MidSchoolMath National Conference 2016

Too often, I’ve heard students say that they do not know what they don’t know. They could not articulate what they needed, which made it hard for them to be accountable for their learning.

To help students identify what they don't know, while creating tangible evidence of students’ strengths, challenges and weaknesses in the specific strands of mathematics, I decided to create a system of pre-and-post tests with Student Data Analsysis sheets. On the analysis sheets, students use bar graphs to graph their own data and identify their weaknesses, challenges and strengths.

My vision was that all students would become more conscious of their math skills and that teachers could use the data to drive their lessons. It did that and more - the process cultivated students' eagerness to learn and grow, provided data we could use to differentiate lessons, and fostered a stronger learning environment. Classroom dynamics changed, as students became more in-tune with their progress and teachers had stronger data gear their instruction to the needs of their students and create cohesive lessons.

In this session, we'll share the system we've created (including student reflections), give you the chance to "be the student" and graph your progress, and provide the opportunity to articulate the Data Sheets as a teacher planning for upcoming lessons.