MGCoA Episode 12: Coordinates b.mp4

Direct Instruction

In this learning experience, the children will participate in a group problem solving activity where they will have to follow clues to find a message. The messages will be hidden underneath spots placed in an 8x8 grid.

Important things to note:

Stay with your group.
Do not just look under spots randomly - use each clue to find the next clue.
Take only one clue from under the spot.
Take only clues of your group’s colour.
If you pick a spot up, put it back in the same location which you found it.

Extended plan here

Reflection

The above 'important things to note' became more apparent throughout the week as I taught the lesson to new groups of children. This lesson was more hands-on than what I would usually do in maths however I had positive feedback from learners in terms of their enjoyment of the lesson and how it supported them in understanding the content of the lesson. These points were important in the success and therefore quality of the experience for learners.

This experience showed the importance of quality group discussions. I had to step in on multiple occasions to support groups in having quality discussions so they could have success in the task. These discussions were valuable and helped individuals to share what they knew with their group members in a safe environment.

This learning experience allowed learners to create their own knowledge about how to read and make sense of co-ordinate systems. A mix of group and individual learning experiences provided valuable assessment detail on student understanding.