The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat
Making Mathematics Accessible for All Students
Web cast Facilitation Guide
This web cast features mathematics education researcher, Dr. Marian Small, numeracy student achievement
officers, Mary Lou Kestell and Kathy Kubota-Zarivnij, and Ontario school students, teachers, and school leaders of
students in grades 1, 2/3, 4, and 5 classrooms. Because this web cast includes a wealth of ideas, strategies, and
details, we suggest that your first viewing focus on understanding the key ideas about making mathematics
accessible for all students. To facilitate your viewing and professional learning from this web cast, a KWL chart
and a Concept Map is provided for processing and recording your thinking about mathematics pedagogy. Both
viewing tools are provided as Black Line masters in this web cast facilitation guide.
About Web cast Viewing Tools
A KWL chart is provided to activate viewers’ prior knowledge and experiences, as well as prompting thinking
about the ideas presented throughout the web cast. It also helps viewers to make connections with what is familiar
and unfamiliar. The KWL chart provides space for viewers to record key notions about effective mathematics
teaching and learning, in terms of: learning environment, curriculum programs, classroom instruction, and
assessment (initial and ongoing assessment for learning).
A Concept Map visually organizes a viewer’s processing of information during a web cast. It is sequential in
nature, beginning with the web cast topic at the top of the page, and then branching into subtopics and details. Its
purpose is to have the viewer record particular ideas and details while viewing the web cast. Also, a Concept Map
helps viewers see relationships among ideas, strategies, and details and distinguish between main ideas and
supporting details. As a recording device, it will help the viewer to remember important details and organize
information in a memorable and accessible way for use after the web cast.
Before Viewing
Using a KWL Chart
Before you view this web cast, ask yourself (and your colleagues) these questions and record them in the columns
outlined below.
 What do you know about effective mathematics teaching and learning in terms of: learning environment,
curriculum programs, classroom instruction, initial assessment, and ongoing assessment for learning? Record
what you know about these components, under the column, “What I know.”
 What questions do have about effective mathematics teaching and learning in terms of learning environment,
curriculum programs, classroom instruction, initial assessment, and ongoing assessment for learning? Record
your questions, under the column, “What I want to know.”
Using a Concept Map
The beginning of the web cast asks you to think about what you know and have experienced in mathematics
classrooms. Use the following questions to focus your thoughts. Record your thinking about these questions, so you
have a record of your pedagogical thinking at the start of the web cast.
 What does accessible mathematics education mean to a teacher? A school leader? A parent? A student?
 If accessible mathematics education entails a high quality mathematics program for all students, then what does
such a program look, sound, and feel like?
 If accessible mathematics education presupposes that all students can learn and do significant mathematics, what
does such student learning look, sound, and feel like in a mathematics classroom? What does a teacher need to
know, care about, and be able to do mathematically so that mathematics learning is accessible to all students?
During Viewing
Using a KWL Chart
Use the categories: learning environment, curriculum programs, classroom instruction, and assessment, and in the
column labelled, “What I learned,” record any ideas, strategies, and details that explain the ways that mathematics
is made accessible for all students.
Using a Concept Map
Use the segments of this web cast to record any ideas, strategies, and details that explain the ways that mathematics
is made accessible for all students.
1. Inquiring About Making Mathematics Accessible for All Students
Focus on thinking about three key ideas:
 what a high-quality mathematics program for all students looks, sounds, and feels like
 what student learning of significant mathematics looks, sounds, and feels like
 what a teacher needs to know, care about, and be able to do mathematically
2. Creating an Environment Conducive to Mathematics Learning
Focus on four key ideas:




classroom arrangement and organization
storage, display, and use of learning materials and student work
math strategy walls, math anchor charts, visual displays of mathematical ideas, and word walls
fostering positive attitudes and interactions for learning mathematics through problem solving
3. Curriculum Program and Assessment
Focus on three key ideas:
 understanding student readiness (initial assessment)
 providing developmentally appropriate learning tasks and problems and watching for and listening to students’
mathematical thinking (ongoing assessment for learning)
 components of a three-part problem-solving-based lesson
4. Classroom Instruction and Assessment –
Focus on five key ideas:





Before
During
During
After
After
– activating students’ prior knowledge and experience
– presenting the lesson problem
– making a plan and carrying out a plan
– looking back by coordinating mathematical thinking for learning
– consolidation and practice
After Viewing
Using a KWL Chart
After viewing this web cast, review your KWL Chart notes and highlight any key ideas, strategies, and/or details
that you are interested in implementing and studying. Compare those highlighted ideas with the questions that you
posed at the beginning of this web cast, in the column “What I want to know.” For which questions did you get
some ideas? Which questions do you need to continue to investigate? What other questions do you want to pursue
and study with your school colleagues or with colleagues in other professional learning contexts?
For those questions that need further investigation, view the web cast again. Focus your listening on gathering more
ideas, strategies, and details only on those questions that need further investigation. Record your focused
observations from the web cast using a blank KWL Chart. After viewing the web cast a second time, highlight
additional key ideas, strategies, and/or details that will aide you in implementation and study. Your actions are
always motivated by the moral imperative of improving your mathematics instruction so that student engagement,
student learning, and student achievement are enhanced. Check out how those highlighted ideas compare with focus
questions that you posed for the second viewing of this web cast. Now answer, what questions do you need to
continue to investigate? How will you share your learning with school colleagues and/or with colleagues in other
professional learning contexts?
Using a Concept Map
After viewing this web cast, review your notes from the Concept Map by highlighting any key ideas, strategies,
and/or details that that you are interested in implementing and studying. Which ideas and strategies will you to
continue to investigate, to improve your mathematics instruction, student learning and achievement of
mathematics? Think about how you will implement and study these ideas and strategies with your school
colleagues or with colleagues in other professional learning sessions.
Making Mathematics Accessible for All Students: Web cast Facilitation Guide
The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, 2007
Page 2
KWL CHART FOR WEB CAST VIEWING
What I know
What I want to know
Mathematics learning environments
What I learned
Curriculum programs
Making Mathematics Accessible for All Students: Web cast Facilitation Guide
The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, 2007
Page 3
What I know
Classroom instruction
What I want to know
What I learned
Initial assessment and Ongoing assessment for learning
Making Mathematics Accessible for All Students: Web cast Facilitation Guide
The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, 2007
Page 4
CONCEPT MAP FOR WEB CAST VIEWING
Inquirying About Making Mathematics Accessible
for All Students
What does accessible mathematics education mean to a teacher? A school leader? A parent? A student?
If accessible mathematics education entails a high quality
mathematics program for all students, then what does such
a program look, sound, and feel like?
If accessible mathematics education presupposes that all
students can learn and do significant mathematics, what
does such student learning look, sound, and feel like?
What does a teacher need to know, care about, and be able to do mathematically so that mathematics learning is accessible
to all students?
Creating an Environment Conducive to Mathematics Learning
Classroom Arrangement and
Organization and Storage, Displays
Math Strategy Walls, Charts, Visual
Displays
Making Mathematics Accessible for All Students: Web cast Facilitation Guide
The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, 2007
Fostering Positive Attitudes
Page 5
Curriculum Program and Assessment
Curriculum Program – Understanding Student Readiness (initial assessment)
Curriculum Program – Developmentally Appropriate Learning Tasks and Problems (ongoing assessment for
learning)
Curriculum Program – Three-Part Problem-Solving Based Lesson
Before
During
After
Classroom Instruction and Assessment
Before – Activating Students’ Prior Knowledge & Experience
During – Presenting the Problem
During – Making a Plan and Carrying Out a Plan
After – Looking Back – Coordinating Mathematical
Thinking for Learning
After – Consolidation and Practice
Making Mathematics Accessible for All Students: Web cast Facilitation Guide
The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, 2007
Page 6