Webinar series recap, part 3 of 3
We hope you鈥檝e enjoyed reading about鈥攁nd watching鈥攑arts one and two of our three-part webinar series on student-centered learning. The earlier segments explored the thinking and framework behind student-centered instruction.
In this section鈥攁 sneak peek at a new lesson from 鈥攚e explore what it actually looks like in practice (and in a fish tank).
Read on for a look at how problem-based math instruction creates memorable learning experiences, and how you can find inspiration to do the same in your classrooms. (Impatient to find out? You can also just go straight to the !)
Carlos’s fish: A different type of real-life problem
The idea for this lesson arose from the real-life experience of Desmos Classroom engineer Carlos Diaz, who found himself in possession of a 鈥渕agic鈥� toy aquarium. (For more of the entertaining backstory, !)
The aquarium contained small fish that grow when you add water鈥攂y up to 400%, according to the package.
Takeaway 1: We are always surrounded with inspiration for student-driven math lessons, we just have to keep our eyes open.
Takeaway 2: Green did keep his eyes open, and they were drawn immediately to that 400%. He was skeptical鈥斺�滱t 400% larger, will they even fit?鈥濃�攁nd then inspired. 鈥淲e need to test this thing out,鈥� he thought.
A stream of other questions came forth: Does the scale factor apply to lengths, volumes, something else? Would the growth be linear, or exponential? (Would Carlos ever have to clean the tank?)
The power of open-ended questions
We can鈥檛 tell you how large the fish grew (spoiler!) but we can tell you that they did (metaphorically) bust out of their tank and into a lively math lesson.
In the lesson, students look at the toy and are asked: What do you see? What do you notice? What do you wonder?
This type of question helps form the basis of student-centered learning. Here, students are not presented with a fixed set of variables and parameters and asked to solve strictly within them. Rather, they鈥檙e presented with a relevant or real-world problem and invited to reference background knowledge, previously learned content, new information, and even imagination.
Potential for exponential growth
From there, a teacher can guide students to make connections between a situation in context and the type of solution or equation that might be relevant. Students can explore collaboratively why one strategy might work better than another.
In this case, a teacher can help students determine that they鈥檒l need to calculate exponential growth (mass), and support them in deciding the best way to do so. Then, having arrived thoughtfully at an approach, they can actually solve the problem and find an answer.
In other words, teachers leading student-driven learning transfer responsibility to those students. Teachers set up the lessons and activities and then provide just enough information and scaffolding to allow students to learn and reinforce math concepts, apply knowledge, and discover new approaches.
Let鈥檚 put it this way. Science has found that鈥攃ontrary to popular belief鈥攇oldfish can remember things for not just weeks or months, but years. With student-focused learning, your students will, too.
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