Talking, is it important?

October 18^th, 2008

I am very pleased with how well things are going. I think I have come a long way since September when I first began teaching through problem solving. I am not sure who is learning more, the students or me!

As I experiment with open questioning more and more, I see the benefits of this type of questioning and how it fits into teaching through problem solving. I am also realizing how important conversations and discussions are. It is through conversing with one another and with me, that students are finding the connections they need to make sense of the concepts. I find it really helpful to encourage a student to talk through his/her answer or thinking, especially when they have come to an inappropriate conclusion. Most times, as they begin talking through or explaining their thinking, they realize their mistake and are able to come to correct conclusions. It is really good to see this happening as I, as their teacher, can see how they are thinking about something and how they were able to reach the appropriate solutions. This makes instruction easier as I do not have to guess or assume students know something, but I can plan my next lesson knowing exactly where student understanding on the concept is. This is something, I feel can not be achieved by teaching math in the traditional way, nor by using closed tasks and questions. In traditional classrooms, students are just expected to produce the correct answers. In my classroom, I expect students to go beyond giving me the correct answer and explain how they were able to come to that solution. They need to prove to me what they are saying is true. I require students to show their thinking using numbers, pictures and words, and it is through this explanation that their true understanding of the topic, concept can be seen, and corrected, when needed.