MR Tracker - Is it making a difference? May 12, 2008
Posted by Mhairi Stratton in : East Lothian, Mr Tracker, Training , add a commentI met with a group of recently trained MR Tracker teachers
I started be asking them three questions:
Q1: What did you learn from the assessment interviews?
A:
- We can underestimate the ability of children
- It highlighted areas of difficulty and suggested why they were struggling
- Took a lot of time
- numbers across the decades are tricky
- It highlighted the discrepancy between verbal and written maths
- Children rely too much on their teacher’s approval
- There is a lot more to early numeracy than level A would indicate.
Q: How have your lessons changed?
A:
- More Practical
- I take more time reinforce and consolidate skills
- Extending children knowledge - always challenging them for more
- Getting children to explain their strategies
- Much more self assessment
- More counting (especially counting back)
- Faster Pace
- More active learning
- Asking for alternative strategies (”Can you show me a different way?”, “Prove it!)
Q: What are the advantages and challenges of MR Tracker ?
A:
| Advantages: | Challenges |
| Identifying the gaps in knowledge | Resources – can’t buy them have to make them |
| Children accessing lessons at their own level | Time management |
| Children are more willing and able to complete written task/recording because of all the practical experiences | Convincing parents/other staff |
| Active Learning! | |
| Saves money on workbooks! | |
| Better Understanding | |
| More secure of level A concepts | |
Mr Tracker - Implications for the Classroom May 6, 2008
Posted by Mhairi Stratton in : East Lothian, Learning, Mr Tracker, Planning , add a commentPlanning Formats May 6, 2008
Posted by Mhairi Stratton in : Mr Tracker, Planning , 1 comment so farAt a recent MR Tracker session I shared some planning sheets. Here are the preferred formats: