Friday, October 14, 2011
Goal 2011
Well, I came up with a goal that I really think is going to be great for me and my students this year. I have a hard time each day with teaching math and seemed to get stressed about it. I have a very diverse group of students this year and find it difficult to get through a math lesson in one piece. So, I have come up with a solution to this problem. I am using a para that I have during my math time to work with differentiation cards for the math curriculum. I am able to have the low group and high group work with her several days a week on the differentiation cards for the lesson I am teaching in the class. I am then able to teach the lesson to the middle/average students in my class. I have found that the low students who I have tried this with over the past couple of weeks are really benefiting from workin in a small group of 4-5 students on the basic skill for the lesson. They are able to work at a slower pace and have individual guidance with the lesson and practice sheets. I am going to try when we get back from break to have the high students rotate half the time a couple days a week out of the classroom also to work with the para on skills but at a higher level thinking. Another part of my goal is to use the whole math curriculum including the routines, quick practice, and cards with my students each day to increase fact fluency and increase their ability to use the math strategies. I am not doing Fastt Math this year to piolit this for my class and see if using just the curriculum and all its components the students are able to increase their fluency with facts. I am glad that this week is over, here at Eagle Creek we have had conferences this week. We are going on a field trip to the Landing. It is sure to be a great time!
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I'll be really interested to hear how the year goes without FASTT math. While the kids really enjoyed it and it worked on something important, I always felt like it took away a lot of teaching time!
ReplyDeleteThere is certainly a split in the district of whether FASTT math is beneficial or not. I agree with Erin and that we lose a lot of teaching time with going to the lab for FASTT math. In addition, there is never enough computer lab time available for a whole elementary school to get enough FASTT math in everyday or the district mandated 30 min 3 x a week. In addition in 4th grade we have to teach keyboarding, which takes a couple months to complete with 20-25 minutes a crack. Then on top of it you mix all the testing that goes on throughout the year and we are looking at very little computer time that is beneficial and a worthwhile sacrifice. I do sign up for extra computer time outside of my regular computer schedule so students have time to practice with typing. Sometimes I am really conflicted on what is best for the students and what the district wants us to do.
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