Last thoughts

Teaching is a very complex career. One is propbably always questioning what they are doing in the classroom and if it is the best for their students. I was very intrigued by the approach the teachers at Phoenix Park took with their students. The open ended projects and all the responsibility placed on the students was something new to me. These students gained a great deal of knowledge which they could transfer from one problem to the next. The teachers did what they could to interest the students.  Boaler (2002) makes a very positive statement about the teachers in saying," They adapted different problems for different students, and they helped students navigate their way through the problems"(p180). The teachers were there for guidance but ensured that the students thought for themselves independantly. Amber Hill on the other hand had a total traditional approach. They used the old chalk and talk and there was not much of a diverse atmosphere in the classroom. According to Boaler (2002), "many students appeared to be disadvantaged in the face of new or applied situations"(p177). They were so used to the structure and learning a procedure whereas they completed problems using that taught procedure. They were not able to think outside the box.
My own teaching methods involve a little of both approaches. I do not have open ended projects all year and I definitely do not stand up and lecture and then just assign questions out of a text book. I do guide the students, I introduce them to topics and I show them how to use different formulas or equations. However, the students are contantly involved, they are constantly questioned and I do  not give them the way to get the answer. I do guide them and ask them questions which leads them to figuring out how to get the final result. I do have projects and group work and my students are required to think outside the box. I always try to relate the new things we learn to what we have learned before and I try to make my lessons meaningful and interesting for the students. I am not comfortable, however leaving them on their own to work all year as the Phoenix Park teachers did because I am to afraid of the high percent of our evaluations that must come from a paper and pencil test.
Boaler, Jo(2002) Experiencing School Mathematics. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. New York.

Ability Grouping

I do not believe in ability grouping. It takes away from students motivation. If I were placed in a low ability group I would feel that I was stupid or slow and would not feel the need to work hard as I had been branded as a low achiever. Students learn at different rates but as teachers it is our responsibility to adapt to that and use differentiated instruction as a tool to meet everyone's needs. At Amber Hill the ability grouping eliminated the teachers use of DI. As Boaler(2002) states, "When teachers place students in ability groups, however, they often forget that students are at different places in their mathematical learning, with different strengths and needs, they assume that the students are now a homogeneous group and differentiation is not required"(p157) This takes the diversity out of the classroom and we know that students are supposed to bring diversity. We have a variety of learners in our classroom and differentiated instruction is mandatory in order to reach all their needs.
Slavin(1992) states, "Ability grouping is ineffective. It is harmful to many students. It inhibits development of interracial respect, understanding and friendship"(p14) Students need to feel connected and a sense of belonging. If we do not push them to do their best then they will settle for less. We cannot put a label on a child that determines what they are capable of. If we do this at an early stage then we are eliminating the growth that can occur within a child. For instance, I know a student who did not care much for school. He was placed in the basic stream in high school, there was not a whole of confidence in his ability. After 2 years from the time he graduated he went back to obtain his ABE. He then went onto MUN and has just graduated from Med School. I think that ability grouping was a factor in his behavior in high school. If the school did not have confidence in him well how could he have it in himself, and it is obvious the potential and ability was there.
Boaler, Jo.(2002) Experiencing School Mathematics. Routledge NY
Slavin, Robert.(1992) Why Ability Grouping Must End" Achieving Excellence and Equity in American Education. Johns Hopkins University.

Real world and math

In chapter 7 there was a very interesting discovery regarding students at each school and how they viewed math in class and math in the real world. According to Boaler(2002), "The Amber Hill Students appeared to regard the worlds of the school mathematics classroom and the rest of their lives inherently different"(p120) They did not believe that what they did in the classroom related to their everyday lives. They did not think of math as something you encounter everyday but were only familiar with the math that they learned in the classroom. I think this is important for us as teachers to think about. We must try to make math a reality for our students. Teaching from the text and confining your lessons to the classroom will not cut it. We need to make the math matter to them, make them see how it could help us outside the classroom and discuss the math that we are surrounded with everyday.
If we engage students in their learning by allowing them to see how math is related to the real world then I believe this will increase their motivation. According to Conner and Gunstone (2004), "Willingness is closely linked to motivational constructs." I believe students would be more willing to learn if they feel there is a point and that what they are learning will help them in their lives.

Boaler, Jo.(2002) Experiencing School Mathematics.New York
Conner, Richard. Gunstone, Lindsey(2004). Conscious Knowledge of Learning. International Journal of Science Education. v.26 p1427-1443

Chapter 6

I found it very interesting to read chapter 6 and realize that all that practice Amber Hill students received in textbook questions and paper and pencil tests that they did not excel on the GCSE exam over the Phoenix Park students. The students from Phoenix Park were rarely exposed to the exam and had a very worry free atmosphere. They completed open ended projects and barely did any traditional textbook questions. As Boaler(2002) states, "The students at the two schools developed a different kind of mathematics knowledge"(p104). The Phoenix park students were able to apply what they had learned in a broad range of questions. Amber Hill students on the other hand wanted to see questions that they had seen or were familiar with from class as their knowledge was triggered by cues or knowing that a certain procedure had to be carried out for a certain type question.
I was also amazed regarding the facts about the students who were off task or misbehaving in a Phoenix Park classroom. According to Boaler (2002), "a comparison of NFER entry results and  GCSE results show that these students did not underachieve on the GCSE examination in relation to other students"(p103). I was concerned while reading chapter 5 and completing my discussion that the off task students who wanted to learn through the traditional approach were being left out by the Phoenix Park teachers. It was evident this was not the case as they were not worse off than the other students on the exam. They were actually learning and even having to take on a small amount of responsibility themselves helped them develop a knowledge of mathematics and they were able to apply it. This goes to show that even the reluctant students will learn when we allow them to take responsibility for their own learning and explore mathematics concepts.

Boaler, Jo.(2002). Experiencing School Mathematics.New York:Routledge

Thoughts

This week I am going to express how I am feeling about my classes today. I am finding that most, but not all my students have lost interest in school. It has become a place where they show up and aim to pass their courses but are not putting in a lot of effort. There are some students who I know can attain an 80 but are settling for a 60. I make phone calls home, have discussions with students but still I am seeing a lack of effort on the students part. In math we complete projects, have inquiry discussions and I feel I am fighting at times for the students to participate. I assign practice work where you might see half the class complete. I am calling home for late assignments and with the new assessment policy I have to accept these whenever they come in. With the new cheating policy in the eastern school district I must give a retest to a student I catch cheating. I feel that the students do not see a  reason  to work hard and put forth their best effort forward as we are catering to their every need. I am feeling frustration and needed a place to express this. I was wondering how many more people out there might be experiencing this with some of their classes/students? Every night I spend time making up lessons, coming up with interesting ways for the students to learn and in return I get little back. I care about my students and want them to do well. This is why I do stress as much as I do, I am not one who settles but aims for the best.