Guideline 2 (Practice): How do you provide options for language, mathematical expressions and symbols in your classroom?

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Permalink Reply by kerry armstrong on March 2, 2011 at 1:22am

Today, 2 representatives from our ministry of education came to visit a math class. They saw students working in partners and a small group (a numeracy circle) in the centre of the room meeting with the teacher. Students had to present their solutions to problems and others had to be able to summarize what was said. So many students need to use oral math language so that they can read it better. We practice linking the meaning of words to the symbols in these small group conversations and in our partners.

 

We have an overarching question as we explore fractions, percentages and decimals..."How much is it?"

 

Students are also making mindmaps (using lots of colour and symbols to help them remember concepts) about all the things that are making sense to them about problem solving around fractions, percent and decimals.

 

As we talk about the processes, we correct how we say things and we link vocabulary to concepts. For example: we say 0.37 as zero and thirty seven hundredths...(that helps when we go to change it to a fraction) and we looked at 37% of 235 and helped each other remember that of was times.

 

I also prepared a learning intentions sheet so that students know exactly what they have to be able to do in terms of fractions, percents and decimals.

 

Students have to be able to build, draw and write each step of the solution to the problem.

 

This math and UDL is new to me and I would love to hear some more ideas around multiple ways to represent and express math.

 

I will attach a file on "Numeracy cirlces...how to"

Attachments:

• how to num circles.doc, 62 KB

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Permalink Reply by Whitney Jablonki on March 6, 2011 at 8:12pm

Where I teach the population in English and Spanish.  My math class is made up of ELL SPecial Education students. I provide language in English and Spanish using lots of visuals with color, symbols, and numbers.  this way the students get it all. I wish I could use multi media but I only have one computer and it is my sped laptop which is only for teacher use.

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Permalink Reply by Patti Ganley on March 10, 2011 at 7:37am

There is a video on the National Center on UDL site of a first grade math class with commentary on how the activities are guided by the UDL guidelines. Even if you don't teach first grade there are some good ideas for incorporating UDL without a lot of technology.

(There are 30 students in this classroom and eleven languages represented)

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Permalink Reply by Patti Ganley on March 10, 2011 at 8:01am

Also, there is a very interesting video on Edutopia of teaching 5th grade math as a social activity.

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Permalink Reply by National Center on UDL on March 11, 2011 at 6:52am

What a cool article and videos! I love the Math doodles one.

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