2nd Grade Teacher
CADRE Student
Guided Math and Strategic Math Stations
What would I change?
There were areas of my research that I was very proud of, but there were a few aspects of my research I would conduct a little bit differently. To begin, I would continue to take anecdotal notes, but I would start from the beginning and use color coordinated paper to match each groups color. This would ensure a more organized approach starting from the beginning rather than in the middle and ending segments of a study. Next, I differentiated my small group stations, but I only began to differentiate guided math with the teacher halfway through my study. Therefore, I would begin to differentiate from the beginning of my guided math instruction. My math stations, where students rotated to during guided math, were aimed to teach the skill in the form of individual and cooperative games. I believe I accomplished that, so that would be one thing I would not change. Moreover, that gave me the idea to use this approach from the start of the year with every topic or chapter that my class and I would face together.
Reflection
Plans for the Future
The research that was conducted throughout this process gave me an idea of what I wanted to incorporate in my future math instruction. Differentiated guided math and math stations would align with the skill of the day or week in accordance to the curriculum. I plan to use that approach from the beginning of the school year in the future. Students would receive hands on learning at guided math with the teacher and at their math stations where the skills, games, and fun all come into play.
A different approach would be taken as far as daily observations from the start of the year. Each student would have their own note card. This note card would be color coordinated with the group they would be assigned to for math groups. For organizational purposes, I would use color coordinated folders to collect and store each students' note card, so I could prepare them for the following days planning and instruction. I could always switch colors out to be funny names, sports teams, or even animals to make it more fun for the students. I would continue to make learning meaningful to students as it would pertain to them in real life. I enjoy making real life scenarios that involve math. The example used in the Action Plan tab included adding three-digit numbers and money together to buy certain objects. This combined two different lessons into a real life scenario that students would encounter down the road in life. Being able to differentiate those activities for all students was beneficial for students and rewarding. That is something I plan on using for future instruction.
Initially, it took longer to plan for my math block than usual. However, once I got used to the routine of finding and creating activities for my students, it became easier to plan and a sense of enjoyment was added to the mix.
What does this mean for my students?
The students that participated in this study have been introduced to a type of math that involves nothing but hands on learning and real life applications. Students understood that math journals were an important part of the instructional day. At any point during math, students could be called on to explain their math journal for the day. It would be from their perspective, and it is similar to a number talk. It was wonderful to witness students engage in peer conversation and collaboration. Students were able to work independently and cooperatively during this study, and when work comes up like this in the future, they will be able to work independently or cooperatively.
What does this mean for me as a teacher?
I have witnessed and came to the conclusion that differentiated guided math and math stations play a vital role in student learning. Using a different strategy of note taking improved my instruction and my overall enjoyment of teaching math. It allowed me to take accurate and precise notes regarding groups and, more specifically, individual student learning goals. My lesson planning improved in the quality rather than the quantity of material I put in my lesson plans. I was prepared for the next day's lesson just in case something came up that I needed to change quickly. This made surprises not much of a surprise, and I was able to adjust efficiently and effectively. This planning idea had also made its way to other subject areas as well. Not only were my math lessons differentiated, but I was also beginning to differentiate in Science, Social Studies, and even Writing.
Successful Implementations
I was more than pleased from the results of this study. Students' overall pure enjoyment for math had increased due to the amount of math games that were implemented. This result showed in the survey, which all 18 students indicated that they enjoyed math games when incorporated with math instruction. I knew students had enjoyed games before the study, so I wanted to make sure that games were a consistent method of learning for them. Based on observations, the use of daily math journals aided students in their confidence and ability to deeply and accurately explain their thinking. Furthermore, students explained their thinking process of how they solved a problem in their math journal compared to the teacher and other students in the class. Then, the use of real life and meaningful applications aided my guided math instruction when I met with students. Their jobs were to solve the problem or problems using collaboration, teamwork, and individual participation. These problems were aligned to the weekly skill that was being instructed upon. I was able to differentiate these problems based off the math groups I had created from the MAP scores. When differentiating for my lesson planning, I found that it took extra time to ensure all my students were being prepared for the next day or week's instruction. My lesson planning was impacted in the form of longer and more thought out lesson plans regarding all students' needs. I had three groups to be thinking about, but I had 18 students within those three groups. I needed to make sure they were all receiving the correct knowledge to comprehend math topics and skills. This looked different for every student, but some students were similar to others. Although my lesson planning took longer to plan, I was more prepared for what each student needed in order to accomplish our goals for that day and week. The color-coordinating of my observational notes had an impact on the process of my planning. The reason I began using different colors for each guided math group was to ensure every student was receiving the appropriate instruction in order to be and feel successful. If something was too hard for a student or group, I readjusted, but if students were flourishing with a skill, I challenged them a little bit more. This looked different for every group because each group was receiving the skill but taught in a different way. I noted who did and did not understand the concepts as individuals and as a whole guided math group.
There were 17 students for our first MAP test, and the data for the last MAP test had 18 students since a new student was added to our class. There was a 38% decrease of students that scored in the average or below categories, while there were no students that scored in the "Lo" category. Each student had improved their score from the first to the last MAP test. I wanted students to improve their overall math operations achievement. The scores were improved from the MAP test and District Assessment, but I would be curious to see where my students would be if I began incorporating this study at the beginning of the school year. While I cannot claim that guided math and math stations with games improve all math scores, results from my study were promising.
