Too often, teachers ask questions that have a single ‘right answer’. Whether or not a student gets these types of questions right or wrong, neither teacher nor classmates have learned much about the reasoning behind the student’s response. This seven-part course examines the following interconnected topics: creating a culture of classroom discourse for formative assessment, asking effective math questions to probe and further student thinking, providing wait / think time, and making the most of student mistakes. By using questioning strategies that promote dialogue and invite student explanations, teachers can formatively assess student understanding and adjust instruction accordingly.
- Adult numeracy teachers at all levels of experience and confidence
This professional development activity/course is designed for:
In this course, we'll cover techniques like open questions, wait time/think time, patterns of questioning, and turning wrong answers into learning opportunities. All of these techniques can help students deepen their understanding through explaining their reasoning and learning from each other through productive dialogue. Through exposure to research, discussion with other participants, and self-reflection, participants will explore strategies to prioritize formative assessment of student reasoning and communication in the math classroom.
This course involves three, 1.5-hour synchronous online workshops and four asynchronous online modules of about 45 minutes each. The estimated total time to complete all components is 7.5 hours.
All online Canvas modules will open on September 18.
- Part 1: Independent activities in Canvas (9/18-9/23/24)
- Part 2: Virtual workshop on Zoom (9/23/24, 12:30 - 2:00 p.m.)
- Part 3: Independent activities in Canvas (9/23-9/30/24)
- Part 4: Virtual workshop on Zoom (9/30/24, 12:30 - 2:00 p.m.)
- Part 5: Independent activities in Canvas (9/30-10/07/24)
- Part 6: Virtual workshop on Zoom (10/7/24, 12:30 - 2:00 p.m.)
- Part 7: Independent activities in Canvas (10/7-10/11/24)
Note: Before the course opens, registrants will receive a separate email from sherry_soares@terc.edu from the SABES Math Team at TERC with instructions on how to access the synchronous sessions via Zoom and how to access the self-paced modules in Canvas.
- Develop an understanding of the characteristics of problems that give students the opportunity to think, justify, and evaluate
- Describe how increased ‘think time’ and ‘wait time’ benefit both you and your students
- Evaluate your own questioning patterns
- Identify a range of effective math questions to integrate into your practice
- Identify barriers and solution pathways and plan purposeful questions to support students’ learning
Upon completion of this professional development activity/course, you will be able to:
United States
