Equity versus Equality, exercise of different approaches to the same Mean, What is this thing called Resiliency?, a couple of videos, and brainstorming on Science and Space

Earlier in this week, Saya proposed that we should have some tests where the format is not open book.  I agreed that we should try this out, since there will be encounters where a teacher may not want you to reference your notes.  For me, "Open Book" tests are about assessing the student's ability to apply the knowledge gained from homework and study to a testing situation.

In the future, I am sure there will be situations where books are not allowed and you will have to rely on your memory to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise.  For me, this causes me anxiety.  In job interview situations I may get anxious and would've benefited from the opportunity to reference a note to help jog my memory or ground my thinking.

There is a graphic which has been circulating on the Internet that is very interesting and made me think about my open book policy.

With all books being open, I have been equal in my practice.  Though, in the class, not all students are operating at the same level.  Some students may have learning challenges and require extra support so they are more on par with their peers; this is equity.  Sometimes this hard for students to get, since they may think that certain students are getting favours.  We are not all starting on the same footing, is how I would respond to this.

This image comes from http://culturalorganizing.org/the-problem-with-that-equity-vs-equality-graphic/ and looks at this image from a more critical standpoint and takes into consideration the social and political dimensions of Equity, Equality, and Justice.  I won't get into it with the class, but you may want to take a look.

Same mean, different mode & median

This graph, which has been explained to the class, looks at how it is possible that a student may have the same average (mean) for a set of 5 tests, but the results may be different.

 In class, I demonstrated how we can swap marks around and still arrive at the same mean, but our mode and median may shift:

Here we have a case, similar to the graph pictured, where all the test marks are the same and we have all three measures of mean, median, and mode being the same.  5 tests, with a score of 7 = 35 total marks.

In this case, I have moved some of the marks around, but the same total of 35 marks for all 5 tests remain.  Our median is 8, our mode is 8, but our mean remains at 7.

Take two:  same topic

A few students stayed after school to ask about this Math.  I pulled out the cubes to demonstrate how this morning's Math works:

Each column represents the test results.  In this case, all of the results are the same:  Each test produced a score of 8.  So our mean, median, and mode are all 8.

In total, we have 40 cubes (5x8).  This model represents the leveling aspect of the mean/average.

We still have a total of 40 cubes, but now they have been re-distributed among the 5 tests.  From left to right, our scores are 10, 2, 8, 10,10.  Our mean still remains at 8, but our median and mode are now 10.

Sketches on a desk:

The actual marks, for a Mean of 8, could look different than the ones on the desk or the cubes I set up.  The BIG IDEA is that the total of all of the marks equals 40.  So, it could be possible to have the grades for the 5 test be 0. 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 and still have a Mean of 8!

Thanks for asking!  You can always ask for help.

Resiliency

http://pacinst.org/issues/climate-change-vulnerability-and-resilience/

These posters, which are looking a little old, have been on my boards for almost six years now.  I have made some references to them in class, but I have never fully explored just how important they are.

The three of them, with the inspiring quote in the middle, come from the ideas of being resilient or being able to recover, learn, and push forward, when faced with difficult situations.  It is a very popular topic.  Not to plug amazon, but check out this extensive list. and this is only the first of 20 pages on the topic!

I was part of a pilot group of teachers who worked with a program known as Strength Based Resilience (SBR).  It was developed by  Drs. Tayyab Rashid, Afroze Anjum, and Jane Gillham.  I will not get too theoretical and keep the understanding and applicability of the program straightforward for the students.  More information on the program can be found here:

http://www.ipositive-education.net/strength-based-resilience-program-sbr/

One of the initial exercises around understanding the scope of the project is learning what Resiliency is all about.  Our first exercise will involve using this video.

One of my goals for this term is to weave some of the ideas from the SBR program in with our classroom programming across a number of subject areas.

The story you will be using for jot notes is here:

Short video from Orff/Music:

Great Big Crunch:  

Science Brainstorming:  Space, our current frontier

The new unit in Science will aim to give the class different entry points to explore topics they find interestring around Space and make connections with the expectations of the Science curriculum.  To give the students a sense of what they could explore, I loosely broke down parts of the expectations in this chart:

Along with Ms. Ling, our Teacher Librarian who has committed to partner with our class, we did some brainstorming in the Library this morning.  Here are some of our ideas that we will fuerther develop after the March Break:

homework:

- jot notes on Resiliency story in Language book

- Media planning chart (assigned earlier in the week...did your group complete it?)

-Film Festival waiver form

- Math online learning (educational games) for mean, median, and mode

- 2 bar graphs, in Math book, for demonstrating different mode and median, but the same mean (see above example)

IWD, Nike's campaign for athletes...

Happy IWD:

http://www.un.org/en/events/womensday/history.shtml

Media Literacy component of the day (all media have commercial implications):

Here is another example that involves the commercial implications, but it seems to fill the void for the challenges many athletes who wear a Hijab may face.

I think this is the actual ad, which follows a brief explanation of the campaign by Nike:

Link to some Old School ads for analysis, breaking down Badminton: skills + competition, approaches to Algebra, Internet Learning sheet & updated links for Mean, Median, and Mode games

Media Literacy:

Vintage Toronto tourism ads have less swagger, more mullets http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/vintage-tourism-ads-1.4011230 Shared via the CBC News Android App

Badminton:

As we play the game more, it is important to remember some of the skills you are developing and the important shots.  

As we look, briefly at some of these examples of exciting play, pay attention to the foot movement of the athletes.  They are moving around a lot and not standing still.

Although this is one example, here is an athlete doing some training.  This sport is very intense and explosive!

Algebra Review:

Last week I learned that the approach to solving Algebra questions is much more open that I once thought.  The guess and check method is an approach that is used from Grade 6 through Grade 8.  The balance approach is not introduced in the curriculum until Grade 8.  I find this a little odd and think it is something the students should become aware of in Grade 6.

Here are two sample questions with the two approaches, along with a final one that I refer to as crossing the bridge.  This approach is not something I made up but is sort of a hybrid version of the balance approach.   

Internet links for Mean, Median, and Mode games:

By the end of the evening, I will add a series of links to games related to this topic of the Data Management and Probability strand.  The existing link will remain, for those who will access the game link at home.

Be sure to list the name of the game or website so I can check out the game!  Be sure to list it on the Internet learning sheet:

I said I would list an example of how this might look, but I haven't done it yet.

Here is the game I found and decided to play.  UPDATE:  I did the sheet...it is down below.

https://www.turtlediary.com/game/mean-median-mode-range.html

An example of the learning:  setting up the numbers in the set from least to greatests

Homework board

Just a reminder.  All work is up here and then should be written in the agenda.

Spelling Test pushed to Tuesday, NEW video from Math Antics, Student ideas with Media Literacy & Aristotle

Spelling:

Because I have a number of notebooks with the list words in them, some of you will not be able to study for Monday's final dictation.  So, the dictation will be on Tuesday, since your books and work will be returned on Monday.

Mean, Median, Mode:

I have subscribed to the Math Antics YouTube channel.  This update came to me on Friday:

We will look at this on Monday.  I am going to go back to the last post and add some comments to each of the homework photographs I posted to explain each question a little more.  Be sure to bring your questions to class when something doesn't make sense.

Student voices on Media Literacy:

This is an example that Chloe shared with me last month.  We did not get around to watching it and I thought it would be a good way to hook our imaginations back to the Media Literacy project.

This is a student-produced example of a homework item from 4-5 weeks ago; it involved brainstorming an idea for a  Media project.  Here is Josue's idea:

Aristotle and the role of persuasion:

http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/aristotle-116.php

I was doing some background reading on the 3 Greek words used in the handout I gave you and I came across the explanations of each one from a 2 Century old text:
http://www.mountainman.com.au/essenes/aristotles_modes_of_persuasion_in_rhetoric.htm

Math Homework UPDATED and the return of the Assignment chart

Congratulations to the Boys' Basketball Team for reaching the finals and representing our school so well.  I heard that you worked very well, as a team, to make it this far.  Your coach, and your school are very proud of you!

Saya asked me to print out the summary page that I posted for Mean, Median, and Mode.  If you want, I can print it for you or you may "right-click" and save the image and print it yourself for future reference.

Before I print the images of the completed Homework, I will post an example I had on the board that may explain some of the details from all the numbers you will see from the homework answers.

I think the example and labels are clear.  We will come back to this problem to understand how important and misleading, statistics can be.

Here are the answers to the homework questions:

This is the last question and asks for the mean, median, and mode for the chart of statistics on the Lacrosse players.  The b) portion of the question is asking you to decide what type of "average" would be most accurate in describing the information in the set.  We used this kind of thinking when we looked at Marc's test results:  would the mean, median, or mode be better at describing Marc's work?

The first question asked about the median of two sets of data.  In the first one, the set had an odd set of numbers.  In the second, the set total is even and we had to work with the two middle numbers to figure out the median.

This question looked at a set of house prices.  This was a thinking type question and required the observation that one price on the list made the mean (what we usually think of as the average) jump. 

This is part of question 6 a) that looks at some of the stats from the game.

Based on Isabella's suggestion, I think I have adjusted the settings to allow for messages to be sent to me.  So, if you have questions about the homework from last night or today, you can drop me a line.

Due to Winter Alternatives Day happening tomorrow, I have not assigned any homework for tonight, but the Spelling Work given out on Tuesday is due tomorrow.  The final dictation is on Monday.

Last week, Sean asked about rebooting the Homework chart, so I did.  There are only a few things there, but some people are on top of things more than others.  How are you doing?

Not every bit of Homework is tracked on here.  Daily Math homework is recorded in my Mark book.  Only you know if you have completed your Homework.  Use that agenda to help you stay on top!

enjoy your Winter Alternatives day!

Preview of upcoming Reading project, talking about the Eco-Film project, corrections to the Spelling HW, reminders about Homework, Josue's Birthday

Upcoming Book Talk assignment:

https://hey2teacher.wordpress.com/category/reading-activities/page/2/

When I visited the Lab School (Institute of Child Study http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ics/Laboratory_School/index.html) last year at the University of Toronto, I was excited by one of the projects I saw on the wall.  It was another take on approaching a book report that incorporated some Art and design.

It was not a project developed by the school.  From my initial research, I can see that a lot of teachers have done this and I am looking forward to doing this with our class!

Eco-Film:

In Ms. Bernaus' class, each group took the opportunity to talk about the idea they were developing.  Afterward, members of both classes offered some constructive and positive feedback.

Spelling corrections:

I made a couple of errors with the spelling.  It mostly has to do with numbering.  The corrected section is here:

I hope this is not too small!

This poster is up on our Homework board.  It is pretty clear.  I reviewed it today and should come back to it more often.

Homework:

Math:  pp.174-175, questions 1, 3, 6 a+b

Spelling sheet:  Due Friday, Final dictation on Monday

Data Management, Elements of Music (by way of Orff), Math homework

Math:  Data Management

We will be spending some time reviewing our most recent test and having a second test, after I return from my workshop.  In the meantime, you would have done some initial brainstorming around our new unit on Mean, Median, and Mode.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-24XpW-nXw

We will take a look at a couple of videos here, as we usually do, to help our understanding.  Also, I have posted up a link to a number of Math game sites, relating to this next topic.

We will have some textbook work today and spend some time taking it up.

Orrf/Music:

In Music class, last week, Ms. Bunston introduced us to some elements of music and we had to listen to a couple of pieces and record our observations.  You will be getting back your answers today.  Here is the answer sheet she provided for me:

We will review some of the concepts used in the answer sheet and then listen to the original pieces you heard last week.  

Review:  Staccato versus Legato and an explanation of Glissando:

Carnival of the Animals selections:

The second:

Ms. Bunston suggested that we look at some contemporary music to see if we could identify some of the elements mentioned on the chart.  Here is a sample review of  Meter and time signature using a couple of "pop" artists and a piano teacher who offers up a tutorial.

For the following video, only watch up to 2:03 after the woman finishes playing the piano and talking about time signatures.

Ms. Davis-Spinks suggested a song that could be used as an example of a Media text to discuss issues of body image, self-harm, and maintaining a healthy self-esteem.    I thought the song could also serve our purpose for learning about the elements of music.  For now, we will take a listen to the song and see if we can track the items listed on the chart:  Meter, Tempo, Instrumentation, Articulation

On another occasion, we will look at the official video and deconstruct some of the messages and how they relate to the song's lyrics.

Math Homework:  for those who dread the heavy textbook

select Algebra answers from homework & a Pretest

There is a lot of information here.  Sometimes, when you look at the board, there may seem like too much information.  So, I photographed a few questions from the homework for you to check and review on your own.

In most cases, except for the model question I did, I put modeled another approach to solving the equation.  I have used the balance method for my demonstrations like Rob did from the Math Antics videos.

All questions are from page 9 of the handout sheet.

This is from Charlie's homework and an example of one of those "tricky variations" I mentioned.

#2 f

#2 b

#2 a

#1 f

#1 c

#4 b

#4 a

Practice Test:

I gave out this test for students to assess their progress on what we have been doing so far in Algebra.  I am going to post 2 different approaches to solving the answers.  

Employing the "balance" approach.

A variation on the "balance" approach.  Pay attention to the circled and highlighted operations; notice the pattern.

In both examples, I am attempting to push the students toward the more complex understanding of isolating the variable by "undoing" the operation attached to the variable. This was an approach used in the Math Antics videos and an idea that will be used more widely in Grade 7 & 8.  

Homework:

Test on Monday:  Algebra (based on the work we have been doing in class)