🚀 go-pugleaf

Dear Mark,

In a recent message you stated, and I quote :

MS> "...hold that 10-15 minutes are far too much time out of a 40-50 minute
MS> period.

Hmmmmm. If they don't do their assignments at school, when will they do them?
 At home?  If at home, who helps them when they get stuck? (Ideally, the
 parents. But in this day and age what parent takes time for their children?) 
MS> Students come to school to interact with a teacher. IF you don't want to
 MS> actively teach for a whole period, take those 10-15 minutes and talk about
 MS> life.

What exactly is "teaching"? Reading the book to the kids? I feel that
 'teaching' is guiding the kids learning activities. For too long education
 has been a 'teacher centered' activity.

By not hogging the scene for the whole period , the students can work
 'cooperatively', the teacher moving from group to group, helping when needed,
and keeping the kids on task. Or perhaps the class can work on competition.

For example "Math Ball"

  I have the students sit in 6 rows of 5. Four problems are projected onto the
 screen (overhead projector). The students work individually on the problems
 for an appropriate time. (I usually try to judge, giving enough time for most,
 but not all, -helps controll talking-). Papers are then traded across the
aisles. I then work the problems on the board, showing the correct answers.
Students correct each others answers, giving one point for each correct answer
 When finished, papers are passed to the front of the row in which the paper is
 corrected. The person at the front of the row totals up the points, which are
 then written on the board under the name of the student at the front of the
 row from which the papers originated.  Since the students in each row compete
 against students in other rows, the job of correcting is more 'accurate'.

Now comes the fun part. The row(s) having the highest total for the round of
 four questions gets a chance to earn a bonus point by trying to make a
 'basket' by throwing a wad of paper, approximately 1.789 inches in diameter
 and wrapped with masking tape, at a waste basket located on the other side of
the room, about two feet from the wall. They get two tries, only one of which
may count.

Then papers are returned to original owners and another round of four
 questions is projected unto the screen. I usually have time enough for four
 or five rounds and a tootsie pop is given to each student in the row having
 the highest final score.

I also give a tootsie pop to the student who gets the highest score on an
 examination. I offer them the choice of double or nothing. Two throws with the
 math ball. If they make a basket, they get two pops. If not, none. I've
 even offered the option that I would throw. If I make a basket, they get no
 pop, but if I miss they get two. (Here it pays for the teacher to practice
 before the kids show up.  <grin> )

I hope this gives you an idea you find useful.

Rod Taylor


-tsltl-   Mathematics is not a spectator sport.


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