Successfully Implementing High- Level Tasks

Based on work by Dr. Margaret S. Smith, University of Pittsburgh

Bag of Marbles Task

Based on work by Dr. Margaret S. Smith, University of Pittsburgh

Bag of Marbles Task

Examine the student workWere there additional strategies used by the students that were not discussed yesterdayWhich misconceptions discussed yesterday surfaced in the student workWere there additional misconceptions beyond what was discussed yesterday

Based on work by Dr. Margaret S. Smith, University of Pittsburgh

Based on work by Dr. Margaret S. Smith, University of Pittsburgh

Linking to Literature/ Research: The QUASAR ProjectThe Mathematical Tasks Framework

TASKS

as they appear in curricular/ instruction

al materials

TASKS

as set up by the

teachers

TASKS

as implemented

by students Studen

t Learning

Stein, Smith, Henningsen, & Silver, 2000, p. 4

Planning for High level Tasks

High level mathematical tasks are often challenging to implement

One way to both control teaching with high-level tasks and promote student success with them is through detailed planning prior to the lesson

Based on work by Dr. Margaret S. Smith, University of Pittsburgh

Thinking Through a Lesson: Successfully Implementing High-Level Tasks

Focus question: What are some implications for teaching and learning that the article implies? Individually look for evidence in the article and highlight at least 3 implications cited by the authors Discuss these implications at your table and create a poster of your team’s top 5 implications for teaching & learning

Based on work by Dr. Margaret S. Smith, University of Pittsburgh

During the planning phase, teachers make decisions that affect instruction dramatically. They decide what to teach, how they are going to teach, how to organize the classroom, what routines to use, and how to adapt instruction for individuals.

Fennema & Franke, 1992, p. 156

Why Lesson Planning?

Based on work by Dr. Margaret S. Smith, University of Pittsburgh

Typical Lesson Plan Format

Goals and ObjectivesMaterialsMotivationLesson ProcedureClosure

Based on work by Dr. Margaret S. Smith, University of Pittsburgh

Typical Lesson Plan Format

Goals and ObjectivesMaterialsMotivationLesson ProcedureClosure

Based on work by Dr. Margaret S. Smith, University of Pittsburgh

Typical Lesson Plan Format

Goals and ObjectivesMaterialsMotivationLesson ProcedureClosure

Based on work by Dr. Margaret S. Smith, University of Pittsburgh

The Thinking Through a Lesson Protocol

In what ways is this protocol different from other lesson protocols or formats you have used in the past?

Based on work by Dr. Margaret S. Smith, University of Pittsburgh

How is TTLP Different?

Focuses on students’ learning

Addresses ways to facilitate the learning of all students

Requires anticipating a range of solutions or solution strategies

Prompts the development of questions that will support students engagement and learning

Based on work by Dr. Margaret S. Smith, University of Pittsburgh

Background on the Thinking Through the Lesson Protocol (TTLP)

• Framework for developing lessons• Dr. Margaret Smith- University of Pittsburgh

• “As a teacher, how will you determine what your students learn and the effectiveness of your instruction?”

• Developed as a result of nearly a decade of work on QUASAR at the Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh

• “The effectiveness of a lesson depends significantly on the care with which the lesson plan is prepared.”- Brahier, 2000

So What’s The Point?

The purpose of the Thinking Through a Lesson Protocol is to prompt teachers in thinking deeply about a specific lesson that they will be teaching. The goal is to move beyond the structural components associated with lesson planning to a deeper consideration of how to advance students’ mathematical understanding during the lesson. This is not to say that structural components of a lesson are not important, but rather that a focus on structural components alone is not sufficient to ensure that students learn mathematics.

Based on work by Dr. Margaret S. Smith, University of Pittsburgh

Teacher reflection: “I may not have it sitting on my desk, going

point to point with it, but I think: What are the misconceptions? How am I going to organize work? What are my questions? Those are the three big things I think about when planning a lesson.”

Smith, Bill, Hughes- (MTMS, October 2008, p. 137)

Picking a topic

Use the SAS portal including the PA standards, core standards, and curriculum framework sections to determine a topic for focused lesson planning

The Tool

1. Selecting and Setting up a Math Task

ESTABLISHING mathematical goals for the lesson (what you want students to know and understand about mathematics as a result of the lesson)DETERMINING prior knowledge and experiences which relate to the mathematical goalsSELECTING a high-level math task to engage all students in meaningful learning of the mathematical goalsANTICIPATING solutions, misconceptions, and errors that students might develop as they struggle with the task

Based on work by Dr. Margaret S. Smith, University of Pittsburgh

Curriculum Topic Study

How would Curriculum Topic Study help in the development of part 1 of the TTLP?

Engagement in CTS

Find the guide in CTS that best links to your topicExamine the resources from section III of the study guide to better define your learning goalsDetermine the prior knowledge related to these goals by reviewing the appropriate pages from the Atlas (section V)

Engagement in CTS

Complete the left side of the organizer regarding your current knowledge of appropriate teaching strategies and student misconceptions regarding your topic

Engagement in CTS

Read the appropriate pages from the resources in sections II and IV to access the research regarding instructional implications and student learningComplete the right side of the organizer while reading the research

Selecting a task

Based on the your research, choose a task that will support students’ learning of the mathematical goals

SAS portalMaterials and resources

High level tasks on wikispacewww.teachingmathforlearning.wikispaces.com

Thinking Through a Lesson Protocol

Based on your research, begin work on developing part 1 of the TTLPHave all members of your group record answers to all questions in Part 1 of the TTLP or record all answers on Google Docs

Based on work by Dr. Margaret S. Smith, University of Pittsburgh