TOPIC: Mixed-ability Math Settings
QUESTION: I teach students in a mixed ability, middle school
math setting. What are some instructional and assessment strategies
to help me meet "all" of their needs?
ANSWER: I have taught many classes of mixed-ability students,
and I find that group hands-on or writing projects and peer teaching
work best for me. With hands-on projects, some students who are
not mathematically inclined do very well, begin to feel that they
can really do math, and actually improve their math skills because
of their positive attitude. I have them build something to present
to the class or discover how to do the next math concept by working
in a group with manipulatives and then present it orally, on the
overhead or with a poster. You should grade student projects partly
on effort and partly on the way the group worked together, as well
as grade the product.
This year I have a group of ten small projects that my students
do and hand in, and I give ten points per project and count it as
a test grade or let it replace a test grade. I find such projects
in new textbook samples, in supplemental booklets from various textbook
companies, from university professors in the nearby university who
are interested in math education, and in the Mathematics Teacher
magazine from NCTM. There is a middle school publication from NCTM
called Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School that is also a
good source. I've also made up a lot of projects.
Regarding peer teaching, the "student-teacher" does only
a few problems from a section to show me that he knows what to do,
and then I let him help a student who has trouble. I assign them
as a pair and the student-teacher teaches the other how to do the
section and helps him with the work. The student-teacher has a stake
in helping the other really understand, because he is rewarded (grades,
extra credit, candy, free time, free homework, etc.) when his "student"
gets a test or quiz grade higher than his usual test average. An
additional advantage of this method is that maybe some of the student-teachers
will decide to be a teacher in the future.
I have even given group tests or had students work on concepts
together and then randomly picked one of the groups to put a problem
on the board and given a partial group grade for that. As you can
see, there are many ways that the students can be helpful in meeting
"all" of the needs in a mixed-ability setting.
GRADE LEVEL: 6-8
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