My last series of posts centered on standards-based assessment, which for several years has been the focus of much of my work with teachers. I’ve been somewhat dragged into this work. I think–a lot–about my experiences in my own classroom and the changes that I would make if I was to return. Assessment would come way down that list. It’s not that I had assessment figured out–I didn’t–but that shifts in other practices would take precedence. Throughout my SBA series, I addressed the same content learning standard: systems of linear equations. This got me thinking about one particular pedagogica ..read more

In this series: Writing Learning Standards Constructing Proficiency Scales Designing Assessment Items Determining Grades Determining Grades It’s time to report out. How would you translate the following into a proficiency level, letter grade, or percentage? What would you assign to Aaron, Blake, and Denise? Gradebook at time of first Learning Update If your reporting policy requires a proficiency level (e.g., Grades K-9 in BC), analyze the data and make a judgement. To me, Aaron has demonstrated Extending, Denise Developing. Blake has also demonstrated Developing. Or Partial. I’m waffling. W ..read more

In this series: Writing Learning Standards Constructing Proficiency Scales Designing Assessment Items Determining Grades Designing Assessment Items There is a sentiment in BC that using tests and quizzes is an outdated assessment practice. However, these are straightforward tools for finding out what students know and can do. So long as students face learning standards like solve systems of linear equations algebraically, test items like “Solve: ; ” are authentic. Rather than eliminate unit tests, teachers can look at them through different lenses; a points-gathering perspective shifts to a ..read more

In this series: Writing Learning Standards Constructing Proficiency Scales Designing Assessment Items Determining Grades Constructing Proficiency Scales BC’s reporting order requires teachers of Grades K-9 to use proficiency scales with four levels: Emerging, Developing, Proficient, and Extending. Teachers of Grades 10-12 may use proficiency scales but must provide letter grades and percentages. Proficiency scales help communicate to students where they are and where they are going in their learning. But many don’t. When constructing these instruments, I keep three qualities in mind… Descrip ..read more

For several years, standards-based assessment (SBA) has been the focus of much of my work with Surrey teachers. Simply put, SBA connects evidence of student learning with learning standards (e.g., “use ratios and rates to make comparisons between quantities”) rather than events (“Quiz 2.3”). The change from gathering points to gathering data represents a paradigm shift. In this traditional system, experience has trained students to play the game of school. Schools dangle the carrot (the academic grade) in front of their faces and encourage students to chase it. With these practices, schools h ..read more

The puck drops next week on the 2021-22 NHL season. As a hockey fan and mathematical modelling aficionado, I’m looking forward to watching Alex Ovechkin chase Wayne Gretzky’s goal record–a record I used to think was unbreakable. I was in good company: View this post on Instagram A post shared by TSN (@tsn_official) TSN posted the above back in November of last year. Since then, Ovi went on to do two things: score 24 more goals (in a COVID-shortened season) sign a five-year, $47.5 million contract extension with the Caps The question is less “Will ‘The Great Eight’ catch ‘The Great One ..read more

In my previous post, I shared some of the principles that guided Marc and me when creating a series of math videos for parents (Mathematics 6 & 7; 8–10): make it visual, make it conceptual, and make it inviting. In this way, we also set out to make these videos representative of math class. It was our hope that they presented parents with a view into their child’s classroom (“window”). Further, we hoped that Surrey teachers saw their classrooms in what was reflected (“mirror”). In that spirit, several videos in this summer’s collection included an open-middle problem. In Open Middle Math ..read more

This summer, Marc and I made several videos designed to help parents understand what mathematics their children are learning. As well, we wanted to give parents a feel for how their children are learning in their math classes. We added Mathematics 6 & 7 videos to the previous summer’s 8 & 9 collection. The work of producing videos for Foundations of Mathematics and Pre-calculus 10 is well underway; I expect to add two more videos–Solving Systems of Linear Equations Graphically & Algebraically–this week. Although intended for parents, we believe that this series could be a helpful r ..read more

Back in September, Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Treme, Suits, Selma, Jack Ryan, …) was the guest on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast. In it, he describes what he calls “the American aesthetic”: … Jazz is based on the emulation of human dialogue. When you’re trading fours, you’re having a conversation. And improvisation that it comes from, it’s really the American aesthetic on display. Freedom within form. You have to honour the form of the music but, as a soloist, you have the right as an individual to go as far as you want to go. We’re a nation of laws but as an American we celebrate individuality. Hon ..read more

If you had two eggs left in the carton, where would they be? pic.twitter.com/Izd0gB1zV9 — Howie Hua (@howie_hua) September 5, 2020 Gotta be 3 & 10! Or 4 &9. Balance and rotational symmetry. Back in September, I shared Howie’s tweet with my daughters and am relieved to report that they, too, answered correctly. This is an ongoing thing with us. Whether eggs or cookies, what’s left should either (a) represent a pattern or (b) illustrate a mathematical concept. It’s these mathematical concepts that inform how I create or select a number talk image. There’s a purpose for each image. Con ..read more