Hands-on is a time for customized small group instruction.
This workshop rotation allows for responsive and customized small group instruction after informally assessing all students. When a teacher is able to collect immediate data to assess each student's understanding and group them accordingly, everyone benefits. Spend small group instruction building upon or extending their level of understanding from the whole group lesson taught. Working "Hands-on" ensures the teacher has the ability to reach all students at their diverse learning levels.
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Responsively Grouping StudentsAfter teaching the whole group, the teacher can responsibly group students by using a variety of resources. A preferred and foolproof method are using Plickers. Students glue their Plicker card on the inside cover of their math journal or to the back of their dry erase board. They solve the problem, choose a response from the multiple choice options, and the teacher scans the room of plickers with their phone to collect the data! After the data is collected, the teacher can then responsibly move students to the small groups that will best fit their learning needs. This enables the teacher to be flexible and form remediation groups, on-level groups, and challenge groups in just a few minutes!
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Teach Hands-on with PurposeGo into each small group lesson with a purpose. Students who are grouped in the "re-teach" group should receive some kind of remedial lesson with a more "hands-on" approach to learning. Using a more direct teaching approach with manipulatives and math tools will provide this group with a concrete representation of the lesson. Once students grasp the concrete, the teacher can move towards representational with drawings, diagrams, or pictures. Eventually, students are ready for the higher-level abstract representation of their new learning. This transference of understanding only occurs when students are comfortable manipulating and reasoning with mathematics.
Once these aspects and concepts are in place, students will have the capability to be more purposeful in their problem solving. |
Anecdotal and Observational NotesWhen working with students in small group, it is extremely important to take note of their learning progress and any notable behaviors or misconceptions they may have. By jotting down observations and assigning an overall grade to the students after their small group experience, you can track their learning progress and determine if there is a pattern or trend to their academic success or concerns.
There are so many ways to track student progress during small group instruction and math conferencing. One method is to use a class list with room to jot down notes and provide an overall score for each standard or lesson taught. Some teachers use post-it notes, a sheet for each student, etc. Once you find your preference, keeping these notes and scores will become second-nature. |
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