Investigations in Number, Data, and Space: Teaching Philosophy

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Investigations in Number, Data, and Space
Teaching Philosophy
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The Changing Face of Mathematics Instruction
What is different?

• New roles for teachers and students
• Teaching for understanding
• All children can learn
• Collaborative work
• Alternative and multiple strategies

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Organization of the Investigations Curriculum

• Units (2- 6 weeks) consists of several
  investigations on the same/similar topics
• Investigations several sessions around
• A set of related problems
• Math relationships building/constructing
• Games about particular mathematics
• Collecting, representing and interpreting data
• Sessions structure/learning cycle
• Extensions Excursions - differentiation

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Learning Cycle

• ENGAGE (hook prior knowledge)
• EXPLORE (hands on experience)
• EXPLAIN (term introduction)
• EXTEND (yet another way)
• EVALUATE (are learners getting the concept?)
• If YES,
• If NO,

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The Mathematics Content

• Number
• Data
• Geometry
• Change

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Special Features of the Investigations Curriculum

• Materials
• Technology
• Cooperative learning and grouping
• Assessment
• Family connections
• Review and practice
• Support for Spanish-speaking students

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The Teachers Role

• Observe listen carefully to students
  Understand how students are thinking
• Help students articulate their thinking, verbally
  in writing
• Establish a classroom atmosphere in which high
  value is placed on thinking hard about a problem
• Insist that students keep track of their work and
  be able to explain or show their thinking
• Ask questions that push students mathematical
  thinking further
• Facilitate discussions about important math ideas
• Make decisions about how to modify the curriculum
  appropriately for individuals or groups of
  students

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Differentiating Instruction Can we do it?

• Everybody Counts (NRC, 1989)
• Investigating real-life contexts
• Linguistically diverse classroom
• Spanish vocabulary package
• Tips for linguistically diverse classroom
• Family letters (in six languages)
• Investigating mathematical contexts

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Differentiating Instruction Process standards

• Problem solving
• Communication
• Connections
• Reasoning and proof
• Representations