So that brings us back to how this "Mega Bundle" saved my sanity. The bundle, includes over 40 different levels of 4th grade (and into 5th grade) Common Core concepts. Each level includes around 24 different problems with QR codes to check answers. What I am doing with them in a bit different. Each day students have a certain time in their rotations that is assigned as the task list I already mentioned. During that time, they are required to start with the QR task cards. I have made 3 copies and split them up into 4 packs (1-6, 7-12, 13-18, and 19-24). They grab a pack of six cards and on the accompanying worksheet they record their answers to the questions. They then give their pack and worksheet to another student in their group that worked on a different set of cards. The second student uses the pack and a QR reader (we are currently using iPads but hope to find a simple reader for the chromebooks) to check the answers for correctness. This second student marks what is wrong and gives it back to the first student. Three or more wrong answers means that students lose the choice of what to do with the rest of their time and have to do review or scripted lesson programs. Two or less wrong means that they have more freedom to choose what they do, including during independent practice time if they have finished early. Part of the reasoning for my rules about others checking their work and the number correct has to do with keeping students honest about finishing their work and about not rushing just to get it done. By having a reward, they are more likely to take the work seriously. On Friday, if they have a certain number of problems correct through the week they get to make choices during task list, while those who got too many wrong have to go back through and redo the problems they had incorrect the first time around. This adds another layer of practice for those who need it. I have also seen a side benefit with the early finisher students that when they come to tell me they are done and ask what they should do, it is really simple to ask what they got on their QRs and allow them rewards or work based on that. Lastly, as tempting as it to have the students working on QRs that go with what we are currently learning, that isn't really the purpose of spiral learning so I try to focus on concepts that have already been taught. For instance we are currently working on fractions during our math lessons so last week I had them doing place value QR tasks. Now that we are working on simplest form, I notice division facts could be more solid so their QR's this week are division with remainders, a similar concept to what they need but not the same.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorThat's Elementary Explains is a teacher with almost 2 decades of teaching experience and a technology degree who is still trying to figure out the new and unexplained. Archives
March 2021
Categories |