Leader: Nikolette Edge Support staff: Elizabeth Franks, Stephanie Garcia, Alyssia Harper, Jason Henderson

Chapter 16 Statements
Beth Franks p. 270- Choice: It is important to offer students a choice. They become more engaged and take responsibility for their work more often when they have chosen it. Of course, some work has to be mandatory, but offering a menu or choice of some kind is best. We have done this in this very course, with the Shape-Up, Dinner Menu, Think-Tac-Toe, etc. It gives the teacher the ability to vary the difficulty level as well as cover Blooms in the activities provided for choice. p. 272- Teaching Math Vocabulary: This is so important to realize as teachers, especially if you have English language learners. Math itself is universal. Numbers are the same everywhere. But the vocabulary of math isnt universal. Many ELLs can do math computations quite well. But give them a story problem and its all out the window. We have new ELL standards in the state of Tennessee this year which teach the vocabulary of the four content areas. The book offers some resources to help with this as well. p. 277- Narrative 16.1: This narrative emphasizes the importance of advocating for our students. This teacher did not write off the student who was not doing well. He instead, tried to find a solution to help this student not only in the present, but in the future. It takes time and effort to do this, but its worth it when you truly make a difference. Nikolette Edge p.268- It makes sense that ELL students still need language help in math class. I can not imagine trying to follow along in a math class in another language. p. 270- Connections to Real Life and Emotion- Teaching students about the real world connection of math by using the social justice concepts sounds perfect for middle school students. They are at an age where they are starting to see the world differently and noticing injustice. I also loved the idea of figuring out how much paint you need to buy. Everyone seems to have to do that problem at some point in their lives. p. 272- Visual, Auditory, and Tactile Input- Having students explain their learning to another student while changing the volume or tone for important words or phrases would work in all subjects. I like this idea and will use it. p.273- Anchor Activities- Activities that help students make connections and comprehend new concepts are powerful tools. The investment activity idea that has students choose an option for investment and see daily how much they have earned sounds like it would make a big impact. I also think it would be great to show different loan terms and how much they cost over time. Stephanie Garcia p. 267 Culturally relevant teaching. This is our main task as teachers. We have to figure out how to teach all subjects to students and make it relevant to them. We need to make sure that our lessons reach those of different backgrounds, genders, learning abilities, and more.

p. 269 Music in the math classroom works wonders. The students may think we are the weirdest teachers because we think a song about the order of operations is the best thing in the world, but truth is: our students can memorize thousands of lyrics so why not include an educational one in there. I have even extended for my students to create their own songs. One student made rap about volcanoes, and I can promise you, he will never forget it! p. 275 Portfolios in Math. I like the idea of creating a portfolio to show understanding. Especially for middle school students, they need to know why they are doing something and see where they are at in mastery. I have the students file all of their papers with grades on them, but this takes it further by having the student understand where they are at in achieving mastery of a standard. Jason Henderson p.268--I've heard of incorporating literature into math (word problems); however, including music and art into the equation is a new concept for me. It makes sense, though, with music in math because you have certain notes and counts that create the flow of music, which is based on numbers. It seems as though that it would work best with addition more than anything. p.271--Self-regulating strategies also requires a lot of monitoring. Much like a jigsaw assignment, if students are not frequently checked for accuracy, they will miss important details that were intended to be taught. However, I do like the idea that students should take charge for their own education. Responsibility and accountability for their efforts allows them to understand the importance of maturing in an adult-like scenario (balancing check books, budgeting, savings, etc.) p.274--I did research in undergrad about multiple intelligence. To conclude the research, kids find more meaning and appreciation in areas to which they can succeed. Obviously, not everyone learns the same, so by providing these opportunities for them they do not get as easily discouraged. Still, students should be challenged to try other options than those they are most comfortable with. When they find success in these less comfortable settings, it builds more confidence in them. Alyssia Harper Pg. 268- Using music to teach is one of my favorite ways to engage students! I especially loved the fact that they brought up Schoolhouse Rock! I can still sing several of the songs that covered a variety of subjects including social studies, math, and english. Pg. 270-Also making things relevant to students is so important. I especially think that being able to answer the question "When will I ever use this?" is a great way to help your students understand why this is important. I also really liked the suggestion of making things globally relevant. I think that it is important for our students to be aware of what is going on outside of the world and be critically thinking of how we can make a difference. Pg. 274-Figure 16.1 is very helpful to me because it helps start the creative process of how I can reach all of my learners. I think that this also are great suggestions if you are utilizing the choice method as well. For someone who enjoys variety and constant change I think that this is a great idea!