Math Talks and Number Sense
Thank you for your work this week on Number Talks. That was certainly not the easiest day to buckle down and stay in character and you did it very well. I did send a thank you note to Kerry on our behalf as I really appreciate her expertise and preparation.
I am re-sharing a great resource for math thinking and learning. YouCubed The following statement is really powerful regarding our approach to students who appear to be struggling. Often what we want to provide (remediation, formulaic route memorization) in the name of support, can often exacerbate the problem for students.
- After extensive study of the different strategies the students used the researchers concluded that the difference between high and low achieving students was not that the low achieving students knew less mathematics, but that they were interacting with mathematics differently. Instead of approaching numbers with flexibility and using ‘number sense’ they seemed to cling to formal procedures they had learned, using them very precisely, not abandoning them even when it made sense to do so. The low achievers did not know less but they did not use numbers flexibly – probably because they had been set on the wrong path, from an early age, of trying to memorize methods and number facts instead of interacting with numbers flexibly (Boaler, 2009).
There is a 3-minute video on the page linked below that provides a really good explanation of Number Sense and you can see how using Number Talks can strengthen this for all students.
Also on the YouCubed site there is a great page on Assessment & Grading. We (I am part of this guilty party) put so much emphasis on testing, grades and homework, yet math success can be assessed in so many more ways. I think because the vast majority of our students do so well on assessments we assume there is something wrong with the student who does not perform well rather than assume something might be wrong with the assessment for that particular student. What if we challenged that paradigm?
To be clear, I am not and would not advocate for any large sweeping changes to our program or instructional practices. According to our Fall easy CBM, 85% of our 5th grade students started the year in the green zone above the 72nd percentile (most schools are ecstatic if they reach this by the end of the year). According to our 2018 SBAC scores 89% of our 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade students tested at or above state standards. (This is twice the Oregon average.) There is no evidence our population lacks number sense or any major mathematical set of skills and knowledge; therefore we should only be allowing ourselves to make tweaks and small changes, here and there, to our instruction. For the few students who continue to struggle, according to assessments we give them, we should consider designing alternatives to assess the knowledge they have rather than test what they don’t know. It’s not an easy challenge, but you are one of the most creative and dedicated group of educators on the planet and I believe we are best positioned to make this happen.
DHS Forms-Apparently, DHS will no longer be accepting faxed copies of report forms. I don’t know the reasoning for this decision. Please share this with staff and please continue to send a copy to the Ed. Center and keep one for your records. For now, no copies to DHS until we learn more.
Education Foundation Grants- SAVE THE DATE! The Education Foundation for Bend-La Pine Schools announces the Classroom Grants timeline for K-12 educators for the 2019-2020 academic year. The grant process will open Monday, February 18, 2019 with a link to the online application form. Grant applications must be submitted no later than Friday, March 22, 2019. The grant application process is open to all educators in Bend, La Pine and Sunriver. Once determinations are made, funded grants will be awarded in May 2019. All educators will be sent additional communication with in December and January and the online link in February. Questions can be directed to Angie Cole, Allocations Committee Chair at: [email protected] or (541) 318-3794 OR Michelle Johnson, Executive Director, Education Foundation at: [email protected] or (541) 355-5660. Requests for STEM, art, music & wellness projects will be accepted during the dates indicated and must complete all necessary forms for consideration. In the 2018-2019 academic year, the Education Foundation funded over $89,000 in classroom grants — it’s highest award in 30 years of service to the K-12 educational community. To learn more, visit www.engagedminds.org
Thank you! Michelle Johnson, Executive Director
Mandatory Standard Protocol Response Training
Thanks for attending the training with Jimmy. If you would like to have more specific training with him in the future, please let me know.
District Equity Policy
I want to draw your attention to our District Equity Policy. Please take a few moments to read this document and think about ways we can make these statements more than words on paper. What are the everyday things we do to promote equity? What are everyday things or behaviors that serve as barriers to equity?
Nutrition Services Announcement:
-Nov 9th Friday Veterans will be honored with a complimentary lunch. This is open to all Veterans of student and staff families.
VETERAN’S DAY
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Italian Breadstick
Chocolate Chip Cookie
House Salad
-Nov 15th Thursday Holiday dinner
HOLIDAY DINNER
Roast Turkey
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Holiday Stuffing
Roast Vegetables
Pumpkin Bar
-Nov 16th Friday College Day (coloring contest elementary only)
| COLLEGE DAY! |
Beef Chili Dog
Tater Tots
Football Sugar Cookie
Caesar Salad
Click below to see the Highland Staff Calendar.