No homework tonight but...

Normally we assign homework every night. But tonight what I want students to do (if they have computer access) is to go to Edmodo (http://larrabee.edmodo.com) and read their assignment. They may want to go and look up the data they will need to have in class tomorrow.

Symmetry Mandalas

Practicing the vocabulary and the look of symmetry through circular designs.

Present Topic: Data Descriptions

In Red/Green math we are expanding on the kids' fourth grade experiences to examine data sets and identify certain benchmarks in the data:

• The Range
  The span of values from the minimum to the maximum.
• The Mode
  The most frequent value.
• The Median
  The centre-most value when all values are lined-up.

Our standards do not call for fifth graders to understand the average, but the students have used that particular calculated description often in their science classes. Averages are not the best way to handle data sets, however, because they contain no sense of scale of the range or possible values. In middle school, while students will know what an average is, they will be asked to use "boxplots" to compare data sets.

So right now we are just building the basic reference points in single data sets to try and describe their size and some central numbers within them.

Some thoughts about Math Matriculation for Fairhaven MIddle School

I am writing this after I'd written the earlier post not because I can give you more information about matriculation at Fairhaven Middle School (that should come on Monday), but because I want to share some thoughts about the curriculum and about "tracking" the kids once they enter Fairhaven.

There is no advanced 6th grade math
As I understand it, there is no "advanced" sixth grade math at Fairhaven Middle School. What the school offers, however, is seventh grade math for sixth graders who already know the sixth grade topics. At Larrabee Elementary School, we have begun developing only a small number of topics that are found in the 6th grade standards. District wide, we anticipate our fifth graders to be prepared to enter sixth grade math. In a few schools in our district there are students who are exposed to much more 6th grade material in the 5th grade and we suspect this is because of Math Olympiad. Of course, even at Larrabee where there is no Math Olympiad, there are always a few students who have that exposure and preparation; but it is a small number.

Connected mathematics is an excellent curriculum
During my first year at teaching at Shuksan Middle School, I had a class of 8th graders for math and at that time we taught grade 8 math with the Connected Mathematics Project (CMP) curriculum. I have nothing by the highest regard for the curriculum's goals and methods. Students are asked to make predictions about mathematical situations, to run experiments, and then to formalize the results before generalizing them to other situations. Your children will enter 6th grade and will enter into the CMP program, and I feel they are fortunate to have that opportunity. The 7th grade also uses CMP, but 8th grade no longer does -- the district having moved to the High School Algebra text for all 8th graders.


Self-pacing allows for differentiation
The CMP model lends itself well to self-pacing. From what I see on the website for 6th grade math at FMS [link], they also are self-pacing it to allow students more time to fully explore and develop skills and processes.

We have to be in the right math class for AP calculus!?
When you and I went through middle school, Algebra was the advanced course for 8th graders. Many of us still found a way to take AP Calculus. There is summer school, there's running start, there's summer at WCC, there are online courses, there are SO MANY more ways now-a-days to get there. In my opinion, you should not let any thought of AP Calculus sway your decision about what is best for your child.

The real concern is the tracking
In my opinion, the only parents who should be concerned about their child's 6th grade math placement are parents of kids who already know those topics backwards and forwards. But what this hyper-level of tracking even into the 6th grade does is affect class composition of science and elective courses. That is the real concern you may want to focus on. Rather than focussing your conversations with Fairhaven on how to accelerate your child in math, talk with them about creating opportunities for ALL kids to be in cohorts of students who are committed and conscientious.

6th Grade Math matriculation information...

Well, it's not a lot of information, but it is a little! I emailed Fairhaven Middle School about their sixth grade math placement process and this is the information I received.

There [are] criteria in place that identify incoming students for appropriate math placement. However, after tracking these students over the past few years and gathering other data, we are working on adjusting the criteria since we had some students not successful this year that had been placed in an advanced class from last year’s criteria. 

 [A teacher] will look next week [week of 4/18/2011] at the data from the students who were placed in an advanced class this year to determine a plan to change the criteria. The Middle School Principals, Jim Facciano, and four math teachers will meet with me next Friday to set the new criteria based on [said teacher's] findings from the data. We will then send out that new criteria on Monday, April 25^th, to the Elementary Principals, Counselors, Registrars and parents. [Mr. MacNevin will post it here when he gets it] 

If you have any other questions from parents, feel free to send them our way. We have orientation all this week for students and will include some of the adjusted math criteria in the parent orientations.

Welcome to 6^th grade!