Professional Plan

 

 

Explanation of Big Ideas

 

When instruction is focused on the Big Ideas, teachers are providing students with the ability to make connections between topics and learn math as a whole, rather than different strands that are unrelated. 

Focusing on the Big Ideas also ensures that the teacher is following the curriculum.

 

Big Ideas in Number Sense and Numeration are:

·        Quantity

·        Operational Sense

·        Relationships

·        Representation

·        Proportional Reasoning

 

It is important to focus units of study in the big ideas and the important skills and knowledge that are incorporated within those big ideas.

 

How Big Ideas connect to Fractions

 

Quantity – a whole can be divided into fractional parts

Operational Sense – 3+5=8 = 3/5 + 5/8 = 8/8 or 1 whole

Relationships – between parts and the whole

Representation – orally, visually, symbolically

Proportional Reasoning – generate new quantities

 

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Big ideas are parts of a whole; you have to put them all together.

 

Principles for Instruction

• Problem solving – activities structured around a problem or question. Students make connections between prior knowledge and new concepts.

 

• Reasoning and Proving – students explore new concepts, develop ideas, and justify their results.

 

• Reflecting – Students discuss, reflect and evaluate their problem solving strategies.

 

• Selecting tools and computational strategies – Students use manipulatives to represent mathematical problems and help solve them.

 

• Connecting – Students are able to connect to prior knowledge and concepts that they already understand.
• Representing – Student use concrete materials to represent mathematical problems.

 

• Communicating – Students discuss their math and the strategies/concepts they are using. This helps students to organize their thinking.

 

 

EWorkshop Website

 

• Great site for teachers new to teaching math and/or Junior students.

 

Highlights:

• Demo class/lesson videos – very helpful if you are looking for another way to explain or teach a concept.
• Printable documents – worksheets, curriculum documents, lessons, templates, activites (Who doesn’t love free resources!)

 

There are four sections to each module that are very helpful:

1. Overview of the strand (ex. Fractions)

2. Tell Me – Looks at concepts taught to students in the Junior grades. It describes effective lessons that help student understand important ideas/concepts.

3. Show Me – Demo class videos that support the strategies mentioned in the Tell Me section.

4. Let Me Try – Gives you the opportunity to apply what you have learned.

 

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