Personalized Learning: Math Menus

Introduction. I want to start off by going back eight years ago, when I was in the seventh grade. My middle school was in a 7-12 school. My entire seventh grade class had 53 students from four different towns. I was sitting in the front of my math classroom, with my hand held high. I knew the answer to the problem on the board, just as I had known the answer to the various other problems before. My teacher casually looked over me, and later reminded me that I could only answer one question a day. I gradually became bored in class, and stopped being eager to answer questions. I sat at the back of the class and started on work. I began to hate math class. I found it frustrating and boring. I lost a passion for the subject, and it took until my senior year of high school to find it again.

My experience is a common example of middle level math teachers refusing to differentiate and personalize learning for students. This is a time period where students are thinking about themselves. Young adolescents must see relevance in what they are learning. Math has traditionally been a one size fits all class. It is filled with lectures and worksheets. Those who understand are often left bored and unengaged. Those who are falling behind are left feeling confused and defeated. In my experience many students begin to lose interest in math, because there is a lack of relevance and differentiation for students in the classroom. I believe the key to fix these problems and cultivate a love for math in young adolescents instead of extinguishing it is through differentiated and personalized learning. A great way to put this into practice is through Math Menus.

What does the Research Say? In February 2012 a research study of 1,000 schools nationwide conducted by an independent research firm called ResearchNow surveyed middle school students around 10-14 years old to learn more about math relevance in middle schools. This survey found that 48% of middle school students preferred to learn new subject material through hands-on activities and only 11% of middle school students prefer to learn new material through lectures and textbooks. The sad news is most math instruction is still mostly administered through lectures. There seems to be a gap between what research says for best math practice and what is happening in classrooms. Math menus are a solution. They are great way to incorporate more hands on activities in math.

Math Menus. The short two-minute video below from Teaching Channel gives a great description of menus in a math classroom. Menus are becoming a great way to differentiate and personalize learning for students in all subject levels. Most of the time they will take an entire class period or more. There a variety of ways these can be designed, such as a tic-tac-toe board or an appetizer, meal, and dessert. The second video below shows a middle level social studies class that applies this form of menu. A similar method could be used in a math classroom. Another option is giving students different activities that equal different amounts of points. The students can work to add up 100 points. It is important to make sure the menu does have a free space. This will allow students to propose a way they believe they can show their learning. The more creative the more fun it will be. Each section should have a minimum of three activities. It is crucial that students are able to select the activities that they want to complete. This allows them to find something they feel meets their needs. There should be a variety of activities so all learners can find something they are interested in. When students are able to choose their activities they begin to be more interested the subject. This activity most of all empowers students. Their learning becomes their choice, and they are able to find a purpose.

Video: Learning Menus: Giving Options & Independence

Video: Differentiating with Learning Menus

As an instructor there are many benefits to menus as well. This method allows the teacher to be available to all students. The teacher walks around and assists students as needed. I suggest having students check-in with the teacher as they finish individual sections. This allows the teacher to check-in with each student throughout the class period and intervene when necessary.  Another great aspect of menus is they are flexible. A teacher can create the different activities themselves, but their are also amazing resources online. I have enjoyed Differentiating Instruction with Menus: Math (Grades 6-8) by Laura E. Westphal. Each menu meets The Common Core State Standards. I have attached a sample menu from this book below.

Conclusion. Middle school is such a crucial time for students. Many young adolescents begin to lose enthusiasm for school. Personalization is incredibly important to help students realize their passion for school again. Personalization allows students to choose what they do and how they learn. This empowers them, and makes them feel they have a choice. One method that is simple and easy to implement in the classroom to give students this opportunity of choice is Math Menus. This fantastic tool gives students different activities where they are able to make choices. If student's have a choice they will start to care more. They will be engaged and find their passion for learning again.

Annotated Bibliography:

Vagenas, Mary.(2012). Differentiating with Menus. [Video File]. Retrieved March 08, 2017, from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/differentiating-instruction-strategy

This source is a short five minute video from Teaching Channel. It showcases a Middle school teacher using menu in her classroom. The video actively shows a successful implementation of menus in a middle school classroom. The teacher goes on to name the benefits that menu offers to classroom. She focuses on differentiated lessons and how menus tailor to the needs of individual students. Her students also discuss how menus are beneficial to them. Students mention personalization and the ability to work at their own pace as a few benefits. This source will be used to show a middle school classroom that is effectively implementing menus.

Morey, Crystal.(2012). Learning Menus: Giving Options and Independence. [Video File]. Retrieved March 08, 2017, from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/independence-in-learning

This source is a short two minute video of from Teaching Channel. This video showcases a middle school math teacher using menu in her classroom. She explains why menu is useful and how to properly use it. Menu helps students effectively build concepts and knowledge independently.  The teacher also explains how menu allows students to choose the tasks that they complete and which ones are graded. Throughout the video the teacher provides examples of learning menus effectively being used in her classroom. She also provides information on where she gets her resources for student tasks. Finally she discusses why this strategy is a great tool for differentiating learning. This source is a great multimedia resource that shows menus effectively being used in a math classroom. It provides helpful ideas and strategies to best implement this strategy in a classroom.

Westphal, Laurie. Differentiating instruction with menus - math, grades 6-8. Waco: Prufrock Pr, 2009. Print.

This source is a book with many math menus. The math menus are categorized by subject matter and are all common core state standards compliant. There are many forms of menus throughout this book. They range from short term menus that can completed in a single class period to long term menus that may be completed over the course of a couple of weeks. This source is fantastic for teachers who wish to implement menus in their practice but do not have time to create nine or more different activities for students to choose from. This is also a great resource for teachers to get new ideas for activities for students

http://www.raytheon.com/news/rtnwcm/groups/corporate/documents/content/rtn12_studentsmth_results.pdf

This survey report had great statistics around middle school math students. This survey showed how students nationwide prefer to learn new subject material, as well as looks at a middle school students perception of math.

Advisory

A good advisory program most importantly starts with relationships. The teacher must create a safe space for students. A great advisory creates an environment where students get to know each other and the teacher. It creates a community where students feel comfortable getting help from. This could be as simple as help with a homework problem or as complicated as help with a fight with a friend. Students should feel comfortable with those around them.

A great advisory gives every student an adult advocate. Advisory and adult advocacy go hand in hand. They work so well together. An advisory teacher is given a number of students they can look out for and support. A good advisory will give students the guidance they need. The teacher will look out for the student academically and developmentally. He or She will be there as a problem solver and helper. A good advisory teacher communicates with other teachers to better understand each student academically and has constant conversations with students. Most importantly a great advisory teacher creates a bridge between students and the rest of the school. They are someone who can connect students and support them academically and developmentally.

Teaming

I think the biggest thing I have been wondering about as I have read about teams is how a large team works. I would think that more voices and opinions would make it very difficult to get anything done. Many of the articles suggested solving this problem by making sure there is a set agenda at every meeting, and holding everyone at the meeting accountable. I think this is important. The only way teachers are truly going to collaborate and create a curriculum students will enjoy is if team time is used properly and effectively. Another thing I thought about is how much involvement from the administration is appropriate and sufficient. When I was a middle school student I remember my teacher often complaining about our administrators. I was wondering if there is such a thing as too much involvement? I believe it is really important for administrators to be present at team meetings and provide teams with the tools to become even better teams. So I believe that administrators should be very involved in the process, but I'm not a teacher yet, so I was wondering if team teachers believe there is too much involvement at these team meetings, or maybe even not enough?

I had many ah-ha moments as I was reading the Clark & Clark article on teaming. This article was more geared towards school leaders and how they can make teaming more effective. Ioved the article, because I hope to be a school leader myself one day. The article had many valuable strategies, including common planning time, collaboration, holding team members accountable, and communication to better the team. With each of these strategies it offered ways for administrators and leaders to foster these strategies in their schools. This article made me realize strong and involved leadership is a very important part to implementing successful teams in middle schools.