Wonderful participants at our Oakland workshop last Saturday.
Favorite funny exclamation (while drawing a word problem model that compared the cost of a purse, dress and belt):
"Wait! the belt has to be longer than the dress!"
Most intriguing question:
"How do you encourage students to use Singapore methods (drawing number relationships, using mental math, using models) if there is resistance? What if they say they'd rather "JUST" do it my memorizing a rule?
Our answers:
1. Give students a mix of problems. Make sure there is at least ONE that they can NOT do without the SPM drawing. This can be frustrating, but is very motivating for the doubters.
2. Spend time talking about (and rewarding) DIFFERENT ways of looking at a mental math problem. The emphasis should be on understanding and flexibility, not speed.
3. Let 2 or 3 students come to the board at one time, and compare their models. Discuss the different approaches. Let math become a cooperative endeavor, with UNDERSTANDING at the core, not memorization.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Teachers' Workshop, Honolulu, Hawaii, Feb 20th!
