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Flipping the Focus

This blog and discussion forum is being moderated as an expression of servant leadership in teaching & learning. As a collaborative tool for brainstorming enriching experiences for students, teacher learning groups, and district learning teams, we can inspire and build experiences to help empower each of us to personal leadership in learning. 

From the Archives

Making It Work ... Through An Equity Lens

3/2/2021

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Making It Work ... Quality Continuous Improvement Through An Equity Lens
Tips for Facilitating Professional Learning at School and System Levels
INTRODUCTION
Starting with Mathematics in September 2021, the Province of Ontario will launch a de-streamed, Grade 9 curriculum. This curriculum and its implementation will help educators to create the conditions for all students to be successful both personally and academically.

For example, many secondary school students, in general, have had few opportunities to experience the joy and wonder associated with learning mathematics--through culturally relevant and responsive teaching approaches that emphasize the human side of the side of mathematics--much of this due to a number of systemic barriers.

A successful implementation will require school boards and authorities to properly address each of the following aspects with rhythm and frequency, and together: identifying and confronting inequities at all levels; helping build the capacity of all educators to teach and lead in culturally-relevant and responsive ways; ensuring that conditions that support successful learning are in place and in use (e.g., for wellness, for building universally-designed learning environments); and increasing all student learning outcomes--engagement and achievement.  

How we build and sustain quality continuous improvement efforts for the implementation of de-streamed curricula will require that we re-imagine, and in some cases, reinvent, the way we approach teaching, learning and leading for learning across all levels of our organizations--from the classroom to the boardroom.

What we know about successful implementation is that year-over-year, short-term and cyclical cycles of monitoring and evaluation are necessary for schools to experience improvements in student learning (Hattie, 2015; Huber & Conway, 2015; Reeves, 2007). Improvement efforts marked by infrequent monitoring of strategies taken and impact on student learning result in either negligible or no improvements. When it comes to the strategies taken, educators need high-quality teaching resources, pedagogical supports, and professional learning that engender and communicate respect for equity and inclusion.

The remainder of this post presents a framework for a sample activity--a professional learning activity that you might find useful when thinking about your approaches to a successful implementation of de-streamed curricula. No matter your role in Education--teacher, school or system leader, trustee, parent council member--challenge yourselves to see a way forward through an equity lens.
FRAMING
Question: What might it mean to create, enact, and monitor through an equity lens?
Help provide a frame for others’ thinking by starting to look for previous knowledge and experiences on the topic. Try by asking the following open question: 

What might it mean to: 

  • Create;
  • Enact; and
  • Monitor Progress ...
...through an equity lens?

Facilitation Tip: Create an opportunity for your participants to code responses for themes and trends, as well as creating spaces for further thought. For example, facilitators can activate thinking by encouraging participants to extend their thinking--i.e., to a scenario that invites them to think beyond the/their current state.
ACTIVATING
Facilitation Tip: What might you now do to engage others in thinking further--more precisely--about various aspects that will help to ensure a successful implementation of de-streamed curricula?

Using an article, a study, or video, etc., have participants read/review, reflect and discuss what resonates with them. In the context of Mathematics Education in Ontario, great examples include:
  • Human Rights, Equity, and Inclusive Education in Mathematics (Curriculum Context, Mathematics 2020, Grades 1 to 8)
    • Reading 1
    • Reading 2 (Supplementary)
      • The Grade 9 Mathematics Curriculum Context (once released)
  • High-Impact Instructional Strategies (Videos)
    • Building a Learning Community
    • Fostering Student Autonomy
Facilitation Tip: To promote collaboration, provide participants with a shared document where they can record their Takeaways, Affirmations, and Wonderings (see Fig. 1, below). Properly-designed, facilitators might even create a space for the following:
  • Asking questions and making comments; and
  • Encourage coding comments through the use of highlighting. 
    • Highlighting and sorting can act as a way of getting ready to identify aspects worthy for monitoring implementation.
Fig. 1.
Reading and Reflection Template - Takeaways, Affirmations, and Wonderings
WORKING ON IT
Based on theory, practice, and taking a praxis approach to improvement, we can imagine three broad categories that will comprise much of an approach to supporting quality continuous improvement for the implementation of destreamed curricula.

For example, we might refer to these as Starting Points - Unlearning for Learning, Getting Messy - Understanding Contexts, and Navigating Messiness - Supporting Boards & School Authorities (see Fig.2).
Fig. 2.
3 categories comprising approach to supporting continuous improvement
Starting Points
When it comes to authentically addressing inequities, we must start with identifying and confronting our own beliefs and biases--the ‘confrontation’ is our growing critical consciousness (us) standing up for human rights, breaking down barriers that are oppressive for so many in our Educational systems. 


Getting Messy
Another key element to a successful implementation of any improvement effort is that of understanding contexts. A single, great idea never maps well into all contexts; nor does a single context specify the best approach. Approaches that are effective take into account an understanding of current needs, goals, and proposed ways of achieving system goals--e.g., Why this goal? Why now? Why is this approach important? What research is influencing your choice of approach? 


Navigating Messiness
It might seem logical to address these in order: Unlearning for Learning, followed by Understanding Contexts, and finishing with Supporting Boards and School Authorities. The reality is that there are a number of internal and external factors pushing systems in particular ways. Currently, there are many institutionalized practices that must be confronted for de-streamed curricula to support students as it’s intended. These practices are ingrained in the very way we engage addressing problems of practice. 


Recognize that authentic learning is messy; it’s not linear in its approach. With all improvement efforts, our goals (and processes for attaining them) are influenced by varying degrees of learner readiness. They also intersect--none of them greater than all of them. In fact, to get to deeper levels of learning, all aspects need to be monitored together, with rhythm and frequency, to have an impact on learning (student, educator, leadership, system).

​The table, below, provides an example of the relationship between these three aspects.
Classroom as Example - Starting Points, Understanding Contexts, and Navigating Messiness
Unpacking: The Classroom as an Example
Student and educator identities are not static; they are always evolving—sometimes shifting in significant ways; and at other times, becoming more nuanced. Contexts change as identities develop and the capacity of the classroom community shifts. Both Starting Points and Understanding Contexts are necessary at all times, are interdependent, and are marked by increased levels of autonomy and agency.

When Navigating Messiness, the fidelity of our programs to attaining goals is only as good as the questions we ask and use to guide our decisions and processes we take to answer them. Supporting students with a praxis approach to teaching and learning is not something that we ‘do’ once a year or at the end of a term; rather, it’s done continuously over the year (see Fig. 3, below). The only way to properly know that we can reach outcomes with fidelity is if we’re paying attention to how student identity and classroom community are challenging the questions we’re asking and how we go about answering them with students.
Fig. 3.
Year-long Approach to Quality Continuous Improvement
Facilitation Tip: What might this look like for different audiences? Or in your own role? Invite small, homogeneous groupings to share what it might mean to Start-Understand-Navigate in their own roles and contexts (see Fig. 4, below).
Fig. 4.
Table for different audiences (teachers, administrators) to describe in their own context
CONSOLIDATE & DEBRIEF 
Facilitation Tip: 
  • Step 1: Have homogeneous and role-specific groups participate in a jigsaw activity to help mobilize thinking, inspire further collaboration and deepen learning. 
  • Step 2: Form mixed-role groups to introduce a greater degree of diversity of thought and action related to how effectively schools can work to meet their goals for successfully implementing de-streamed curricula.
REFLECT
Facilitation Tip: Have participants complete an exit survey that brings them back to the questions posed at the outset of the learning experience (see Part B, below). The survey could be comprised of any or all of the following questions:

​Part A - Reflection & Feedback
  • What did you like about the session?
  • What’s something you learned?
  • What are you still wondering? Or would like to know more about?
  • How might you use this information in your own work?
Part B - “I Used to Think, Now I …”
  • What might it mean to create through an equity lens?
  • What might it mean to enact through an equity lens?
  • What might it mean to monitor progress through an equity lens?
FINAL THOUGHTS
In closing, I can't help but to think of the conversations that will occur as we take collective action to improve student learning. As this blog is a means for readers to find inspiration and network for learning together--gradually changing the context for how we all learn, teach and lead--we all benefit by drawing nearer to the perspectives shared here and shared beyond with our professional learning networks.

If at any time, you have questions or comments, or would like to discuss how we can collaborate, feel free to reach out to me.
CONTACT
Collaborate
​​Professionally Yours,

Chris Stewart, OCT
Educational Consultant, Flipping the Focus (c) 2021
REFERENCES & OTHER SUGGESTIONS

References:
Hattie, J. (2015, February). High-Impact Leadership. Retrieved from 
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb15/vol72/num05/High-Impact_Leadership.aspx 
​
​
Huber, D. J., & Conway, J. M. (2014, November 30). The Effect of School Improvement Planning on Student Achievement. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1145448

Government of Ontario. (2020). Human Rights, Equity, and Inclusive Education in Mathematics. Retrieved from
https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum/elementary-mathematics/context/some-considerations-for-program-planning-in-mathematics#human-rights-equity-and-inclusive-education-in-mathematics


Reeves, D. B. (2007, December). Leading to Change / Making Strategic Planning Work. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec07/vol65/num04/Making-Strategic-Planning-Work.aspx

Suggestions:
  • Blog Post on Academic Streaming (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) by Educator, Jason To
  • High-Impact Instructional Strategies (Videos)
    • Building a Learning Community
    • Fostering Student Autonomy
  • Magazine Article: Mathematics in Context - The Pedagogy of Liberation
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Mathematical Modelling: A Process for Making Sense of the World Around Us -  Part 1

9/2/2020

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Welcome back to Flipping the Focus. In the last post, readers had an opportunity to consider how spiraling seeks to help students see mathematics as a connected discipline and curriculum as a coherent and cohesive set of ideas and concepts.
​The current post not only relates but takes the element of a "connected discipline" a bit further--i.e., exploring the intersection of math and real worlds in K-12 Education. Educators have realized, for far too long, that there's been an imbalance--much more effort and time devoted to teaching and learning in the first.
Image of process model for problem solving
A process model for problem solving
The graphic to the right--a starting point for reconciling the divide between these two worlds--depicts how educators might teach the process of problem solving (Creativity in Mathematics). Readers might also be familiar with how these 4 stages have been used previously to describe the mathematical process of problem solving in the 2005, revised version of Ontario's elementary curriculum, Grades 1 to 8. Similarly, we can uncover aspects of these stages in both intermediate and senior math curricula--Grades 9 & 10 (2005, revised) and Grades 11 & 12 (2007, revised)--where connections to real-world contexts is shared as a way to help students to achieve expectations. These steps have been drawn from George Pólya's 4-step problem solving process: 1 - understand the problem; 2 - devise a plan; 3 - carry out the plan; and 4 - look back. Notably, the significant distinction between these two frameworks relates to how the current version (see graphic) seeks to position problem solving as a means to representing mathematics in reality.

​And now, with the introduction of Ontario's Mathematics Curriculum, Grades 1 to 8, 2020, there is an incredible opportunity to "settle the score"--through Mathematical Modelling. For the purposes of this post, we can consider the linear-sequential process captured above as a starting point. But as you'll see throughout the remainder of this post, the process of mathematical modelling is far from a linear one. In fact, modelling is a connected process--connecting elements 1, 2, 3 and 4 in a variety of ways and across diverse contexts.
For far too long, there's been an imbalance ... "settle the score" through Mathematical Modelling.
Introduction
In mathematics teaching and learning, we frequently ask questions of our students that require specific answers. Essentially, learning mathematics from the student perspective has been more about answering questions rather than ...
  • “... [making] connections between math and everyday contexts to help...make informed judgments and decisions”, ...
as well as
  • “... [working] through challenging math problems [and] understanding that their resourcefulness in using various strategies to respond to stress is helping build [their] personal resilience” (see social-emotional learning, SEL). 
What other views of mathematics do we want our students to develop? What if a primary goal of Mathematics Education was to have students engage with tasks that require them to ask questions and identify underlying assumptions first?

Think about the number of applications we are exposed to and/or use frequently that rely on our ability to ask good questions and identify assumptions: 
  • Consumers' buying habits (E.g., When is the last time you used a mobile app while grocery shopping?)
  • Mapping geographical regions (E.g., Through your notifications, think about how the technologies we use for mapping travel continuously work to optimize our plans while driving.)
  • Population growth and epidemiology (E.g., How is it that a prediction is made on one day, and then updated  at a later point in time?)
  • ...aspects of game design, financial planning, weather forecasting, and so on.

Each of the developments, above, were borne out of the process of mathematical modelling. The 'best' questions at the time needed development; assumptions about the information collected had to be identified, leaving room for imperfection...the need to assess the model...a need to go back and improve upon the question and/or the tools, representations and strategies used to solve the problem.  
What is Mathematical Modelling?
​When we look to Ontario’s new, Elementary Mathematics Curriculum--Grades 1 to 8, we read: “The process starts with ill-defined, often messy real-life problems that may have several different solutions that are all correct. Mathematical modelling requires the modeller to be critical and creative and make choices, assumptions, and decisions. Through this process, they create a mathematical model that describes a situation using mathematical concepts and language, and that can be used to solve a problem or make decisions and can be used to deepen understanding of mathematical concepts” (p34). Taking this approach, and integrating mathematical modelling across all strands through intriguing tasks, can allow students to be in the "driver’s seat"--encouraging them to explore and learn more about mathematics and problem solving.
Developing Our Understanding: What is Mathematical Modelling?
  • This blog post is about the process of mathematical modelling--what it could look like …
    • for students to create a mathematical model in response to a real-world scenario; and
    • in terms of its scope--i.e., how modeling might play out over long-range integration of curriculum expectations (coming soon ... Part 2)
  • This post is also about what mathematical modelling is not ... more on that later.
Unpacking Mathematical Modelling through a 3-Act Math Task
Let’s unpack these components through the example of a 3-Act Math Task. These tasks, made famous by Dan Meyer, can be intriguing and provide opportunities for students to develop their mathematical identity--seeing themselves as capable and confident mathematics learners and developing an appreciation for the beauty of mathematics beyond the classroom and seeing connections to the type of mathematical and wider-context work they might like to do later in life (Curriculum Context, Meyer).
NOTE: Not all 3-act math tasks are mathematical modelling tasks. The tasks that educators curate, as I have done here, and create need to reflect the 4 elements of mathematical modelling and their relationships (see graphic, below). More to come on this framework and its intersection with this task a bit later...
Picture of the process of mathematical modelling
The Process of Mathematical Modelling (Source: The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8: Mathematics – 2020)
Let’s consider the “World Record Balloon Dog” 3-act math task to help us understand both the structure of such tasks, as well as how it can be used to incorporate High-Impact Instructional Practices in Mathematics (HIIPM) into teaching and learning. Take for example:
  • Teach through problem solving (p11) and
  • Teach students about problem solving (p13; adaptive reasoning is key to mathematical modelling)
(Note: References to HIIPM can be found throughout this post in an effort to highlight what these components of effective mathematics instruction can look and sound like for teachers and their students.) 

​
To begin, let’s try out this task together (task available at: World Record Balloon Dog).
ACT 1
Let's start by watching the video to the prologue. While viewing, what are you noticing? And what are you wondering? Feel free to add your ideas in the shared doc (button, below).
Link to video for fastest time to pop 100 balloons
Fastest Time to Pop 100 Balloons
Notice & wonder
Imagine your students sharing their observations and wonderings--some of these, mathematical in nature. As their teacher, you hone in on questions related to the learning goal (HIIPM, p7) you’ve selected.
Learning Goals
In this case, the goal (e.g., Grade 7 - B2.10 and Grade 8 - B2.8) might be for students to “...apply proportional reasoning to solve problems” as well as a goal for mathematical modeling, which requires that students “...apply [this] process ... to represent, analyse, make predictions, and provide insight into real-life situations.” And more importantly, for students to achieve this goal, they’ll need to continue developing and refining their social-emotional learning skills (i.e., through the mathematical processes).
SEL Considerations
As you continue to work through the task and the remainder of this post, consider how any or all of the following SEL outcomes can be highlighted with your students:
  • Understanding the feelings of others
  • Working through challenging problems to build resilience
  • Testing approaches and learning through mistakes
  • Working collaboratively with others
  • Identity: Seeing themselves as capable math learners, strengthening their sense of ownership
  • Making connections to everyday contexts (helping to make informed judgments and decisions)
What Might Your Students Say?
Questions arising from students might include:
  • How many balloons has the dog popped?
  • How long did it take dog to pop this many balloons?
Through the discussion with and among your students, the conversation might tend towards one of recognizing and needing to identify a rate. Collectively, you’re defining the problem (one that you’ve thought carefully about crafting ahead of time) and also leading towards posing a question--one that will spur students on to creating and using a mathematical model. 

How long will it take the dog to pop all of the balloons?

With this question set as their task, and well-before students engage in solving their problem, it’s important that we ask students to offer up an estimate. Not only will estimation help students to develop mental math skills, it can:
  • In a variety of related scenarios: Give a teacher insight into what knowledge and skills students already have and may apply (formative assessment, opening possibilities for your interaction with students, but more importantly, not making assumptions about what students are capable of doing … focusing on students’ thinking, connections to developmental continua and most importantly … possibilities that emerge for later discussion (Direct Instruction; HIIPM, p9).
  • Help students to identify information that is required, and possibly, any assumptions that might need to be made … assumptions that may impact the mathematical model they create. In this specific scenario, students will identify that they are not only needing to identify a rate, but that the rate can be used to determine an unknown value in this situation (proportional).
What Do You Say?
Next, take your own experience with Act 1 a bit further by offering up a too-low, as well as a too-high estimate, for how long it will take the dog to pop all of the balloons. Both of these can be shared in the doc provided (see button, right).
ESTIMATE
Although there is a lot happening and much information is being shared and considered in a short amount of time, developing this narrative with your students takes up only a small fraction of your shared time together AND is critical to setting up for the next Act. Act 2 is where students, in flexibly-organized groups (e.g., visibly random groups; read more about the affordances of visible random groups), will spend most of their time--collaborating on the development and use of their mathematical model.
ACT 2
You and your students are now ready to work with the question: How long will it take the dog to pop all of the balloons? And have possibly identified a variety of underlying assumptions, as well as additional information required to solve the problem (i.e., time it takes the dog to pop 25 balloons). In this Act, you also have the previous world record time. From this, students can gauge if the dog will beat this record, and this might also encourage students to work further with the assumptions they’ve identified. Check out both the 25-balloon time and previous world record in Act 2, here. During this time
How About Your Own Mathematical Model
Before continuing with this post, take time to have some fun with this problem! Create your own mathematical model and incorporate any assumptions (adjustments to your model) and share that in the doc provided (e.g., try inserting an image of your model and some of your work leading up to it, see right).
MY MODEL
Coming back to the time and experience you’re sharing with your students, this is where you ‘walk away’. Perhaps, at times, you're appearing to be intentionally less helpful--using hints and extensions with students--to maintain an optimal learning experience. And in some situations, you're also 'walking into' by generating and asking questions of students--sometimes in the moment--to help keep students thinking. Altogether, you're working on managing flow (read more about flow here). During this time where students are engaged in active learning, you’re documenting and enacting some of the 5 Practices (monitoring, selecting and sequencing; summary) that will help to prepare you and your students for a consolidation of their thinking, leading towards students making sense of the mathematics and developing procedural fluency in meaningful ways (Anthony & Walshaw, 2009).
ACT 3
Alright, the final Act! In Act 3, it’s time to let students know that there is a big reveal! This is always a great moment to celebrate with your students.

For fun! (if you’ve been playing along with the balloon pop task), take a moment to w​atch the short clip and the time taken to pop the remaining balloons. Also, compare your model and answer to what’s shown. You’ll see that a graph of the number of balloons popped vs. time is being generated dynamically--i.e., as the balloons are popped (a representation that can be effective in subsequent discussion of students’ results, models and assumptions that have played into the model they’ve created).
So ... How About Your Own Mathematical Model?
For fun! and to inspire reflection, consider adding both your result (time to pop all of the balloons) and comment on why your model either fell short, was too much or just right. And if you’re off from the actual time, what changes might need to be reflected in your model?
Reflect
Reflecting on Your Experience
Now that you’ve watched the reveal, how did it make you feel? Do you feel resolved? Ecstatic over meeting the challenge? Inspired to keep trying … a different approach? Consider now how you’ll prepare to work with students’ reactions to the result and experiences with this task--i.e., through a consolidation of students’ thinking (using their contributions in both a respectful and intentional manner) and using a number of high-impact practices (HIIPM, pp.9, 15, 17).
Math Conversations: What Are We Discussing?
You now have a wonderful opportunity to engage students in discussing both subject-matter and social-emotional learning goals (as mentioned, above; repeat below). This can be through a teacher-facilitated discussion of sequenced students' approaches beginning with an example that all groups were able to reach.

What are you discussing? The math conversation (HIIPM, p17) then follows a progression that reflects the hints and extensions you provided while students were working. You and your students are focusing on identifying and recognizing criteria--e.g., types of mathematical thinking and problem solving strategies; examples (see sample continuum, below)--that can become part of the success criteria co-developed for the content goal. Moving forward, these criteria will afford you the opportunity to provide descriptive feedback to students--precise information on how they can navigate towards the learning goal (HIIPM, p7).
Picture of continuum of mathematical thinking and problem solving strategies
Sample continuum of mathematical thinking and problem solving strategies
Social-Emotional Learning Skills...What Are We Discussing?
And based on the SEL goal(s) chosen, alongside the mathematical modelling experience students have been occasioning (i.e., real-world scenario) you might choose to focus on the mathematical process skills (HIIPM, p21) that your students were using as a means for helping to develop their SEL skills (see the table, below).
Picture of a table of social emotional learning goals and outcomes. Their development being through the mathematical processes.
Source: Ontario Mathematics Curriculum Expectations, Grades 1 to 8, 2020 - Strand A
Developing and Refining Success Criteria
As students progress--informed by your documentation (observations of and conversations with students)--you'll want to ensure that there are opportunities for them to go deeper with their learning. When it comes to success criteria, we want to consider some next steps in both teaching and learning. 
​
For example, you might choose to focus on any one or all of the following in your next steps (HIIPM, p8):
  • define what successful attainment of learning goals looks like
  • make connections to other strands or content areas
  • promote self-reflection
    • Ask your students: “What are some of the key characteristics of mathematical modelling?” What are some of the ‘moves’ you’ve made when learning about and using the process of mathematical modelling? (Notice: Consider how this line of questioning wraps around to SEL and mathematical process skills.)
Next Steps
As with many 3-Act Math Tasks, we might choose to have students focus on a ‘sequel’. 
As students build their model and convince themselves, a peer and their teacher, a sequel could be an extension. With the balloon popping scenario, several suggestions were provided by educators (here) on a possible next step. 

A next step could be for students to complete a set of “Check Your Understanding” Questions--related questions for self-assessm
ent.

And if the extension involves students convincing themselves, their peers and their teacher, this is a perfect opportunity for students to redress their mathematical models--to think about why their model didn’t match the reveal, and to re-analyze, adjust and re-assess the appropriateness of their improved model.

A good point to remember here, and it’s not about getting an answer--the answer of being either right or wrong. It is about taking a balanced approach to instruction by using a variety of high-impact instructional practices to help our students become better thinkers. It’s really about students developing a positive identity as a math learner: All mathematical models are imperfect; some are more useful than others (George Box) and this creates the need and allows us to demonstrate the importance of valuing mistakes and imperfection of mathematical models.


Lastly, as you introduce the next task and students begin working, moments will arise where you and your students can connect to other strands or content areas and gather additional information from students’ insights, further refining what successful attainment of learning goals looks like. These moments will not only come about because of your intentional planning, but more often than not, they can and will be incidental in nature--either as a carry-over from the previous or an earlier activity, an extension, and/or check your understanding questions.
Unpacking Your Experiences: A Framework for Mathematical Modelling
From our position as educators, let’s review and unpack just what has occurred with this 3-Act Math Task and how it relates to a definition and framework for mathematical modeling.
The process starts with ill-defined, often messy real-life problems that may have several different solutions that are all correct. Mathematical modelling requires the modeler to be critical and creative and make choices, assumptions, and decisions. Through this process, they create a mathematical model that describes a situation using mathematical concepts and language, and that can be used to solve a problem or make decisions and can be used to deepen understanding of mathematical concepts
(
Source: Ontario Mathematics Curriculum Expectations, Grades 1 to 8, 2020, p34).​
Consider the two graphics provided below. The 3-act task that you've engaged through this post--i.e., its solution process--could be represented quite well by the problem solving process on the left (below). And if we contrast this process against the description of mathematical modelling (above), we might find that students' decision-making skills and/or understanding of mathematical concepts may not have deepened as a result of working with this particular task--i.e., they have not been engaged in learning about and using the process of mathematical modelling.
Image of a process model for problem solving
A process model for problem solving
Image of the process of mathematical modelling
The Process of Mathematical Modelling
All of this said, I would ask that you take a few moments to identify and reflect on the pedagogical 'moves' shared throughout the course of this post and how they might relate to the process graphic for mathematical modelling (above, right). What intentional decisions were made to adapt this task to reflect the overlapping nature of the 4 mathematical modelling process elements? How did you come to wrestle both with creating the question, as well as following a process that led you to sharing an answer? 
Table: 3 - Act Math Tasks & Mathematical Modelling
To further support your reflection, the table that follows--"3-Act Math Tasks & Mathematical Modelling"--attempts to unpack each Act in the task and relate it to one or more elements of The Process of Mathematical Modelling.

Note that the document is open to suggesting edits--i.e., in the final column of the table, if you have other ideas about how this task or tasks, in general, can be used to both teach students about and use the process of mathematical modelling, please feel free to share. 
This version of the document is linked here. ​If you'd like to use the document in a read-only fashion, I've embedded it below.
suggest edits
Download table
Conclusion
What is mathematical modelling? At the start of this post, you read about what it could look like for students to create a mathematical model in response to a real-world scenario. You also took time to engage and reflect upon a task and types of experiences that are representative of the process of mathematical modelling.

Further to this, it's important to consider what mathematical modelling is not.
  • Mathematical modelling (a process) can incorporate the use of mathematical models (e.g., discrete/set, linear, area, etc.) and a variety of tools and representations to organize and communicate thinking and understanding, but ...
    • The use of models in the mathematics classroom is not, in and of itself, mathematical modelling. Mathematical modelling is a process that uses these models as one part of an interconnected and iteratively-applied set of components (see graphic, p35).

As mathematical modelling is an integrated process that can support students' conceptual understanding, development of big ideas, and ability to make decisions, it's incredibly important that we incorporate mathematical modelling across the course of a year of programming--seeking to help students make connections within and across strands.
“When students construct a big idea, it is big because they make connections that allow them to use mathematics more effectively and powerfully. They will be able to use this knowledge to solve a range of problems flexibly…” (Government of Ontario, 2004). 

Dr. Marian Small (2009) reminds us that “Our job is to build their [students’] confidence and reassure them that they really can understand the new ideas with which they are dealing. This is accomplished by helping them create an internal map of how these [essential] ideas connect to what they already know. This means we, as teachers, need that internal map, too, in order for our students to recognize our comfort and confidence.”
Final Remarks
In closing, I can't help but to think of the conversations that can be inspired when we take collective action to improving student learning. As this blog is a means for readers to network and gradually change the context for how they learn, teach and lead, we all benefit by drawing nearer to the perspectives shared here and shared beyond with our professional learning networks. 

In the next post, we'll continue to develop our understanding of what mathematical modelling could look like 
in terms of its scope--i.e., how modeling might play out over long-range integration of curriculum expectations (coming soon ... Part 2).

I am more than happy to collaborate with you and make our learning visible, here. If at any time, you have questions or comments, please feel free to comment to this blog and/or reach out to me here. 

Professionally Yours,

Chris Stewart, OCT
Educational Consultant at Flipping the Focus (c) 2020
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References
Anthony, G., & Walshaw, M. (2009). Characteristics of Effective Teaching of Mathematics: A View from the West . Journal of Mathematics Education, 2(2), 147-164.

Creativity in Mathematics. (2018, July). Guest Blogger: Scott Kim, III [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://cre8math.com/2018/07/

Ehlert, D. (2015, October 26). Promoting Growth Mindset with 3 Act Math. Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://www.nctm.org/Publications/Mathematics-Teaching-in-Middle-School/Blog/Promoting-Growth-Mindset-with-3-Act-Math/

Fetter, A. (2015, June 8). Ever Wonder What They’d Notice? Retrieved from https://youtu.be/a-Fth6sOaRA 
​
Government of Ontario. (2020). High-impact Instructional Strategies in Mathematics. Retrieved from https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum/elementary-mathematics/resources

Government of Ontario. (n.d.). Teaching and Learning Mathematics – The Report of the Expert Panel on Mathematics in Grades 4 to 6 in Ontario, 2004. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/numeracy/panel/index.html

Liljedahl, P. (2016). Building thinking classrooms: Conditions for problem solving. In P. Felmer, J. Kilpatrick, & E. Pekhonen (eds.) Posing and Solving Mathematical Problems: Advances and New Perspectives. New York, NY: Springer. [ResearchGate, Academia]

Liljedahl, P. Building Thinking Classrooms - Keynote. OAME Leadership Conference, Ottawa (Nov 10, 2017). Retrieved February 12, 2018, from http://www.peterliljedahl.com/presentations

Liljedahl, P. (n.d.). On the Edges of Flow: Student Problem Solving Behavior. Retrieved from http://www.peterliljedahl.com/wp-content/uploads/PME-2016-Flow-and-Teaching.pdf

​Liljedahl, P. (2014). The affordances of using visually random groups in a mathematics classroom. In Y. Li, E. Silver, & S. Li (eds.) Transforming Mathematics Instruction: Multiple Approaches and Practices. New York, NY: Springer. [ResearchGate, Academia]

Meyer, D. (2019, March 8). All Learning Is Modeling: My Five-Minute Talk at #CIME2019 That Made Things Weird [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://blog.mrmeyer.com/?s=mathematical+model

Meyer, D. (2017, March 9). The Difference Between Math and Modeling with Math in Five Seconds [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://blog.mrmeyer.com/2017/the-difference-between-math-and-modeling-with-math-in-five-seconds/

Pearce, Kyle. (2018, October 21). The 3 Act Math Beginner's Guide: Spark Curiosity to Fuel Sense Making. Retrieved from https://tapintoteenminds.com/3act-guide/


Pólya, G. (1957). How to solve it (2nd ed.). Princeton N.J.: University Press.
​

Small, M. (2009). Big ideas from Dr. Small: Creating a Comfort Zone for Teaching Mathematics: Grades 4-8. Toronto, Ontario: Nelson Education.

​Smith, M. S., & Stein, M. K. (2011). 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematical Discussions. Reston, VA: The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8: Mathematics – 2020. (n.d.). Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum/elementary-mathematics/
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    Chris Stewart, OCT Educational Consultant, Flipping the Focus

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    I am passionate about leadership for learning and teaching and learning through inquiry. Through collaborative exploration of high-yield, pedagogical strategies, I have been able to further engage students to deepen their learning and fellow educators in continuously growing their practice--Flipped Learning, Thinking Classrooms, culturing Student Voice, and balancing approaches to instruction in Mathematics--as examples.  I hope that this site serves you well in your educational journey through teaching and learning by moving professional learning into your time ... your space. If you have questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Chris Stewart (OCT).

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I am passionate about leadership for learning and teaching and learning through inquiry. Through collaborative exploration of high-yield, pedagogical strategies, I have been able to further engage students to deepen their learning and fellow educators in continuously growing their practice--Flipped Learning, Thinking Classrooms, culturing Student Voice, and balancing approaches to instruction in Mathematics--as examples. I hope that the sites and resources I have created serve you well in your educational journey through leadership for learning, teaching and learning by moving professional learning into your time ... your space. If you have questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely Yours, Chris Stewart |OCT | Founder & Educational Consultant, Flipping the Focus.

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