If you read Lesley’s post, you know that we had our first Fun Friday in the Math Department. If you ask any math teacher, they’ll tell you it was a great success. The problem was just the right difficulty, enough to challenge them but not so inaccessible that they couldn’t solve it. And the problem was fun! They got to play with blocks and use their hands. There were no formulas nor any calculations. There were no textbook problems or worksheets. And the skills required to solve the problem were not traditionally taught in any of our courses: in other words, no one was handicapped by not yet having learned a particular math concept based on their current course.
But, what did our students think? We surveyed the students after and ended up with 451 responses. Here are the highlights:
I. Was it fun? [How was Fun Friday for you? 1=I hated it. 10 = I loved it.] Look at that beautifully left-skewed graph. More students loved it than hated it. That’s a great start for our first of the year!
2. But was it math? [How much was this task a good use of Math class time? 1= Not at all. 10 = Very much.]
[How much did the task feel like Math? 1= Not at all. 10 = Very much.]
Notice that quite a few answered some low responses. We’ve got some work to do here. Our students are really good at “doing school.” Unfortunately, when we are tied to textbooks and curriculum, that can sometimes make them think that math is just something you find in a textbook. We’ve got work to do to connect the math we teach in our classrooms to the wider world. And to let our students realize that math is about problem-solving and strategy and that not all math problems or tasks have formulas and numbers.
3. How did they like being with students from other classes? [How did you like being in a mixed group? 1= Hated it. 10 = Loved it.]. For us, this was the most important component of Fun Friday. Sure, the problem is what they’re focused on but what they did together, the problem-solving, collaboration, sharing of perspectives and expertise is really what we we’re after with these department-wide activities. It was unclear how students would respond to having to work with students from different courses but it’s promising to see that more liked it than hated it.
Overall, the first Fun Friday was a huge success. The kids liked it and this data supports what I hear every Thursday in my classroom, “Is tomorrow another Fun Friday?!? Please!” Now that we have their buy-in to participate, this is our opportunity to shift how they think about Math. We want students to leave Carondelet as well-practiced problem solvers. Yes, they’ll have learned many skills in their four years here. But more importantly, we want them to leave with the confidence and resourcefulness to know they can research and solve any problem that comes their way. And that Math mindset and strategy can be used to solve any problem, even those without numbers.
