Run Away with the Spoon

How to get students to think independently and critically

Presented by: Carri CarverWoodward AcademyMathematics Teacher

Major Fail in Precal

Fall semester Take-home test 1 real world

application problem 2 of 14 students had

some success with real world problem

“Why can’t they do ANYTHING by themselves?”

A; 1

B; 1 C; 1

D; 5

F; 6

Take-home Test Grades

Action Research Question

How can I help my Precalculus students become better:

At solving real-world problems they have never seen before?

At figuring things out for themselves?

Three Strategies

1. Opportunities for problem solving Problem solving tasks

2. Strategies to improve problem solving ability Growth mindset Work Habits rubric (Habits of Mind Institute)

3. Assessment Reforms 4.0 rubric (Marzano) Formative scores lead to summative grade

(Marzano)

4.0 Scale

Level Description

2.0 / C Routine calculations, utilization of equations, solving equations.

3.0 / B Deriving equations, mathematical modeling.

4.0 / A+

Analyzing results, evaluating appropriateness of solutions.

Action Plan: Jan – March, 2013 Pre-Survey & Introduction

Task 1: Growth and Decay

Task 2: Coffee Cooling

Task 3: Case of the Cooling Corpse

Corrections to Tasks 2-3

Final Task: Choice of 3 Rice on a Chessboard, Lillies on a Pond, or The Big Melt

Post-Survey and Open-ended Survey

Results

A; 5

B; 6

C; 3

Overall Task Grades

April 2013

A; 1B; 1

C; 1

D; 5

F; 6

Take-home Test Grades

Fall 2012

Final Task Grades

Final grade assigned by looking

at best two formative scores

Final average

Did the students improve?

From Tasks 1-3

To Final Task

s 4&5

Improve-ment

statistically

significant?

p-value

From Task

1

To Task

4

No

From Task

1

To Task

5

Yes p=.05

From Task

2

To Task

4

No

From Task

2

To Task

5

No

From Task

3

To Task

4

Yes p=.003

From Task

3

To Task

5

Yes p=.002

Form

ati

ve S

core

Task number

Not a strong positive correlation. Not statistically significant.

Pre- & Post-Survey Results

66

3

-5

-22-4

-22

-3-1

8-4 4

Growth mindset

Attitudes toward Math

Negative Affects

Postive Affects

Independence

Number of

answers improvin

g

Number of

answers regressin

g

Net gain or loss

Next Steps

Different rubric

Scaffolding System for providing hints Checking student work in progress

Growth Mindset

Executive control and metacognition

Assessment Takeaways

Food for thought…