Elementary math chat is a weekly math chat where participants come to discuss best practices, examine student work, explore routines for reasoning and research that guides and supports pedagogy centered on problem and student based learning.
#ElemMathChat@martagarcia0901
Hi, Amy! Marta in NC.
Glad to have you here!
I have been giving a lot of thought to how Ss move between contextual and verbal representations > It gets muddy!
Hi everyone! I'm Michelle from New Hampshire. I will graduate with an education degree in May. The latest math lesson I did involved Ninja Turtles, pizza, and subtraction for second graders :) Adding the turtles was a fun way to get the kids engaged! #elemmathchat#edu435
Recalling a paper I read about how in some countries (specifically was a study with pre-schoolers in China!)mathematical conversations are much more present at home
#ElemMathChat@martagarcia0901
#MasteryChat A5- one of the best speakers I ever had in a math class was a set designer. Find a local theater or a student studying set design and have them come into your math class and do a project all about ratios and proportions.
A2. We first learn to speak math by hearing it spoken in our homes every day and then trying it out - "How many cups at the table? How much do we think we grew this year? How much more money do we need to buy that game? etc. #elemmathchat
A1 Verbal Math always makes me think of the students I see who get ELL support. So many of them struggle with math language- multiple meanings of words like foot & cup #elemmathchat
Hi! Carrie from Tampa and I’m sorry I’m a little late.
A2: I think that math has language components but I see it more as a lenses to view the world - like 3D glasses transform a movie, math transforms how I see the world. #elemmathchat
A2: I feel this is the way young children also learn to speak math at school. Teachers model the precise language throughout the day. It is amazing how quickly they can learn. #elemmathchat
A2. We first learn to speak math by hearing it spoken in our homes every day and then trying it out - "How many cups at the table? How much do we think we grew this year? How much more money do we need to buy that game? etc. #elemmathchat
A1: My understanding of verbal representations is when the Ss can verbally talk through/explain their physical or contextual or visual or symbolic representations. "Tell me about your model" and then they are able to respond.
I have used this diagram ... love it #elemmathchat
#ElemMathChat@martagarcia0901
I wonder how much of those conversations Margie mentioned actually happen in homes. It would surely impact the math language students would bring to school.
A2: YES! and the same way we learn any other language. We learn from others modeling the language, and immersing ourselves in the language as well. We have to speak math to Ss before they will learn to do the same #elemmathchat
A4: He is comparing quantities, and yes, I believe he is speaking math bc I understand the concept he is explaining and I have a grasp of his understanding #elemmathchat
With over 60% of the students at my school being ELLs this is a huge problem. I find that a lot of students can do naked computations, but when you surround the math with words, then they are lost. #elemmathchat
A4: Informal language is often used first and then attached to the formal vocabulary of mathematics, so yes I think this student is speaking math. #elemmathchat#iteachmath
A1 Verbal representations can be a student explaining, questioning, thinking out loud. It can also be student created videos, animated and audio enhanced stop motion films,.... The sky holds no limits! #elemmathchat
#ElemMathChat@martagarcia0901
A4 Carrie, glad to hear you bring up the idea of using informal, accessible language. It often is such a great window into what kids are thinking.... without the formal imposition of terms. ( at least not at first!)
A4: The S is verbally representing the best they can with the language they currently have. As a teacher this is a great opportunity to model and reitterate what they said in a new math term for them. "Oh.. so the 5 is greater than 4, but less than 6?" #elemmathchat
A2 OH YEAH! Math is a LOVE language! In my class we say, "I speak math!" That doesn't mean just vocab, it also means communicating mathematically! #elemmathchat
A4: He is comparing quantities. He clearly understands the concept, but does not necessarily have the proper language to express his thoughts. As the teacher, it is our job to give him the mathematical language to support his understanding. #elemmathchat
A2 As a kinder T, I think we speak 'math' by living it & in it & thru it. Whether we're looking at quilt samples, figuring our next birthday or making sure we have enough oranges for everyone to make birdseed baskets, we're using math authentically & talking abt it. #elemmathchat
A3 MANY spoken words have multiple meanings, just as there are literary elements there too are math elements, We say 3x5 SOOOOOOOO many ways! Intentionally teaching these elements is paramount! #elemmathchat
Hi, folks. I'm Evan in New Delhi, India by way of Asheville, NC. Is anyone a native speaker of math, or for that matter any academic English? #elemmathchat
A5 - They are describing what they see. What questions should we ask to have them expand on what they notice? What goes up by one? What goes down by one? How can they all equal the same amount? #elemmathchat
A5: My brain wants to go straight to Qs for each S. S1: What do you see that goes up and down? S2: Where do you see going up by 1? S3: Which value is going down by 1? S4: Oh. the sums are all 32! Tell me more. Then help them connect math language to the observation. #elemmathchat
Well, I think that on its own, maybe it doesn't. It certainly promotes pattern seeking and generalization. For me, modeling precision of language while honoring the language the students bring is a key first step. #elemmathchat
Margie, I think that work to make connections is so critical and also challenging. How does a focus on math language support connection making?
#ElemMathChat@martagarcia0901
A4 YES! He is def seeing concepts & able to articulate them to his friends. My next ? would be: "Who has something diff to say about this?" Little by little, the K Ss would share their lang, comparing & contrasting naturally, picking up so much from each other! #elemmathchat
I think that a large part of our jobs as math teachers is to show students the connections between their ideas and the more formal and precise language of mathematics that we need to be able to communicate our ideas, which is one of the major reasons for doing math. #elemmathchat
#ElemMathChat@martagarcia0901
When I first saw this picture Q6, my thoughts were all about clouds and floating and dizziness. Then I got math ideas jumbled up and had to name them. What about you all?
#ElemMathChat@martagarcia0901
Thinking about how much work goes into articulating an idea that you are just beginning to form. The drafting that has to happen with accessible language. And how much time we devote to that in classrooms.
I see reflections. I see parallel lines. I see arrays. I see curves. I see quadrilaterals that I think are rectangles, but they sure don't look like rectangles in this picture. I see a circle that could lead to some interesting talk about angles and what they are. #elemmathchat
A5 Noticing patterns across numbers. One thing we're focusing on lately is ensuring that children notice patterns in many diff contexts - whether we're looking at "numbers going up & down" using paper chains, unifix cube trains, our handmade rekenreks (or on paper!) #elemmathchat
We've had a question come up about what we're doing to support ELLs in language acquisition during math instruction. This article is something that we've found. Anyone else familiar with it? Have thoughts about what's inside? https://t.co/RU0bDIVAFR#elemmathchat
Thankful for the opportunity to learn and plan alongside some wonderful educators. We reviewed our goals and focused on our curriculum! #ldsb#planning#math#elemmathchat
Is this because the language of math is a new language for both groups of students? I want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly. #elemmathchat
I'm a little ashamed to admit that I've managed to make it to this point without engaging in any SIOP training. That said, one of the big takeaways from my reading was that good math teaching for ELLs is remarkably similar to good math teaching for all students. #elemmathchat
I am including the link to the entire article those quotes came from at the end.
But yes, I think that is part of what the study was looking at.
#ElemMathChat@martagarcia0901
YES! Take down the wall and ALL can get in! Remove barriers for a few, remove barriers for all! Excellent practices and Actions for one are good practices and actions for all! #elemmathchat
A6 Bob Graham spectacular bk, "How To Heal A Broken Wing," would be a perfect start. A bird gets confused in the city's reflection & falls. From lit to math, we'd note confusion & reflections, shapes & patterns. Invite Ss to create amazing simulations w/ mirrors. #elemmathchat
Three key words: repeated, multiple, and deep are important to keep in mind when thinking about ELLs in particular. Repeated exposure to multiple experiences. Information conveyed in multiple ways (voice, print, pictures, activities). And deep experiences. #elemmathchat
#ElemMathChat@martagarcia0901
I think about all language that we use when we are defining a polygon and how a student might be working through both the concepts and the terms. I love the way Ss use their language to express important ideas.
#ElemMathChat@martagarcia0901
YES! Take down the wall and ALL can get in! Remove barriers for a few, remove barriers for all! Excellent practices and Actions for one are good practices and actions for all! #elemmathchat
One thing we're doing to encourage cross discipline connections is to use the CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) framework to guide students as they craft mathematical arguments. CER is also used in science, social studies, and to some extent in ELA as well. #elemmathchat
I am reminded of Kathy Richardson's work around Critical learning phases and the progression toward the use of symbols. There can be such a rush to symbols as the BE ALL math language.
#ElemMathChat@martagarcia0901
Interesting! Have you read But Why Does It Work? Wonderful reading and has a framework for mathematics noticing and articulating and justifying.
#ElemMathChat@martagarcia0901
A8: AH... yes.. find x. :) When we speak math we must consider Ss previous experience with terms we might use. We can quickly and unintentionally confuse Ss with words such as "find". Reminds me of "go up" or "go down" on a hundred chart. Can be SO confusing t S. #elemmathchat
#ElemMathChat@martagarcia0901
Right! Mis-Thinking that the meaning of the structure of the 100 chart will just happen for Ss if we use "go up and go down"!
@martagarcia0901 you lead the BEST discussions! So rich, so thought provoking, so inspiring! Thank you for giving me so much to ruminate on and for leading #elemmathchat tonight! Powerful stuff in this chat for sure! XO
