Exemplars picture prompts start conversations among students to begin discussion of potential math processes that may be involved in the new rich math task. This is just the beginning of the valuable communication that students will engage in. Allow students to converse as they are writing their questions to set up their solution, deciding on a strategy, and determining how to display their mathematical representation. When students share their method, strategy used, and/or thinking to describe their solution set, other students can ask questions and agree or disagree with what’s been said and shown. The teacher can also ask questions at this point to extend the conversation or stretch the thinking.
Making Rich Task Solutions Accessible For All: Leave No Students Behind
Written by Cindy Hayman, Title I, Lancaster, Ohio
First grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade … these are the grade levels with which I’ve presented Exemplars. Why? I love mathematics, numbers, and strategies, so to get to share this with students is awesome. Specific to Exemplars is the fact that all students can solve rich math tasks because each student can use their strengths to work out a solution. Student weaknesses don’t matter; they will be able to work through the task at their level, using the strategies that they know and are comfortable with to find a workable solution. Then … each student can show off their solution strategies and steps by sharing it with classmates. The expectation of Exemplars is not that all students use only one or two strategies to solve a rich math task but that students will use the strategy they know best that meets their needs, makes sense in answering their math task, and finds a solution.
"All students can solve rich math tasks because each student can use their strengths to work out a solution."
Flexibility
For years, I’ve said teachers have to have flexibility as their middle name. Exemplars can definitely work into this opinion of flexibility for both teachers and students. For example, teachers can choose which task to present, whether to organize students into small, medium, or large groups, and to use or not use student rubrics. Students have the flexibility of choosing their solution strategy and method of representation. I’d call this a win/win.
"Students do not need to be 'gifted' or even on grade level to participate in Exemplars. All are able! No one is left behind."
Allowing students to be responsible for their own learning helps them grow into capable adults and the student-friendly rubric can help do just this. Exemplars makes it easy for teachers to guide students by creating a Problem-Solving Process poster for all students and providing planning sheets for each rich task that provides explicit, visual examples of possible student responses.
Differentiation is built directly into each problem set. Teachers can choose the level of difficulty that is best for their students. There are three levels for each, but since each student can explore their own solution form, I believe all problems are differentiated and all students have access!
After students complete an Exemplars task, allow them to take a gallery walk to share solutions, ask questions of one another, share thoughts, have math conversations. Make a list of all the strategies used, providing evidence that math answers/solutions can agree or be the same, no matter the method used. Students do not need to be ‘gifted’ or even on grade level to participate in Exemplars. All are able! No one is left behind.
To sum it up, the weekly, monthly, quarterly use of Exemplars will benefit ALL students at any level of math learning; allow for vivid, valid math discussions; enable students to control their learning through rubric usage; and prove that math solutions are accessible to all.
"... the weekly, monthly, quarterly use of Exemplars will benefit ALL students at any level of math learning; allow for vivid, valid math discussions; enable students to control their learning through rubric usage ..."