Capturing Learning While Teaching

In math today, we were continuing to work on a lesson in the Fosnot Contexts For Learning math kit. Part of the introductory lesson was to flash a variety of 10 frames with different numbers of dots coloured on each one, and to have students explain how many dots were on each 10 frame. While I was interested in the answer, I was even more interested in knowing how students got the answer. I initially started this lesson by putting the first 10 frame under the document camera, and then having the students tell me how many dots were on it and how they knew. I wasn’t writing anything down. I wasn’t recording anything. I was just talking to the class.

Then I got the first answer, and I was genuinely surprised. I loved this child’s thinking, and it was then that I knew that I wanted to capture it. I needed to capture it. So I asked one of my students to grab the Livescribe Pen and book, and we started again. I was still flashing the 10 frames under the document camera, but this time, I was writing down the children that I picked to answer and a few key points about what they said. Since I also had the benefit of audio recording, anything that I couldn’t write down, I could listen to later.

In seven minutes though, I knew what strategies all of the students were using. I knew where they were all at in terms of understanding the concept of 10, and I knew how to partner students up accordingly. It amazes me that the Livescribe Pen allows me to assess while I’m teaching. I can now send this data to Evernote, tag it accordingly, listen to it again later, and structure my next mini-lesson on what came out of this mini-lesson. I can also add my own additional notes too, reflecting on how this initial lesson impacted on what students did during the follow-up activity, and how it impacted on what the students discussed during the math congress. The learning never stops!

Have you ever used the Livescribe Pen in this way before? What were the results? I would love to hear your experiences too!

Aviva