Week+8+-+Collecting,+organizing,+and+understanding+data

=Week 8 Thoughts and Reflections= Well, our class was close to the completion of your week between observation and the practicum proper and it was fantastic to hear that so many of you have already made a friendly connection with your associate teachers and the students in the class. It was also wonderful to see how much confidence you exuded. I know from experience that practicum is a stressful time for many reasons, but I was really happy to see you looking forward to what for some of you is your first teaching challenge. I wish you all the very best for the next month and please let me know if there is anything I can assist you with.

Now, to class 8.


 * Hailstone Numbers**: I hope you found the exercise engaging and the results interesting. I truly believe that mathematics can be a source of wonder that can help to develop in our students a more positive attitude and disposition to the subject. We saw, for instance, in the "Miss Tolliver" video back in the first class how the students in her class looked forward to her lessons and naturally, we concentrated on the motivation from an empathetic, caring teacher and her "moves". We also looked at her problem solving and questioning strategies and the way in which she created an engaging yet respectful community of learners in the classroom. However, and I hope the Hailstone Numbers and the Square in the Squares image on the website are examples of this, we didn't spend much time on the beauty and wonder of the mathematics itself - something that regrettably is often absent from the classroom.


 * Activity Stations:** Once again, two well crafted and engaging activities - thanks to Kirsten, Maheer, Shiela and Steven - to complete the 15 that we shared. Again, I urge you to submit the activities to the website or Wiki for your classmates to share. Remember, they've all been field tested!


 * Stats Canada - Census at Schools**: Yves sent me the class EXCEL spreadsheet of the class that now contains 23 data sets.This was a great activity although it would be wise to allocate far more time for the data collection and entry than we planned. Nevertheless, I heard from many of you that this could and would be a valuable activity for your class. It's also neat to hear that Yves has created data sets and questions that may promote thinking about mathematics instruction from a position of equity and social justice perspective (just like we discussed in week 2 or 3) and helping our students to "read and write the world" with mathematics. I've also added the links that Yves gave us to different areas and activities on the Stats Can website.

__Problem Sets__: One from any of the 4 problem sets with fully worked solutions with solid connections to the curriculum grade/strand expectation __Math Narrative #2__: Thoughts and reflections about mathematics, its teaching and learning, and of students as learners __since__ you started your B Ed. course, including your other math course, your assignments, your practicum and of course, this course and your colleagues. __Activity with Curriculum Connection__: Full writeup of the activity with well reasoned connections to the curriculum and the mathematical concepts upon which students would be building on in prior grades. In other words, position the activity in the continuum of the curriculum. __Lesson Plan:__ Take any activity and build a full lesson around it. Include your rationale for the development of the lesson, its fit to curriculum expectation(s), how you hook the students, how you develop the activity, how you consolidate the learning, how you accommodate different learning styles and differentiate instruction for the students in your class, etc.
 * Assignments:** I'm sure that this is not where your head is right now, but please don't forget to start handing these in... I have yet to have **anyone** submit one of the four Problem Sets or the Math Trek. While it is not due for a month, prudent planning now may avoid more stress later when you are taking on more teaching responsibilities. I shall use this space to answer any questions that may be relevant to the whole class.

Anyway, best of luck to you all...

... Adrian