Concept-Rich Mathematics Instruction Afterword and Appendix 1
There are five different teacher activities mentioned in Appendix 1, but I think that three of them apply the most to my unit:
1. Teacher encourages reflective discussions that elicit possible misconceptions.
I intend to have students discussing with each other as well as myself throughout the entire unit. In lesson one they are asked to talk about what they observed and did during the balance activity and how they think it relates to solving equations. I can hopefully weed out the preconceptions about equations with the very first activity of the unit. The discussion might not elicit explicit misconceptions, but I will be able to pick them out and correct them early on, since the concept that students are meant to get out of lesson 1 is a huge part of solving equations and inequalities.
3. Teacher creates a nonthreatening environment for the analysis of students' errors.
N ow I do not have anything specific in my unit that addresses this teacher activity, but I plan to always have a safe environment in my class. I want students to feel comfortable to present their ideas to the class and not worry about being ridiculed because they mess up or have a misunderstanding about something. I plan on doing this by showing students that it is alright to not know the answer to something or not arrive at the correct solution. It is obviously not the end of the world, and it students feel like they will not be ridiculed or graded poorly because of their ideas, then I believe I will have achieved the nonthreatening environment.
5. Students stop to look for hints, specific key words, and teacher's support for the application of new concepts.
I want my students to come to me for help and assistance. How else am I supposed to teach them the most that they can learn? Sometimes students, like myself, just need one little hint or key word to have the whole problem come together for them. I will willingly provided students with the necessary assistance that they need to solve any problem. And if I am expecting them to apply a new concept, then this aid is a necessity. Without it, students may do wrong work or follow misconceptions that will only hinder their knowledge not help them.
Meir, B. (2006) Concept-Rich Mathematics Instruction. ASCD: Alexandria, VA.