Create, Don’t Convert

Here’s the article I referenced in the video: Johnson, H. L., Dunlap, J., Verma, G., McClintock, E., Debay, D., & Bourdeaux, B. (2019). Video based teaching playgrounds: Designing online learning opportunities to foster professional noticing of teaching practices. Tech Trends. 63(2), 160-169. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-018-0286-5 DOWNLOAD Here are two more articles: Dunlap, J. C., Verma, G., & Johnson, H. L. (2016). Presence+Experience: …

Students’ Goals for Graphing

I share highlights from our research study published on February 28, 2020. (Scroll for article link.) What are students trying to do when sketching graphs? What do students think graphs “should” represent? What We Did We conducted a set of three individual interviews with 13 high school students (8 eleventh grade, 5 ninth grade). Students …

Opportunities for Reasoning Impact Students’ Attitudes and Performance

Opportunities for reasoning matter. Students need math to be more than a race to find answers to other people’s questions. How to create those opportunities? We worked with Dan Meyer and the team at Desmos to develop activities for students to learn how graphs work. You can check out the activities here. Great activities are …

From What iS? to What iF?

To open opportunities for students’ math reasoning, change the questions. Instead of What iS? Ask What iF? The questions look similar. Yet they imply very different responses. What iS? “Give an answer” What iF? “Consider the possibilities” Too often, students experience math as a pursuit of “What iS?” rather than an exploration of “What iF?“ …

The Same Situation. Two Different Graphs.

Students have many opportunities to use different types of representations to show the same relationship between variables (e.g., graphs, tables, equations). Students also benefit from opportunities to use different forms of the same type of representation (two different looking graphs) to show the same relationship between variables. Wonder how that can be? Check out this …

#HowGraphsWork

I have been thinking hard about how students make sense of graphs. In my April 17 Global Math Department webinar, we’ll explore ways to help students see #HowGraphsWork I hope many are able to join us. In case you aren’t able to make it, or if you would like to access resources after the webinar, …

Increases can increase? Learn what students think

Sea levels aren’t just rising. They’re rising FASTER. https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/12/world/sea-level-rise-accelerating/index.html Yet how do students come to make sense of variation in change? How do “increasing” increases become things for students? In a March 2018 episode of the Math Ed Podcast, I talked with Sam Otten (@ottensam) about an article I co-authored with Evan McClintock. I share …

Keep track of your writing progress to grow your writing practice

Ask yourself these questions: How often do you write? How long is your typical writing session? What counts as “writing”? Had you asked me these questions earlier in my career, I probably would have responded: (1) Not often enough, (2) A few hours, (3) Work on a paper. Keeping track of my writing progress A …

Give students opportunities to make sense of varying increases

2018 began with news articles about varying increases: U.S. Private Payrolls Growth Accelerates; Jobless Claims Up UK Productivity Growth Hits Six-Year High After Weakest Decade Since 1820s Euro Zone Factory Growth Surges to Record; More Uneven in Asia What kinds of opportunities help students to make sense of accelerating growth? In our recent research article, …

Make Graphs about Relationships with Cannon Man

In math classes, students work with graphs. A LOT. Yet, what do students think graphs are? Why might students sketch or use graphs? A powerful way for students to think about graphs: As relationships between “things” that can change Together with Dan Meyer and the team at Desmos, I developed activities, “Techtivities” to provide students …