It took a while for me to start to incorporate the Cool-Downs that end each lesson in the Open Up Resources Math 7 curriculum. I have always been used to starting class with a pattern from Fawn Ngyuen's site, Visual Patterns, an Estimation180 activity, or maybe a discussion using Clothesline Math. I found that I wasn't getting through the entire lesson, so the Cool-Downs seemed like an easy thing to skip. Recently I decided that I was going to begin class with the Open Up lesson and use the supplemental activities at the end. Now I have time to get to the Cool-Downs and I have found they are a great tool for assessing what the students got from the lesson, what I might want to revisit, and which individual students might be left struggling with the lesson concepts for that day.
After I hand out the Cool-Downs (I always remind students that they can also use them to ask me questions or send me a note if they like) the students complete the problem and return them to one of 4 baskets labelled: 4 - I could explain this to others; 3 - I feel confident with this concept; 2 - I have a question or two; 1 - I need help with this concept (thanks to Morgan Stipe @mrsstipemath ). After flipping through a few days worth and making piles, I realized this was valuable feedback I would like to track. Here is what I do:
After I hand out the Cool-Downs (I always remind students that they can also use them to ask me questions or send me a note if they like) the students complete the problem and return them to one of 4 baskets labelled: 4 - I could explain this to others; 3 - I feel confident with this concept; 2 - I have a question or two; 1 - I need help with this concept (thanks to Morgan Stipe @mrsstipemath ). After flipping through a few days worth and making piles, I realized this was valuable feedback I would like to track. Here is what I do:
I record the basket that the student placed their answer in with tally marks. I find that makes it easier to see at a glance how many 4's or 2's I have than if I had written the numeral. Then I put a check or an "x" depending on whether a student got the answer right or not. Sometimes I will write "se" for a small error, like a computation mistake.
A number of things jump out at me:
- Scanning down a column, I can see which questions I need to revisit with the class, or who I might want to check in with individually.
- Scanning across a row, I can see how a student is doing overall in the unit.
- Comparing tally marks with checks or x's, I can see which students are over- or under-estimating their abilities.
I hope you give this a try. It has been a relatively easy way to gather some really useful information about how my classes are progressing through the unit.
If you have any other recording ideas you use with your students, please add them to the comments below.
A number of things jump out at me:
- Scanning down a column, I can see which questions I need to revisit with the class, or who I might want to check in with individually.
- Scanning across a row, I can see how a student is doing overall in the unit.
- Comparing tally marks with checks or x's, I can see which students are over- or under-estimating their abilities.
I hope you give this a try. It has been a relatively easy way to gather some really useful information about how my classes are progressing through the unit.
If you have any other recording ideas you use with your students, please add them to the comments below.
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