TO Day: DMIC 20/5/19

The link to Emily and Kelly's presentation today.
Discourse Moves That Work
Addressing Status Issues Through Lesson Design
Promoting Relational Equity
Use the framework to reflect...
Bobbi Hunter's framework: currently Bobbi is rewriting and reforming. Impt to reflect back in order to focus on the practices - teachers need to name and frame some of these practices explicitly:

• representation (materials layout)
• justifying thinking
• understanding
• generalisation
• making connections
• developing a mathematical explanation
• using mathematical language
• making a claim

This is all laid out in DMIC session 1! These practices need to be named and praised so that our children use them more and more, and quite naturally.

How to deepen the mathematical explanations and what would these look like in a junior classroom?

• writing it and using materials as an explanation
• reinforce what makes it mathematical - always referring back to the context (the more we do this, the more likely the ch'n will use that language at sharing time)
• reinforce in multiple ways - support children to make connections all the time

The next part is REALLY important:

prewarning the children and getting them to practise what they're going to share - looking at what they've done and why they've done it.

So 15 minutes for problem solving time, during which you select those who will share. This is where you ask: "What did you do first? Let's make this really explicit on your page." Group accountability. The more time groups have to prepare, the better. Any member of that group should be able to take over during the explanation at any time. In maths it's your responsibility to make sure you understand, and to be able to explain.

This comes down to class culture. This is what we expect at maths time. Keep focussing on developing that class culture. 

Raising expectations - for those on the mat... "pause - are there any questions on the mat? There are no questions so I'm assuming that everyone understands." Turn and talk and together come up with a question you could ask at this point. Noone gets to sit there and simply watch. Sharing back is most impt - this is a time when everyone is learning a new or different way to do things. Anyone can at any time call out "Pause - I don't understand."

In maths I'm going to ask a question because it's all about how much I understand. This is the way we do things (and these skills do transfer into other learning areas too).

Developing representing:

and making connections - how can you make sense of this for yourself? A child might say I don't understand - could you draw a picture? 

If a child uses 'because' praise, because this means that they're justifying. And name it, as justification.

Representation is absolutely vital. See the list of ways to represent: acting it out, drawing a picture, creating a diagram, visualising, making a model, using symbols, verbalising by putting into words...

* Challenge R. to do it in one way, and then in another way (see list above).

See the tivaevae example - representing in different ways (3 very different ways) then the tchr would have asked them to see the connections between the different ways.

Use the context always - refer back to what the number refers to (e.g., "You said 5, but 5 what?).

New slideshow - DMIC 5:

Looking at Level 1 of the curric.

Modelling (representing) the actions and relations in problems:

We want the children to be doing 80% of the talking and the tchr 20%.

Measurement/division is where you have a total number and divide it into groups of...

Partitive division is where we know how many groups there are, but need to work out how many in each group.

The way that you word a problem influences the strategy which students will use. You want to word the problem so that you open it up, in order that children can use a variety of strategies to solve it.

Addition and subtraction: problem types

Join:

• 3+4=?
• 3+?=7
• ?+4=7 (start unknown)

Separate:

• 12-7=?
• 12-?=5 
• ?-5=7

Part-part-whole problems:

- involves a static relationship, eg, boys plus girls = how many children?

Part unknown, eg all children = 7 boys + ? girls

Own example: There were 15 pets in the pet shop. 9 were puppies. The rest were kittens. How many kittens were there in the pet shop?

Compare problems:

- involve relationship between quantities

Difference unknown: the mice example, Mark has 8 mice, Joy has ? more. How many mice does Joy have?

Referent unknown: Joy has 12 mice, which is 4 more than Mark. How many mice does Mark have?

Solution problems:

• joining all
• joining to
• separating from
• separating to
• comparing

Recorded representations:

- teachers of NEs might need to get down and actually do the recording/mathematically record for them. Say, 'Next time, I want you to do the writing.'

Modelling books mean you have the record of learning. Always represent on whiteboards or in books.

Explicitly ask them to write it down. "Do you know how to write that number?" "Yes." "Do you know how to write that down (e.g., subtraction symbol)?" "No." So write it for them. "How many did you take away? Write it down."

Important not to get down and take over though. Just a quick "This is how you write that."

Counting strategies:

• counting on from first
• counting on from larger (fingers are used differently from direct modelling)
• counting on to
• counting down
• counting down to

Number Fact strategies:

• Bobbi says it takes students 7 times to memorise a word, and so similarly with number facts
• build number facts from Day 1 at school
• get children to decompose and recompose numbers to 10
• look at patterns and notice (R. with the larger numbers); expose children to this with your 'connect' at the end, e.g., 9 + 7 = so, 29 + 7 = ?
• note link to Pam Harris routines which build up these relationships (eg, I have, you need...); great game: play for the first 2 days of each week and then start to write up. What do you notice?

Multiplication and division:

• equal groups: multiplication 6 x 4
• 24 into 4 groups: division partitive
• 24 into bags of 6 each: measurement division

Remember it's not about the answer, it's about the journey. Asking, justifying, explaining, etc.

*R. - justification - can you prove? why is that so? can you show us all? explain your thinking? You know that and you understand - now prove it!

*Spend a couple of weeks on each big idea - add to LTP.

How do we think about all of this as teachers - deficit thinking or high expectations? Challenge the children because they can all do it - it's not about the answer it's about the diff ways we solve the problem.

When sequencing always finish with reference to a higher level, e.g., include mention of left overs in division. Esp with NEs, ensure that there are always leftovers - this is reality!

Own multiplication problem:

• S. bought 3 rabbits from the pet shop. Each rabbit had 7 babies. How many baby rabbits were there altogether?

Own measurement division:

• There were 21 baby rabbits. How many rabbits could S., L. and F. have each, if it's fair and they all had the same number?

Own partitive division problem:

• There 21 rabbits and each boy had 7 rabbits. How many boys?!?!?!?

Helping students to clarify their thinking and the thinking of others:

• Stop and jot - what others ways could you do this? Use this during the connect.

Talk moves that help students orient to the thinking of others:

• because you know your students, you name the students who you want to answer
• at the connect at the end you might ask for hands up - who would like to revoice, etc.
• so many amazing examples here of talk moves which help? e.g., does that make sense to you? Why does that make sense to you? If someone says I don't know? You then ask, "So what could you ask to help you understand?" Important to empower children so that they know that they're responsible for their own learning.

Anticipate: predict all the different ways that students might solve the problem and all the different misconceptions

Select according to the big idea and then sequence them. Give the children prewarning. Practise what you're going to say.

Sometimes the best teaching moments come out of mistakes. the culture of risk taking. Tell the group that you want to challenge the others to see if they notice. Who is actively listening and who is switched off.

Then always link back to the big idea.

Really want to see MEANINGFUL connections - take it to the next level.

Our thoughtful planning is essential - what do you want the children to leave knowing? Use talk moves to really drum it in!

Privilege: 

Some children are achieving because the system is privileging them.

But what is 'the system'?

• home?
• education system?
• classroom culture?

Complex issue - see the quote from the Samoan boy. Remember to celebrate each child's culture - this is really important.

The basis of DMIC - Bobbi started this with Pasifika kids. DMIC started with Pasifika values - it is all about whānau values/family, a supportive, group approach.

Motivational Discourse.

Raising Participation: we want to see everyone in groups participating on an even level.

Emphasis on effort over ability.

This is a continual message - and please note that you won't see results in a flash.

What is Assigned Competence? It's about counteracting beliefs about the capabilities of a particular student.

Make sure you:

• describe a specific thing done by a student (this is ambitious pedagogy - takes time) this means that peers start to view a student on an equal level
• state how something is a smart thing
• make it public, make it loud, make it clear (be cautious about not making it the same students every day)

Status is about how students view themselves and how other students view them.

Where does this leave us with ability (or CAPABILITY) grouping. Go for mixed capability grouping.

Can you assign status to high ability? This is only reinforced if speed at computation is emphasised.

Switch the groupings around - this avoids reliance on particular students, avoids reinforcing status - we need to take anxiety, learning challenges, and so much more into account. Ideally it would be random groupings changing daily.

Teacher Actions: lots of listening and tuning in by the teacher. Notice, notice, notice.

Intellectual Contributions: This is all about why. Why did you do that? Why did it work? Group accountability - your whole group will be reporting back, so everyone needs to be prepared.

In some classrooms, the teachers number the steps for sharing back and assign steps to particular children... it's great to see that if there's one child who doesn't get it, this child is supported quietly by group members, so that he/she can at least provide part of the explanation.

The 'dream' sharing time would have the teacher calling 'pause' at any time and asking another child to step in and take over.

Status problems:

If there is a child who is refusing to participate, go to the group and quietly have a word with them on the side, explaining that it's the group's responsibility to encourage engagement by the one child who is disengaged or refusing to participate. What can they do to engage and encourage?

With NEs:

• DMIC whole class daily: the teacher is able to tune into the class better.
• don't worry that their learning doesn't seem as broad
• what actually makes a great mathematician? challenge yourself to rethink; what do they actually need to know at Level 1 - surprise!
• what information is there for parents? the facilitators can do parent evenings - what a great idea!! Newsletters, information packs, but nothing from Bobbi particularly for parents
• We need to change the way we have conversations with parents.

Think about over and under participation. Reinforce with the ch'n that it's a group issue. Think about your participation as a teacher. Teacher lust!!

Reflect and record, thinking about participation and status within the groups:

• I'm going to be more clear/explicit about labelling publicly the input that children like C., S., and D. make
• Should we undo our groupings and stick with home groups?
• Do we change the pairings as we go?
• Which books will we use for recording? Pairings last for a week; alternate whose book is used for recording.
• I'm going to be specific about partner responsibility and individual responsibility. Who is responsible for your learning? What are some of the questions you might ask? Make a list and create a chart.