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'Ah ha' Moments from 2013

By Jessica Weber - January 02, 2014
With the end of another calendar year, I have been thinking a lot about teaching 'ah ha' moments from 2013. Here are a few of my favourites. 1. Make it real and relatable!
Earlier this school year, I was inspiried by a conversation with my Grade 2 students about the video game Super Mario Bros. I embedded this into our learning about number patterns and relationships. They were totally engrossed in this inquiry. The context was real to them, which made the learning meaningful.

What surprised me the most was how they took this inquiry and extended it further. After solving and proving the original question, they asked what would happen if Mario already had some coins. This led to discussions about possible tools to help solve this problem, as well as identification of patterns within the hundreds chart when skip counting from various starting points.
All possible because of meaningful engagement. 2. Give them tools to be successful.
I am very fortunate to work alongside grade partners who share my zest for teaching. Planning and moderating together is commonplace which helps us identify next steps and best practice. We have been using success criteria routinely with our students, and have found just what a difference it makes to incorporate co-constructed criteria throughout all content areas. Students are now fluent with the categories of achievement and understand what they they need to do to be successful. The focus is on the process of learning. 3. Build relationships and be present!
Learning is only possible in an environment where students feel they are cared for and respected. It is only then that they will feel safe to take risks. A powerful `ah ha` for me has been to slow down, and enjoy the small moments. Take time to listen and be present.
We were lucky enough to go snowshoeing as a class before the Christmas holidays. The joy and connectedness we felt from experiencing this together will propel us forward in 2014!
Assessment Building Relationships Inquiry Reflection



 "And today, fresh discoveries in cognition, inquiry, and collaboration show us even betters ways to help learners engage with ideas and drive each others' thinking- not just to remember information, but to build knowledge, to care, to act" (Harvey and Daniels, 2009, p. 7).
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What struck me instantly about this text, is the manner in which theory and practice are examined and explored. The authors share information and their own thinking in a highly conversational way. Part 1 lays the foundation, explains the why, of small group inquiry projects. In it, re…

 The first 6 weeks with our 3D printer centered around experimentation and debugging. We familiarized ourselves with TinkerCad, conducted research, and spent many hours grappling with our failed prints and mishaps. With our new motor installed, and heightened appreciation for the functionality of this amazing tool, we got started on our first design project.

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My purpose for integrating 3D printing in the classroom stems from a curiosity of students' spatial reasoning abilities and how designing and creating in a virtual 3D world might enhance their thinking. These capabilities are essential in many STEM careers (science, technology, enginering, and math) and are linked with overall mathematical performance. Spatial reasoning is an area in mathematics education that is a bit …

 This past week I attended a PD session facilitated by Peter Liljedahlentitled Building Thinking Classrooms.
Two things I noticed right away:
1) No mention of the word mathematics in the title. It's about the thinking.
2) Participants were tossed into the role of learners. It's about the students.
(We were thinking about mathematics but the thinking proceeded the math)

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A letter to my future dumber self,

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