Professional Development

Professional Developments Attended

Shifting Language From Conventional to Next Generation Guided Reading

Professional Development

Lesson Plan Sample using Next Generation Language

Implementing Math Tasks in the Classroom

I have attended multiple professional development sessions focusing on the Exemplars Math Task through my time at P.S. 112. According the the Exemplars website, math tasks help students become capable, confident problem solvers -- with the critical thinking, reasoning, and communication skills they need to master 21st century challenges. During the PD sessions, I learned how to implement a problem solving provess and how to cultivate student talk. 
Pictured above is the bulletin board that was on display in my classroom last year. The board includes the problem solving process, rubric, success criteria, 8 Mathematical Practices, goals, toolkits, and unit vocabulary words. 
Pictured above is the completed student work on display outside of my classroom. After completing a math task, students self-assess using the rubric. Students also participate in a peer-reflection on index cards which is attached beneath each individual math task. 

Problem Solving Checklist

Students are given a math task folding that includes the "Problem Solving Checklist - 3 Read Protocol" (pictured below). This outlines how a challenging word problem should be read and solved. As students follow the checklist, they must complete the task for each read. 

Grade Level Student - Work Sample and Description

Pictured below is a work sample of a 4th grade general education student who performs on grade level in all subjects. She completed this work prior to learning the Problem Solving Process. 
Pictured below is the second work sample from the same student. She completed this work implementing the Problem Solving Process using the 3 Read Protocol. This student thought about the end goal of the problem, made a plan, carried out the plan, checked her work using a second strategy and wrote an answer statement. It is evident she fully understood what the question was asking her and she has proven that her answer is correct. Mastering the math task using this process fosters in depth student conversations and allowing students to make connections between strategies and mathematical concepts. 

Student with a Disability - Work Sample and Description

Pictured below is a work sample of a 4th grader who is a student with a disability. He performs on below grade level in all subjects. This math task is the current grade level math problem, as indicated by the level B in the top right corner. It is evident he express extreme frustrating upon attempting to solve this problem. This student also felt overwhelmed when trying to use the Problem Solving Checklist to help solve this problem. Upon giving him the differentiated version of this math task, I also provided him with a differentiated Problem Solving Checklist that I created (also pictured below). 
Pictured below is the second work sample from the same student. This math task is a differentiated version, as indicated by the level A in the top right corner. He completed this work by using the differentiated Problem Solving Process. This student identified the important information and underlined the question. He also used the math manipulative fraction bars and the differentiated Problem Solving Checklist to successfully complete the problem.