0 Math Workshop Revisited

Posted by Atsumori. Category: Math

With the addition of new standards and tools, it's time to revisit the math workshop model.

The focus of math workshop is student engagement and effect.

Developing an Engaging Math Environment
The workshop relies on a learning space that has multiple math tools, bulletin boards, books, and other resources. What materials and set-up make your math learning environment engaging, inviting and useful?

Careful attention to the math workshop set-up has the potential to excite students' mathematical investigation, problem solving, and learning. A key component to the math workshop organization is students' ability to independently access the learning supplies and reference materials they need to develop math knowledge, skill, and concept. How much time do you spend at the start of the year working with the students to establish routines and knowledge related to math learning spaces?  How do you introduce this practice and space?

 Creating a student-friendly, engaging math environment is often easier said than done because this creation relies on access to optimal math tools and easy-to-access storage structures. At this time of year, it might be a good time to order those supplies and materials for implementation in the fall. 

Student Responsibility
Math Workshop relies on students' introduction to "learning to learn" behaviors and attitudes.  Students are expected to apply the best strategies to forward their learning in math. Asking questions and perseverance are priority actions and mindsets. Spending time upfront in the year related to "learning to learn" knowledge, behaviors and mindsets serves to launch students into the learning year with strength, confidence, and direction. 

Workshop Structure
The math workshop, similar to reading and writing workshops, includes the following structures:

• Focus Lesson
• Student study and exploration, independent and collaborative
• Class Share.

I'm a proponent of two math workshops each day. One workshop that is computation focused, and one that is concept/problem solving focused.

Workshop Planning

Planning the math workshop requires that teachers know their students and standards well, utilize formative assessments to guide workshop design, and create learning menus that employ multiple, responsive tools. The math workshop today is a blended learning environment. 

Workshop Structure

• The Focus Lesson: The workshop starts with a short focus and rationale introduction since it is imperative that students understand why they need to learn the content they're about to explore, interact with, and share. It's also important to create curiosity, connection, and investment at the start of the workshop. This can happen through the use of narrative, amazing facts, props, news stories, and real-world problems. Once a concise focus is established, students have the chance to explore, practice, problem solve, collaborate and build understanding related to the concept in multiple ways. 

• Student Activity: During the student activity time of math workshop the Standards of Mathematical Practice are employed. This post provides ideas as to how one can embed these standards into the program. During this student activity time students are engaged in learning endeavor while the teacher works to conference with individuals and small groups. During the conference session, the teacher is focused on understanding and application. The teacher utilizes questions to broaden and deepen understanding, precision, and connection.  These math editing sessions provide students with personal, math-focused conversations and coaching while the activity fosters collaboration, student-to-student coaching/learning, and investigation. 

• Share: At the end of the student activity phase of math workshop, it's time for share.  Depending on the time available, that share may happen at the end of the workshop or at the start of the next period or day. What's important is that time is set aside for student share of strategy, concept, skill, knowledge and questions. Students need to learn how to present with clarity and respect. The best way to learn is to teach, and students essentially teach each other during the share period.  

Assessment/Reflection

The math workshop uses multiple assessments such as rubrics, check lists, tests, observation, and more to test students' knowledge, process, and skill. The assessments are used to inform the workshop schedule and focus. Time is set aside for students to reflect about their assessment results, and determine next step actions and needs. 

 Advantages

• Math Workshop's open structure lends itself to response to intervention efforts (RTI).  
• Math Workshop is brain-friendly since students are actively engaged more often than not. 
• Math Workshop promotes differentiation and personalization.
• Students learn to problem solve with collaboration.
• Multiple tools, strategies, and processes are utilized and learned. 

Math workshop takes math from a sit-at-your-desk-and-listen lesson to an active, engaging, responsive learning event for students--an event that creates a joyful, focused environment for learning and growth. Math workshop is one way to teach your math program.  The workshop is best when it is blended with other teaching models such as project base learning, field studies, explicit instruction, skills' labs and more. 

Do you employ math workshop?  If so, what are the must-have processes, tools, and structure for an optimal workhsop? I look forward to your ideas. 

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