Zooming In on Math Talk

Mar 7

My district signed me up for the WIDA Secure Portal that allowed me to access the courses by clicking login at this link: WIDA Website

Melissa Milner discusses her experience with the WIDA course, which focused on developing language for learning in mathematics.
The course made a significant impact on her teaching practices and aligned well with her district's Illustrative Mathematics (IM) curriculum.
Melissa learned new teaching moves and affirmed existing practices, emphasizing the importance of mathematical reasoning and discourse.
The course reinforced the idea that all students, including English Language Learners (ELL), benefit from these teaching concepts.

Melissa outlines the three areas covered in the WIDA course: teacher preparation, launching problem-solving in small groups, and whole-group discussion.
Teacher preparation involves planning tasks and activities that promote mathematical reasoning and discourse.
Melissa highlights the importance of thinking through and recording solution strategies to be prepared for student responses during lessons.
She mentions the need to consider math vocabulary that might be challenging for students, which can be addressed during group discussions.

The course emphasizes the importance of noticing and prompting reasoning as students express and construct ideas during small group work.
Melissa explains the structure of IM lessons, which include independent work, whole-class discussion, and small group partner work.
The teacher's role is to circulate and listen in on student thinking, asking questions or giving prompts to encourage student-led problem-solving.
This approach moves away from the traditional "sage on the stage" method, fostering more math discourse among students.

The course includes a step to reason together as a whole group to consolidate important mathematical understandings.
Melissa describes how the IM curriculum allows for multiple opportunities for math talk, especially beneficial for ELL students.
She emphasizes the importance of hearing classmates' strategies to build confidence and comfort in sharing thoughts.
The whole-group discussion is a rich opportunity for math talk and visual modeling, which is crucial for all students, especially ELL students.

Melissa references Jen Hawkins' blog post and podcast episode, which discuss the role of the teacher as a guide rather than a leader.
The new role of the teacher involves strategies to develop students' thinking, moving away from the traditional "I do, we do, you do" sequence.
Jen's blog post highlights the importance of students being empowered to tackle new content independently.
The SERP Institute website is recommended as a resource for identifying actions that engage thinking students and teacher moves that promote these actions.

Melissa lists seven student vital actions, including all students participating, extending their thinking, talking about others' thinking, revising their work, using academic language, and engaging at points of difficulty.
These actions are crucial for developing students' mathematical thinking and communication skills.
The importance of these actions is emphasized for all students, including ELL and special needs students.
These actions are directly related to the IM curriculum and the teacher's role in fostering a supportive learning environment.

Melissa outlines ten teacher moves, starting with having students address their peers when explaining their thinking.
The importance of listening to learn is emphasized, with students being asked to rephrase what was said to ensure understanding.
Teachers are encouraged to ask questions that require students to think and share their responses, rather than just providing answers.
The role of the teacher as a model is highlighted, with teachers demonstrating their thinking process to help students understand problem-solving.

The importance of creating a community of learners is emphasized, where students feel competent in their mathematical understanding.
Teachers are encouraged to challenge students to answer questions posed by their peers, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
The role of the teacher as a learner is highlighted, with teachers actively seeking answers together with students.
The importance of demonstrating the messy process of mathematical problem-solving is emphasized to show students that making mistakes is part of learning.

Melissa concludes by recommending Jen Hawkins' podcast episode for further insights into teacher moves.
She highlights the importance of the online course she took and her district's focus on teacher moves and student vital actions.
The teacheraswebsite and the SERP Institute article are recommended as resources for teachers.
Melissa thanks the listeners and promises to provide links to the resources on the teacheraswebsite episode page.

Melissa Milner

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