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Nordin Zuber, Randwick Girls High School enzuber@gmail.

com @enzuber

Teaching and learning in a classroom with 30 students is hard


We only have 40/50/60 minutes chunks I cant cope with too many tools: if its not simple, convenient and powerful I dont want it. I also need tools that can be reused and adapted for different classes.

The ABQuiz

The Tracking Sheet

The Feedback Form

The ABQuiz

The Tracking Sheet

The Feedback Form

What is being learned?


Diagnostic

What do we need to learn? Where are we know?


Metacognitive

Hows my driving?
Reflective

What youre seeing today is the result of 3 years experimentation. A combination of ideas from many of mentors and inspired educators. Special mention: Judy Anderson, Andrew Martin, Susan Groundwater-Smith and the online SBG community. Research insights Robert Marzano & John Hattie & a special thank you to my head teacher Peter Hickey who encouraged me!

1. The ABQuiz
What is being learned?

The Concept:
Students at the same table group have (slightly) different quizzes

Same mathematical skills or concepts, performed using different numbers.

Similar/related mathematical skills or concepts, performed using different numbers.

Diagrams in different orientations

Ask students to show different but related concepts

Extremely simple idea but its amazing how many ways it can help in the classroom.

Powerful feedback effects


Many opportunities for collaborative work Resources that keep on giving

Original goal: Where are my students now?

but

Students cant copy if their papers are different ...

???

Accurate feedback on where your students are now

A strategy to reduce anxiety: Encouraging IDK

Moving beyond diagnostics .

Assessment of learning

Assessment for learning

5-10 minutes working on your own

5-10 minutes working with your group

Because the papers are different, students have to explain

What happens?

Students start teaching each other


You can listen to the conversations about skills and content You can give help as needed and encourage students to help each other You will need to explain to some students how teaching other students helps them as well. Your quizzes become the basis for a rich learning experience not just an assessment tool. Instant lessons with tangible, measurable output.

Challenge #1

How to do it

How to do it
Thinking about the type of question: The cognitive difficulty The numeric skills required Try to keep these aspects consistent across the A/B/C/D papers while still making the questions different Small steps of increasing difficulty easier for students to teach each other

Include show me questions which require drawing pictures


Build your collection over time One or two quizzes per topic My long term plan: a quiz to cover every syllabus item

Printing and handing out

Print the 4 sheets

Stick in the photocopier, make (total students 3 ) copies*


Keep the sheets in order hand out carefully

Challenge#2: Working through the answers

Wake me up when its the D paper

One solution: have all four answers ready to go put them on the board

More interesting : students form marking groups

Doing the quiz

Marking the quiz

Ask students to use a different colour pen to mark their work. Will need some training in how to share/evaluate conflicting answers. Students dont like this at first! They expect you to give the answers.

Some interesting effects

Some students start asking for more. They get so excited they have mastered the content, they want to show you they can do it and ask for a different version of the quiz.

Some interesting effects

Instant retry options Instant homework options Do the other quiz.

Some interesting effects

Can work for new content as well. If half the class already know the work, watch them teach it to their peers faster than you ever could!

Works well if students are comfortable working in groups Table groups of 4 is more likely to succeed. Check they are teaching correctly

The gift that keeps on giving

Algebra quiz

Algebra quiz

Trigonometry quiz

Trigonometry quiz

Instant revision lessons Build up a bank of resources across the curriculum over time.

Quizzes as part of broader assessment strategy


Regular formative assessment during the teaching of the topic.

Make it low-stakes: collaboration options encourage the use of IDK encourage students to retake the quiz
Keep the quizzes short: no more than 10 minutes long content is chunked mini-quizzes just one or two questions on half a page mastery is achievable because the hurdle is small and retries encouraged

Part of a bigger picture: Outcomes mastery focus

2. The Tracking Sheet


What do we need to learn? Where are we know?

The Tracking Sheet What do I need to learn? Provide students a framework for the topic A scaffold to help see the big picture

A way to chunk the topic

The Tracking Sheet What do I need to learn? Provide students a framework for the topic A scaffold to help see the big picture

A way to chunk the topic

The Tracking Sheet What do I need to learn? Provide students a framework for the topic A scaffold to help see the big picture

A way to chunk the topic

Provide teachers a framework for the topic


A scaffold to help see the big picture A way to chunk the topic

How to do it
Syllabus and Program => Tracking sheet in Excel Cross reference to textbooks
What do I want the students to learn? Why does it matter?

Plan lesson scope and sequence For each outcome,


What will student do? How will I know they can do it?

What am I going to get the students to do?

The Tracking Sheet What do I need to learn? How well am I doing it? Moving away from marks Moving toward the idea of progress on a journey

A new way to evaluate progress:


N: Not Demonstrated (IDK) S: Starting Out P: Progressing P+: Progressing nearly there

M: Full mastery

Challenge#1: Too many outcomes

7GM Shapes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

2011

Quiz1

Quiz2

Test

Recognise and name common shapes Classify triangles according to sides and angles Angle sum of triangles Classify quadrilaterals Discover properties of quadrilaterals Angle sums of quadrilaterals Recognise line and point symmetry Reflect, rotate and translate shapes Solids and Nets

Topic 6 : Shapes
1 2 3 4 5 6

2013

P+

Classify triangles according to sides and angles.

Can state and use the angle sum of a triangle property.

Can classify quadrilateral shapes.

Can explain and use the angle sum of a quadrilateral .

Can recognise line, rotational and point symmetry.

Can describe prisms and pyramids.

Drawing solids from different angles

7
Tesselations

Can draw nets of solids.

Can sketch 3D solids (isometric, plan view).

Challenge#2: When to update the tracking sheet?


The topic test is also a quiz treat it as one!

The problem with a single number for a topic.

I got 90% Im fantastic!

I got 55% at least I passed!

I got 35% Im not very good

Were not done with the topic just because the topic test is done!

We care about mastery right to the end of the year!

A strategy to reduce anxiety: Encouraging IDK

Options to retake the assessment: its mastery that counts.

The Tracking Sheet What do I need to learn? How well am I doing it? A new way to evaluate teaching mastery:

N: Not Demonstrated (IDK)


S: Starting Out P: Progressing P+: Progressing nearly there M: Full mastery

Student mastery by outcome

Student mastery by outcome

Overall view of teaching success

3. The Feedback Form Hows my driving?

Provide a safe forum for anonymous student feedback.


Students and the teacher reflect on teaching and learning together.

2011

2012

The power of anonymous feedback


Honest feedback Find out what your students really think.

Build trust, build a safe learning environment.

The power of anonymous feedback


Honest feedback Find out what your students really think.

Build trust, build a safe learning environment.


Make it clear the feedback is anonymous. Students will be quite surprised the first time. Some will want to put their name on the form! Some will put their name on the form out of habit. Make a show of the anonymity Stay at your desk. Get students to collect the form

2013

So what? Feedback has to have an effect.


Share the results with the class as soon as possible

Demonstrate a positive and open response to criticism Dont let the class gang up on critics Ask questions if you dont understand!

9M1 Class Feedback Term 1 Week6A


How much did you enjoy the last few weeks?
17

2011

Level of difficulty?
18

6 0 Too hard

2
0 I loved it I liked it It was ok Not really 0 I hated it

1
A bit hard Just right A bit too easy

0 Way too easy

How much did you understand?


12

13

0 All of it Most of it Half of it

0 Only a little

0 Not at all

Suggestions and Comments for Mr Zuber Good start to the year x 2 Never put Justin Bieber in a maths test I like doing different activities More games on the IWB More food Some activities are useless Don't jump to next topic before finish - want to revise More time to finish off topics Bit less homework Don't talk so much - allow time to attempt answer Start work earlier so less homework x 2 Get straight to exercises so no homework x 2 Like edmodo

Surprises

On my first practicum, I discovered the class love my teaching, but were terrified I wasnt actually teaching them the syllabus

I discovered I talk to much..

I discovered I have favourites

8M3 - 2011

8M3 - 2011

Comments and Suggestions


First time I enjoyed maths/understood maths A good year/good teacher

Students yelling out stops others learning Concern about having class favourites x 5
You never answered my questions Sometimes we went too slowly Concern other classes were going faster. Explaining something in several ways is confusing x 2 "When you explain in more than one way it's hard to understand what I should do"

You can fix beginner mistakes, but you need to know you made them!

12MX1 Feedback Term 4


November 2012

2/3 Unit

Ext 2

2/3 Unit

Ext 2

Preferred start and finish time for Extension 2 lessons

Comments and Suggestions

Time use in class More time in class to do homework. More examples. More time doing work in class if possible.

Time use in class

We need more time. Lessons at lunch possibly?


Explain a bit slower, let us digest the information before changing slides. More exercises in class. More examples "I have to do a few questions to get it. Show us how to do more questions, esp some hard ones. There's a big gap between the example in slides and actual exercise. One example of each type of questions.

Other comments

A bit less time on quizzes.


Less time talking about the pictures.

I think we should go over a lot more exercise/examples rather than spending the whole lesson explaining so we'll know how to do the exercises .
The end of the period isnt the end of the lesson.

The lesson continues in your time thinking about the lesson, exploring ideas on your own and struggling with the questions.
In the Extension 2 HSC paper, you will face questions you have never seen before. Questions I have never seen before. We are trying to build up your mathematical strength and skills to handle this. The challenge is to get the balance right we need you to struggle so you grow, but not so much that you break . I would encourage you to share answers on edmodo. And dont just say Im stuck show where you are up to, what you tried. That could help someone else see the solution.

Summary
I think 2/3 Unit is under control. I will do more exercises for Extension 2 in class : but please dont expect I can show you all the variations. I need to give you the freedom to actually explore and learn them. Extension 2 Time: I will plan for 3:30 to 4:30 with extra examples (no new concepts) 4:30-5:00. I will post the extra examples on edmodo for reference in case you didnt see them. You will probably need to discuss with me or your colleagues if you didnt see the last 30 minutes.

Thank you for the feedback!

I could talk for an hour about the benefits and rewards of anonymous student feedback

An extremely powerful tool to building a trusting, safe learning environment.

And you will be amazed at how it can help develop your teaching!

The ABQuiz

The Tracking Sheet

The Feedback Form

Regular use of A/B quizzes for reliable diagnosis

Powerful collaborative learning options

Can be the basis of a whole lesson for consolidating content and for revision.

Resources that can be reused in many different ways, for many different classes.

Help students monitor their learning

Help transform a success-or-failure, fixed-ability mindset to a maths-is-a-journey growth mindset.

Track your progress as a teaching of this class.

Tracking sheets can be reused across year groups

Find out what students are thinking and feeling Build a safe learning environment : where the teacher is learning too

Do it once you have a system for all classes.

What is being learned?

What do we need to learn? Where are we know?

Hows my driving?

I can do mathematics Mathematics is fun and useful Theres a place in my life for math

Thank you.
Nordin Zuber, Randwick Girls High School. @enzuber or find me at:
the DEC TAFE Yammer

enzuber@gmail.com

the MANSW Facebook group

exzuberant.blogspot.com

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