STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 1

Students Thinking Analysis

Aritz Cardenas
Teachers College of San Joaquin
































STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 2
1. Analysis of 1
st
grade classroom
It was an interesting experience going over math concepts with a student population
that I normally do not teach. Ms. Villalobos and I went to John R. Williams Elementary
School to tutor two students in the first grade. We imposed the question, Tell me
everything you know about the number 15? What resulted was a dialogue with students
about the different methods of expressing the number fifteen. Students were able to
express fifteen though addition, subtraction, and counting. Students were also able to
utilize different strategies in expressing the number being asked of them; for example, the
references of the ten-frame and kinesthetic counting on the fingers were strategies both
used by the students.
In reference to the text excerpt, Determine What Children Know: Dynamic vs. Static
Assessment, I felt that Ms. Villalobos and I were able to facilitate the discussion with the two
boys successfully. We were able to find strength that one of the boys had in solving the
error he stated in the subtraction problem of 8-7=15. According to Judy Storeygard, Janan
Hamm, and Catherine Twomey Fosney (2010), it is important to study a students strengths
and skills as a way to intervene and help close the achievement gap on a certain concept or
unit (p. 45). By using his strength in using kinesthetic counting, he was able to
visualize/feel subtracting seven from eight. Another thing that Ms. Villalobos and I
attempted to do with these boys is ask thoughtful questions that can have students expand
on their thinking. Asking thought provoking questions can lead to higher-level thinking
from students who typically perform poorly on traditional assessments (Storeygard et al,
2010, p. 54). As a result, we were able to assess what different ways students were able to
use the number fifteen and clear up any misconceptions when they arose.
STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 3
2. Analysis on 7
th
Grade Mathematics Classroom
I was able to observe a 7
th
grade mathematics teacher teaching her first period class
about ratios at Sierra Middle School. The interaction that I transcribed was with this
teacher and one of her students. To sum up their interaction, the teacher did a brief
checked-in with this student to see if they knew what a ration was. The teacher was
satisfied with the students response. The teacher checks back in about ten minutes later, as
students are working on a class set of problems. The student seems to be hesitant in
writing the problem down on his notebook. The teacher goes over the procedures with the
student, who seems to understand what he is doing but needed reassurance. Once the
teacher went over the class problem with this student, she made up another problem for
this student as extra practice (she used the ratio of eating candy to brushing your teeth).
Student was able to immediately write down fraction that went with the ratio problem.
I think this teacher did a good job in making sure that any misconceptions or doubts
this student had with this problem were addressed. Storeygard et al (2010) state that by
having students share about what they know, they can, often speak about what they are
doing to solve a problem that is puzzling (p. 58). This teacher met one on one with this
student to see what this student knew and had this student state what he knew in order for
the teacher to guide him in solving the problem. Another thing that she did well in was
relating a problem to a real-life context. By doing so, you are uncovering students thinking
by providing an equitable problem that the student can use his schema as a hook to solve
an equation; the student is able to imagine the problem as they are trying to solve it
(Storeygard et al, 2010, p. 64). The teacher did this by using this students own experiences
of how many times he ate candy and brushed his teeth in the past week.
STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 4
3. Analysis of 8
th
grade teacher
I was able to observe an 8
th
grade teacher during her first period class at Sierra Middle
School. Her class was discussing the concept of volume. Based on what I was able to
observe, there was a student who was struggling with the concept of volume. The teacher
directed the student to her notes from the week prior. The student takes out her notebook
to find the notes on surface and volume. The student was able to find the formula used to
solve for volume (V=LWH). The teacher then went over the first problem of a classroom
worksheet with the student. The student was easily able to plug in the numbers into the
formula. The teacher emphasized to the student to make sure she had the proper units
after her problem.
One thing that wasnt mentioned in the transcript, but I was able to witness about this
lesson was the worksheet word problems that were being asked to the student. They
focused on Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders. This was good to have
assessments that were more relatable to the students to focus on the realities of the
students (Stoneygard, 2010, p. 67). To focus more on the specific transcript itself, the
student was confused as to what formula to use to solve the problem. Rather than telling
the student what to use, the teacher guided the student by asking her to look into her
workbook. By questioning and sticking with the student through the entire process, the
teacher was able to determine if the student was struggling with the formula of volume or
was confused on how to approach the problem. The teacher was able to determine where
the student was (on the landscape), which can help this teacher determine whether she
needed to emphasize concepts on future instruction or assessments (Storeygard, 2010, p.
60-61)
STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 5
Reference Page
Fosnet, C. T. (2010) Models of intervention in mathematics: Reweaving the tapestry.
New York: Pearson.