Supporting MR Tracker Training February 27, 2008
Posted by Mhairi Stratton in : East Lothian, Learning, Mr Tracker, Sharing Good Practice , 2commentsI have been trying to think of ways to support MR Tracker training. My first step was providing sub pages to this blog with information about the progressions (Click on the MR Tracker tab at the top and then click on the sub pages). A possible way of sharing ideas could be that teachers add their tried and tested activities as a comment at the foot of the pages. CLICK HERE TO SEE AN EXAMPLE .
My next endeavour is to add some video clips of MR Tracker Interviews. These can be found by clicking on the MR Tracker tab at the top and then clicking on the subpages - Observations. I hope that these prove useful to those teacher who have had MR Tracker input but would like more opportunities to practise observing children solving the tasks. Again teachers could post comments about these if they would like to start a discussion about any of the progressions.
Adding the video clips is proving time consuming. Hopefully I will have this part of the site complete over the next few weeks.
Sharing Good Practice - St Gabriel’s February 24, 2008
Posted by Mhairi Stratton in : East Lothian, Learning, Mr Tracker, Planning, Sharing Good Practice , add a commentI was invited to go to St Gabriel’s and join P1 & teacher, Helen Maule, for their numeracy lesson today. What a fantastic experience. Helen was trained in MR Tracker in October and now uses the Maths Recovery techniques in her teaching.
This is how she structured her lesson:
Learning Intention - adding two groups together
Warm up
- Number Word Sequences:
- “Clap, Clap, Pat, Pat”
- Teacher says first two numbers of a number word sequence on Clap, Clap
- Children say the next two number in the sequence on Pat, Pat
- Teacher asks if the sequence was forwards or backwards (links forwards to adding and backwards to subtraction)
- Challenges children to say number word after
- Helen throws in some challenging numbers sequences and lets all children have a go
- “Clap, Clap, Pat, Pat”
- Finger Patterns:
- “Bunny Ears”
- Children put hands in “bunny ears position”
- Teacher asks the children to put a quantity on each hand
- Teacher asks how many altogether.
- Teacher supports those children who need support by directing them to look at someone elses ‘ears’ (this changes the task from a screened task to a visual task)
- Teacher then invites the children to check their answer
- Key questions to challenge thinking: How do you know? Can you prove it another way? Can you make that number a different way?
- “Bunny Ears”
- Domino Patterns
- “Domino Add”
- Helen show the children a domino on the interactive whiteboard and challenges the children find out how many dots their are altogether.
- Children are encouraged to use a range of strategies to solve the problem
- Children check the answer by counting and highlighting the spots.
- Key questions to challenge thinking: How did you know how many spots there were? Prove it a different way?
- Techniques to challenge thinking: flashing the domino initially (screened task) hiding half of the domino (partially screened task)
- “Domino Add”
- Numerals
- No formal teaching of numeral sequences this day (Helen does use washing line numerals)
- Children were provided with whiteboards and pens to write down numerals/ sums depending on their ability.
Problem Solving Task:
- Adding two collections together
- Children are grouped by ability.
- They each have an adding task targeting their development needs
- Some tasks are visual, others are partially screened to challenge more sophisticated strategies (Helen leads this group to ensure she challenges thinking)
- Children can all be given the same challenge but this can be differentiated by providing the challenge visually, partially screened or fully screened. We discussed using clear and opaque screens/boxes so the children all had the same equipment (the clear screen/box would allow for visual counting)
- 2 clear boxes- visual
- 1 clear & 1 opaque - partially screened
- 2 opaque - fully screened
Plenary
- How did you get on?
- How did you solve the task?
- This is a good time for pupils to demonstrate their strategies.
This is an excellent example. Helen linked all her progressions together. The warm up introduced/practised the key skills that were required to do the problem solving activity. The problem solving activity was simple and therefore children were working independently and on-task. Helen made sure that she used her time to challenge children’s thinking by introducing screens.
Thanks Helen!
Using Learning Assistants to Good Effect February 24, 2008
Posted by Mhairi Stratton in : East Lothian, Learning, Mr Tracker, Planning, Sharing Good Practice , add a commentAt Longniddry we roughly tracked a class of children and then considered possible ways of planning an effective numeracy lesson for all pupils. The tracker made it very clear that the teacher could not use a differentiated lesson. She was required to deliver two separate lessons (Some children were working within numbers to 20 and the rest of the class were working with numbers up to a thousand, multiplication & division). This raised the issue of how much time we spend teaching numeracy each day, ensuring that every child gets quality learning and teaching experiences.
One solution is using learning assistants to effect: providing them with some training in the MR strategies so that they can be directed to groups within a lesson to practise skills (warm up), support problem solving and challenge thinking.
This is exactly what Longniddry are trying to do. The Learning Assistants had their first taste of Maths Recovery today. We looked at Number Word Sequences and looked at common errors and ways of supporting this. We also had a go at bunny ears (a fun ‘game’ that uses finger patterns to combine and partition numbers). The group reported that they now felt confident delivering these activities under the class teachers instruction - fantastic!
MR Tracker in action. February 15, 2008
Posted by Mhairi Stratton in : East Lothian, Mr Tracker , add a commentI visited Longniddry Primary today. The infant staff received MR Tracker training in October and have began implementing the strategies in the classroom.
I have yet to speak to the P1 teacher, but I have been told that she has been using the progressions and teaching strategies as the basis for her teaching. The school reports that there is difference in the children’s level of understanding of number and the children are further on than what they would usually be at this stage - this is very exciting. I have asked to visit this classroom so I can write about the children’s experiences.
The infant staff have been using the progressions and techniques for their mental maths session (about 20 minutes each day). In particular they have been putting greater emphasis on number word sequences and number word after/before to improve the pupils knowledge and understanding of the number system. They have also been making more use of spatial and finger patterns. They are now wanting to look in more detail at the progressions so that they can adopt a more problem-solving approach to numeracy. We will be looking at this together over the next few weeks. Of course I shall add these sample lessons to the blog.
Catherine Jack, Head Teacher, is keen to get the whole school using Maths Recovery techniques. In the future she plans to have all her teachers trained, to varying degrees (She already has two teachers trained in Maths Recovery). The Learning Assistants are learning about some of the tecnhniques so that they can recreate what the teacher has done when supporting children’s learning. This really is a whole school approach.
I must not forget to mention the wonderful support that the Maths Recovery teachers (Pam Clark and Amanda Hutchison) are giving to the school’s MR Tracker teachers - I am sure this will contribute to the success of MR Tracker in school.
Teaching ‘tricks’ without numerical understanding February 14, 2008
Posted by Mhairi Stratton in : Learning , add a commentI came across this entertaining video clip today.
It really highlights how much we (teachers) can focus on training children to do ‘tricks’ that result in apparent success without enhancing their knowledge and understanding of number.
Developing an active approach to learning numeracy requires us to make good use of concrete materials that help children to understand number and then manipulate (screen) these to engender sophisticated strategies based on understanding. By doing this children should be able to understand a wider range of strategies, see relationships between them and use/adapt these to solve unfamiliar problems. In doing so we are preparing children for life-long learning - not just getting them through the curriculum.
Planning Formats February 13, 2008
Posted by Mhairi Stratton in : East Lothian, Mr Tracker, Planning , 1 comment so farTwo styles of forward plans have been developed so far:
Forward plan 1: This forward plan includes the generic features recommended by the Early Years Strategy Group. It has been suggested that this could be used as a forward plan or a weekly plan.
Forward Plan 2: This plan is less detailed but is perhaps supported by weekly plans.
I will track a real class and then use this information to develop a few exemplars what these might look like filled in.
Children Develop Their Own Strategies. February 11, 2008
Posted by Mhairi Stratton in : East Lothian, Learning , 2commentsI have posted this clip because it demonstrates a child’s ability to develop his own strategies:
This task (usually shown on paper as 4+=6) is a complex one which most teachers struggle to teach. The reality is, that if children are given time to understand the problem using concrete materials and then screens, they will be able to make their own sense of the problem and then develop their own strategies for solving it. It is only complex when a teacher tries introduce a strategy that children do not have the experience to understand.
It is important to point out that the child in this clip is in his first week of P1 and has never had any teaching of numeracy strategies. He is solving the second task based on his experience of the first task. As his experience with number widens he will be able to use more sophisticated strategies to solve the task.
Information to Support MR Tracker February 6, 2008
Posted by Mhairi Stratton in : Mr Tracker , add a comment
As requested, I have added more details of MR Tracker. If you look at the top of the blog you will see a ‘MR Tracker’ tag. If you click on this tab, you will see a variety of subpages to explore. Over time I aim to add details of good resources, planning formats being trialled, tried and tested learning activities, to name a few.
If you would like to contribute please leave a comment.
MR Tracker Training February 1, 2008
Posted by Mhairi Stratton in : East Lothian, Mr Tracker, Training , add a comment
There are two new groups being trained in MR Tracker:
Group 1
7th Feb 9am-12noon Townhouse Haddington
21st Feb 9am-12noon Brunton Theatre Room C
(School Task)
14th April 4pm-6pm Conference Room John Muir House (Joining with group 2)
Group 2
28 Feb 9am-12noon Townhouse, Haddington
6 March 9am-12noon Townhouse, Haddington
(School Task)
14th April 4pm-6pm Conference Room John Muir House (Joining with group 2)
Session 1:
- Background of Maths Recovery
- The role of assessment
- The MR Tracker progressions overview
- Assessing Progressions:
- Forward Number Words Sequences and Number Word After
- Backward Number Words Sequences and Number Word Before
- Numerals and Numeral Sequences
- Addition and Subtraction (Addition Strategies)
- Relationships between the progressions and teaching points
Session 2:
- Review of session 1
- Changes in teaching practice
- The MR Tracker progressions overview
- Assessing Progressions:
- Addition and Subtraction (Subtraction Strategies)
- Finger and Spatial Patterns
- Multiplication and Division
- Relationships between the progressions and teaching points
- Outline of School Task
School Task
- Half day out of class
- Assess a child (a good P2) using MR Tracker assessment
- Video it
- Reflect on experience
- Work with a partner who has been trained?
Twilight Session:
- (In school groups - strongly recommended that a member of management attends)
- Reflect on Mr Tracker Progressions
- Purpose of MR Tracker
- Relating MR Tracker to active learning
- Planning numeracy lessons
- Next steps
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