the largest national educators' conference ULearn these upcoming holidays, which we are really proud of. (And their session is booked out!)
So we were very excited to have the opportunity to share our ongoing learning and thinking with many of you last week. We started with a little activity - asking parents to simply answer this question:
BEFORE: What did Maths mean to you at school? (3 words)
Then at the end of the interactive workshops we asked this question:
AFTER: What does Maths learning look like for kids at WBS? (3 words)
Please find the first and second Word Cloud results below:
This was really great and informative feedback for us, and I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up on a screen in Auckland at ULearn sometime soon as part of a presentation!
If you couldn't make it, you may find this Jo Boaler Ted Talk interesting. Or What our Children Think.
One of the ways to make maths visual so we can see how we are grouping numbers is to use a number line. Number lines can help us check when we are starting to add numbers in different ways.
Some of Tautoru have been using number lines to explain how we have added different groups of native animals and plants, trying to make tidy tens or use tens and ones separately. We can then link some of the learning we have been doing in our inquiry to our maths problems. Maths is everywhere!
Here are some of our first tries with number lines.
Sometimes we didn't get them correct the first time but we went back and tried to find where the errors were. We know that mistakes are part of learning!
Every year we have some time to work in our new spaces with other people that we will be collaborating with. We call this "Transition!" Last Friday, our Year 4 and 5 students took the Year 3 students around the space so that they will be familiar with the layout. We had to think like architects and draw a plan of the space.
We would like to invite parents to our transition time this Friday!
Transition across Spaces - Friday 24 November, 9.30 to 10am - ALL WELCOME
Come along to Karakia, have a cuppa and then at 9.30-ish you can pop along to your child's new space for 2018. The thinking was to especially provide an opportunity for parents of Autahi children moving to Tautoru and parents of Tautoru children moving to Mahutonga/Matariki to chat with teachers and see their children in their new spot. It's not exclusive, however, as it's also a great chance to meet different parents who have children already in that space. SO ALL WELCOME! The more the merrier really. Come and get familiar in your 2018 environment!
BYOD Question and answer meeting:Friday 24 November - 10am in staffroom
Our Chromebooks and iPads have led to incredible opportunities for our students over the last few years. The school has increased technology by around 50% in the last three years which has been so fortunate. Our learners to be connected more and more. So, we need to keep the BYOD growing in order to keep our students connected to all of the new, exciting learning possibilities.
Senior students at Worser Bay School are able to bring a digital device to school to assist their learning. This is not compulsory but we would like to encourage people who are able, to get on board.
Worser Bay School uses technology as one way of enhancing our mission to teach the skills, knowledge and behaviours students will need as responsible citizens in the global community. Students learn collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking in a variety of ways throughout the school day.
Worser Bay School strives to provide appropriate and adequate technology to support learning. The use of personal devices by students is optional, and students who do not participate in BYOD will be be able to use chromebooks provided by the school.
An important component of BYOD is education about appropriate online behaviours. We will review cyber-safety rules with students frequently throughout the course of the school year and will offer reminders and reinforcement about safe online behaviours. In addition to the rules outlined in these guidelines, students will be expected to comply with all class and school rules while using personal devices. The use of technology is not a necessity but a privilege. When abused, privileges will be taken away.
If you are interested in purchasing a device before the start of school, we have provided some guidance below. If you have any questions before the end of the term, please see or email Nicola or John: nstevenson@worserbay.school.nz, or johnmcdougall@worserbay.school.nz
Students can use their devices throughout the day for collaborative learning, web-based research and applications, including creating documents and presentations.
What students say:
We asked students “How does BYOD help you with your learning?”
“It helps me with my learning because it is easier to sign in. Google Docs help because you can type whatever you want and carry on at home if you want.”
“I think it gives you more freedom with what you can do or can’t do. It helps that you don’t have the pressure to find a computer when you need it. You can definitely use it to learn at home too. You can go on Maths links or keep going with writing docs.”
“Sometimes if you have your own device you can use it when you want. I like to use devices for typing because it is easier for me to get the ideas down.”
