Maths Problem Solving: Spiral of Inquiry

This year our inquiry has been around Problem Solving in Maths. In our habitat (team) we have trialled and changed a lot of our practice to best suit our learners (students).
Looking back, we started out doing problem solving as four different classes with our home class and over the terms this has evolved. We now are problem solving altogether. Our learners all get the same problem.

The learners are also divided into alphabet groups based on Kagan theory of group work and collaborative learning. Until yesterday, I learned that Kagan groups have 4 in each group, not solely based on ability but also taking into consideration their Key Competencies. Each learner is given a specific role and is meant to be purposeful. Groups are meant to change every term (note for next time).

All learning coaches collaborated and had a turn at launching the problem one day of the week. Once problem is launched, we then sent our learners in their alphabet groups to each learning coach to work with. Once they had some time to work on their task, we gathered our learners up again and selected a few learners to share and others to reflect. Here is what we presented as a team yesterday for our Inquiry.

Some of the things, I'd like to work on next year are: looking more into the Kagan collaborative learning groups. Looking at other strategies to help our ELL learners. Improving our word problems to be more in the context of real life based. 

Provocations at OrmPS

This is my first year thinking about and teaching provocations in the classroom. Provocations are discussions, ideas and activities that are thought provoking around interests, questions and creativity. Here at Ormiston Primary, as learning coaches, we are to consider our learning habitat as a fifth learning coach. As mentioned in our meeting, a well designed and resourced learning space enables provocation creation.

As a team we are now in the process of planning and setting up provocations within our habitat to best suit our learners around our four vision principles: Curious, Capable, Connected and Collaborative. Our provocations are set up first thing in the morning when the learners come in and will hopefully spark curiosity before, during or after a deliberate act of teaching anytime.

Here are some of what the learners did this morning for provocations.