liebster award

liebster award

Friday, November 8, 2013

Station activity -sequence and series. Afterwards

The NSPIRE activity was definitely the most problematic.   Students struggled with how to manipulate the activity as well as how to get started, though interestingly enough one group told me they thought this one was their favorite because the calculator sort of walked them through the activity and all they had to do was observe and discuss.

The teacher led activity included 4 sequences to discuss and figure out.  I was surprised how difficult it was to hint and cajole a small group 3-4 students, through the material.  I know that at times we all want to just scream out the answer is 4 (or whatever) but it really is much more tempting with a smell group sitting there looking truly lost.   Fibonacci's sequence was the first one, with n^2 and n^2+1 beefing the second and a hybrid fraction geometric and arithmatic for the last.   I wish the second one had been first and that I had primed them by asking them to use blocks to build out each of the terms in the sequence.

There was a worksheet station in which students were required to I'd each set of numbers as arithmetic or geometric or neither and in hindsight I wish I had left that worksheet for the lower groups, but had a more accelerated one for groups ready for more of a challenge.

I had two groups in which members browsed on the IPADS, thus making it difficult for the next group to get started right away.   Fortunately given my proximity to that station I know which students were not on task and write ups and phone calls will address the issue (both students, have previously been addressed about being off task previously).

I still think the teacher led station could be reworked so that I am not tied down and busy the whole time.  I do have write-ups from the students, but its not the same as actually observing where students struggle.

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