The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat

Making Mathematics Accessible for All Students Web cast FacilitationGuide

This web cast features mathematics education researcher, Dr. Marian Small, numeracy student achievementofficers, Mary Lou Kestell and Kathy Kubota-Zarivnij, and Ontario school students, teachers, and school leaders of students in grades 1, 2/3, 4, and 5 classrooms.Because this web castincludes a wealth of ideas, strategies, and details, we suggest that your first viewing focus on understanding the key ideas about making mathematics accessible for all students. To facilitate your viewing and professional learning from this web cast, a KWL chart and a Concept Map is provided for processing and recording your thinkingabout mathematics pedagogy. Both viewing tools are provided as Black Line masters in this web cast facilitation guide.

About Web cast Viewing Tools

A KWL chartis provided to activate viewers’ prior knowledge and experiences, as well as prompting thinking about the ideas presented throughout the web cast. It also helps viewers to make connections with what is familiar and unfamiliar.The KWL chart provides space for viewers to record key notions about effective mathematics teaching and learning, in terms of: learning environment, curriculum programs, classroom instruction, and assessment (initial andongoing assessment for learning).

A Concept Mapvisually organizes a viewer’s processing of information during a web cast. It is sequential in nature, beginning with the web cast topic at the top of the page, and then branching into subtopics and details.Its purposeis to have the viewer record particular ideas and details while viewing the web cast. Also, a Concept Map helps viewers see relationships among ideas, strategies, and details and distinguish between main ideas and supporting details.As a recording device, it will help the viewer to remember important details and organize information in a memorable and accessible way for use after the web cast.

Before Viewing

Using a KWL Chart

Before you view this web cast, ask yourself (and your colleagues) these questions and record them in the columns outlined below.

  • What do you know about effective mathematics teaching and learning in terms of: learning environment, curriculum programs, classroom instruction, initial assessment, and ongoing assessment for learning? Record what you know about these components, under the column, “What I know.”
  • What questions do have about effective mathematics teaching and learning in terms of learning environment, curriculum programs, classroom instruction, initial assessment, and ongoing assessment for learning?Record your questions, under the column, “What I want to know.”

Using a Concept Map

Thebeginning of the web cast asks you to think about what you know and have experienced in mathematics classrooms. Use the following questions to focus your thoughts.Record your thinking about these questions, so you have a record of your pedagogical thinking at the start of the web cast.

  • What does accessible mathematics education mean to a teacher?A school leader?A parent?A student?
  • If accessible mathematics education entails a high quality mathematics program for all students, then what does such a program look, sound, and feel like?
  • If accessible mathematics education presupposes that all students can learn and do significant mathematics, what does such student learning look, sound, and feel like in a mathematics classroom? What does a teacher need to know, care about, and be able to do mathematically so that mathematics learning is accessible to all students?

During Viewing

Using a KWL Chart

Use the categories: learning environment, curriculum programs, classroom instruction, and assessment, and in the column labelled, “What I learned,” record any ideas, strategies, and details that explain the ways that mathematics is made accessible for all students.

Using a Concept Map

Use the segments of this web cast to record any ideas, strategies, and details that explain the ways that mathematics is made accessible for all students.

  1. Inquiring About Making Mathematics Accessible for All Students

Focus on thinking about three key ideas:

  • what a high-quality mathematics program for all students looks, sounds, and feels like
  • what student learning of significant mathematics looks, sounds, and feels like
  • what a teacher needs to know, care about, and be able to do mathematically
  1. Creating an Environment Conducive to Mathematics Learning

Focus on four key ideas:

  • classroom arrangement and organization
  • storage, display, and use of learning materials and student work
  • math strategy walls, math anchor charts, visual displays of mathematical ideas, and word walls
  • fostering positive attitudes and interactions for learning mathematics through problem solving
  1. Curriculum Program and Assessment

Focus on three key ideas:

  • understanding student readiness (initial assessment)
  • providing developmentally appropriate learning tasks and problems and watching for and listening to students’ mathematical thinking (ongoing assessment for learning)
  • components of a three-part problem-solving-based lesson
  1. Classroom Instruction and Assessment –

Focus on five key ideas:

  • Before – activating students’ prior knowledge and experience
  • During – presenting the lesson problem
  • During – making a plan and carrying out a plan
  • After – looking back by coordinating mathematical thinking for learning
  • After – consolidation and practice

After Viewing

Using a KWL Chart

After viewing this web cast, review your KWL Chart notes and highlight any key ideas, strategies, and/or details that you are interested in implementing and studying. Compare those highlighted ideas with the questions that you posed at the beginning of this web cast, in the column “What I want to know.” For which questions did you get some ideas? Which questions do you need to continue to investigate? What other questions do you want to pursue and study with your school colleagues or with colleagues in other professional learning contexts?

For those questions that need further investigation, view the web cast again. Focus your listening on gathering more ideas, strategies, and details only on those questions that need further investigation. Record your focused observations from the web cast using a blank KWL Chart. After viewing the web cast a second time, highlight additional key ideas, strategies, and/or details that will aide you in implementation and study. Your actions are always motivated by the moral imperative ofimproving your mathematics instruction so that student engagement, student learning, and student achievement are enhanced. Check out how those highlighted ideas compare with focus questions that you posed for the second viewing of this web cast. Now answer, what questions do you need to continue to investigate? How will you share your learning with school colleagues and/or with colleagues in other professional learning contexts?

Using a Concept Map

After viewing this web cast, review your notes from the Concept Map by highlighting any key ideas, strategies, and/or details that that you are interested in implementing and studying. Which ideas and strategies will you to continue to investigate, to improve your mathematics instruction, student learning and achievement of mathematics? Think about how you will implement and study these ideas and strategies with your school colleagues or with colleagues in other professional learning sessions.

KWL Chart for Web cast Viewing

What I know / What I want to know / What I learned
Mathematics learning environments
Curriculum programs
What I know / What I want to know / What I learned
Classroom instruction
Initial assessment and Ongoing assessment for learning

Concept Map for Web cast Viewing

Making Mathematics Accessible for All Students: Web cast Facilitation Guide Page1

The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, 2007