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.
Welcome to another engaging #ElemMathChat! I'll be your host this evening. Tonight we'll be talking about ending the year strong and ideas for supporting families to talk and do math this summer. Let's get started!
If you're new to Twitter chats, feel free to just read and follow along. If you want to comment, be sure to include #ElemMathChat in your tweets so we can see them.
Chaya from WA. Secondary math coordinator but like to keep my elementary skills sharp 👌🏽 Neither in the summer - they’re too sweet to be refreshing! #ElemMathChat
A1 My biggest highlight of my instruction is transitioning from decimals to fractions with my 5th graders seamlessly. They made the connection👍🏼😊 and used the 8SMP! #ElemMathChat
A1 The highlight for me has been working with alllll the Ts in a district & seeing change! Changes in Ts belief about themselves & their Ss especially. #ElemMathChat
A1: definitely implementing the “tell me everything you can...” notice @JSchwartz10a introduced me to. My students have become so creative in their math thinking. #elemmathchat
A1: The highlight would have to be fraction instruction. I love seeing the growth possible when instruction has context, focuses on making sense, reasoning with models, and is fun-filled. #elemmathchat
A1 highlight of my year is being able to reflect on where we all started and seeing the place we are now. Ss see selves as mathematicians, problem solvers w/ growth mind set and they are right! #elemmathchat
A1: watching my students become more engaged and active as mathematical thinkers (especially in discussions) & getting a team to regularly do number talks! 🙌🏻 #ElemMathChat
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A1: Highlight are my teachers. They are always pushing themselves daily to be the best possible version of themselves. I love that about them!
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A1 Introducing Numberless Word Problems to a group of second graders, teaching Kinders using 3-Act tasks but best of all was taking @gfletchy Building Foundations of Fractions coarse and using his games!!#ElemMathChat
A1 Highlight of math instruction has been planning lessons with new Ts - doing the math together...then the joy when lessons turn out better than you anticipated!
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A1. For me it was realizing the role sub-questions play in problem solving. The process has more to do with teaching students to ask the right questions than follow the right steps. #ElemMathChat
A1: No longer in the classroom but I have seen some amazing teachers in @BISD_Math use visual models to drive deep conceptual understanding and foster real academic discourse thanks to the work of @S_Consilio#elemmathchat
A1 Helping teachers see their students in a way that is different from what they are used to seeing. Teachers listening more than telling. #elemmathchat
A1 getting implementation of #mathworkshop off the ground. Still working on it, but lots of rich tasks, student voice and choice, excited teachers trying new things! #ElemMathChat
A1 As a coach in multiple districts, watching teachers make significant change in their classroom through questioning, use of math workshop models, and trying new ideas #elemmathchat
Hi, the 8SMP is 8 Standards for Mathematical Practice (K-12)It is the “how” in math instruction. My students use it to explain their thinking. 😊 #ElemMathChat
Exactly! In Kindergarten a lot of us don't have any number sense when the year starts, and now many have developed into amazing mathematicians. #elemmathchat
A1 highlight of my year is being able to reflect on where we all started and seeing the place we are now. Ss see selves as mathematicians, problem solvers w/ growth mind set and they are right! #elemmathchat
A1 getting implementation of #mathworkshop off the ground. Still working on it, but lots of rich tasks, student voice and choice, excited teachers trying new things! #ElemMathChat
A1: Meeting with 2nd grade Ts across the district& coming to consensus on a more manageable scope & sequence that highlights our “Most Important Learning Goals” for next yr #elemmathchat
A1: Highlight for me was observing Ts take ownership of their own data (I did the work a lot previously) and plan instructional responses tailored to the Ss needs. #elemmathchat
Definitely. I say just dive right in. We used @numbertalks by Sherry Parrish. Si important for Ts to step back and let Ss learn from each other. Some Ts struggled with this, but they improved a lot this year. Can't wait to continue next year to see the progression. #elemmathchat
A1 Bringing some 1st timer colleagues to NCTM Annual in DC and having them say that they felt comfortable w so much of what they were hearing bc my coaching! #elemmathchat
A1: introducing students to writing culturally relevant math problems by using the window and mirror analogy from the work of Rochelle Gutierrez #Elemmathchat
I think when I started to teach adding and subtracting fractions, I wrot the problem in decimals. They solved it. Then I wrote decimals in fractions, and they had an immediate connection. #ElemMathChat
A1 As a coach it has been amazing to see teachers embracing number talks and helping Ss develop Strategies through discourse andconnections #ElemMathChat
My advice is to expand them beyond numbers whenever possible. (E.g. put an angle on the board and have students discuss what the measure could be - best done before teaching them to use protractors) #elemmathchat
A1: Math highlight this year has been supporting Ts & Ss w/ number talks. Rarely a number talk that I don’t learn a strategy from one of the students! #ElemMathChat
A2 tomorrow we are kicking off a 3-week challenge in gr4. Ss work for 10-15 min a day on diff number puzzles/area/shape puzzles - using pattern blocks & tiles by @SteveWyborney - so excited for this. Gr3 & gr5 start next week! #elemmathchat
A2: Encouraging the teachers to use the Week of Inspirational Math on the https://t.co/JlbLp42VfP website. Students are working hard and having fun! #elemmathchat
A2: Continuing to connect math understanding to their world. Encouraging parents to embed math thinking into regular "being a kid" activities rather than doing workbook pages or computer programs during the summer. #elemmathchat
A2: We are working through some 3Act tasks and reflecting on our year as a whole. The s’s took an “attitude survey” about their feelings towards math & parts of the math class. We are looking at how we have grown & how far we have come. #ElemMathChat
A2 find a balance between the math you still need to discover this year, and not “cramming it all in .” Keep the wonder and joy in math right up to the end. #elemmathchat
A2: GiveSs some juicy problems to tackle. Something that takes more than one class period. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Make good use of the classroom culture you’ve established. #ElemMathChat
#ElemMathChat A1 watching teachers get excited about what they're students can do when they're given freedom to think about numbers like never before #numbertalks
Yes, we will expand number talks next year. Our goal this year was to improve our base ten understanding, flexibility with numbers and overall number sense. Year 1 was a success. Looking forward to next year. #elemmathchat
A powerful way to end the year! "Year mapping" allows students to see what they’ve learned in your class—and it’s a great resource for your incoming class! https://t.co/nrTOXkPihs
A2 Keeping it strong the next few days by using the Math Action Processes in all of our work, holding ourselves to our expectations, persevering and being able to explain our thinking. Our board required final is Tuesday. We have been reviewing this week. #ElemMathChat
Heard @NAndersonMath speak last week about Talk Moves and my math teaching partner and I are working on coaching each other to be more purposeful in our facilitation of discussions #elemmathchat
A2: Bring in some novelty-great time to try a 3 Act Task or numberless word problem or graph especially if sts haven’t experienced it before. #elemmathchat
A2 When I’ve been in classrooms that are wrapping up, those that have a rich task that lasts more than one class period are having great student engagement! #ElemMathChat
A2. Teach even after state testing is done! Otherwise we are telling students that the point of education is to test well rather than to learn (which is a never ending process) #ElemMathChat
A1: I have a couple teams that are going to use Jo Boaler’s youcubed activities to dig into thinking and get the Ts to let go and let kids struggle a bit #elemmathchat
A1. Helping Ts to make geometry connections across grade bands. And provide opportunities for students to make sense of attributes of objects. #ElemMathChat
A2: Continue to teach engaging, important lessons! I’m working with a district piloting the @IllustrateMath 6-8 curriculum this month & engagement is off the charts! Even for 8th graders! #ElemMathChat
A1: (for real this time) moving from Middle math to Elementary has been amazing!!!! My school and teammates are fabulous and I have learned so much!!! #elemmathchat
A2: Our silly state tests are behind us. We are free to spend serious time exploring problems deeply & we use routines to review content. I remind Ss how far they have come & how good they’ve become @ sense-making. All this helps them move forward w/ confidence. #elemmathchat
A2: Keep counting on! The year isn’t over yet. The best way to end the year is to motivate the kids to challenge themselves. Incorporating more estimation 180s & 3 Acts to keep their momentum going. #elemmathchat
I made several inservice teachers struggle with ambiguity in problem solving in a class I teach and it was eye opening for them. I wonder how we can create more opportunities for teachers to experience productive struggle for themselves #elemmathchat
Yes! After testing, the light at the end of the tunnel, this is my favorite time of year, celebrate learning and make things fun. Let's go! #elemmathchat
A2: The most important thing we can do is model engagement - if Ss sense that we’ve “checked out” once testing is done, they’ll follow our lead. Do this by teaching engaging and fun lessons that aren’t fluff. Lessons that tie together the year’s learning #ElemMathChat
A3: I guess I jumped the gun when I posted this for A2 but here are some helpful activities/strategies that we "borrowed" from other educators that you can share with parents to get them thinking mathematically! https://t.co/sPuTsTZ2H3#elemmathchat
A3 This question comes up every year and I feel like we've never done a great job with it. Looking forward to reading others' suggestions! #elemmathchat
A3 Encourage puzzles, game playing...
Provide ways to integrate math into the conversation.... so many examples from #TableTalkMath@Jstevens009#elemmathchat
#ElemMathChat A2 finish strong with Performance Tasks that allow students to work collaboratively and apply their math skills in an engaging authentic way!
A3 Summer Math Challenges. Take pics of Math over the summer. Could be depth of pool or an array of windows on a building you visited. Just keep Math in your lives every day. Love @TableTalkMath for this #elemmathchat
A3: suggestions for talking math with your kids! #tmwyk & share some verbiage for p’s to use when talking with their kids. Share copies of the games we played and online resources to use over the summer as well. #ElemMathChat
A2:Using some of this time to give Ss opportunities to engage in deep tasks, relating them to real- world issues, and maybe some project based learning were always my go-tos when I was in the clasroom! #elemmathchat
A3 Family engagement can’t start in June. Relationships must be built all year. If you want parents to listen you need to give them added value all year. Tweet family math tasks or games once a week. Give free reproducible games in a newsletter. Invite feedback #elemmathchat
Every time you see struggling Ss with problem solving OR when you change CGI type the NWP takes the scariness out of the actual problems. #ElemMathChat
A3 this will be our 2nd summer doing a Summer Math Passport! Kids go with families to local businesses and engaged in solving open ended tasks related to the business to get a stamp in their passports. Tripled our summer work participation rate last year! #ElemMathChat
A3) Find engaging ways to participate in math activities - outdoor challenges, social media engagement, choice tasks across different environments, sharing games families can use #elemmathchat
A3 our school district has @CCSD_FACES that shares numerous ideas with families to keep the learning going. I also ask my Ss to make daily schedules, practice mental math with the family. #ElemMathChat@TableTalkMath is great resource.
I like the idea of recommending apps for parents and kids to explore. Right now I am totally into https://t.co/4lSfE4JCQH which was recommended by @Jstevens009 in his NCTM talk. Would recommend checking it out! #elemmathchat
A3 - We have Summer Bingo Cards for each grade that include 25 activities that apply standards from the grade they just finished in fun ways (ie estimate liters needed to fill bathtub 2 in then check). #elemmathchat
Yes!!! Playing games and talking math!!! @KentHaines always has awesome suggestions of what to play and discussion questions! So easy for parents to pick up!! I tell parents to sign up for the newsletter & post to FB #elemmathchat
In reply to
@RawdingMolly, @Jstevens009, @KentHaines
A3: First, we have to plant the seed. Playing with math doesn’t seem to be as intuitive as reading to their children. I use some awesome math games in class that the kids grow to love. I’ll share a list out at the end of the year and encourage families. #ElemMathChat
A3 we have done a parent summer newsletter with different math based games and those types of ideas to connect and spend time with family. That's always popular #elemmathchat
A3: We created baggies for parents that included several math games, a deck of cards with directions for games, dice, and counting bracelets for fluency for the younger Ss. We had a parent meeting to share and give.
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A3: Just as I send home a leveled book list for summer reading I send home websites and math tools that will encourage math explorations during the summer. It helps to explain to parents what we do in the classroom too- such as subitizing. #subawho? 🤣 #elemmathchat
A3 I am also thinking about how throughout the year, but esp. in the summer, we get kids and parents doing puzzles and talking math at home. So much of students' positive mindsets around math has to do with the narrative that exists at home! #elemmathchat
I think a perfect opportunity is using our SM platforms like Twitter, FB, etc. and post challenges, questions, etc. It would be one of the benefits of working towards a strong SM presence throughout the year. #elemmathchat
A3: I’ve seen some Ts put together “math bags” for their Ss to have for the summer. Ziplock bag with manipulatives, games, flash cards, inquiry provocations, etc. Funded through the parent council. Great for those rainy days! #ElemMathChat
A3: My campus extends Ss access to @DreamBox_Learn during the summer! The kids love it! But, I love hearing the ideas of sending some materials home for parents at the end of the year. Definitely food for thought! #elemmathchat
A3: Take the fear & mystique away; show them the beauty of asking open-ended questions about the world around them. Math at home isn’t worksheets & workbooks & more stress - it’s making sense of our world and solving interesting problems! Easier said than done...#elemmathchat
OH that's a fantastic idea! It also makes me wonder, what if there was a summer movie meetup night at the school, outdoors, under the summer moon, popcorn, cotton candy and just good times...I wonder #elemmathchat
A3: Encourage families to play games that have math embedded in them. (My kindergartner loves Rat-a-Tat Cat - lots of opportunity for him to add 1-digit numbers together at the end of the game!) #ElemMathChat
#ElemMathChat A3 just had a thought. We always have summer reading district-wide, what about something like a math Bingo where every box has a unique authentic way to use math in their daily lives this summer. Prizes in the fall
A3 We just discussed this in #octmchat. My suggestion is to play lots of board games and card games in the class that will encourage Ss to suggest that Mom & Dad get them so they can continue to play. Travel editions are great!! #ElemMathChat
A3 I think it would be cool to have them share pictures on social media or on our Remind communication app of the math they see in the real world. #ElemMathChat
A3: Also, encourage kids and parents just to look for the math around them - when they cook, when they go to baseball games, when they are going on a road trip...lots of natural opportunities to look for numbers, patterns, and math! #elemmathchat
I know what you mean! We do it for our Math Night that takes place in February... but how fun would it be to send some math board games home! #elemmathchat
This document is amazing for helping teachers share ideas with families to talk and do math at home. Be sure to check it out! Thanks, Mary! #ElemMathChat
Ooo! Interesting thought. I feel like I am always killing myself to prep things in the last weeks of school, but maybe I could just update a blog with weekly activities / recommendations throughout the summer when things are much slower. Love this! #elemmathchat
like what if it started with the sun up, in the middle of summer, hell you could even invite the kids in early in the day, they make a bunch of math game/puzzles, parents and kids have dinner, and other families solve their puzzle, then evening culminates in movie #elemmathchat
Fantastic ideas! I love the idea of tweeting math tasks (or posting on a class blog). That’s powerful in building learning partnerships w/ home & school. Thanks for sharing! #ElemMathChat
@bstockus There are so many great ideas being shared (bags, passports, etc). I wonder if there is a place we could continue this conversation by setting up a place to share some of these resources? A curated list of activities may go a long way in helping districts. #elemmathchat
A2 Don’t stop teaching and don’t let go of your routines. Carry on as if it is the middle of the year. Introduce some new learning opportunities (#wodb#numbertalks ) if you’ve not already incorporated them. #ElemMathChat
We've got lots of great ideas being shared. If you have a link or idea, why not add it to this document so we can collect them? https://t.co/sm7v64tk1V#ElemMathChat
A4: I notice puzzle pieces in 4 different colors. They each have a number on them. I wonder if I connect them together, if they will make a giraffe? #elemmathchat
A3 in our district we have had great success with #noticewonder and math pictures. Ts using them widely. Now our Ss are stopping parents, stealing their phones to take math pictures to share with teachers. Thats seeing math in the real world! #elemmathchat
A4 Notice puzzle pieces. Pieces are numbered. Diff colors. On wood background. 8 yellowish pieces (including the head).
Wonder do they all fit together? Is it a giraffe? Are there any other pieces? Are there any extra pieces?
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A4) I notice numbers, colors, shapes, and different sizes. I wonder what the numbers mean, I wonder if they correlate with an order or sizes. I wonder if there is a pattern to the colors #elemmathchat
Excellent idea! A great way to involve the community in the education of our students. I would also love to learn more about this! Thanks for sharing! #ElemMathChat
A4 I notice a multi colored giraffe waiting to be put back together again. I notice the head is numbered one. I wonder if you build in number order from head down if giraffe will be complete. #ElemMathChat
We've got lots of great ideas being shared. If you have a link or idea, why not add it to this document so we can collect them? https://t.co/sm7v64tk1V#ElemMathChat
A4: I notice different colored pieces that are numbered. I wonder if the colors have a significance and if the numbers mean anything or are the order of the pieces, like connect the dots #ElemMathChat
A4 I noticed many different coloured puzzle pieces. I noticed that they all have numbers on them. I noticed that none of them seem to be symmetrical. I noticed there seem to be almost equal groups of the same color. #elemmathchat
That’s awesome. I’ve found that Twitter chats are amazing opportunities for PD!
By the way, there’s a special community called #TOSAChat for coaches. I’ve enjoyed joining in even though I’m not a coach. #elemmathchat
A4 I wonder what shape it will create when they’re all together. I wonder what transformations I will need to put the pieces through in order to lock them together. I wonder how large the completed puzzle will be. #elemmathchat
A5 Same: five towers/columns for the base. red,blue, yellow
number of blue (?)
Diff: number of yellow, shapes (more curves in the bottom structure), background
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A4: I notice numbers on each puzzle piece; they are 3- dimensional; and there are more yellow than green. I wonder if this puzzle can stand up since it’s 3-dimensional? #ElemMathChat
A5 both structures use 13 blocks, the colors are same I wondered if the colors corresponded to placement at first, but I saw quickly that they did no. I wonder which would be more sturdy. THat yellow cylinder with the smaller red rectangular block makes me go hmmmm #ElemMathChat
I wonder if anyone has resources for families around questioning? Math education could likely be transformed over one summer if all of the students came back to school full of nothing but worthwhile or interesting mathematical questions. #elemmathchat
I'm hearing this word "robust" used more and more in the math world and I love it! Any background you can share on why you use this word to describe what you are doing? #elemMathchat
A3: I've not done this, but these tweets make me wonder if we couple partner with our public library. Set up a "math books" section for browsing and checkout, and set out some math games for kids to play while at the library. #elemmathchat
A5: The numbers of blocks used in each design is the same and in the same formation. The shapes & length of the blocks spots are different. #ElemMathchat
I immediately noticed that different too Dawn. #ElemMathChat Everything else I noticed at first was "sameness". But then there was "rounded" and "not rounded".
Who uses the terms "pair-wise" and "five-wise" when talking about structure? Wondering specifically about the background of the use of the word "wise" as opposed to something else #mtbos#iteachmath#ilovemath#elemmathchat
Yes! Would be great to see it happen in the community libraries during summer! Oh, and it should happen in the adult section, too! Wouldn't it be great to get adults playing math games and checking out math books, too? #elemmathchat
That’s a great idea! What about sending Ss away for the summer with a small notebook to write any mathematical “wonderings” they may have? Kick off the year with some meaningful math inquiry generated by the students. #ElemMathChat
Same/Different: The top animals all have 4 legs. The birds on the bottom only have 2. Total of 16 legs on top. On the bottom, a total of 12 legs. #elemmathchat
I LOVE asking my students what do you #NoticeWonder and I also ask them what relationships they see or notice and wonder about. I think with this picture the conversations could be endless! #ElemMathChat
This activities have so many interesting parallels to geometry and helping students see multiple attributes at one time! Thanks for sharing! #elemmathchat
A3: going way back, has anyone tried sharing these novice wonder tasks with parents through a communication app, google classroom, or email? #ElemMathChat
If you want to ask your students "What is the same? What is different?" in class, here's a site with lots of visual prompts: https://t.co/or9MDYVh1j#ElemMathChat
Same/Different: The top animals all have 4 legs. The birds on the bottom only have 2. Total of 16 legs on top. On the bottom, a total of 12 legs. #elemmathchat
Yes!!! Maybe schools should give Ss special "mathematical wonderings" notebooks! I love that idea @EJFullertonEdu! Now we just have to design one! 😀 Oh the possibilities! #elemmathchat
That’s a great idea! What about sending Ss away for the summer with a small notebook to write any mathematical “wonderings” they may have? Kick off the year with some meaningful math inquiry generated by the students. #ElemMathChat
AND students often notice things we think they won't. I have a Grade 1 #NoticeWonder class list that people have guessed is at least grade 5 because it has so many "sophisticated" ideas. #ElemMathChat
A3: going way back, has anyone tried sharing these novice wonder tasks with parents through a communication app, google classroom, or email? #ElemMathChat
My polite request of teachers everywhere, let’s endorse playing games that have mathematical thinking at the heart. And not promote games that are simply drill, or flashcards iin a thin disguise. Crucial distinction in developing a positive disposition towards math #elemmathchat
A6: Great pic! So many options/categories here. I really think “How many? Pictures” force kids to make sense of probs, attend to precision &construct arg’s.They easily see how confusing it is when they start hearing other answers & wonder how they arrived at that. #ElemMathChat
I love how much fun I'm having just being like...tonight, it's been awhile my dear #elemmathchat thanks for keeping your awesome on. I got some great ideas from @pearse_margie and had an aha from @bstockus So cool
Absolutely! I have often seen Ts feel as though thy need to “simplify” the math to make it “accessible.” When Ss are already thinking about the math in more complex ways. Let’s let the S thinking set the tone. Not our preconceived ideas. #elemmathchathttps://t.co/Q5naAJpbgd
AND students often notice things we think they won't. I have a Grade 1 #NoticeWonder class list that people have guessed is at least grade 5 because it has so many "sophisticated" ideas. #ElemMathChat
This is something I'm definitely going to share and link to problem solving! My research is looking at identifying inequities in problem solving instruction caused by overuse of implicit modeling of questioning. I wonder if this could be a missing explicit link? #elemmathchat
