School Census
Math 8 Learning Outcomes: Statistics and Probability- Data Analysis and
Statistics
Reflection: Math is not a particularly interesting subject to teach. Lessons are fairly routine with little variation to differentiate ideas. The teacher stands in front of the class and reviews the last day's lessons, checks homework, creates a hook to the lesson, gives the lesson, and answers questions. With half the class time remaining, students then can work quietly on the homework assignment. It's tried, tested and works.
I teach this way, as do most math teachers I suspect. The problem is that it that it does not necessarily fit with my educational philosophy of student-centered learning. Students rarely get to explore and view math as something that has real world implications or is relevance to them.
I usually insert the school census about the mid-point of the year. This is out of design for two reason. The first is that, when this project began in 2010, China was conducting a massive census of their own population. The implication of which was a major discussion of our classroom on why the Chinese government would want to have a census of their own population at a major cost. Why wouldn't the government just conduct a far cheaper survey of their population? Ideas were generated, and we soon realized that we too should have a census of our own student body of approximately 170 students. The idea was for students to create questions for students and analyze the results.
The second reason was that the students needed a break from the routine of daily math class I mentioned above. I too was getting tired of the "Sage at the Stage" teaching and yearned for students to explore math in a way that was fun and relevant to them.
They loved it! Well at least most students did. Not only did they teach themselves how to create circle graphs and info-graphics, but they loved working in teams to make products that look better the group beside them. The results of their work are prominently displayed at the first floor next to the front foyer so that students and visitors alike may understand who we are as a student body.
The requirements of the assignment please click the link
Statistics
Reflection: Math is not a particularly interesting subject to teach. Lessons are fairly routine with little variation to differentiate ideas. The teacher stands in front of the class and reviews the last day's lessons, checks homework, creates a hook to the lesson, gives the lesson, and answers questions. With half the class time remaining, students then can work quietly on the homework assignment. It's tried, tested and works.
I teach this way, as do most math teachers I suspect. The problem is that it that it does not necessarily fit with my educational philosophy of student-centered learning. Students rarely get to explore and view math as something that has real world implications or is relevance to them.
I usually insert the school census about the mid-point of the year. This is out of design for two reason. The first is that, when this project began in 2010, China was conducting a massive census of their own population. The implication of which was a major discussion of our classroom on why the Chinese government would want to have a census of their own population at a major cost. Why wouldn't the government just conduct a far cheaper survey of their population? Ideas were generated, and we soon realized that we too should have a census of our own student body of approximately 170 students. The idea was for students to create questions for students and analyze the results.
The second reason was that the students needed a break from the routine of daily math class I mentioned above. I too was getting tired of the "Sage at the Stage" teaching and yearned for students to explore math in a way that was fun and relevant to them.
They loved it! Well at least most students did. Not only did they teach themselves how to create circle graphs and info-graphics, but they loved working in teams to make products that look better the group beside them. The results of their work are prominently displayed at the first floor next to the front foyer so that students and visitors alike may understand who we are as a student body.
The requirements of the assignment please click the link
math_8_unit_overview-_census_project.docx | |
File Size: | 25 kb |
File Type: | docx |