Weekly chat for excited 1st grade teachers who love to learn and share ideas. Participants are interested in a variety of topics including literacy, math, technology, play, inquiry, and being the best educators they can be!
Welcome to #1stchat! I'm Donna, and I'll be your guest moderator tonight. Please introduce yourself, tell where you are from, and if you are dressing up for Halloween this week. If you are, what is your costume?
Happy Sunday! I'm Val from Michigan and I'm happy to have @MathCoachCorner as our guest-moderator tonight. I'm dressing up as a "Super Teacher". #1stchat
I’m Kim from Texas. Ran across this chat, while doing some online professional development. I’m going to be a friendly pumpkin for Halloween 🎃 #1stchat
A1 Treat! As a classroom teacher, small group instruction and math workshop was the only way I found to effectively meet the needs of all my kids. Yes, it was a learning process, but well work the effort! As a coach, I have worked with teachers who now swear by it! #1stchat
A1 I like math stations since I can provide some choices, reviews, & opportunities for students to work together while I meet with small groups of students. #1stchat
I just started math work stations and at first it felt like a trick. Now that my kids are starting to settle in, I can tell that it’s gonna be a treat! #1stchat
A1: Math Workstations= UGH! I have tried in past and failed miserably. This year I am using Guided Math by Regan Tunstall and it is going slightly better, but I need more guidance. #1stchat
A1: TREAT! I’ve had so much support from colleagues setting up math stations and relying on their previous experiences to make them work for my kids #1stchat
I’m Kim from Texas. Ran across this chat, while doing some online professional development. I’m going to be a friendly pumpkin for Halloween 🎃 #1stchat
You have to find your own system. I recommend looking at several different resources and cobbling together a system that works for you. #1stchathttps://t.co/Yw3kekbrro
A1 I have often found that when teachers are having trouble with math workshop, it can be traced back to management/organization issues. You can't rush it! You have to teach and reinforce your expectations. #1stchat
A1 I am new to teaching 2nd grade and am self-contained. My Math work stations have been challenging, because I don’t have enough stations pre-assembled and lack the time to prep. #1stchat
A1: #1stchat I haven't been too successful in HS because usually kids not in my small group don't seem to be working in the other stations. I keep trying though. ideas?
Is there anything you already use that could be put into a work station? We have a problem solving journal- and that is my problem solving station. I assign a few pages and have kids work it out with their partners #1stchat
I spend a week to just practice stations while I stay out of their way. I put a lot of directions on @Seesaw so that students can scan and listen to the directions. Independency & problem solving are key components for success! #1stchat
A1 I have often found that when teachers are having trouble with math workshop, it can be traced back to management/organization issues. You can't rush it! You have to teach and reinforce your expectations. #1stchat
A2: concrete is so important! The arrow going up and back shows that it is a fluid movement- always going back and forth! Always looking for concrete opportunities to put into my workstations #1stchat
A2 I always want to make sure there is a balance of CPA in workstations depending on the task and where students are in their understanding. Review stations might be more abstract. Newer tasks more concrete. #1stchat
A2: When learning a new skill, students always start as concrete, it may take a bit to move to pictorial and then abstract. Manipulatives are so important!! #1stchat
A2 It's important that we consider the CRA sequence of instruction in our workstation tasks. Students should have concrete or pictorial support for their learning. #1stchat
A2: Love to start with concrete when introducing something new, then progress as students can. I do have a few that are still needing concrete almost always still. #1stchat
A2 It's important to carefully review the standards to determine if it's even a requirement to get them to the abstract level. Sometimes it's not. #1stchat
A2 I think early teachers are comfortable with supporting students with the concrete but it seems to be less common in upper grades even though students may still need that. #1stchat
A4 First and foremost, the tasks must be chosen intentionally and aligned to the standards. Students often spend a large part of their math instructional time on workstation tasks, and teachers have to plan them as carefully as their primary instruction. #1stchat
A3: anything during my workstations must fit with our learning objectives. Nothing can be “busy work”. We don’t have enough time to waste learning time with unfocused workstation activities. #1stchat
A3: anything during my workstations must fit with our learning objectives. Nothing can be “busy work”. We don’t have enough time to waste learning time with unfocused workstation activities. #1stchat
A2 Always important to look at the learning continuum to see previous exposure as well as to follow learning progression. Pre-assessment provides direction on starting point. #1stchat
A4: does the station meet the standards? I also try to have a station or 2 that focuses on supporting standards such a as time, shapes, and measurement. #1stchat
A3: I'm the only one on my team who does math workstations, so teach the same unit, just differentiated. My tasks so far are familiar games, so they can practice the skill I teach in small group. Hoping that this transforms as I get more comfortable, and persuade my team.#1stchat
A3 tasks need to be engaging and worthwhile. Students should be practicing, learning, & collaborating, not just mindlessly working on tasks with no connection to what they are learning. And they MUST NOT present kids with content they have not yet learned! #1stchat
Q4 How do you incorporate the process standards (problem solving, reasoning & proof, communication, connections, and representation) into your math workstation tasks? #1stchat
A3 My work stations are composed of skills that have been previously taught for practice and reinforcement. There is usually an assessment piece. They also need to be self-explanatory with simple directions and easy clean-up. #1stchat
A4 Any time we can get students to be producers instead of consumers we are addressing the process standards. Writing word problems, instead of just solving them. #1stchat
A3 Workstation tasks always reflect the standard(s) we’re working on. Free technology is the hardest to find. Games are easily differentiated as are All by Myself independent practice activities. #1stchat
A3 I use a lot of hands on tools such as pattern blocks, cuisenaire rods, tangrams & leave things open-ended. I build challenges as students become more comfortable with the tools. #1stchat
A4 It's important to make it an expectation that students are having mathematical conversations when working on tasks. Providing conversation starters and vocabulary development task are important. #1stchat
A4 It's important to make it an expectation that students are having mathematical conversations when working on tasks. Providing conversation starters and vocabulary development task are important. #1stchat
A4: this question gives me a lot to think about. Yes we have a problem solvin station- but having students create their own problems to communicate understanding is lacking. Tons of new ideas are running through my brain! #1stchat
RT Q4 How do you incorporate the process standards (problem solving, reasoning & proof, communication, connections, and representation) into your math workstation tasks? #1stchat
I love when my students create math games using @scratchjr Last week one teacher shared how her students use @flipgrid to post problems they create. I will try that for sure! #1stchat
A4 Any time we can get students to be producers instead of consumers we are addressing the process standards. Writing word problems, instead of just solving them. #1stchat
Q4 How do you incorporate the process standards (problem solving, reasoning & proof, communication, connections, and representation) into your math workstation tasks? #1stchat
A4: not sure if this works, but my kiddos have just started choosing how to meet their goals in counting and writing numbers (kdg) they know where they are and where to be, they document in @seesaw#1stchat
A4 The Show Me strategy from #Formative5 is a great way for students to communicate their mathematical understanding. "Show me, using words, numbers, and pictures, how you would compare 73 and 59 using place value." #1stchat@CorwinPress@bkobett
Q4 Truthfully, considering the process standards when creating stations hasn’t been a priority for me. I usually consider student needs for building fluency and automaticity and reinforcement of previous skills taught. #1stchat
A5: I actually don't right now. Maybe another good job for Seesaw? Kids take a picture of their work station final outcome? Seesaw can be good for so many things. #1stchat
A5 Just having students take their Math Journals (composition notebook) to each workstation adds accountability. Think of something they can record to indicate their understanding of the math behind the activity. #1stchat
A5: Math by myself has a computational worksheet to complete, but math games with a partner is only required to stay on task and sometimes share a picture on @seesaw with me. #1stchat
RT Q5 Math workstations can be spooky if there is no accountability. How do you hold students accountable for the work they do in workstations? #1stchat
A5: This would be another area for me to think about. My kids have @classdojo portfolios, so that may be an option. I like the math journal idea as well. Oh boy, I have a long way to go! #1stchat
A5 Sharing what they created or did on @seesaw adds accountability. If students are playing math games, have them record math sentences in their journal. #1stchat
A5 Station minus accountability = busy work...BOO. Index cards, laminated task cards, recording sheets, pictorial representations, dry erase boards, and partner sharing are a few ways to make kids accountable for their learning. #1stchat
It can be as simple as students taking a picture of their game board before erasing it, but @seesaw also has an activity bank. Check it out here: https://t.co/s8nmaAHUKz#1stchat
In reply to
@dynamo30us, @lekadegroot, @Seesaw, @Seesaw
Q6 How do you use math workstation tasks to provide students with ongoing practice for skills they have already learned or even to prepare them for content they are about to learn? #1stchat
A6 Remember to reuse workstation tasks throughout the year for distributive practice. That place value game you used in September can go back in the rotation is December and again in March so it stays fresh in the kids' minds. #1stchat
A6 Talk to the teachers from the grade level before you and see if they have workstations the kiddos can use to give them practice with prerequisite skills. #1stchat
Q6 How do you use math workstation tasks to provide students with ongoing practice for skills they have already learned or even to prepare them for content they are about to learn? #1stchat
A6: it seems like we are still at the beginning of the year. I haven’t thrown in any content review stations from previous units- would love any suggestions! #1stchat
A6 Talk to the teachers from the grade level before you and see if they have workstations the kiddos can use to give them practice with prerequisite skills. #1stchat
A6: I have never used stations for new content. I usually have them play math games to reinforce skills or the tech they use is all encompassing of first grade skills and takes them on their level. #1stchat
RT Q6 How do you use math workstation tasks to provide students with ongoing practice for skills they have already learned or even to prepare them for content they are about to learn? #1stchat
Joining way late. One strategy I use is to have tasks with low floors and high ceilings so all students have an entry point, but there is no ceiling for how for they can take the tasks. #1stchat
A6 I like leaving some math tools out before we start a unit. Especially shapes, balance scales, clocks, etc. It will give my students plenty of time to explore before we start the unit. #1stchat
A5 Having student accountability that by the end of the week (or your specific time period) you must show an example of x, y, or z. A simple checklist on my end helps too. #1stchat Not all things need to be documented though.
Yes, leaving out a provacation to see where they go with it and what they do with it. Sometimes with a prompt, sometimes just on its own. An invitation to explore and learn. #1stchat
Our pacing and scope and sequence allows for spiraling skills with increasing numbers, so I use the same stations and adjust the numbers. This helps to differentiate the learning tasks as well. #1stchat
A7 I am teaching K this year. We are using loose parts to show different ways to make numbers to 5. So many ways to represent numbers and their part/part whole combinations. #1stchat
