Introduction to Organizing in Math

1. Introduction to Organizing in Math

2. What is Organizing? • Organizing is a strategy to detect and understand patterns of relevant information. • Students identify information they have and must gather to solve a problem.

3. Key Elements of Organizing • Students select a graphic organizer to help them arrange relevant information. • Examples of graphic organizers include: • Graphs • Tables • Charts • Lists • Concept maps

4. How Does Organizing Help Students? • Supports them in more easily seeing patterns and learning mathematical concepts. • Guides their thinking about what they do and don’t know about a problem. • Gives them ideas of ways to approach solving a problem. • Helps them maintain chunks of information in memory to use in problem solving. 

5. Discussion Questions 1 • How do you explain organizing to your students? • How does organizing connect with the CCSS Math Practices? • How can organizing help a struggling student get “unstuck” when working with a problem?

6. How Can I Support Students' Use of Organizing?

7. Use Evidence-based Instructional Practices • Provide Clear Explanations • Use Varied Examples, Materials, and Models • Provide Ongoing Formative Assessment

8. Differentiated Instruction • Plan instruction that considers students' readiness, learning needs, and interests. • Use a range of technology tools to: • engage learners at varying levels • engage learners in multiple ways. • offer students options for demonstrating understanding and mastery

9. Teacher-Dependent Ways to Differentiate • By Content • Different levels of reading or resource materials, reading buddies, small group instruction, curriculum compacting, multi-level computer programs and Web Quests, audio materials, etc. • By Product • Activity choice boards, tiered activities, multi-level learning center tasks, similar readiness groups, choice in group work, varied journal prompts, mixed readiness groups with targeted roles for students, etc. • By Process • Tiered products, students choose mode of presentation to demonstrate learning, independent study, varied rubrics, mentorships, interest-based investigations

10. Student-Dependent Ways to Differentiate • By Readiness • Options in content, topic, or theme, options in the tools needed for production, options in methods for engagement • By Profile • Consideration of gender, culture, learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses • By Interests • Identification of background knowledge/gaps in learning, vary amount of direct instruction, and practice, pace of instruction, complexity of activities, and exploration of a topic

11. Discussion Questions 2 • In what ways do you differentiate instruction when you introduce organizing information to your students? • What technology tools have you used to enhance instruction? • What criteria do you use for selecting organizers to show your students?

12. Provide Clear Explanations: Possible Strategies • Explain how organizing helps us find what we are looking for or see if something is missing. • Describe the purpose of each kind of organizer (list, table, graph, concept map, etc.). • Discuss with students the features that make each kind of organizer helpful. • With each organizer, give students time to think about how the information is organized.

13. Use Varied Examples, Materials, and Models: Possible Strategies • Share many examples of each kind of organizer with students. • Model how to use each organizer to solve problems. • Give students time to practice using a variety of organizers to solve different types of problems. • Have students who use different organizers share their strategies and reasons for using them.

14. Provide Ongoing Formative Assessment: Possible Strategies • Make sure students understand how to choose and use organizers before they start tackling problems. • Note any problems that students have in entering information into an organizer; provide support. • Look for student misconceptions in the use of organizers; re-teach use of organizers as needed. • Have students create and add to a portfolio of organizers they successfully use to solve problems.

15. Use Research-Based Strategies and Tools • To launch the lesson • During the learning task • As you bring closure to the lesson

16. Discussion Questions 3 • What challenges do your struggling students face in using organizers? • What strategies do you use to help students overcome their challenges? • Which formative assessment strategies do you find most effective?

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