Academic Literacy: Writing
While many educators are comfortable with vocabulary being a part of academic language, there are many facets. Take for example, writing.
If our goal is to have our students thinking and acting as mathematicians, we must show them the ways of mathematicians. So we ask, how do mathematicians write?
Students need to be practicing the vocabulary that we are teaching them by taking ownership of the words and using them themselves. One way to accomplish this is through having students write.
How do we get our students writing in math, you ask? Where does one find the time, you ask?
A great way to incorporate writing into math is by asking students to reflect on their problem solving in a "Math Journal." Providing students with a math journal and teaching them how to properly use it at the start of the school year, is an effortless way to embed writing into their daily lives. Students will keep their journal with them as they are learning math to jot down important formulas, enduring questions, possible alternative processes, or steps they used to solve various problems. This space is for students to keep important tidbits of thoughts for themselves. It can be messy, creative, wordy, or bulleted. Regardless of the presentation, the students are formulating their thoughts in writing.
Another easy was to incorporate writing into math is to ask students to "Explain." As students often encounter on the Regents, "Explain" asks students to think about and justify their solution. By teaching students how to explain well, and often, we can build students' writing skills, metacognition, and confidence in mathematics.
Click here for a step-by-step tutorial on how to use the "What Did I Do?" strategy in the classroom.
If our goal is to have our students thinking and acting as mathematicians, we must show them the ways of mathematicians. So we ask, how do mathematicians write?
Students need to be practicing the vocabulary that we are teaching them by taking ownership of the words and using them themselves. One way to accomplish this is through having students write.
How do we get our students writing in math, you ask? Where does one find the time, you ask?
A great way to incorporate writing into math is by asking students to reflect on their problem solving in a "Math Journal." Providing students with a math journal and teaching them how to properly use it at the start of the school year, is an effortless way to embed writing into their daily lives. Students will keep their journal with them as they are learning math to jot down important formulas, enduring questions, possible alternative processes, or steps they used to solve various problems. This space is for students to keep important tidbits of thoughts for themselves. It can be messy, creative, wordy, or bulleted. Regardless of the presentation, the students are formulating their thoughts in writing.
Another easy was to incorporate writing into math is to ask students to "Explain." As students often encounter on the Regents, "Explain" asks students to think about and justify their solution. By teaching students how to explain well, and often, we can build students' writing skills, metacognition, and confidence in mathematics.
Click here for a step-by-step tutorial on how to use the "What Did I Do?" strategy in the classroom.
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| "What Did I Do?" Strategy Poster |
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