ATOMIC Winter 2019 Online Book Study Blog

Chapter 13 – Option 3 (Action)

(Past member) — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 19:51:21 GMT

Tracy notes that her approach in the book is to “offer you a buffet of techniques and strategies” to use in your teaching. What specific goal do you have going forward? [In my personal opinion, it is easier to identify & achieve a specific goal than a general goal. Good luck!]

Chapter 13 – Option 2 (Connection)

(Past member) — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 19:50:53 GMT

Read the mission statement from Clarence Stephens’s SUNY Potsdam math department on page 352. How does this statement compare with the mission of your institution?

Chapter 13 – Option 1 (Reflection)

(Past member) — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 19:50:21 GMT

Reflect on your experience reading and discussing the book. What ideas are resonating with you? How do you now think about creating “favorable conditions” for student learning (and how has your perspective changed since you’ve read the book)?

Chapter 12 – Option 2 (Connection)

(Past member) — Sat, 06 Mar 2021 21:40:56 GMT

This 2020-21 school year has been unusual and challenging in so many ways. What strategies have you used to get your students working together and alone? What has worked? What has been a hurdle you haven’t been able to overcome?

Chapter 12 – Option 1 (Reflection)

(Past member) — Sat, 06 Mar 2021 21:39:40 GMT

Choose something from this chapter (Mathematicians Work Together and Alone) that resonated with you and comment.

Chapter 11 – Option 2 (Connection)

(Past member) — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 19:41:44 GMT

Tracy offers this definition (p. 281): “Proving is convincing your skeptical peers that a mathematical statement is true in a way that helps them understand why.”

How do you see this process working in your teaching setting? Think about the varieties of justification/proof discussed in the chapter (pages 284–304): Measurement/Computation, Perception, Generalizing from Cases, Disprove with Counterexamples; Proving with Words, Representations, or Symbolic Notation. Which of these have you seen your students make use of?

Chapter 11 – Option 1 (Reflection)

(Past member) — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 19:40:46 GMT

Reflect on the section “Proof and Equity” on pages 307–309. What changes in your thinking or practice would ensure that all students’ ideas and thinking are valued?

Chapter 10 – Option 3 (Action)

(Past member) — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 22:19:08 GMT

Choose a strategy from the chapter (Choral Counting, Visual Patterns, Number Talks/Strings, Always-Sometimes-Never, etc.) and try it out with your students. Tell us how it goes.

Chapter 10 – Option 2 (Connection)

(Past member) — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 22:18:38 GMT

How do you uncover student reasoning in your teaching? Tell us about strategies you’ve used to enable students to share their mathematical thinking with you or their classmates.

Chapter 10 – Option 1 (Reflection)

(Past member) — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 22:16:24 GMT

Reflect on the idea of leaving the door open for revision as students learn more mathematics (pages 272-274) and how some math rules “expire” when students tackle different sets of numbers or concepts. Are you comfortable with viewing mathematical claims as subject to change?

[ If desired, check out the NCTM articles about “Rules That Expire” for different grade bands HERE. ]

Chapter 9 – Option 3 (Action)

(Past member) — Sat, 09 Jan 2021 18:24:05 GMT

Review the list of questions that teachers can use to promote mathematical sense-making on pages 224-226. Which few resonate with you? Try using them in your teaching and tell us how it goes

Chapter 9 – Option 1 (Reflection)

(Past member) — Sat, 09 Jan 2021 18:23:26 GMT

Reflect on the opening pages of the chapter discussing intuition (pages 209-211). What caught your attention? Any surprises?

Chapter 8 – Option 3 (Action)

(Past member) — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 16:48:46 GMT

Connecting math to other math ideas (via multiple representations, relationships, and models) is an extremely fruitful area to promote conceptual understanding with our students. Choose a problem or set of problems that you have taught or plan to teach, and analyze the multiple representations or models used by you and the students in the lesson. What did your students learn? What did you learn?

Chapter 8 – Option 2 (Connection)

(Past member) — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 16:39:49 GMT

This year has been filled with news and events that could be discussed in math class (coronavirus pandemic, US elections, heightened awareness of climate change and systemic racism in policing and other institutions, etc.). Have you discussed any of these topics with your students? Tell us why you decided to do or not do this, and if you did, how it went.

Chapter 8 – Option 1 (Reflection)

(Past member) — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 16:38:01 GMT

Comment on something from this chapter that you found thought-provoking.

If you need more specific direction, then please reflect on the questions on page 207. Are you comfortable asking them in your teaching context?

Chapter 7 – Option 3 (Action) [Fall 2020]

(Past member) — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 21:14:00 GMT

Try one of these strategies in your classroom and tell us how it went. (Of course, try it yourself first to anticipate student responses and questions they might generate.) Please specify if you are teaching face-to-face, online, or other hybrid scenario.

A. 101 Questions https://www.101qs.com/

B. Notice and Wonder https://www.nctm.org/mathforum/

C. Problem posing with data (like the fish scenario on pages 145-147)
[Additional info/links at http://tjzager.com/book/chapter-7-mathematicians-ask-questions/]

Chapter 7 – Option 1 (Reflection) [Fall 2020]

(Past member) — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 21:12:50 GMT

Comment on one of the instructional strategies from the chapter OR a detail from the classroom vignette that you find thought-provoking.

Chapter 6 – Option 2 (Connection) [Fall 2020]

(Past member) — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 21:59:26 GMT

On pages 131-133, Tracy discusses her use of margin symbols for students to communicate their progress in problem solving. What approaches have you used to get feedback from your students about their level of understanding (either in F2F or online teaching)?

Chapter 6 – Option 1 (Reflection) [Fall 2020]

(Past member) — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 21:56:45 GMT

Choose something from this chapter’s reading that resonated with you and share your thoughts.

Welcome Back to the "Becoming Math" Book Study!

(Past member) — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 19:00:24 GMT

We will re-start our discussion at the end of October with Chapter 6. In the meantime, WELCOME!

Please respond to this prompt with your name, city, & grade level or position. Also tell us:

--1 thing you are finding challenging these days
--1 good thing you are feeling grateful for these days

Book Study Paused

(Past member) — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 00:28:56 GMT

We are pausing the book study at this time so everyone can focus on the shift to online instruction. The book study will be restarted in September. Be well and stay safe, everyone!

Chapter 7 – Option 3 (Action)

(Past member) — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 12:45:11 GMT

Try one of these strategies in your classroom and tell us how it went. (Of course, try it yourself first to anticipate student responses and questions they might generate.)

A. 101 Questions https://www.101qs.com/

B. Notice and Wonder https://www.nctm.org/mathforum/

C. Problem posing with data (like the fish scenario on pages 145-147)
[Additional info/links at http://tjzager.com/book/chapter-7-mathematicians-ask-questions/]

Chapter 7 – Option 2 (Connection)

(Past member) — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 12:44:26 GMT

In your current teaching setting, how often do your students have opportunities to pose mathematical questions or share mathematical wonderings? What is one small step you want to take to promote this?

Chapter 7 – Option 1 (Reflection)

(Past member) — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 12:43:45 GMT

Comment on one of the instructional strategies from the chapter OR a detail from the classroom vignette that you find thought-provoking.

Chapter 6 – Option 3 (Action)

(Past member) — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 03:21:49 GMT

Choose one problem from your current curriculum and make it over using the suggestions in this chapter. Try it with your students and let us know how it goes.

In your comments, please remind us of your grade level. Also, upload any images you’d like to reference in your post to this google drive shared folder, since we can’t add images to posts at this time: (or email to atomicbookclub@gmail.com)

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1h219olBAoIvSkCFOnCiAkUEjqUhxyt29?usp=sharing

[Variations: (1) If you teach more than one section of the same content, use the original problem in one section and the revised problem in the other. (2) If you have a willing colleague, work together to revise the problem and compare notes after each of you teach it.]

Chapter 6 – Option 2 (Connection)

(Past member) — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 03:21:21 GMT

Chapter 6 – Option 1 (Reflection)

(Past member) — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 03:20:43 GMT

Choose something from this chapter’s reading that resonated with you and share your thoughts.

Chapter 5 – Option 3 (Action)

(Past member) — Sat, 15 Feb 2020 02:22:12 GMT

Try one of the techniques from the chapter in your teaching, such as the routine “I think _______ is unreasonable because _______” (pages 90-91) or one of the variations of “My Favorite No” (pages 96-101). You might need to try it a few times to get your students used to the routines (and if you are lucky enough to have a colleague who is also willing to try, plan together and discuss results). Tell us how it went.

Chapter 5 – Option 2 (Connection)

(Past member) — Sat, 15 Feb 2020 02:21:41 GMT

Jen Muhammad (pages 91-93) regularly externalizes the internal voice she wants students to use. How might you try this strategy in your teaching style?

Chapter 5 – Option 1 (Reflection)

(Past member) — Sat, 15 Feb 2020 02:21:08 GMT

Reflect on Shawn’s problem scenario and chart on pages 81-84 and how this encouraged thoroughness among the students. Do your curriculum materials reduce the cognitive demand on students by over-scaffolding worksheets? What ideas does Shawn’s approach give you for changing this?

Chapter 4 – Option 3 (Action)

(Past member) — Sun, 09 Feb 2020 02:13:57 GMT

Tracy ends the chapter discussing equity and some different responses to mistakes she has observed from girls and boys. Watch Reshma Saujani’s TED Talk “Teaching Girls Bravery, Not Perfection” at https://youtu.be/fC9da6eqaqg . Share your thoughts on this issue.

Chapter 4 – Option 2 (Connection)

(Past member) — Sun, 09 Feb 2020 02:13:07 GMT

What do you make of the distinction between mistakes and errors? Next time you’re teaching, note down mistakes you observe that reveal conceptual misunderstanding and errors that reveal students’ need to work on precision. How does distinguishing between the two affect the way you think while teaching?

Chapter 4 – Option 1 (Reflection)

(Past member) — Sun, 09 Feb 2020 02:12:23 GMT

Reflect on the list of teachers’ comments on page 57. What language do you currently use when students make mistakes? What language might you use going forward?

Chapter 3 – Option 3 (Action)

(Past member) — Sat, 01 Feb 2020 04:02:20 GMT

On her website, Tracy shares a link to James Tanton’s videos about thinking like a mathematician, and this is a chance for you to engage with some math yourself.

Watch part 1 at this link and try out some of the demonstrated strategies for math problems. Tell us about the experience.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPt1inAIs3k

Full set of videos: http://www.jamestanton.com/?p=1097

Chapter 3 – Option 2 (Connection)

(Past member) — Sat, 01 Feb 2020 04:00:55 GMT

The chapter details 3 classroom examples in which the teachers’ language, tasks, and instructional strategies encouraged their students to take on challenges. Comment on one strategy, teacher move, or feedback phrasing from Heidi’s, Cindy’s, or Shawn’s classrooms that you use or aspire to use in your teaching.

Chapter 3 – Option 1 (Reflection)

(Past member) — Sat, 01 Feb 2020 03:59:54 GMT

Write about obedience versus risk taking in mathematics. What came to mind when you read the passage on page 31? What are you thinking now or what questions do you have?

Chapter 2 – Option 3 (Action)

(Past member) — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 02:17:26 GMT

Look for some mathematical objects, books, videos, or experiences applicable to your grade level that might exemplify what mathematicians do (from the resources Tracy lists in the book or others you have sourced). Tell us what you found.

Chapter 2 – Option 2 (Connection)

(Past member) — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 02:14:44 GMT

What do you observe about how students use the phrase “this is easy” in your classroom? What is it effect? (You are free to choose a different word from page 11 if it is more common in your teaching, and please do remind us of your grade level in your response).

Chapter 2 – Option 1 (Reflection)

(Past member) — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 02:13:41 GMT

Pick out something from the vignette of Deb’s classroom that resonated with you and tell why.

Chapter 1 – Option 3 (Action)

(Past member) — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 17:32:18 GMT

[Reposted after accidentally deleted.]

The book will offer three approaches to closing the gap between “school math” and mathematics: learning about mathematicians and their habits of mind, learning from other teachers’ experiences, and engaging with math ourselves as readers.

Which approach are you most comfortable with? Excited about? Which do you think will be most challenging for you?

Chapter 1 – Option 2 (Connection)

(Past member) — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 02:31:45 GMT

React to the word clouds on page 5. Is there a word that resonates with you? Surprises you? One that you want to aspire to include in your math teaching?

Note: the word clouds are also found at these links:

http://sites.stenhouse.com/becomingmathteacher/files/2016/12/Figure-1.1-with-tag.pdf

http://sites.stenhouse.com/becomingmathteacher/files/2016/12/Figure-1.2-with-tag.pdf

Chapter 1 – Option 1 (Reflection)

(Past member) — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 02:30:53 GMT

Tracy tells about her mother’s experiences with math as a learner and as an adult. Share a brief “math autobiography” of your experiences.

Welcome to the book study for "Becoming The Math Teacher You Wish You'd Had"

(Past member) — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 12:21:16 GMT

Before responding to this prompt, please Register (free; see link above).

Then, please introduce yourself here by stating: your name, your city, your grade level or position, and why you are interested in participating in the book study (use the ADD COMMENT button below).

The prompts for the first chapter will be posted by January 18, 2020. Please purchase your book in time to begin reading and discussing by then. (If you need to join after the start date, that is fine, too.)