Math Studo- Notes on the brain

Wow!  Things are coming together!  This session of Math Studio is fascinating for me.  It is on equalizing status in the classroom, multidimensionality (the idea that not all students can do everything but everyone will be able to do one.), assigning roles, being responsible for each others learning, assigning competence*, high expectations, effort over ability, and relational Equity.  In fact this class is so rich in information I can only touch upon some of what I am gleaning from reading materials and the teacher.

To help me process this information I'm going to do what helps me the most- write about it.  Hopefully it will help me with new vocabulary and definitions.  I am so excited for the implications of the research, especially the brain research!  I love the brain research!

All along my heart has been with those low status kiddos.  The ones who don't get it.  The ones who don't have much math background.  The ones who can't identify a number after 5 or count to 10 by rote.  They don't have an entry way into grade level problems.  They need much more adult attention and time to play with manipulatives.  It is frustrating for me and them to not be able to do the work that looks so easy to everyone else.

Multidemsionality is the idea that everyone can do some part of the problem.  We need to make sure that "high status " students don't automatically get all the time in the participation and class.  Students who don't get it shut down.  By assigning roles like team captain, supply person,and  recorder I can makes sure  all student participate.

*Assigning competence was a new idea for me.  I like it!.  I can raise the status of the student by praising something they have done in public so the class hears it.  The student feels valued and smart!  It must be public, intellectual, specific, and relevant to the team task.


All of this was from the article, "Opening Our Ideas" by Jo Boaler.

Today's article, Brainology:Transforming Student's Motivation to Learn" by Carol S. Dweck, was fantastic.  It is something I have been reading about lately.  Mainly that our brains are plastic and can be reshaped.  It is not so much the "gifts" or" talents" we are born with but how hard we work or persevere.  It takes practise and hard work to learn anything.  It just does not come easy to anyone.  It just may be more fascinating of a subject area to others and that is what makes it seem like it comes easier to them. It is kind of like the thoughts I had on  creativity.

I may not be a professional artist but I can with practise learn to draw and paint.  The same thing with dance, math, yoga, and writing.  If I work hard and persevere I can learn it.  My brain and body will do it.  This works for our students also,   The mindset that I am not good at math because I am a girl is BS. That is a closed mindset.  With a closed mindset I can't learn anything and I don't even want to try.  (Also called a fixed mindset.)  A growth mindset on the other hand, "believes that intelligence is a potential that can be realized through learning.  As a result, confronting challenges, profiting from mistakes, , and persevering in the face of set backs become ways of getting smarter."

What I hate about going back to school?  I have to stop now and continue tomorrow because I need to finish my homework and go to bed.