Teaching Mathematics in the Visible Learning Classroom, Grades 6-8

by John T. Almarode, Douglas Fisher, Joseph Assof, Sara Delano Moore, John Hattie

Overview

Select the right task, at the right time, for the right phase of learning

It could happen in the morning during homework review. Or perhaps it happens when listening to students as they struggle through a challenging problem. Or maybe even after class, when planning a lesson. At some point, the question arises: How do I influence students′ learning—what’s going to generate that light bulb "aha" moment of understanding?

In this sequel to the megawatt best seller Visible Learning for Mathematics, John Almarode, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, John Hattie, and Kateri Thunder help you answer that question by showing how Visible Learning strategies look in action in the mathematics classroom. Walk in the shoes of middle school teachers as they engage in the 200 micro-decisions-per-minute needed to balance the strategies, tasks, and assessments seminal to high-impact mathematics instruction.

Using grade-leveled examples and a decision-making matrix, you’ll learn to

• Articulate clear learning intentions and success criteria at surface, deep, and transfer levels
• Employ evidence to guide students along the path of becoming metacognitive and self-directed mathematics achievers
• Use formative assessments to track what students understand, what they don’t, and why
• Select the right task for the conceptual, procedural, or application emphasis you want, ensuring the task is for the right phase of learning
• Adjust the difficulty and complexity of any task to meet the needs of all learners

It’s not only what works, but when. Exemplary lessons, video clips, and online resources help you leverage the most effective teaching practices at the most effective time to meet the surface, deep, and transfer learning needs of every student.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781544333175
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	10/10/2018
Series:	Corwin Mathematics Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Dr. John Almarode is a bestselling author and an Associate Professor of Education at James Madison University. He was awarded the inaugural Sarah Miller Luck Endowed Professorship in 2015 and received an Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia in 2021. Before his academic career, John started as a mathematics and science teacher in Augusta County, Virginia. As an author, John has written multiple educational books focusing on science and mathematics, and he has co-created a new framework for developing, implementing, and sustaining professional learning communities called PLC+. Dr. Almarode′s work has been presented to the US Congress, the Virginia Senate, and the US Department of Education. One of his recent projects includes developing the Distance Learning Playbook for College and University Instruction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Continuing his collaborative work with colleagues on what works best in teaching and learning, How Tutoring Works, Visible Learning in Early Childhood, and How Learning Works, all with Corwin Press, were released in 2021.

Douglas Fisher is professor and chair of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. Previously, Doug was an early intervention teacher and elementary school educator.  He is a credentialed teacher and leader in California.  In 2022, he was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame by the Literacy Research Association. He has published widely on literacy, quality instruction, and assessment, as well as books such as Welcome to Teaching, PLC+, Teaching Students to Drive their Learning, and Student Assessment: Better Evidence, Better Decisions, Better Learning.

Joseph Assof is a high school and community college mathematics teacher and the math department chair at Health Sciences High and Middle College in San Diego, CA. He leads his department’s reform efforts to align to the Common Core Standards – with a focus on high quality instruction. He is a member of the San Diego County Math Leaders Task Force, whose mission is to support every student in meeting the rigorous expectations of the Common Core. Joseph co-authored Teaching Mathematics in the Visible Learning Classroom, High School, Teaching Mathematics in the Visible Learning Classroom, Grades 6-8, and The Teacher Clarity Playbook, and his classroom is featured in a number of Visible Learning for Mathematics, Grades K-12 videos. 

Sara Delano Moore is an independent mathematics education consultant at SDM Learning.  A fourth-generation educator, her work focuses on helping teachers and students understand mathematics as a coherent and connected discipline through the power of deep understanding and multiple representations for learning. Sara has worked as a classroom teacher of mathematics and science in the elementary and middle grades, a mathematics teacher educator, Director of the Center for Middle School Academic Achievement for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and Director of Mathematics&Science at ETA hand2mind. Her journal articles appear in Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, Teaching Children Mathematics, Science&Children, and Science Scope.

John Hattie, PhD, is an award-winning education researcher and best-selling author with nearly thirty years of experience examining what works best in student learning and achievement. His research, better known as Visible Learning, is a culmination of nearly thirty years synthesizing more than 2,100 meta-analyses comprising more than one hundred thousand studies involving over 300 million students around the world. He has presented and keynoted in over three hundred international conferences and has received numerous recognitions for his contributions to education. His notable publications include Visible Learning, Visible Learning for Teachers, Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn; Visible Learning for Mathematics, Grades K-12; and 10 Mindframes for Visible Learning.

Nancy Frey is professor of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. Previously, Nancy was a teacher, academic coach, and central office resource coordinator in Florida.  She is a credentialed special educator, reading specialist, and administrator in California.  She is a member of the International Literacy Association’s Literacy Research Panel. She has published widely on literacy, quality instruction, and assessment, as well as books such as The Artificial Intelligences Playbook, How Scaffolding Works, How Teams Work, and The Vocabulary Playbook.

Table of Contents

List of Videos
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Introduction
What Works Best
What Works Best When
The Path to Assessment-Capable Visible Learners in Mathematics
How This Book Works
Chapter 1. Teaching With Clarity in Mathematics
Components of Effective Mathematics Learning
Surface, Deep, and Transfer Learning
Moving Learners Through the Phases of Learning
Differentiating Tasks for Complexity and Difficulty
Checks for Understanding
Profiles of Three Teachers
Reflection
Chapter 2. Teaching for the Application of Concepts and Thinking Skills
Ms. Halstrom and Circles and Cylinders
Ms. Fernandez and Systems of Linear Equations
Mr. Singh and Integers
Reflection
Chapter 3. Teaching for Conceptual Understanding
Ms. Halstrom and Circles and Cylinders
Ms. Fernandez and Systems of Linear Equations
Mr. Singh and Integers
Reflection
Chapter 4. Teaching for Procedural Knowledge and Fluency
Ms. Halstrom and Circles and Cylinders
Ms. Fernandez and Systems of Linear Equations
Mr. Singh and Integers
Reflection
Chapter 5. Knowing Your Impact: Evaluating for Mastery
What Is Mastery Learning?
Ensuring Tasks Evaluate Mastery
Ensuring Tests Evaluate Mastery
Feedback for Mastery
Conclusion
Final Reflection
Appendices
A. Effect Sizes
B. Teaching for Clarity Planning Guide
C. Learning Intentions and Success Criteria Template
D. A Selection of International Mathematical Practice or Process Standards
References
Index