As a way to help students take notes for their future forgetful self.
For the last couple weeks students had been using the concepts of slope and y-intercept,
Without even knowing these terms.
We had been referring to them as speed and starting points.
Today was the day we made the bridge over to the correct mathematical vocabulary!
Using only student input,
We completed the charts to connect our previous learning to a more abstract way of thinking of functions.
In one of my classes, we had a little extra time on our hands,
Enter...thin-slicing.
As a whole group.
I put up a table of values, starting with x at 0 and asked for the equation.
It didn't take them long,
So the next table I created, did not start at 0.
Didn't stump them.
Then I gave only three points, with gaps in between.
Ummm...a little more stumbling, but they got it!
Finally, I gave them only two points.
This got them at first, but then their learning started to kick in,
And eventually some were able to write it in slope-intercept form.
It was at this point, that I realized that Monday's lesson might be a little too easy for this class,
Based on what I was seeing.
I told the class this.
That I was going to have to make my next lesson more challenging.
What happened next was NOT what I was expecting.
I was expecting groans.
With exclamations of "NOOOO!!!!"
But instead,
The class cheered!
The. Class. Cheered.
They were excited.
Let that sink in.
They were excited for a challenge.
This Building Thinking Classrooms is the best thing since sliced bread in my books.
I absolutely love how my students are responding.
Because in their responses, I can see that they are thinking,
Connecting the dots,
And ultimately learning the material.
Happy Weekend ya all!!! :)
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