Introduction to Organizing in Math What is Organizing

Introduction to Organizing in Math

What is Organizing? • Organizing is a strategy to detect and understand patterns of relevant information. • Students identify information they have and must gather to solve a problem.

Key Elements of Organizing • Students select a graphic organizer to help them arrange relevant information. • Examples of graphic organizers include: • Graphs • Tables • Charts • Lists • Concept maps

How Does Organizing Help Students? • Supports them in more easily seeing patterns and learning mathematical concepts. • Guides their thinking about what they do and don’t know about a problem. • Gives them ideas of ways to approach solving a problem. • Helps them maintain chunks of information in memory to use in problem solving.

Discussion Questions 1 1. How do you explain organizing to your students? 2. How does organizing connect with the CCSS Math Practices? 3. How can organizing help a struggling student get “unstuck” when working with a problem?

How Can I Support Students' Use of Organizing?

Use Evidence-based Instructional Practices • Provide Clear Explanations • Use Varied Examples, Materials, and Models • Provide Ongoing Formative Assessment

Differentiated Instruction • Plan instruction that considers students' readiness, learning needs, and interests. • Use a range of technology tools to: – engage learners at varying levels – engage learners in multiple ways. – offer students options for demonstrating understanding and mastery

Teacher-Dependent Ways to Differentiate • By Content – Different levels of reading or resource materials, reading buddies, small group instruction, curriculum compacting, multilevel computer programs and Web Quests, audio materials, etc. • By Product – Activity choice boards, tiered activities, multi-level learning center tasks, similar readiness groups, choice in group work, varied journal prompts, mixed readiness groups with targeted roles for students, etc. • By Process – Tiered products, students choose mode of presentation to demonstrate learning, independent study, varied rubrics, mentorships, interest-based investigations

Student-Dependent Ways to Differentiate • By Readiness – Options in content, topic, or theme, options in the tools needed for production, options in methods for engagement • By Profile – Consideration of gender, culture, learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses • By Interests – Identification of background knowledge/gaps in learning, vary amount of direct instruction, and practice, pace of instruction, complexity of activities, and exploration of a topic

Discussion Questions 2 1. In what ways do you differentiate instruction when you introduce organizing information to your students? 2. What technology tools have you used to enhance instruction? 3. What criteria do you use for selecting organizers to show your students?

Provide Clear Explanations: Possible Strategies • Explain how organizing helps us find what we are looking for or see if something is missing. • Describe the purpose of each kind of organizer (list, table, graph, concept map, etc. ). • Discuss with students the features that make each kind of organizer helpful. • With each organizer, give students time to think about how the information is organized.

Use Varied Examples, Materials, and Models: Possible Strategies • Share many examples of each kind of organizer with students. • Model how to use each organizer to solve problems. • Give students time to practice using a variety of organizers to solve different types of problems. • Have students who use different organizers share their strategies and reasons for using them.

Provide Ongoing Formative Assessment: Possible Strategies • Make sure students understand how to choose and use organizers before they start tackling problems. • Note any problems that students have in entering information into an organizer; provide support. • Look for student misconceptions in the use of organizers; re-teach use of organizers as needed. • Have students create and add to a portfolio of organizers they successfully use to solve problems.

Use Research-Based Strategies and Tools • To launch the lesson • During the learning task • As you bring closure to the lesson

Discussion Questions 3 1. What challenges do your struggling students face in using organizers? 2. What strategies do you use to help students overcome their challenges? 3. Which formative assessment strategies do you find most effective?

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