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Reflection on PracticePCMI 2008

Nicole BannisterUniversity of Washington

nbannis@u.washington.edu

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Day 1: Mon 7/7/08

Essential Questions: • What does it mean to teach? • How do you know?

Agenda At-A-Glance• Math & Teaching Inventory• Discussion of “Secret Garden of Teacher

Education” using Final Word Protocol• Summary & short HW assignment

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Day 2: Tue 7/8/08

Essential Questions: • What does it mean to teach? • How do you know?• What does it mean to productively observe

and discuss teaching?Agenda At-A-Glance• Continue “What does it mean to teach? How

do you know” discussion• Discussion and reflection activity related to

the “Descriptive Observation” HW assignment• Summary

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Day 3: Wed 7/9/08

Essential Questions: • What does it mean to productively observe

and discuss teaching?

Agenda At-A-Glance• Wrap-up from yesterday• Mini “video club”: do math, watch video,

discussion• Summary & Connection to EQs

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Synthesizing Your Thoughts

• What you recorded: feelings, physical actions and descriptions, occupation, social position, location, environment, conversation quotes,diagram of physical space

• Observing without a focus is hard! :D• When drawing conclusions: use “seems to be…”

or ask a question. What you choose to report in “the story” necessarily frames what your audience learns. Simply avoid inferences and conclusions as much as possible.

• Sorting out the “contradictory” statements: what about balance? Do we have to agree?

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The Border Problem

• What are the mathematical goals of this lesson?

• In what ways did the teacher foster student engagement in the mathematical goals? Record evidence from the video.

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Exit Ticket

• RE: Border Problem Discussion This is where we are right now…

• RE: Reflection on Practice sessionWe want to keep thinking and talking

about…

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Day 4: Thu 7/10/08

Essential Questions: • What does it mean to productively observe

and discuss teaching? And why would we want to?

Agenda At-A-Glance• Continue “Border Problem” video discussion• Mini “video club”• Wrap-up• HW: Read “The Inherent Interdependence of

Teachers”

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To Timbuktu by Equation

• What are the mathematical goals of this lesson?

• In what ways did the teacher foster student engagement in the mathematical goals? Record evidence from the video.

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Day 5: Fri 7/11/08*

Essential Questions: • What does it mean to productively observe and

discuss teaching? • What are the benefits of observing and

discussing what goes on inside our classrooms?

Agenda At-A-Glance• Finish “To Timbuktu by Equation” video &

debriefing• Discuss article -- connect to EQs• Summary discussions & Connection to EQs

* Free slurpie day at 7-11!

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To Timbuktu by Equation

Picking up where we left off…• Scene 1: Students decided that Cousin Faisel’s

profit equation was: (0.5C+0.25M+0.1W+0.05K)/NP

• Scene 2: Ayub successfully explained the group’s response for #1. However, the group was stumped when I asked them what each brother’s profit would be IF their group’s caravan would need 4 camels for a 3-day journey. I left the group and told them to call me back when they were ready…

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What you had to say…

Comments related to our observation lens:• “At the end she gave another related problem which gives

everyone a chance to re-engage even if they had not come up with a unique method…”

• “The teacher gave students ownership of their methods…”• “The teacher created an environment where students

weren’t afraid to be wrong…”• “Allowed everyone a chance to think and then everyone

had hand up, then called on someone, not just first one…” • “That’s something else she did in the video too: ‘Does

anyone else have a different way?’ Then she asked how many wanted to say that last way and a bunch of hands went down.”

• “Teacher addressed speed of faster learners (‘hands down’) openly and directly

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What you had to say…

“Really?” Maybe leave it…• “Her beginning question was too

leading…”• Well, in my classroom I do it this way…

(followed by long tangential personal story)

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Weekly Synthesis

1. What does it mean to teach? How do you know?

2. What does it mean to productively observe and discuss teaching?

3. What are the benefits of observing and discussing what goes on inside our classrooms?