Sense Making and the Development of Other Mathematical Practices

http://mathforum.org/workshops/cmc-2014/

Steve Weimarsteve@mathforum.org

What are we currently thinking about and trying to figure out with the mathematical practices and the development of these with students?

What I am thinking about What do we mean by “learning the mathematical practices”? (and what does this have to do with learning math, more generally?)

What might it look like if the students were explicitly working on this and accountable for competence and improvement in the practices?

What I am thinking about Focus on two practices: Sense Making, Looking for Structure

What do we mean by these practices?

What is the interaction between Sense Making and Looking for Structure?

What does it mean to get better at them?

How is this facilitated?(graphic organizer for recording)

PlanEngage a scenario with sense making (Notice and Wonder)

Add notes to our graphic organizer about Sense Making

Pick a wonder/problem and work on it

Compare and contrast, looking for structure

Add notes to our graphic organizer about Looking for Structure

Reflect on the process and what helps facilitate

Revise/tweak the process

Do a different type of problem

Interaction of Sense Making and Looking for Structure

Notice and Wonder:

You have 7 cups of dog food. You use two-thirds of a cup of dog food at each meal.

Fraction +1 Scenario Start with a fraction: add 1 to the numerator and 1 to the denominator

Three Piece Spaghetti Break a piece of spaghetti into three pieces.

Try to make a triangle with the ends of the pieces brought together to make vertices.