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. 

Problem Solving with Ian Stevens

Today we were fortunate enough to have professional development for Maths with Ian Stevens. Ian Stevens is from Maths Adventures. As a staff, we discussed and unpacked what 'Problem Solving' is. Here is a link to further in depth view of Problem Solving in the nzmaths site.

Ian showed and shared with us a lot of activities and games for me to try with my maths groups. A few activities that I would like to try are:

Activity

Roll 3 dice, add them

Roll 3 dice, organise them from smallest to biggest

Roll 3 dice and create the biggest number, create the smallest number

Roll 3 dice, add two - subtract one

Roll 3 dice, multiply two divide by one

Activity

2 dice

Add the numbers after rolling, if odd odd gets the point, if even even gets the point. Do this 10 times.

Pose the question: Is the game fair?

* Extend the game to multiplication

Is the game fair?

Games: Addition Love Bug Bump

How to play: Roll three number cubes. Add those numbers. Cover that space with your counter. You can bump your partner’s counter if you roll the same number. If you roll one number twice you can put two counters on it, you lock that space and it can’t be bumped. The player to use all ten of their counters first is the winner.

Activity: Value of your name

Vowel: $150 Consonant: $60

Priscilla = $750

Make a word that equals $600

Can you find the most expensive word

Values of letters: A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4….etc

Thank you Ian for sharing your knowledge and activities with us. I will try these in the habitat and reflect on how they went. 

Maths Warmups

Thinking back over the term and reflecting on my maths teaching and how my learners have progressed. Based on the learner's data from the end of last year, I grouped them accordingly. I have three maths groups.

We started the term with me teaching my hapu group number games like: Bowl a Fact and Rocket.
Bowl a Fact The first person to cross out all their numbers yells out "Strike" (like you would in bowling)

The other maths warm up game is: Rocket The person that fills in all their squares calls out "Blast Off". And they will need to call out their answers to check their numbers are in order from smallest 10 to biggest 67.

These warm up games will help with knowledge and can be played on paper or whiteboards. Enjoy!