posted
When I was in elementary school back in the dark ages, the teachers approach to students who were ahead of the curve in math was to give us lots of work sheets so that we could work ahead of the class. For me the problem with this approach was that the reason I was ahead was because I didn't need to work a hundred different examples of the same kind of problem to learn the concepts. Once I'd worked the first few, it was shear bordom to work through the next hundred in the worksheets.
If I were teaching, I'd try to come up with some interesting story problem projects for students to work on. Come up with examples that relate to other things you are studying. If you are doing ancient civilizations, give them some problems relating to carbon dating. If you are doing geography, give them a project related to travel. If you are doing nutrition, have them do a project on calories and other nutrients. Science of course has lots good problems that involve 5th grade math.
The point is, give them something interesting to work on that involves the math they have learned and are learning and not just a bunch of worksheets that have them work through dozens of problems that are all nearly the same.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
"Once I'd worked the first few, it was shear bordom to work through the next hundred in the worksheets."
Rabbit, there is a strategy for teaching gifted kids called(and don;t quote me) "Hardest first."
If the students can do the hardest few problems, they can be done with that assignment, and do something else.
And I agree about the worksheets. Some students love them, however, especially if there are specific numbers of them. (like SRA, speaking of ancient times!)
Some students love this math mystery I found in some old curriculum pile(I am a well known trash picker)
I really like the "degree" idea, and what you are saying could work with that. "Map Specialist," Graph Queen," Banking Guru." It leaves endless possibilities for really corny titles, too.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
In my fifth or sixth grade gifted program, they introduced a sort of economy: they made up a currency, "Peanuts" (the bills each had different Peanuts characters on them).
Certain people got salaries dependent on work they did, awards in class, etc... Others would start businesses, such as banks (which was for the high end math folk because of all the interest calculations), selling stuff or providing services, and were even required to pay for occupational licenses and advertising space on the classroom walls. I got my occupational license as a tutor and would charge people "x" Peanuts to teach them stuff.
After a few months, they would ask all students and parents to make donations of toys or other stuff, and then they would have one big auction in which people would bid with the Peanuts they had in hand. Some of the stuff was useless, but now and then they'd roll something out like a handheld video game (this was in 1982, mind you), and the cutthroat auction would begin.
It was a great way to teach economics without the teachers actually sitting down and teaching it. The students just picked things up on their own due to exposure to the environment.
Posts: 3486 | Registered: Sep 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I had a math teacher in sixth grade who taught us algebra. The last five minutes of each day were spent teaching us some algebra concept "just for fun." We were under no obligation to learn it; he just liked algebra and assumed we would too. Or at least, that's what it seemed like.
Each Friday, he'd give us a "difficult" algebra problem to try to solve over the weekend. On Monday, he'd show us the answer. It became a competition in my classroom to see who could solve it or at least come closest.
By the end of the year, I found that I could test out of a prealgebra class. It was pretty awesome. I had learned without even realizing that was what was going on. The most advanced students (I wasn't one) had their challenge because the problems he'd give us were pretty hard. The less advanced students weren't under any pressure to understand, but they were still getting introduced to concepts they'd have to learn in a year or two.
I loved that class.
That year, I moved to Colorado (from Maryland). In Colorado, sixth graders were learning to add fractions. I was ready to try algebra. My teacher tried to keep me busy, but nothing she gave me was remotely challenging. What was worse, she made a big deal out of how "smart" I was in front of the class, which meant I made no friends and a few enemies. Don't don't don't do that.
Posts: 1903 | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
"Don't don't don't do that." OK, I promise! Sometimes, in fifth grade, the smartest kids are still cool becasue they are smart. So they often toot their own horns.
As for the classroom economy, we did in the alternative ed. class I worked in for five years(Edsville, Alternia). When I moved "upstairs," to the mainstream, I started a town in my room(Mysticalnameton) My dream? To have all teams(states) and homerooms(towns) in the school with their own economic system, and develop a trade system between towns.
This year, I am opening Mysticalnameon to the other homerooms. I will have an auction for each separate class, so that each class is their own closed system. (some teachers give out money, some do not)
The kids absolutely love this. Love it. They love earning, saving, and buying. (and I fine them for leaving their stuff all over the place, and for not having their homework in)
Last year, we had checks, but it became too cumbersome. So it is all cash for now.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
