De-streaming with the help of VNPS and Thinkingclassroom

 

De-streaming the Grade 9 Ontario Math Curriculum

 

 

The Ontario Government has decided to eliminate grade 9 math streaming in all Ontario school boards starting September 2021. The justification for the de-streaming is to give students more opportunity to choose any education path they’d like in the future. In the past students who have chosen to be in the Applied stream would only have the opportunity to go into college, whereas the University stream allowed students to apply to University or College programs. Giving students this opportunity to decide later on what they’d like to pursue for secondary education will encourage students who never thought they’d go to College or University to chase their dreams.

 

 

Although de-streaming is definitely encouraged by many teachers, teachers are now given the challenge to ensure that all their students' needs are met. These classes will have students of all academic levels, which could make it difficult for students to have their needs met as many students will not get the necessary help or challenge they need to continue to be engaged and successful in the classroom. This is where VNPS and Thinkingclassroom come into play!

 

 

 
VNPS_thinkingclassroom_iteachmath_math_

 

 

How can VNPS and Thinkingclassroom help?

 

 

Here are some elements of the thinking classroom that will allow all students to think and succeed when working out problems in your math class.

 

 

  • Randomized Groups: In the thinkingclassroom mindset students are put into randomized groups, this allows students of all academic levels to work together and collaborate to learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses.

    •  

     

  • VNPS: Vertical non permanent surfaces are large erasable surfaces that allow students to work together, make mistakes and are visible for the teacher and other students. VNPS can be anything from whiteboards, windows or chalkboards. They promote mistake driven learning and thinking!! This will allow students of all levels to work out the question and try their best with their group members.

    •  

     

  • Work Space: Students should be scattered around the classroom, standing in front of their VNPS, they should be visible to all students and teachers.  In many cases students struggle to sit down and do their work, allowing them to stand with their classmates and provide a more welcoming environment than the traditional classroom.

    •  

     

  • Group Interaction: Students are encouraged to interact with other groups during the lesson, rather than thinking of it as “Cheating” it is thought of as collaborating ideas and helping one another. When students are at different academic levels they are able to collaborate with one another getting ideas and then continuing the work where they got stuck. It’s a great way for students to interact and help one another.

    •  

     

  • Hints: Teachers are encouraged to give hints and extensions during appropriate times throughout the lesson. The hints are for students who are struggling with the question to feel more comfortable completing the question. The extensions are for those students that want to take the question further. By providing the hint and extension it allows all students to continue to be engaged with the question, students will gain confidence in their ability and ensure that everyone is challenged in the class.

    •  

     

  • Debriefing: The teacher should be doing small debriefing sessions throughout the lesson to ensure all students are on the same track. The first debriefing session should allow all students to participate and then they continue to get harder as the question unfolds.

    •  

     

     
    whiteboard_VNPS_thinkingclassroom_Flipchart

     

     

    How does Wipebook Come into play?

     

     

    Wipebook products are the perfect VNPS tool for students, the Wipebook Flipchart provides 10 removable whiteboard flipchart paper that can be put anywhere around the classroom, the graph side provides students with the perfect math workspace. The students are able to move them around and be comfortable working on a whiteboard surface anywhere they need. The Wipebook Workbooks are another great tool for students and teachers, personalized whiteboards do not have to be large and bulky. Our Workbooks provide 4 different surfaces that include graph, lined and blank, they are thin, easy to use and come in packs of 25!! They allow students to write their ideas down and work out math problems.

     

     

     workbooks_flipchart_VNPS_Thinkingclassroom

     

     

    Wipebook products are here to help educators make their classroom a place where ALL students can learn and succeed.

     

     

    You May Also Like: 

     

     

    Some more gear to help you build your thinking classroom