Thanks to Dan Meyer’s blog post My Lesson Plan: The Door Lock for this!
I read Dan’s post initially from a twitter link but my memory is dreadful so I’m afraid I can’t tell you who brought it to my attention.

However, I got myself into a conversation about problem solving strategies with my second year class this morning and used this as a trigger for discussion.  With the picture on the board I asked simply “what is the combination?”.

The discussion that ensued was based around what further information was needed to answer the problem because the maths required to state the number of possible solutions is beyond their capabilities for now.

The class came up with a single questions that they wanted answersed before they would go any further. 

How many numbers are in the code?

I only told them when they told me that they would normally find the answer to this in the question itself and what strategy they were going to try when they found out.  Some sort of ordered list seemed to be the favourite and armed now with the fact there were 3 consecutive numbers in the code they continued.

Conversation and debate followed about what consectutive could mean, whether or not they could be consecutive in decreasing order and whether 0 could follow 9.

We got it down to 14 options and everyone agreed they needed more information.  The code must be divisible by 2, the first number must be greater than the last and and the sum of the digits is fifteen elimiated all but one and brought us to a conclusion.

The important lesson today was not the maths – I know that my class can divide by 2, add to 15 and use number order.  What was beneficial was to look for the questions that had to be answered because the answers to these normally lie in the text of the question itself if they would just remember to go looking for it!

A fantastic resource and a lesson that the pupils can direct and to some degree structure themselves with the questions their own questions.  I see more potential every time I look at this and also remember that sometimes the simplest resources and ideas can provide the richest tasks.

My last post uncovered a road to Curriculum for Excellence which could keep a class engaged for a whole term, if not longer, with the arms and legs that could be developed from the initial idea.  This concept feels much more controlled.  Reading other comments on Dan’s original blog I can understand the different levels that could be investigated but for my class this was an ideal single lesson activity which empowered them to take control without me losing it.  I had a class agenda from the outset, to explore problem solving strategies, and was able to deliver my message without simply telling them.

My first year registration class were quite right to be disappointed this morning when I broke the good news that I was their cover teacher for a PE lesson.  The prospect of sitting in a maths classroom doing a Bobby Charlton wordsearch was not pleasing them so I simultaneously vowed to find something exciting for them to do and made them promise not to get their hopes up.  After all, if the lesson does turn into puzzle central I won’t need them over-excited.

I have a total of 15 minutes free between now and 12pm when the class are due back.  Thankfully our active schools co-ordinator is online while S3 are sitting an exam and I confirmed that as a maths teacher I don’t need any further courses or qualifications to take a class out to the playing field to run around.  Nor do I require any sort of risk assessment, parental consent or, indeed, any off-putting paperwork – ok, we’re one step closer.

Now I need a plan but S4 have just walked through my door with a million questions about their exam next month.

I have half scribbled an idea on the back of the daily announcement sheet by break.  A quick run round to the gym yields a much better one – take them out and play rounders, it’s been too long since this class were out and about.  PE staff all have classes of their own but more than happy to help me get started.  Phew!

The instant there was no pressure to plan an outdoor lesson for 24 twelve year olds the creativity tap was unplugged.

Here’s what I thought would happen:

Scatter random 3D shapes around the sports field.  (well, carefully place them making sure they are evenly spaced to create pythagorean triples between points actually)  Hand over blank sheets of paper and get the pupils, in small groups, to create maps including the locations of all the shapes.

Once complete, use the maps to find the shortest route between them all, describe the journey and complete tasks at the points like describe the shapes and calculations for the corresponding numbers, also at the points.

What went well?

• I remembered to bring plenty of card and pencils along with the 3D shapes.
• A big thank you to a 6th year pupil who was volunteered to help me.
• The pupils were engaged, active and enjoying it.
• I had great fun
• Most groups selected by me, at random worked very well together.

What didn’t?

• One of the task sheets blew away in the wind
• My aim was to practice maths outdoors – not convinced there was much maths done.
• One group did not work well together – 3 boys made one other do all the work – very hard to police in a playing field.
• Having checked what the groups handed in, very little was actually completed.

Moving forward:

This was all a bit off the cuff.  As a completely unstructured task the pupils actually coped quite well at getting started.  No doubt there was lots of time wasted at the beginning as pupils tried to make sense of the expectations and they were far too excited about being outside to make groundbreaking progress mathematically but I think I saw a glimmer of something valuable.

The groups made good maps which they understood.  They could follow their own instructions back to a particular point.  They described the 3D shapes with illustrations and with words.    The groups all attacked the tasks in their own way. 

They were actually disappointed when I asked them to put the maths away!

The potential of this task is growing in my mind the more I think of it.  There are cross curricular links to geography, PE, outdoor ed, literacy, and health and wellbeing. 

Within numeracy there are ample topics to explore – scale drawing, estimation and accurate measure, shape properies, pythagoras, bearings, direction, mental maths and operations and I reckon I could even squeeze speed, distance, time in there with a bit of careful planning. 

Herein lies my own big, personal Curriculum for Excellence barrier.  The pupils cannot describe a journey using bearings unless they are already aware of the concept of bearings and compass directions.  They cannot be expected to explain the properties of shapes in a meaningful way without the knowledge required.  At the most basic level, they cannot be expected to list calculations without prior knowledge of numbers.  They must understand and appreciate the value and use of a ‘map’ before they can begin to construct their own.

So again I can see this activity as consolidation of work already completed, a group challenge, a chance to collaborate, take responsibity for the overall quality of work completed.

But I am perhaps, starting to understand the way forward – how to use this approach to learning and teaching in line with the ethos of Curriculum for Excellence…

A huge thank you must go to Robert Jones for bringing Fearghal Kelly’s blog to my attention via Twitter.  What Fearghal showed me was the process of  pupil’s choosing the curriculum come to life.  At last, how it works in practice.

My new plan for the work I presented today may look something like this:

Your task will be:

• to create an accurate map of several locations marked on the playing field
• to complete challenges at each of the locations involving number and shape
• to find the shortest route around all of the points and describe it to another team.

Now pose 2 questions:

•  what skills will you need to complete this task?
• how will you know if you are successful?

I know the pupils will come up with more questions than answers to the first but with careful questioning and perhaps a nudge (or a large shove at times no doubt) in the right direction the class will create a list of learning outcomes appropriate to the overall aim.

As a classroom maths teacher I am now free to teach the required  knowledge using my toolbox of traditional learning and teaching methods – I include AiFL, active learning, ICT and co-operative strategies under the ever changing definintion of “traditional” here.

Over the last 3 years I have been over and underwhelmed by Curriculum for Excellence, the theory has always been just outwith my practical grasp.

Tonight I feel like I’ve finally got it – kind of like the first day I ever understood where trig ratios came from – fantastic!

After I’ve caught up on all the soaps, Lost and the new series of Red Dwarf I’ll have to think about what to be aiming for this term.

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My only firm plan at the moment is that it must be ICT related.
I’ve started a couple of draft posts which need more work and could relate well to the EPICT course I’m doing.  This, in turn, would suggest that the work should improve my own teaching practice.  Some ideas I have contemplated are;

1. The use of social networking as an educational tool
2. Internet security – copyright and access issues
3. VLEs – research and general implementation for a secondary maths course
4. Adding value to the department’s teaching and learning strategies and plans using the website
5. Blogging – any use for maths?
6. Podcasting problems and solutions, tools to use, making it appealing to our target audience – terror teenagers
7. Finding teacher-led resources to ehance teaching and learning of a maths and numeracy curriculum that pupils want to engage with outside the classroom.

I have to remember that I can’t assume access to computer facilities or internet with my own pupils.  Mostly outwith my control.  Not enough access at school and often unreliable.  Easy to suggest local library but many of the kids can’t get into town to manage even that.

It’s far too easy to forget the target and get carried away with applications that look good.  Do the pupils engage more with visually attractive chalk and talk lessons than good old written notes and diagrams.  Perhaps this is where I will start?  I suggested during ICT presentations last year that one of the main benefits of the IWB was the drawing tools which provide a clearer visual for the pupils but I often have to sketch a freehand example on the other board to help the pupils to illustrate notes and to allow me to explain details.

The biggest benefit of blogging is the opportunity to free-type, let your thoughts flow and talk yourself into a conclusion.  Lots of research to begin it is then.  Let’s consider in a professional and academic manner how much impact the visual aspect of lessons has on learning and teaching without an interactive element.  Is talk and chalk as good as talk and fancy illustrations?

Watch this space.

It’s a distinct possibilty that I have to go back to work tomorrow.

All in one from www.shapecollage.com

The best thing about that is it means my rather hectic holiday schedule is complete.  I’m ashamed to say that I have been rather dreading the Easter break since the beginning of February when I confirmed a ski trip and a week in Aviemore all at the same time.

Hallo??

Skiing and a week in the Cairngorms – surely it doesn’t get much better?

Well the problem was the timing;
Friday – school breaks up, leave immediately to start journey to the Aosta Valley – arrive lunchtime on Sunday. Ski, ski, ski (my legs aren’t up for this…..) ski, ski, back on bus to arrive home on Sunday.  Made it back to Thurso just after 10pm – super – 18 hours to repack for trip to Aviemore.

Not strictly true – I slept most of the time, had a lovely breakfast courtesy of very understanding and generous mum and a leisurely lunch with a friend before setting off with a bagfull of wet (but clean) washing.  Anyway, picked up the minibus and worried all week about the kids getting broken before driving home by teatime on Saturday. 

That left 2 nights and 2 days before I had to be back at work – obviously the answer was to call on a good friend to pop round and help me through a good bottle of red while getting ready to go out – otherwise known as keeping me safely away from my bed/sofa for the evening thereby postponing the inevitable sleep marathon.

In the end I’ve survived.  More than that – I feel quite alive for the first time since this teaching thing became permanent.  Feeling far more refreshed and ready to face the real world again tomorrow than I expected and better than ever before.