Playing Math Games lets students actively practice math number strategies and provides teachers with the opportunity to observe, listen to and engage with students while keeping a focus on the math learning goal.
Formative Feedback / Assessment For Learning Feedback
The feedback that we give to students while they play math games would be considered Formative Feedback or Assessment For Learning Feedback (Interchangeable terms). This feedback, based on the evidence we gather from what students say, do and represent, is used to inform teaching and learning with a view to improving learning.(Black & Wiliam, 2009)
Feedback is effective when it helps students move from where they are in their learning to where they desire to be and gives ways to get there. There is a positive impact on the student’s knowledge and skills.
To help us provide feedback to a student in a way that they can receive and use it, consider the following.
Is the feedback:
• Specific (It tells the student exactly what about that particular task, performance, or
event was positive, and what about that task, performance, or event needs some
adjustment, or is an opportunity for growth.)
• Constructive (It doesn't focus on the individual. It focuses on the task, referring to the learning intentions/goals/success criteria and what is needed to be successful)
• Timely (Knowing the best time to provide feedback. Research has shown that feedback is best received by the learner when it is oral and when it happens while the learning is occurring, Visible Learning Feedback, Hattie and Clarke).
John Almarode - Effective Feedback Matters from The Learning Exchange (1) on Vimeo.
“Effective Feedback Matters” from The Learning Exchange for more information on feedback.
During Math Games or other active learning, we can gather even more evidence of learning when we ask questions.
Hattie and Clarke provide teachers with examples. (Questioning by Teachers: Visible Learning Feedback, Page 92)
• Tell me/show me what you have learnt so far.
• Tell me what you’re going to do first.
• What do you mean by…..? (Key question, even if the teacher thinks he/she knows what they mean by it)
• Why do you think…?
• Give me an example of what you mean. (Key question as often reveals misconceptions)
• Can you develop on that? Tell me more…
• So why is this one better than that? (Key question if concrete example available)
• How can you change this to make it clearer?
Christine Suurtamm shares some reflections on how valuable teacher feedback and assessment practices can be on promoting student thinking and learning.
This focus on attending to student thinking appears in many ways in the mathematics education world. One area of focus is called professional noticing which can be defined as “(a) attending to children’s strategies, (b) interpreting children’s understandings, and (c) deciding how to respond on the basis of children’s understandings” (Jacobs, Lamb, & Philipp, 2010, p. 169).
Click here for the full article: Classroom Assessment in Mathematics: Paying Attention to Students’ Mathematical Thinking
When we observe, listen and ask students questions while they play math games it strengthens our understanding of where each student is on their learning journey. We can then use this insight to provide effective feedback as to what those students need to do in order to close the gap between where they are and the desired learning. These actions make Math Games a valued part of math learning.
No comments:
Post a Comment