Teaching As Inquiry 2019: Using Assessment in Maths Planning

Team/Individual Teaching As Inquiry Goal How can we effectively and purposefully use assessment to describe and improve student progress and achievement in Maths? Focusing Inquiry I will undertake ongoing assessments (‘I Can’ sheets and JAM) of students’ understanding/skills in maths. I will use these to understand student progress, gaps and plan accordingly. Key teaching strategies will include: DMIC Problem Solving (targeting maths learning needs) Explicit teaching (small group) Practise opportunities (games, activities etc) TEAM TAI My Planning and Notes Key Maths Talk Moves:  * Listening  * Giving wait time: allowing a partner to think about what you've said, after you've said it * Restating/ Repeating  * Revoicing: saying what a partner said, in a different way * Questioning * Apply reasoning / Justify * Add on: to what someone else has said or show another way of solving the problem

Term 1 Reflection  What is the current state of learning? My students currently undertake a mix of DMIC problem solving tasks (1-2 per week), and spend the rest of the week (3-4 sessions) working on mathematical knowledge or skills in teacher focus groups, whole class games/activities, and with independent time (games, activities with materials, book work).  I observe and reflect on students' use of Maths Talk Moves in DMIC sessions (see above), as well as their mathematical knowledge and skills (through observation and JAM assessment) Most students are accustomed to working on DMIC problems, and demonstrate the maths talk moves of listening, giving wait time, and revoicing. Some pairs naturally work together and share ideas/ask questions of each other. With other pairs, one student tends to take over and 'solve' the problem. Teacher prompting and support is needed to help students communicate with each other. Some pairs have been able to go back, explain to their buddy, and then the buddy explains back to me.  After reviewing data (JAM Testing, March 2019), I am aware that most students are competent with naming numbers and forwards counting. However, students cover a wide range of knowledge and skill levels (Stage 0 to late Stage 5). Common challenges include:  * order/size (e.g. knowing which number is higher lower; identifying how many tens and ones in a number) * basic facts (adding 1, 2; addition to 10; addition to 100)  * counting on and counting back to add/subtract * skip counting  Several stage 5 students are adding 2 digit numbers using tens/ones, with materials for support. They are working on subtraction too. What are the challenges?  * As above, some students find it difficult working in a pair for DMIC, and taking ownership or letting go of control and ensuring their buddy understands.  * Challenging to provide enough instruction/teacher support time to each group. * Finding time for ongoing assessment What are possible solutions? / Next Steps * Given the range of skills/knowledge, we are providing a mix a DMIC and group based explicit teaching each week, in line with students' learning needs.  * Creating independent boxes for each group has provided student choice and increased engagement. Students are also often demonstrating great self-management and working together skills in the process.  * Vary partnerships for DMIC maths.  * Explicit praise and feedback on learning.  * Modelling for new skills e.g. counting on to add.  * A focus on games and materials in independent boxes, so students have concrete materials to practise working mathematically. * Continue to give students the opportunity to learn then support others in a game (BC, LMc, HH have done this with ease in term 1, and enjoy it too!) * Continue sharing observational feedback with home / extra 'fun' practise ideas (by email or phone). * Try using Mon lunch time to note down DMIC observations and next steps. Try using Friday's session, when students work on Mad Maths Minute and I can undertake assessment. Post-it note assessment - keep these over the week, update I Can sheets once a week. I will trial these ideas in term 2.  * Use observations to plan, so learning is at the point of need. Term 2 Reflection  What is the current state of learning? JAM data was collected again for all students in June 2019. See 'JAM testing tab' in this googledoc (access permission required). This showed the following:  A significant number of students (9) have moved from working in Stage 3 to working in Stage 4, and the improved awareness of number size and order and tens/ones is apparent. Five students have moved from working in Stage 4 to working in Stage 5, and 3 students moved from working in Stage 2 to Stage 3.Two students need further support on number size working with 0-15, and counting a group accurately (Stage 1).  Areas which need strengthening for most students are basic facts (to 10 and 20), skip counting and counting on/back to add and subtract.  Using 'I Can' tracking sheets hasn't been administered due to the limited time we have for maths, and the focus on teaching / learning rather than assessment. Reflection on students' use of Maths Talk Moves (DMIC problem solving): While students were generally confident with listening and giving wait time, these skills were not maintained after the two week swimming break from maths. Most quickly regained these skills, through short whole class problems at the start of each session.  After feedback from DMIC mentors, I have changed how and when we do DMIC problems. We now do a problem at the start of most sessions for a short time (8-10 minutes total). Students stay on the floor with the group; each pair working alongside the next. Working in this way has been fantastic! The students are more focused, engaged and motivated, and the plenary discussion occurs every time. Across a week, a series of problems also focuses on the same type of problem (e.g. change unknown - see workshop notes here). This is really helping their understanding and confidence - children who have difficulty interpreting a problem at the start of the week can do so by the end.  Allowing students to choose their own partners, but ensuring they vary their choice, has also been useful for learning. Students have been more engaged working with a buddy they feel they can communicate confidently, take risks and share mistakes with openly. What are the challenges?  As noted above, finding time for ongoing assessment. JAM data was collected during  CRT release.  Some students have needed additional coaching on social and communication skills, and using the Maths Talk Moves, as they ended up in frequent disputes or avoided working with their buddy after a communication break down. Finding time to support these students has been a challenge, but it is important to do so (KC, MN, MA, AC, JS, R, AM). Some children get distracted by peers when given independent tasks. Some children show ongoing challenge with number size and may need additional support (PG, AM, OR, NA, QD, R, JS, ZG). Significant needs around understanding and recalling basic facts, skip counting and count on/back to add/subtract. What are possible solutions? / Next steps: Experiment with using smaller group size. Being more explicit about mathematical practices that students are using, by including these in our end discussion. Illicit student voice without taking over by using timer/time limits for teacher talk (my talk), and by: prompting for re-wording / restating from other children, before repeating it myself. asking more prompting questions - e.g. what else can you tell me about the story?  possibly rewording at the end of discussion, followed by: “Am I correct?” “Is that right? Reflection after 3 weeks (21/08/19):  What is working or not working?  Smaller group size is working well. Students do their mad maths minute when not with me in the DMIC problem solving circle. I am trying to talk less and prompting students to tell me about the problem. Students are still working on sharing, listening and repeating ideas. I am making a point of talking through the mathematical practices at hand, e.g. the part / part / whole when solving 'There were 100 milk cartons and 18 were left at the end of the day? How many were drunk?" Using materials is helping students grasp mathematical practices like this, e.g. an abacus to show part / part / whole