Grade 9/10 Applied Learning Leading Activity Reflection
Hello everyone,
This week I would like to reflect on two activities that
were presented in class today for grade 9 and 10 applied mathematics. The first
activity was for grade 9 applied math and our class got to learn all about
spiral curriculum using a relay race which was extremely engaging and fun for
the whole class to participate in and compete. The second activity was also for
grade 9 applied and was an online website called Pixton.
The first
activity deepened my understanding of the spiral curriculum and we had the
chance to discuss pros and cons of this way of teaching mathematics. I also was
able to compare this particular activity to a similar relay race activity I used
in my practicum which also used the idea of spiraling, however, the curriculum
in my classroom was still taught unit by unit. This activity motivated the
peers in my class to answer and work collaboratively in pairs to get to the
finish line. The activity covered a lot of important curriculum expectations,
and would be an excellent idea to use in an applied class to increase class
participation and motivation. In our class, all of my peers were engaged and
focused on the activity and through the feedback everyone enjoyed the relay
race. In comparison to the way I ran the activity in my placement, is I had
students use the whiteboards and I had different question/answer pages posted
around the room. The sheet included an answer to another question, alongside
another question to be answered. The students would then use the space of the “vertical”
whiteboard, and write and show their work and take a picture, and find the answer
to that question on another paper to continue to race. Therefore, my peer did
this activity using “horizontal” surfaces which worked out well as well. It was
interesting to see how my colleague taught spiral curriculum as discovery math
and spiraling is very controversial. I believe that students can become
confused and frustrated jumping from topic to topic, however, implementing
engaging activities like this one, will help counter the negative attitude
toward spiral curriculum.
The second activity using the online platform Pixton was
also an extremely engaging way to incorporate technology and creative thinking
into any classroom. Pixton was used for a grade 9 applied mathematics class,
where students had the chance to create comic strips that told a story of
finding the volume of 3D shapes such as cylinders, triangular prisms or cones
that are taught in the grade 9 applied curriculum. This curriculum expectation
is extremely important for the EQAO test and this activity is an excellent way
to allow students to have fun while reviewing concrete content. The activity
was unique, and had a lot of individuality and allowed students to show their
talents, and interests. The activity was also very student-centered, and the
student had control over their work. An example of the comic I produced in the
activity is found below. I found it interesting, fun and authentic. I believe
that Pixton can be applied to any course and would have the same outcome of
positivity from the class. The website is extremely student, and teacher
friendly. The website also has sections where students and teachers can comment
on other posts, therefore is a great platform to use assessment for and as
learning. On the website you can also create your own avatar which makes the
activity more personal.
Overall,
reflecting on these activities has opened up new ways that I can implement
engaging, creative and inquiry based activities into my future classroom. There
are many more Learning Leading presentations to come. Stay tuned to see what
other activities and technology can be put into effect into a mathematics
classroom!
References
banner received from: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-math-concept-word-cloud-background-100702877.html
photo received from: http://constructingbruner.blogspot.com/2013/02/spiral-curriculum.html
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