Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Mr. Lingley’s Math Syllabus A Reference for Parents and Students
* The above links to the curriculum documents will provide you with the fundamental material that will be instructed during the school year. Many times the curriculum documents will be supplemented as dictated by student interest. If you ever have any questions about when certain curriculum outcomes are being covered, please consult the class website at www.mrjlingley.wikispaces.com
Welcome to Another School Year!
It is hard to believe that another September is already here. A student’s grade 8 year is one that they will always remember. One of our intentions at Bliss Carman Middle School is to not only ensure that every student achieves their academic goals, but to also make their last year in middle school a memorable experience.
This year, I have the pleasure of instructing students of 8ABCD Mathematics. At the grade 8 level, students have 6, 45 minute classes of math each week. As many grade 8 math concepts are fundamentally important as students continue their study in high school, we sped a great deal of time with mastery of skills.
This year Anglophone School District West will be piloting a new report card system. I will try my best as the year goes on to ease the transition in thinking. Please read the next section for more information. This document is meant to give you an overview of what students in 8ABCD will be doing in math this year. If you ever have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me at [email protected].
Kind Regards,
Mr. Lingley
Teaching Philosophy
Students in 8ABCD will always be encouraged to participate in a positive learning environment where their achievement is of utmost importance. As unconventional as it may seem, their math classes will frequently include interactive discovery and the production of products that clearly demonstrate the math learning process. This is meant to compliment traditional pencil calculations. I maintain a commitment that all students will be given an opportunity to learn in a way that has been tailored to their learning interests. Mathematics education requires a coordinated effort between student, teacher, their school, and their home environment in order to ensure a confident relationship with math. It is my goal to immerse students in a math environment that intrigues and inspires.
1Mr. J. Lingley, B.Sc, [email protected]
Bliss Carman Middle School615 Kimble Road
Fredericton, NB (506) 453 - 5401
Courses Instructed 2014 - 2015Courses Instructed 2014 - 2015Courses Instructed 2014 - 2015
Subject Course Name Curriculum Resource *
Grade 8 Mathematics New Brunswick Grade 8 Mathematics http://tinyurl.com/3ppp9yj
Parents: You have homework!
Please refer to the 4th page.
Student Assessment and Evaluation
This year, Anglophone School District West is piloting a new report card system from grades kindergarten to grade 8. The main difference that students, parents and teachers will notice is that no subject, including mathematics, will issue students a final, all encompassing letter grade or percentage. Student Achievement Reports (formerly known as report cards) will describe an individual student’s ability to achieve curriculum outcomes by receiving either a 4 (exceeding); 3 (meeting); 2 (emerging); 1 (working below) for each of the 4 main units of study in math: Numbers and Operations, Shape and Space, Patterns and Relations and Statistics and Probability.
It is very important to remember that this number scale in no way represents a percent scale, nor does it translate directly to a letter grade. For example, if a student has traditionally received an over all A in math, they may receive a 4 for their ability to preform number and operations tasks, a 1 for their ability to preform tasks involving shape and space, a 3 for patterns and relations, and a 3 for statistics and probability. Many students who are gifted talented math students will likely receive many 3s (meeting) that demonstrate their knowledge and subject commitment. While this may be confusing at first, this will allow students, parents and teachers to understand with greater detail what material a student has mastered, and in which area a student should seek extra help. I will try my best throughout the year to explain my assessment goals and rationales, however they may change as I refine my approach to this new assessment practice.
What evidence will a teacher have to provide a student with a 4,3,2,1?
Just like any other year, students will be expected to engage in conversations, communicate their knowledge on traditional learning tasks such as quizzes, assignments or tests. A great analogy may be considering how a detective collects pieces of evidence to accurately construct an argument that speaks to a specific case. I will be collecting evidence of learning using the items below to construct a clear picture of an individual student’s achievement in a particular area of math understanding. My final evaluation, and a student’s grade will be based on (but not limited to) a collection of items throughout each term that includes:
2
StudentAchievement
Report Math Products * Classroom Assignments * Weekly Assignments * Quizzes / Tests * Math Labs / Activities * Journal Articles * Any task given to student by teacher.
Math Conversations
Math Observations* Student takes advantage of class time* Students consistently completes
classroom work. * Student tailors their math problem solving
to be as efficient as possible. * Actively uses mental math strategies. * Student uses a variety of ways to solve
any problem. * Student engages in enrichment activities
that are available throughout the room.
* Student uses proper math language* Openly engages in conversations with
other students about math concepts. * Provides detailed explanation for their
choice of math strategy used to solve a problem.
* Seeks opportunities to engage in conversation with teacher / students with how content may apply to real world tasks.
* Shows responsibility for their own progress by communicating their goals.
What Should a Student Expect from Mr. Lingley’s Class?
All students will be challenged to preform tasks related to their interests and abilities. Students will be encouraged to push their limits of understanding beyond their original goals and expectations.
Tests: There will still be a unit test for each of the 7 units that Mr. Lingley instructs. Some of the tests may be very traditional, with a series of questions that a student must complete, or some tests may simply be one open-ended question where a student can truly express all that they know about one topic. Students will ALWAYS receive a list of learning targets, before the test, that they will be expected to understand. Students should never feel surprised by the content of a test. Complexity of tests will be individually tailored to the ability and interest of students. If students wish to attempt a test question again to further their understanding, they simply need to approach Mr. Lingley. Each question on a test will be assessed on the above 4,3,2,1 for each skill covered, rather than an overall percentage.
Quizzes: Usually, there will be two quizzes during a unit. These may be as simple as a conversation with the teacher that goes unnoticed by the student, a single piece of work that is collected at the end of a week, or a traditional quiz, aimed to give the teacher a quick overview of a student’s understanding.
Assignments: There will be weekly as well as unit assignments. Students will have plenty of class time to work on these assignments, however they will often need to be completed at home. Assignments may include creating a MART (Math + Art) sample that describes their learning; a web-posting on the class wikispace, a simple 3 question assignment, or some other student / teacher created assignment.
Homework: Students will always be given the opportunity to complete homework during class time. If a student is diligent during class, they will not have homework, however if time is not being used appropriately, contact will be made with home to complete the class work. All class work / assignments can be found at www.mrjlingley.wikispaces.com.
Portfolio: Students are expect to submit work that they value to Mr. Lingley to save as evidence of their learning progress. This should include items that students may not have done as well as what they expected. This portfolio is meant to represent a collection of products that demonstrate a student’s progress throughout their grade 8 math year.
Wikispace: Even if students are not in the classroom, they have complete access to the material presented in Math class. The class wikispace is diligently updated prior to each lesson. This wikispace is not meant to be a substitute for class, however will help students / parents in the event of an absence. Students should check the wikispace at least every other night to review material, even if for 1 minute. For every concept instructed, there is a video tutorial posted for students to review.
Mr. Lingley’s Class Website - www.mrjlingley.wikispaces.com
3
Classroom Visitation / Appointments
In my experience, parents can contribute to many classes as guest speakers or volunteers. If you would like to volunteer your time in anyway, please do not hesitate to send me an email. Similarly, if you would like to schedule a meeting outside of Parent / Teacher, I will be happy to try and accommodate your request.
At Your Convenience...
Go over the above expectations with your child On your computer, bookmark www.mrjlingley.wikispaces.com
Send Mr. Lingley an email so he can add your email address to his contacts ([email protected])
Are you employed at a job that requires the use of math on a daily basis? Grade 8 Math is one of the most versatile of years as it covers the use of fractions, algebra, measurement, geometry and analysis of data.
If you would be willing to be a part of your child’s instruction, please fill out the information below and return it back to school.
Parents have been involved in my class before as Math on Location (via skype from your job), pre-filmed grade appropriate problems based on your employment, enrichment level projects (ex: building a scaled model of a house).
Thanks!
Mr. Lingley
Name of Parent: ___________________ Name of Student: ___________________
Occupation: ______________________ Least Busy Day of Week: _____________
Your Email: ______________________
4
Hey Parents!
How you use math in a daily context at your job: 5
