Campbell soup question

 Assuming the bike is 3ft by 5.5ft.

Assume the diameter is 2.5 bikes and the length is 2.5 bikes.

Diameter = 7.5 ft

Length = 13.75 ft

Volume of the can = 604.22 cubic feet

Volume of a regular can of soup = 12 fluid ounces or 0.0125326 cubic feet

From a student perspective, my first priority was estimating the size of the bike. I used my own bike as a reference. I think it is a good way to connect proportional reasoning to a real-life example. I looked up the size of a regular can of soup, although I could have just measured one that I had. How fun to think about how many cans of soup could fit into the big one!

Here is another activity that could be done by looking at some pictures!

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If I were assigning an activity based on my adventures in the cranberry bogs today, I might show a picture of how many cranberries I could see within a certain area and then have students estimate how many cranberries were in the bog! It would be a great opportunity to teach about the process of growing and harvesting cranberries - something my friend does on his farm!

Pro-D reflection

I attended the conference on Introduction to SOGI in the K-12 Context. We began the day with a short keynote which introduced everyone to what SOGI is and the importance of it. A key point was that every person has a Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation, and implementing these resources benefits all students. We then attended two small group workshops. The first one I attended was focused on how to have SOGI themes integrated into the curriculum. The speaker highlighted the importance of representation and that it doesn't need to only be explicit conversations but your resources can have 2SLGBTQ+ people represented, as well as other groups seeking equity, and that means more students will be able to see themselves in what you're teaching. He shared with us various lesson plans and ideas for integrating SOGI into the curriculum, using curricular language. I really appreciated his examples of navigating conversations in the classrooms with his students. My second workshop was on how to create safe places. We had an interesting activity where we came up with various struggles facing the 2SLGBTQ+ community right now and we had to identify two perspectives and find the humanity in both perspectives. We looked at religious positions taken by some and trans rights that are being debated. I think this was a really incredible idea - that we need to find the humanity in people who have views potentially very different from our own in order to have productive conversations. I think this is an ongoing conversation - how to best support 2SLGBTQ+ students in my classroom but I'm so thankful I got the opportunity to think through that more on Friday. Many thanks to all who organized the event and took the time to present.

Pro-D

 I am going to the presentation on campus on Introduction to SOGI in the K-12 Context.

What is curriculum?

I found it fascinating to read about how when reward systems are set up, it can actually mean that in the future the students are less likely to engage in the activity because the extrinsic reward is no longer there. In a sense, it really strips students of finding natural reasons to read extra at home or try a tricky problem etc. 

I hadn't considered the perspective that school systems are actually preparing some students for the types of jobs they will have after high school. The hierarchical nature of schools, the extrinsic reward systems and time management all will teach skills that students may use in their future jobs. However, I'm not sure if these are the skills we necessarily want to be focusing on, it feels negative to say that schools are teaching compliance and how to fit into a hierarchical system - I would rather students leave feeling they've learned how to express their individuality and be creative. I think these skills will also equip them for their futures.

This article has definitely expanded my thinking on what is being communicated to students in all the different ways they are learning. The implicit curriculum is teaching just as much as the content, however, much less time is given to think through what those lessons are. This also reminded me of our discussion about grids and how schools are set up like grids and that is teaching students something as well. I think the BC curriculum is attempting to emphasize the underlying skills that students are learning and not just prioritize content. The curriculum seems to recognize that HOW we teach our students is important because it communicates certain skills that the teacher/government deems important. The Ministry wants teachers to prioritize different skills and competencies because they believe this is the most important thing as we prepare students for their lives after Grade 12. Indigenizing education is also a push against teaching certain implicit skills. I appreciate that the BC curriculum wants all teachers to value the history of Indigenous peoples and understand different ways of knowing - focusing on connectedness and relationships is so valuable and I think that will influence our implicit teaching for the better.

Reflection on Micro-teaching

 

This was an interesting experience. Some positives that I see from the comments are that there were engaging parts that stood out to the learners, they enjoyed doing the examples and connecting it to real life. Some things that were unexpected for me were some of the questions or "incorrect" examples which we needed to respond to quickly and concisely. I look forward to practicing responding better in practicum. It is also interesting working with group members who have different teaching styles - something I am sure I will be doing a lot of in my practicum. I was reminded that I need to ensure I am using gender-neutral language. It will be interesting to see how the students in my classes respond to worksheets, group discussions or lecturing time - I think different classes/schools have varying cultures and I want to be aware that I may need to adapt what is my default method. 

Curricular Micro-teaching Lesson Plan

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nZMVZvE5WVOXvap1N3-f0Sg0UT-RTuiuIyoSF_9QLO0/edit?usp=sharing

Micro-teaching reflection

 

I thought it worked well to have participants try out pegging and counting the cards because they picked up on the concept quite quickly. I wanted the lesson to be as interactive as possible. What did not work well was the timing. I think I tried to cover too much in the allotted time. If I had made it more clear that I was just going over phases of the game and counting it wouldn't have felt like I was running out of time to teach the whole game (which I knew wouldn't be possible). I think more clarity about the goal of the lesson would have been beneficial. It surprised me how quickly the time went and how differently things went compared to when I practiced at home. It reminded me of the importance of being able to adapt quickly to my students and the environment.

Micro-teaching Lesson Plan

 

Lesson Plan

Teaching Perspectives Inventory

One area that I am very motivated to improve on is Apprenticeship. I think it is an important skill to be able to assess where students are at and help them develop their ability to learn independently and self-evaluate. 

I was surprised that Developmental was so high for me because I think that is an area I need more practice with. It makes sense that my intent is highest in the category because I  do think it is very important but my "action" is lower, likely because I don't feel confident in my implementation of this strength.

I was not surprised that Nurturing was my highest as I think that is probably my most central motivation for going into the profession.

I am curious how Social Reform can be a central part of Math education. I know we discussed implementing conversations about climate change in our Inquiry course but I am curious about other opportunities.

Another thing that stood out to me was how low my intention ranking was in the Transmission category. I think it could be because I want to have a very interactive classroom where lecturing time is minimal and perhaps that is how I interpreted the questions related to transmission of information. 

My last reflection question is: what might be some blindspots for me as a teacher who clearly values Nurturing the most and what other areas would be valuable for me to strengthen knowing that Nurturing is my central strength. 

Battleground Schools reflection

 My first stop was how the article noted that "polarization... has served to obscure some of the actual commonalities between the two camps. (p. 395). I think this is important to realize that both sides have value and even shared goals. Polarization inhibits collaboration and great discussion and I think it is healthy to have respect for both sides.

I thought it was interesting how these movements were influenced by the political and social climate of the day. The values of the culture influence education significantly and that will continue to happen because education is political. Right now it seems there is a push for a more progressive, inquiry-based method of education and I wonder what social or political factors are influencing that. Perhaps an effort to indigenize education has influenced how teacher candidates are being taught today and how Math education is approached.

This article also made me curious about how people's childhood experiences of Math education influence what they advocate for as adults. Whether policymakers, parents or teachers - there are lots of strong opinions on both sides and it would be interesting to see what their Math education was like and how much of their opinions are formed by their positive or negative experiences. 

Micro-teaching Topic

 I would like to do my lesson on playing the game Cribbage!