Professional Learning Goals

• Improved the use of assessment to guide instruction in a developmentally appropriate way
• Used PRIME math to establish student learning on a continuum
• Incorporated math strategies from PRIME math resources to strengthen student math processes

Activities and Resources

The activities that we conducted to meet the goals of the project are establishing student learning goals around big ideas and co-creating success criteria. We utilized the three-part lesson that integrates all math processes throughout the unit. We incorporated the triangulation of evidence to assess of learning.

The resources we used for the project are as follows: (1) PRIME – Professional Resources and Instruction in Math for Educators – Patterning and Algebra, (2) Ontario Ministry of Education Mathematics curriculum, (3) Open Questions for Patterning and Algebra and Measurement Grades 4 to 8, (4) Math Expressions – Developing Student Thinking and Problem-Solving Through Communication, (5) Math Makes Sense 5, (6) Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, (7) School Effectiveness Framework 4, 5 and (8) Growing Success.

Unexpected Challenges

All activities were helpful in meeting the goals. It would have been more helpful if all four team members and not just two had been trained in PRIME math for patterning and algebra.

Enhancing Student Learning and Development

• Established where student learning was at initially and what steps needed to be taken to take them to the next level of learning according to the PRIME phases
• A comprehensive chart that detailed the concepts and skills attainment on the PRIME phases was a useful tool to track student learning growth
• The three-part problem-solving lesson approach allowed for differentiation in student learning
• Students developed their cooperation and communication skills in working with groups to solve problems
• Students were able to self-assess and reflect through the sharing of problem-solving approaches

Sharing

• Photos and comments of various stages of the project were posted on Twitter through @ICarlaw and shared to the followers of that account and hashtag #PeelPRIME – which consists of Peel District School Board math consultants and teachers trained in PRIME
• At the May 2017 Castlemore Public School staff meeting, the results of the project were shared in terms of identifying student learning needs, our action plan and the key learnings from the project
• Ingrid Carlaw’s training with the Peel DSB PRIME Number Sense and Numeration in February 2017 was also an opportunity to share with other schools key learnings from using PRIME
• Keri Houle included other instructional coaches with the project as advisors to further assist the project and share with other teachers within the school board who were new to implementing PRIME

Project Evaluation

The project was a success as the team of teachers did all gain new insight and knowledge into their teaching practice through collaboration.

The teachers did gain a better understanding of the needs of their students which could be applied to other subjects and future math strands.

The evaluation of the learning goals are as follows: All three goals was met as the PRIME assessment was effective in placing students on a learning continuum. Activities from the PRIME resource were used to scaffold learning and then expanded upon from there into the three-part lesson. PRIME training was not widely available at the time for the other two team members which was a setback for them in fully understanding its implementation. The project could just have been limited to two trained team members, but there was still an opportunity for learning with all four members.