Blog Posting #7

Part 1: Other than the strategy you presented in class this week, which strategy can you most picture yourself actually using in your teaching?

The strategy I did was Think-Tac-Toe and I thought it was a fantastic idea. The other strategy that caught my eye and my attention was the learning menu's. I thought that was such a creative idea that match my organization and my creativity.

Part 2: Why? Explain this, and give me an idea of a concept or topic you are familiar with, and what it might look like to teach it with this strategy.

Learning Menu's is just a very creative tool that can be used in any subject area and with any topic. It is a great way for students differentiate learning and allow them to have a choice in what they do. Learning menus is a type of learning that incorporates activities that all students must do, as well as some activities that they get to choose from. It helps them focus on the purpose of the topic and have knowledge and understanding. Learning menus is not only used to differentiate based on interest or readiness but also learning profiles of the student. I love that you can incorporate it into math. An example:

• main course, each student would have to do all of these activities (unless I chose to change it and limit it down to one. If I did this I would just take out the 2 other ideas so they couldn't see it and may use them another time) :
• Write the steps you will take in deciding how to represent a group of place value blocks.
• Draw a picture that represents numbers in many different ways.
  
• Develop patterns using place value and repetition of number patterns.
  
• Side Dishes (must choose 2)
  
• Define place value, in writing.
  
• With a partner present a dramatization of a number sentence focusing on place value .
• You have the information, "is 327 made up of 3 tens, 2 hundreds and 7 ones?". Check whether given answers to the problem have the correct place value and explain why.
• Dessert (you may do one or more of these if you would like to)
• Create a place value test for your class.
• Create 10 place value word problems for your classmates to solve.
  
• Explain how the words such as ones, tens and hundreds relate to place value.
• Create place value questions such as, "For what place is the number the same?" (tens)
  

I found this idea on the internet. After class I was really interested in this strategy so I went online to look for some more ways to incorporate it. I loved how in class they used a book and language arts but I thought it was brilliant how the this lesson did it for math. I am glad I saw this menu on place value and saw how they integrated it with language arts as well. This is such a creative strategy and I think it will really draw the students attention. The set up of the pamphlet of choosing from the menu is great. I also loved the idea that instead of using points, make it about money and have them get to a certain amount. You could also have a final banquet. There is just so much to do with this strategy.