Small Group Instruction Resources

If you are considering moving to a small group instruction model in your classes, these documents and resources should be helpful for you.

• Vicki Gibson's model of differentiated instruction based on small groups
• Also, look further down her products list for her Managing Behavior, 2 choices method
• Classroom postings sample
• applying her model to the Ready Common Core Text (5th Grade Sample)
• (K-2 Sample)

• 4th Grade multiplication unit groups/menus activities

MT Common Core Curriculum Alignment

These are documents and sites that will help you with implementation of the Common Core Standards

Here is our guiding document for the workshop with links and site summaries:
 https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/86544682/Common%20Core/TechToolsELA-Math.docx

Basal Alignment Project:
http://achievethecore.org/ela-literacy-common-core/aligning-materials/basal-alignment-project

Rigor and Relevance Framework: What to consider as you enhance your content.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/86544682/MSSA/copied/R%26Rframework-short.pdf

Here are the documents used to make the shifts in current curriculum to MCCS:
Grades:
K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, HS  (Blank Plan-all content areas)

Statistics Resources and Tools

The new math standards have shifted around and added in a lot of statistics content that used to be covered in a high school Statistics course. There are even shifts at the elementary in the Measurement and Data domain. If you find yourself looking for stats tools, ideas, and resources--this post should help.

Standards:
www.gtccmt.org Golden Triangle Cooperative

http://opi.mt.gov/pdf/CCSSO/11NovMathCommonCoreGradeband.pdf OPI GradeBand Math Standards

Activities/Lessons:
 Great Stats STEM lessons: filter for Statistics  mathinscience.info
 Problems of the Month:  insidemathematics.org
National STEM Centre (click the Math tab and Age filter on left)
 Graphing linear equations from real-life examples!! graphingstories.com
Build Vocabulary:  Granite School District
Great introductory normal distribution site with interactive tools: http://www.mathsisfun.com/data/standard-normal-distribution.html
Stats Software
iXL practice (lower levels of Bloom's)
Capture-Recapture (try with Swedish Fish/Gummy Bears): http://illuminations.nctm.org/Lesson.aspx?id=2528

Applications/Tools:
Instructions for statistics in Excel:  http://www.princeton.edu/~otorres/Excel/
Scientific Notebook: BEST software for writing explanations AND performing math computation, graphing, etc.
GeoGebra: FREE Geometry and Algebra software--similar to Geometer's Sketchpad
Free Graphing Calculator Apps

Data:
Data Library of data sets to use for calculations: http://lib.stat.cmu.edu/DASL/

MTI (Math Thinking): http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/math/mtiWebinarsArchived.htm

 

Big Picture: Transitioning Math Programs

Math Program Transition (Middle School Workshop Packet) (Elementary Workshop Packet)

Managing Change Chart

How to get your kids and materials from where they are to where they need to be for the new MT standards. 

• New standards in practice NY Video (Middle School)- What do they look like (first 8:15 on Math, rest on ELA), (NY Video on Elementary School)

Where does change start?  Take time to envision the future--A Vision.

• What behaviors/results would you like to see improved/changed?
• If your school's math program was working well, what would it look like?
• Let's work this into our strategic plan for professional development.
• Consider PLC's for collaboration: http://go.solution-tree.com/commoncore/reproducibles_CCMLG.html

• An article to get you started:  Why a new text book is not the answer. What do we really expect of teacher knowledge? . . . (American Educator, Fall, 2011)
• Where to get additional training?  GTCC Summer classes (gtccmt.org), MIET (gfcmsu.edu), PBS TeacherLine (reasonable Grad credits), facilitated discussions with other staff? - Need to learn the WHY's.
• How else can you structure your staff?

• Circle Diagram of Teaching
• Content (Standards):  
• Nice set of one-pagers to learn standards better (also includes shifts, practices, and circle diagram)
• Need to shift content up/down grade levels to get it in order. Try these text alignment docs (about 6 hours per grade level)  (Link to my blog post.)
• Skills (Instruction):
• Math Practices: try to use each at least once per week. My Math Content post has resources linked by Practice.
• Get Number Talks going in classrooms (Video on How)
• Use Brain Research!! (they need a concrete representation 1st!)
• Concrete/Tangible...then Pictorial/Diagrams/Models...THEN Abstract/Algorithms/Numerical Representations
• Check out my post with resources on Growth Mindset
• Rigor and Relevance:  Important to analyze classroom work against Blooms (Rigor) and Real-world/novel/unique application (Relevance)
• If time allows--look for Understanding by Design resources. Great opportunity for staff-wide PD.
• Assessment:
• Importance of Formative:  need to be using assessment results immediately to impact instruction. Get a copy of Marzano's  Formative Assessment & Standards-Based Learning (Classroom Strategies That Work)  - Book Study??
•  Using the results of existing formative?  MAPS, other
• Additional formative:  can you use the Interim Assessments (IAB's) from Smarter Balanced? Adaptive in 2015 (goal).
•  Familiar with Smarter Balanced summative assessment?  Navigation guide to access practice questions and the pilot test.
• Try the One-Question Quiz:  quick feedback for both teacher and student, more accurate grading, no papers to grade later. 
• Teacher Assessment: How does this overlap with what we expect of teachers? Consider existing eval tool and EPASS (Charlotte Danielson)

Plagiarism Content

A great essay with clear examples of plagiarism and the legal ramifications through college and into careers.
http://www.rbs2.com/plag.htm

Effective Mindset in the Classroom

Research has shown that student learning will be stifled if we and/or our students are functioning in the fixed mindset often. We want to be encouraging a growth mindset in our classrooms to get them growing and learning. Here are some resources as you develop this understanding:

How do we know this would really work? Best Research:   Carol Dweck 

•  (YouTube videos of her teaching/research on mindsets: http://youtu.be/kXhbtCcmsyQ) 
•  Article summarizing her research

Steps to Creating a Growth Mindset Classroom:
1.  Assess your (or your students') own perspective. Students can tell if you believe in the growth mindset or not. Find out where you are and then see where you can start to shift your thinking.

• Mindset Pre-Assessment

2.  It is very important to teach your students how the brain works so they will believe that they are capable of learning and growing.

• Training modules:  Mindset Works (Brainology)
• wikipedia:  Neuron  
• Eric Jensen books:  Introduction to Brain-Compatible Learning, Brain-Based Learning, . . .

3.  Change how you talk to students/think about students

• Handy notes about mindsets and comments to say or not say to kids.