Here we go...

What does my classroom look like now?

Currently, I teach three classes of ~30 students each. The classes are not streamed academically (nor behaviourally), so in each class exists a wide variety of abilities, learning styles and behaviours. This makes it interesting, but also provides a challenge when thinking about who I should be ‘teaching to’. I’d prefer to teach three streamed classes so that I provide more of a hands-on, application experience for my lower-achieving students, and more a challenging, project based learning experience for my higher-achieving students. To add to that challenge, each class is only 50 minutes in length from the time they walk in, until the time they walk out.

I find that in my math instruction, I am somewhat routine and teach in a very teacher-centered manner. My thoughts on this used to be that this was beneficial for students who experienced math anxiety; knowing what to expect each day and knowing that they wouldn’t be called on or asked to demonstrate their understanding to peers when they hadn’t yet grasped the concepts would put them at ease. And we all know that optimal learning can only occur if students are comfortable, right?

What do I want it to look like?

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t just stand in front of my class and talk for 45 minutes, while sounding like the teacher from Charlie Brown (“wah wah waah, wahwaa…”) – but I think that I need to take another look at the students creating knowledge in more of a constructivist manner rather than just following everything I say and do like a classroom full of Lemmings. I want my classroom to be a place where mathematical knowledge and understanding is created in different ways, and doesn’t always involve me being the distributor of that knowledge. I want to use practical applications to reinforce mathematical concepts and integrate relevant technological tools to make the experience not only more engaging, but more meaningful as it relates to their lives.

How am I going to go from here to there?

That’s what this blog is going to document.

I'm not going to change my practice completely, but as I try new methods and technology tools, I will post summary and reflect upon it. Wish me luck!

Who am I, and what am I doing?

My name is Laura, and I’m an educator at the middle and high school levels. I mainly teach Math and Science, and am looking to modernize these subjects with the integration of 21^st century technology tools. I’m currently working on my Master’s degree in Educational Practice, focusing on learning and teaching with technology.

My inquiry this term involves research and reflection into my wondering: What does student-centered learning look like in a 21^st century mathematics classroom?

This is my sixth year teaching, and while I think that I’m an educator who is current and “with it”, I know that my methods in teaching mathematics are very teacher-centered. This is a subject area that is often instructed in this manner, and does not traditionally integrate a lot of technology (while I know that is swiftly changing with the flux of educators who are making a point of making their classrooms “2.0”). In my other subjects that I teach, I opt for a very student-centered approach and love incorporating technology wherever I can, but for some reason, struggle with this in my mathematics classes. Throughout the course of this term, I plan on finding ways to get out of my comfort zone and start utilizing some student-centered methodology and incorporating technology more.