Cards, clock, strings, and pool noodles?

The first few weeks of this semester has been quite a whirlwind.  Well, when hasn't it been...

I'm at a new school during the first semester, so it took a bit of time to figure out where things are, and what I am able to do with the classroom.  I'm also investing more time into my thesis, so I can actually finish it.  Adding on a few more family problems that involved my wife and I frequent the hospital quite a lot over the past few months, and basically it's busy busy.

I have been pretty much able to do whatever I wanted with the classroom that I am in.

The first thing I did, was to move all the desks into something more group-friendly.  Unfortunately the desks are the type where the seat is attached to the table, but it still worked out okay. The beginning of the semester has been focused on the 7 process expectations outlined in our Ontario curriculum:

Problem solving
Reasoning & Proving
Reflecting
Selecting Tools & Computational strategies
Connecting
Representing
Communicating

As well as getting students to focus on the learning, instead of marks.  This has been challenging for my grade 12s.  As noted in some of the previous posts here and here, as well as more elaborated in Alfie Kohn's objection to grades, grades have devastating effects for students.  I have been attempting to remove these negative effect of grades by offering students multiple opportunities, and emphasizing the understanding and learning.  It's an ongoing battle that I am sure I will fight until the end of the semester.  But it's worth it.

So let me quickly go over a few things that I've done with my classes.

The card problem that we saw during CMEF from Peter Liljedahl. Al Overwijk wrote about it here, as well as used it in his presentation during #TMC14.

 

Utilized vertical spaces and played with clocks



Playing with strings to examine polynomial functions

Represented functions with our bodies and the help of a pool noodle (no picture due to student faces)

We also discussed equality in general, as well as what this looks like in mathematics (through different strands and topics)

We also had the opportunity to play with Des-man, which gave students a wonderful introduction to Desmos as a wonderful tool, but also as the platform on which they will be working on their project, which I've modified from my past work here.

Lots of fun!  Not much detail about the activities that the students did...  I might get a chance later to come back and elaborate some more!