Number
Workshop 1: Fractions
www.pdst.ie/number
Workshop Activities
Teacher Reflection
Reflection: Beginning of Workshop
What is your current practice in relation to teaching fraction?
What resources do you use?
Reflection: End of Workshop
How will your experiences from this workshop impact on your teaching of fractions?
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Teacher Reflection based on the Instructional Framework for Supporting and Developing Mathematical Thinking1
When teaching maths, I
Always
Sometimes
Never
Eliciting
Elicits many solution methods for one problem from the entire class
Waits for pupils’ descriptions of solution methods and encourages elaboration
Creates a safe environment for mathematical thinking
Promotes collaborative problem solving
Uses pupils explanations for lesson’s content
Identifies ideas and methods that need to be shared publicly
Supporting
Reminds pupils of conceptually similar problem situations
Directs group help for an individual student through collective group responsibility
Assists individual pupils in clarifying their own solution methods
Provides teacher-led instant replays
Demonstrates teacher-selected solution methods without endorsing the adoption
of a particular method
Records representation of each solution method on the board
Asks a different student to explain a peer’s method
Extending
Asks all pupils to attempt to solve difficult problems and to try various solution
methods
Facilitates development of mathematical skills as outlined in the PSMC for each
class level
Promotes use of learning logs by all pupils
Pushes individual pupils to try alternative solution methods for one problem
situation
Encourages pupils to critically analyse and evaluate solution methods
Encourages pupils to articulate, justify and refine mathematical thinking
Uses pupils’ responses, questions, and problems as core lesson including studentgenerated problems
1
This is adapted from Fraivillig, Murphy and Fuson’s (1999) Advancing Children’s Mathematical Thinking (ACT) framework.
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Cuisenaire
Cuisenaire is a collection of coloured rods ranging in length from 1cm to 10cm. Each rod represents a number from
1 to 10. The rods can be used to foster understanding of a wide variety of ideas in number. The structure of the
rods means that children come to recognise each number in terms of its length rather than as a collection of discrete
objects. The use of Cuisenaire rods will support the development of mathematical concepts throughout the primary
school years. From infant classes, pupils will build on earlier work with a variety of concrete resources and continue
to develop their understanding of the components of number and addition and subtraction through the use of
Cuisenaire rods. Furthermore, the rods can help to support the linear and area models for representing fractions,
decimals, percentages and also multiplication and division problems (adapted from Pitt, 2001, p, 87).
Image sourced at:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Cuisenaire-Rods-2.png
ICT: http://www.cuisenaire.co.uk/index.php/home/videos/cuisenaire-rods-in-the-classroom/video/
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Slicing Squares
5
Square Dot Paper (1cm)
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