The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Unsilence
Students’ Voices
Suzanne Alejandre, Philadelphia, PA
Marie Hogan, West Covina, CA
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Introductions
 Suzanne Alejandre
 middle school mathematics and computer
teacher 1973–1977, 1988–2000
 Math Forum Staff 2000–present
 Marie Hogan
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K-8 teacher multiple subjects 1987–1998
Principal of a private school 1998–2000
middle school mathematics teacher 2000–2012
Math Forum Teacher Associate 2009–present
Audience ?
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Our Classrooms
PREMISE: a person “learns” when they have
a voice (mental, verbal, written)
PREMISE: every classroom has silenced
voices
PREMISE: there are different reasons why a
student’s voice is not heard
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Reasons
 Too many voices, not enough time
 Lack of fluency (or confidence)
 Passive conditioning
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Too Many Voices/Too Little Time
If we consider the time we have and the
voices that need to be heard, how do we
maximize the time for students’ voices?
Tip 1: As you call on students during a
classroom discussion, do not repeat.
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Demonstration
“Wooden Legs” Read Aloud
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Claim #1
When a teacher repeats what a
student says, it robs them!
The thought no longer belongs
to the student – it transfers back
to the teacher.
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
http://mathforum.org/blogs/suzanne/2011/12/01/wooden-legs-videos/
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Too Many Voices/Too Little Time
Tip 2: Create environments that
maximize the number of students
talking.
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Demonstration
“Turn and Talk”
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Claim #2
A teacher cannot hear
everything each student says.
Ultimately the student owns
each of their thoughts.
It’s okay if a teacher
doesn’t hear everything!
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Lack of Fluency in the Language
Mathematics is a language.
Learning a language requires
an environment with a need
to communicate.
Tip 3: Use “scenarios” to help create a need to
talk about mathematics with each other.
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Claim #3
Establishing and developing
environments can help
unsilence voices, including
 expectations
 scaffolding
 practice
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
If you get stuck, you might try to notice
• The quantities (known or unknown counts or measurements).
• Relationships between quantities.
• Information that is not given in the problem but that might be related
or that the problem reminds you of.
• Key words from the problem.
Your wonderings may include:
• I wonder what will happen if …
• I wonder what this word means …
• I wonder if this pattern will continue …
• What does this mean?
• What do they want?
• Does it have to be that way?
• Do I need to figure that out?
• How does this situation work?
• Is there another way to think of it?
• How will I know if this is true?
• What is a good way to express that?
• When is this true?
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
http://mathforum.org/workshops/cmc/2011/hogan.html
 What do you hear?
 What do you see?
 What do you see
in the diagram?
 What do you notice
as you read?
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Lack of Fluency in the Language
Tip 4: Provide students with lists of
questions to ask, scaffolding their
need and ability to communicate.
 I am not sure I understand.
 How does that work?
 Why did you use “(insert a word)”? – can
you tell me what it means?
 Why did you say that?
 Can you tell me more?
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 How do you know?
 How does that make sense?
 How can you say that in a different way?
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Moving from Passive
to Active Learners
Tip 4: Provide a question for students
to practice and then another and
another until they have a working list
of questions to ask during their
mathematics discussions.
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Connecting to CCSSM
MP1 Make sense of problems and
persevere in solving them.
MP3 Construct viable arguments and
critique the reasoning of others.
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Online Resources
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Notice/Wonder
CMC-North 2011: Get Your Students Hooked On Noticing
and Wondering
ComMuniCator, December 2010:
Problem Solving–It Has to Begin
with Noticing and Wondering
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My Students Can Notice/Wonder, Now What?
Session 324
1:30 – 3:00, Friday, November 2
ComMuniCator, September 2012:
Unsilence Students’ Voices
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
http://mathforum.org/workshops/cmc/2012/south/
The Math Forum @ Drexel - mathforum.org
Opportunity