C4T #4

My last two comments have been on Jennifer Brokosfky's blog. Her blog is called A Work in Progress. She has not made any recent posts, so I looked in her archives and found some interesting posts.

C4T #4 Post 1: For this post, I chose a post entitled Driving to Mathematical Success-Gradual Release of Responsibilty. In this post, Ms. Brokosfky compares teaching mathematics to teaching someone to drive. I like her analogy because it really gets her point across. She states that the teacher "takes the wheel" for a while and demonstrates how to do the math work. She then says that often teachers "get out of the car and ask the students to keep driving". Ms. Brokosfky says this is too much independence for the students too soon. She states that the teachers should "sit in the passenger seat" for a little while before releasing the students completely. This analogy ties into the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model, which was first created in 1993 by Pearson and Gallagher. This model outlines the process of teaching necessary to promote independent application of skills and understanding. In this model, teachers gradually decrease their level of support as students demonstrate understanding, but increases their level pf support if students are struggling. 

In my comment, I said that I agree with this model, especially when it comes to teaching mathematics. Math can  often be the most difficult subject for a student, therefore, the level of support a teacher gives needs to be based on each individual student. I also said that I like her driving analogy because it really does go hand in hand with the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model.  

C4T #4 Post 2: For this post, I commented on a post entitled Creating a Math Rich Classroom. In this post, Ms. Brokosfky gives her ideas for different math stations that can be placed in the classroom to get the students more engaged in mathematics. She suggested a math corner. This can include baskets with manipulatives and graphic organizers the students might need to complete activities (such as blank Venn Diagrams). She also suggests having a book shelf with books that have a mathematical slant or theme to them.

In my comment, I said that I think it is extremely important to have activities in the classroom that will get the students more engaged in math. I also said that math is a difficult subject for students, but it is one of the most important subjects we learn in elementary school. Therefore, it is nice to read about some great ideas to get the students interested in learning mathematics.