Intro
Pedagogy can be defined as the way something is taught and learnt.
Existing Professional Learning covers:
* Explicit Learning
* Guided and Independent Learning
* Reflection
* Planning a Week's Lessons
* Using the Teaching Resources
* Differentiated Addition and Subtraction lessons
* Divergent Thinking
* Questioning
* Quality Mathematics Lessons
There has been much research into effective pedagogy for teaching maths for deep understanding, over a long period of time, highlighting the importance of using strategic questioning rather than telling.
Richard R Skemp believed that children could learn intelligently from a young age. He defined two ways of teaching and learning which he called Instrumental Understanding and Relational Understanding.
Lev Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development demonstrates that learning with people who are close to our own level of understanding accelerates learning and deepens understanding. Vygotsky’s research into the role of talk in learning also concluded that talk is vital to deep understanding. Questioning rather than telling allows children to engage in talk using and developing mathematical meta-language.
Sir Ken Robinson observed, children become less creative, rather than more creative due to shallow teaching. Divergent thinking can be defined as thinking of all possibilities.
Many of us were taught Maths through telling. Our teachers told us how to 'do' maths and then we 'practised' until we could 'do' it independently. The learning theory was that if we were told how to 'do' it and 'did' it enough, understanding would follow...
The problem was that in many cases, understanding never followed, whether or not we could 'do' the mathematics. However it was thought we 'understood' if we arrived at the correct answer. If we didn't arrive at the correct answer, we were simply 'told' how to 'do' it again!
We now know that this is not an effective way to learn Maths. Maths is conceptually based, not skills based. Understanding of one concept is needed to understand another concept, and another concept, and another concept.... Children need to develop understanding of concepts, and the relationships between concepts, and not merely 'do' maths.
Telling children about Maths allows us to know what we understand. Teaching maths using a pedagogy of questioning, allows us to know what children understand. Asking children about Maths allows both the teacher and the child to identify their current understandings and to build on them. This also allows the teacher to correct misconceptions, build on incomplete understanding and teach every child from their leading edge. Teaching maths using a pedagogy of questioning has the added benefit of deepening teacher understanding, as they engage in substantive communication about mathematical concepts with their students!
If you would like to enhance your understanding and practice of the pedagogy of questioning, browse our resources now!
Questioning Professional Learning
Quality Mathematics Lessons Professional Learning
Divergent Thinking Professional Learning
Using the Teaching Resources Professional Learning
Plan a Week's Lessons Professional Learning
At A Learning Place A Teaching Place, you will not find resources that dictate what you teach in a lesson. We recognise that you are the expert in your classroom. The teaching resources allow you to plan terms and weeks of lessons, differentiated using the levels of understanding demonstrated by the children in your class.
Differentiated Addition and Subtraction Lessons Professional Learning
Explicit Teaching Plans Professional Learning
Quality Maths lessons involve 3 aspects:
– Explicit Learning
– Guided and Independent Investigation
– Reflection
Explicit learning is different to explicit instruction. Explicit instruction involves giving children instructions which they follow. Explicit learning involves asking strategically planned questions, designed to allow children to construct and develop understanding and meta-language. The explicit learning aspect of the lesson prepares children to investigate mathematical concepts independently. The Teaching Plans contain all of the Explicit Learning for each concept.
Reflection Professional Learning
Quality Maths lessons involve 3 aspects:
• Explicit Learning
• Guided and Independent Investigation
• Reflection
Reflection allows children to identify and explain their current understanding of mathematical concepts. To reflect, children think about, discuss and record their response to, a specific reflection question. Recorded responses to reflection questions allow teachers – and the child – to see growth in each child’s understanding!
Investigation Professional Learning
Quality Maths lessons involve 3 aspects:
– Explicit Learning
– Guided and Independent Investigation
– Reflection
It is during independent investigation that children develop their deep understanding and meta-language. During guided investigation the teacher guides the children through the process they will use to investigate the concept independently.