Spring Update!
As mentioned in my Fall update, the only way that writing will be a success in a math class is if it is meaningful. To review, I began with having my students to complete daily writing reflections so that they can begin to get comfortable with writing. Below is an example of the stems that were used by the students each day. (Figure 1)
After about a week the responses were repetitive so I stopped the reflections. Currently students complete weekly short responses where they solve a math problem and explain their process. This allows me to see the areas where there may be misconceptions. One of the main reasons why I a pushing for implementation of writing in the math class is because I want students to really understand that math is more than getting the 'right' answer. (Figure 2)
I have currently implemented a strategy in math called 3 reads, similar to close reading, where students read a question, identify quantities, list what the quantities represent, and then solve the problem. The more they see the similarity with Reading and Math, the more comfortable they will be to write in the math class. The image below shows a sample work of the 3 Read. (Figure 3)
The next step thatI am moving towards is having students write about a mathematical idea. This will begin toward the end of March, due to testing. However I am looking to have them to creatively present a math idea. They can explain this idea in the form of a poem, song, story, or art. There is a bulletin board designated for math at my school, so their work will be displayed on that! (pictures coming soon)
Overall, the implementation of writing in math is going very well! I now want to find ways to have this idea to spill over into other classrooms in my school.
As mentioned in my Fall update, the only way that writing will be a success in a math class is if it is meaningful. To review, I began with having my students to complete daily writing reflections so that they can begin to get comfortable with writing. Below is an example of the stems that were used by the students each day. (Figure 1)
After about a week the responses were repetitive so I stopped the reflections. Currently students complete weekly short responses where they solve a math problem and explain their process. This allows me to see the areas where there may be misconceptions. One of the main reasons why I a pushing for implementation of writing in the math class is because I want students to really understand that math is more than getting the 'right' answer. (Figure 2)
I have currently implemented a strategy in math called 3 reads, similar to close reading, where students read a question, identify quantities, list what the quantities represent, and then solve the problem. The more they see the similarity with Reading and Math, the more comfortable they will be to write in the math class. The image below shows a sample work of the 3 Read. (Figure 3)
The next step thatI am moving towards is having students write about a mathematical idea. This will begin toward the end of March, due to testing. However I am looking to have them to creatively present a math idea. They can explain this idea in the form of a poem, song, story, or art. There is a bulletin board designated for math at my school, so their work will be displayed on that! (pictures coming soon)
Overall, the implementation of writing in math is going very well! I now want to find ways to have this idea to spill over into other classrooms in my school.