TEACHING CHANNEL
INTERVIEW WITH TANYA KAPLAN
TANYA KAPLAN:
Charlie, sit in that group. All right. Today we're going to do a think/care/share activity. Does anybody know what a think/care/share activity is?
(interview)
The objective was to practice the distributive property. We introduced it yesterday as, just to know it, and what it is, and why it's important. Today was practicing and getting them comfortable to be able to distribute a negative through a set of parentheses, which is going to bring us into the ability to solve equations and simplify harder and more difficult expressions.
(class)
What we're doing is, we're practicing the distributive property, and the thinking part is going to come from you, where you're going to take 30 to 60 seconds -- I'll give you the time -- to think about the problem I'm giving you. Work it on your piece of loose-leaf paper. Then, when I tell you, you'll have one to two minutes to talk about it in your group, come to a collective answer, one that you all agree on, and write your final answer on that white board that I’ve given you. Ready? Here’s your first question...thirty more second to work on this on your own. OK, talk it out. You have a minute and a half. Discuss your answer.
(interview)
Within the group, they had to talk about what the answer that they came to was. And they discussed with themselves why it was what it was, and then within the group they were able to deduce whether the answer that they either all came to was correct, or whose answer they were going to go with or why.
STUDENT 1:
It’s gotta be 24.
STUDENT 2:
24 is the last number.
STUDENT 3:
I got -68x + 40.
TANYA KAPLAN:
I typically group the students by ability as well as personality. I like to have a higher learner with some of my lower learners. Some of my students are very helpful, and some of them like to keep to themselves, so I like to mix it up so that the weaker students have the ability to hear from a different perspective from mine of how students are arriving at their answer.
STUDENT 4:
But if you change it, you don't want minus a negative. That makes it plus a positive.
STUDENT 5:
No, no, because three, seven is negative two, so that's a positive.
TANYA KAPLAN:
I was pleasantly surprised by some of the conversations that I heard. It was nice to hear some of their reasoning of why things would either cancel out, or why things would distribute the way they did.
(class)
All right, time's up. Hold up your boards. Look around. You all have the same answer. Do you think that's coincidence. No. That's 'cause you're all right.
(interview)
The white board was for them to put their final answer on. The white board allows me to visually check in with the students without having to constantly be monitoring. Because even though I can walk around, then holding it up gives me an idea of, OK, you're getting it right, you're not getting it right. And plus, they like to use them. They think they're fun to draw on, and it's different than just writing on a piece of paper.
(class)
All right, talk it out. You have two minutes.
STUDENT 6:
I got -10x + 26.
STUDENT 7:
I got -2x - 28.
STUDENT 8:
I got -12x.
STUDENT 9:
OK.
TANYA KAPLAN:
I typically call on students who get their questions wrong. That way, they can talk to me about why they might be wrong, or where their mistake was.
(class)
Guys, what could you have done wrong back there?
STUDENT 6:
I used the six to multiply the parentheses, and Ben used the negative eight.
TANYA KAPLAN:
What’s being distributed here? Was it the six or was it the negative eight?
(interview)
I don't like to just sit there and say, OK, well the right answer is X, Y and Z because this and this and this. OK, but why is that, and how is that, and what makes it that and --
(class)
Why did you have a subtraction sign here but a negative sign here?
STUDENT 10:
Because it's a negative seven that you're distributing, not a seven.
TANYA KAPLAN:
I like to have them lead the discussion. That way they're not always just listening, but they're more engaged because they're telling each other what it is.
STUDENT 11:
I’m kind of confused how to do umm...
TANYA KAPLAN:
OK, well talk to your group.
STUDENT 12:
Hello, group.
TANYA KAPLAN:
I think in a group setting, students are more comfortable telling each other how they got, arrived at their answer, point each other's mistakes out, as opposed to just doing it on their own.
STUDENT 13:
What’s your second line?
STUDENT 14:
My second line is, negative -- well, I did the first part first.
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11 Comments
Sho-Yin Chen-Berry Feb 21, 2022 6:38pm
Wonderful strategy: Think: allow students to process the question, information
Pair: allow them to talk and communicate, using the language
Share: more opportunity for language practice
Sandra Towers-Halpin Sep 13, 2021 11:28am
It is really important to provide independent time first. Students need to have the opportunity to test their own knowledge. They would not know if they truly understood the process if all they are doing is looking at other people's answers.
The pair time provides students the chance to teach information to others...the evidence is strong that when we teach material, we retain it better. It also allows students to "be wrong" in a low-stakes situation. A process such as this lessens competition. encourages empathy and collaboration, and builds communication skills.
The whiteboard allows for quick assessment by the teacher. She can see immediately if this is a concept that she needs to spend more time on.
Hilda Remendado Oct 1, 2016 3:31am
Debbie Phillips Feb 28, 2015 11:14pm
Timothy Kohl Dec 15, 2013 7:34am