After students passed in a number of beautiful volume project creations, we essentially had a division boot camp. Problem after problem we rehearsed how to solve division problems with the traditional algorithm. Students who are used to learning math in meaningful ways were dumbfounded at first, but then later caught on to the "dance step" that this algorithm is. There are zillions of way to teach and practice division. These methods range from meaningful project work to repetitive practice of single algorithms. Once we solidify the algorithm knowledge, we'll back up a bit to more meaningful study of this operation. I started with the algorithm to meet some systemwide expectations.
The best part of the practice was offering students a number of choices related to how they wanted to practice. They could join the really slow-review group, the medium-slow review group, the do-it-yourself group, or the coach one another group. Students seemed to choose good groups and move from one group to another if they needed. I led the slow-review group which turned out to be a group where children took turns at the document camera teaching each other how to divide using the traditional algorithm. It was great to be able to watch students teach each other and also to observe how students were catching on.
Tomorrow, I'll once again offer a number of practice options to appeal to the many diverse learners in the room, and I'll do the same on Thursday too. Math RTI offered students more practice with operation language, problem solving, and practice. My group reviewed the traditional algorithm for multiplication, a focus we'll continue next week.
It was a fruitful day that leads to tomorrow's continued computation focus as well as a return to our class film, Akeelah and the Bee, and an after school professional science workshop. Onward.
