Phillips Exeter - Pioneering a discussion/problem-solving method of teaching, creating all of the materials, and exporting their expertise via their website (http://www.exeter.edu/academics/72_6539.aspx) and summer institutes. Incredible!
Johnothon Sauer - Blogging/sharing his experiences, and materials, with implementing this in his public school classes via his blog (http://harknessforthirty.blogspot.com), teacher website (http://www.edline.net/pages/Mason_High_School/Classes/1415_2431_1_1), and email. Thank you!
Glenn Waddell - Blogging/sharing his experiences via his blog (http://blog.mrwaddell.net) and email. Thank you, as well!
Like those above (and others, I'm sure), I'm acutely interested in honing my "teaching math" craft and more than willing to assist those in doing the same. This blog serves as an opportunity to do both.
Background on my situation:
As the math teacher (Algebra II and PreCalculus), my situation is rather unique as the students will be taking two math classes each day - their usual Chinese class and mine. Given that their Chinese math class is traditional (40+ students/class, lecture-driven, very little student/teacher in-class interaction), my goal is to provide a problem-solving, student-driven math class. Internet searches on how best to do this (more fully than I’ve done in the past) led me to the Harkness Method.
I’m the high school math teacher at St. Mary’s Wuhan No. 2 School (http://www.smschool.us/page.cfm?p=561). Our international school is a partnership between Knowledge Link (http://kleducation.org/KnowledgeLink/index.php), St. Mary’s School in Medford OR, and Wuhan No. 2 High School. My school (and, currently, six others) was developed to provide a creative, critical-thinking education, in English, to area students interested in pursuing studies at both China and U.S. colleges and universities.
My classes are enviably small - two PreCalculus classes of 12 and 13, and one Algebra 2 class of 6. (Some recruitment struggles this past summer.) The main difficulty will be generating discussion as the culture generally teaches the students to not speak in class. Throw in the second language of English (not to mention the language of math) and a fear of making mistakes and this method will prove to be both challenging and necessary for future success for those students pursuing college in the USA (the goal for most of them).
From what I’m learning, their math skills are already strong and/or developed/developing in their Chinese classes. What they need from me is discussion/English skills and creative/critical//problem-solving skills. Thus, I’m far less focused on covering some pre-defined, US curriculum than I am on getting them to think, challenge, discuss, make mistakes, etc. Exeter’s materials and the Harkness method really seems to fit the bill.
Week One:
Delightful students (discipline won't be a problem)
Lots of silence; too much talking by me (will I be able to out-wait them?)
An intense need for all of the students to SPEAK UP (this will be a challenge)
Wide range of English ability ("What is an 'estimate'?")
Introducing a template for solving each problem (thanks, Johnothon!)
No Harkness Table so desks currently arranged in an oval
Limited chalkboard space
Smartboard and worksheet projector (use projector for student problem display?)
Working to align Exeter materials to my classes
How am I going to grade? (discussion and HW completion need to factor in somehow)
The Harkness Method is brand new to me and them, so we'll all be learning and growing this year. I have to focus my efforts on getting them to talk (loudly!) in class, discussing and learning from one another. This will be a challenge. That said, teaching via the Harkness Method is pretty much exactly what they need if they are going to be successful in future US math classes.
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