5G

On Monday February 11th 2013 Loft 1:30pm-3:00pm our Elementary Mathematics Coordinator David Goddard will be holding a classroom-style exposition for all Elementary parents together with his students from Grade 5.
Come along to take part in activities that are typical of a modern, inquiry-driven Mathematics classroom. During the activities, Mr. Goddard will give an overview of the Mathematic concepts involved in the activities and how they develop Mathematics skills and understanding.
There will be a chance to experience lots of hands on activities and to see for yourselves how challenging and enjoyable Mathematics lessons are at YIS.

 

Date: Monday – January 21, 2013
Time: 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Location: Loft

Michael is a specialist mathematics consultant from Melbourne, Australia. He is involved in many professional development programs in schools across Australia and Asia.
Michael is an enthusiastic and entertaining presenter who has a clear and practical approach to the challenges that confront schools and parents in mathematics. On this evening Michael will address the following issues:

What is my child learning in mathematics?
How can I help my child become an efficient problem solver?
How do children best learn mathematics?
How can parents promote quality thinking and learning?
How can I help my child in mathematics?

After the success of last year’s well attended, informative, and fun parent workshop, Michael Ymer is back again to help parents understand the role of Mathematics in our everyday lives. He will also focus on helping parents in understanding the way Mathematics is taught in schools. He will, with true Australian humor and poise, help us uncover what inquiry is, how inquiry can help us all become better mathematicians and how parents can help their children to be natural mathematical inquirers at home.

To register for this event please email our elementary Mathematics Coordinator, David Goddard goddardd@yis.ac.jp to confirm your attendance.

5G attempt to clarify their problem solving strategies after trying to solve the 100 locker challenge.

5G-lympics part 2 on PhotoPeach

The locker problem challenges students to use their understanding from the last 6 weeks of work on factors and multiples to solve a conundrum that has real life elements.
The problem states that initially, each locker in the hallway of 100 lockers is opened by the 1st student of 100 students. The second student reverses only multiples of 2, the third student reverses the state of every third locker, the fourth student does the same with every fourth and so on until the 100th student.
The question is…how many lockers are open at the end of this weird ritual?
The students in 5G could carry out each student’s actions or by looking for patterns they could find a shortcut. They were encouraged to use anything from the classroom to help them to decipher the problem.
Then…the real challenge.
To explain their thinking and theories to others.

Locker Problem from YIS Academics on Vimeo.

5G – lympics on PhotoPeach

Active Maths in 5G

Maths classes are not quiet, introspective or competitive. They are places where collaboration can flourish and where discussion is expected. It is not enough to be able to just get the answer right any more…mathematicians in the real world are expected to be able to evaluate problems and communicate their thinking in order to achieve provable consensus. It is always interesting to hear how many different methods the students have for working out problems.
Here are some snapshots of a maths session in 5G where the students construct their own meanings, share their thoughts, challenge each other and prove their theories.

Multiplication facts are hard to remember…..but there are ways that we can use to make it easier. We have explored games, tricks and tips from the pros to compile a google doc full of links to make learning and remembering the multiplication facts a walk in the park.

Multiplications Facts from YIS Academics on Vimeo.

 

5G Students start off the new year with a game of Space Station.It is a 2 player game to help them predict and calculate possibilities. There are also elements of division and fractions involoved.

Our classroom is alive with the buzz of two end of semester projects at the moment and it is incredible to see the range of learning styles on display.
The students have been working hard to understand concepts related to Fractions, Decimals and Percentages, such as equivalents, near equivalents, fractions of numbers, mixed numbers, improper fractions, simplifying, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions, decimal rounding, percentages of numbers.
They are going to use this deep understanding to teach students in Grade 4 about what they have found out. Through analysing their own learning styles, they are going to use a range of hands-on activities and games to reinforce their “student’s” learning experiences.

At the same time, the students are going to show how energy is stored and transformed using a demonstration, experiment, model, song or diagram to help other people understand what they have learned about energy. They will make a Science Museum to show Grade 5 and some Grade 4 students their learning. It feels like “School of Rock” sometimes. These people are so creative and musical.