Daily Formative Self Assessment: July 29, 2013

[Ralph Cordova]

Today was our first day of the QTEL Summer Institute.

As you reflect on the questions below, keep in mind the range of experiences we engaged in today.

We began with coffee and pastries, followed by an overview led by Ralph of the week's activities. The focus Ralph discussed what the Ron Tzur would lead 9 sessions, and each session would be framed as an Inquiry Into My Practice (IIMP). His sessions/IIMPs would be 'book-ended' with Pre-Brief discussion with a ThinkingPartner, followed by his session/IIMP and then concluded with a DeBrief conversation with a ThinkingPartner.

Participants then took the MKT Survey. Ron then began his Session #1 at 10:45 with Ralph as Ron's ThinkingPartner. The session focused on observing two children and their mathematical reasoning.

After Ron's session, Ralph guided the 3x2 Debrief where participants listed 3 items they recall from Ron's IIMP, then listened in on as Ralph and Ron debriefed. This was followed by a final set of 3 more observations, and concluded with participants applying Ron's IIMP to their own practice, by exploring, envisioning and enacting the big ideas of Ron's IIMP to their own professional practice.

We had lunch, and after lunch Debra led a session on WIDA standards with Kim Song as her ThinkingPartner.

As you look back at your first day:

1. What do the activities we engaged in suggest about what is important in the math and ELL-focused work we do?

2. What aspect of your own practice in math, and with ELL's, do you wish to pursue when developing your own IIMP, which you will teach in the fall?

NOTE: Please respond to at least 2 colleagues' postings.

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Hi, Shaisha.

I agree that working with word problems is extremely important.  We actually chose that as our activity with our focus student this semester.  Often, an ELL can be excellent at math, but as soon as they approach a word problem they are unable to figure it out because they do not understand the language.  Giving students the extra supports they needs to successfully approach these problems critical to making them feel they can be successful in math.

Shaisha Hunter said:

1. What do the activities we engaged in suggest about what is important in the math and ELL-focused work we do?

The activities brought home the need for differentiated instruction. The activities placed a focus on the fact that all student are on a different level and that we as instuctors have to have that in our minds. We need to engage in student focused activities. We also need to understand that some children may come to us with a deficit of skills that they never mastered or never learned. We as teacher may need to fill in the gaps. 

2. What aspect of your own practice in math, and with ELL's, do you wish to pursue when developing your own IIMP, which you will teach in the fall?

I want to focus on word problems. The language of math is probably the hardest thing to break down for all students. I ant to help fing a easy way for students to figure what are they asking me.