Precision
Transcript of completed edit, v4
Luna Productions for Teaching Channel
6/23/12 approx length: 5 minutes

Teacher Maddie Noonan: In the common core we have both practice standards and content standards.

Teacher: I say you say precision…

Student: Precision…

Teacher: precision ….

Teacher: The math itself is fairly standard. Calculate the surface area of a complex shape, but what I think makes it uniquely common core is that in addition to the content standard we’re working with this practice standard around precision.

Teacher: Precision is when we’re using really specific languages that’s very clear and very easy to follow our thinking.

Teacher: So students are not only seeking to find surface area, but they’re also sort of reflecting on are they being precise in their language, are they being precise in their calculations and are they being precise in how they communicate the problem solving practice.

Student: Precision means like the right …the right place or …

Teacher: It means that you’re accurate, which is a synonym for right and it means that you’re specific.

Teacher: Now with the practice standards it I think is an opportunity to reflect more purposefully on how am I directly tying this into instruction and planning.

Teacher: To find the surface area of a complex figure we must use blank. Hmmm, what do you think Fernando?

Student: I think if you use precision?

Teacher: How do you all feel about that?

Teacher: N___, I totally agree. I’m going to write precision, I would like us to write precision as a class. Precision. Which means?

Student: Which means our math work is accurate.

Teacher: Oh! How do you feel about that? Which means our math is accurate. I underestimated us. I’m very impressed with your precision of language.

Teacher: And within there, where I chose to really zoom in on is that specify units accurately, being a stickler. So not just saying 34, but 34 inches.

Teacher: Here’s a simple shape, it’s quadrilateral. How do I find the area of it, what should I do? Ah, Fernando.

Student: I think you should do 4 inches.

Teacher: thanks for being precise. OK.

Student: Times 4 inches …

Student: Plus 3

Teacher: Plus 3 what?

Student: Plus 3 centimeters square.

Teacher: Thank you …Well is it inches though.

Student: I mean centimeters.

Teacher: It’s ___ natural tie-in to surface area.

Student: ____ 8 times

Teacher: Eight what?

Student: Eight …

Teacher: that’s OK, you’re so close, 8 what?

Student: Eight centimeters times six centimeters

Teacher: So let’s write it down. I should have asked, can I write on your paper?

Student: Yes

Teacher: Thank you ma’am. Times six centimeters. And what’s our product?

Student: Forty eight

Teacher: Forty eight what, french fries?

Student: The product is 48 centimeters

Teacher: Centimeters, beautiful.

Teacher: I know it’s important for my student to be precise in their calculations and in their communication. But I haven’t until today actually asked them to focus themselves and to use some metacognition around the ideas of precision.

Teacher: Why is precision important in this? Maury and then Chris.

Student: Precision is important in this because it’s one of the main things in the math.

Teacher: Tell me more about that …

Student: Can I get help

Teacher: Yeah, take some think time. Chris is it OK if I ask Chris because I did say I was going to go with him, is that cool?

Student: It’s also important because if you just made one mistake it could ruin the whole problem and that’s what happened in checker mastery because instead of adding I multiplied and that’s what got me kind of confused at the first time.

Teacher: Yeah, so precision is important in terms of being accurate for sure.

Teacher: I think what you saw today is saying to students I want you to focus on precision. That is our focus together. Precision …

Student: Precision …

Teacher: Precision.

Teacher: Really naming that focus for students and shifting the responsibility to them is something that ___ common core that is newer to my classroom.

Student: The answer is 37 centimeters square.

Teacher: Excellent!

Teacher: I think it’s a great thing. I think that the practice standards are foundational and that with every lesson you’re planning you’re always coming back to them. The content is a vehicle for the practice standard. As opposed to just teaching surface area for the sake of teaching surface area we’re also teaching it to teach precision. At the end of the day those are the skills that we want our students to be leaving classrooms with.

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