2022 Education magazine

Page 14 2022 Education Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS February / March 2022 They also learned ways to improve Illinois Assessment of Readiness test scores through seeing samples of written responses on a state test and what makes examples good. In math responses, students must explain math concepts. In one session, Lessen saw how to implement math games with more complex skills for older students. At the monthly Region 17 math trainings, Jacobs said they will be able to share what they learned with other area teachers. Rather than textbooks, these teachers usually use a curriculum developed with instructional math coaches Janet Moore and Hailey Pocic-Burt. As the students learn math, they go through four rotations. In one station, students meet with the teacher in small groups. Here the teacher sees what students are doing and provides lessons targeted to their specific needs. There is an independent work section students do in their seats doing skills practice or journal problems. Other stations involve games or team time. When students have a harder strategy problem they must work together to get the answers. For a hands-on station, Lessen has students find and measure angles in her classroom. In stations, everything is related to the same or similar skill set. The teachers make stations flexible to give kids what they need. Kids may be practicing different skills. Lessen said students still do math problems, but often have just five or 10 problems to do and must explain how they solved the problem. When students have incorrect answers, they have them do an error analysis to see where they made a mistake, such as adding instead of multiplying. The conference was a good experience for Lessen and Jacobs who not only got to present, but found it helpful to see what strategies other teachers use.