Parallel Tasks and Scaffolding

Session Goals• Understand how parallel tasks allow access to the

mathematics for all students• Make sense of the process for creating parallel tasks• Practice creating parallel tasks• Practice anticipating difficulties and creating scaffolding

questions• Develop skills at phrasing questions to conduct focussed

conversations as a critical friend • Practice focussed conversations with critical friends

Snowball Fight

Parallel Tasks – Misleading Graphs

Common Questions• What strategies did you use to determine the accuracy of your

graph?• Why might a newspaper or a company choose to use an inaccurate

graph?• What are some things to look for when examining a graph in the

media?• What is the criteria for an accurate representation of data?• What viewpoint do you think the author has or is trying to project on

this topic?• What are some techniques/strategies that the media uses to create

misleading representations?• What was the first impression that you got when you looked at the

graph? What was your impression after a closer look?

Process for creating this task:

Video Break

A Billion for a Billion

Parallel Task on Simple InterestCreating Common Questions• Work individually or with a partner.• Read the MEL3E lesson task outline related to

simple interest.• Explore the parallel task.• Create a series of common questions for the

parallel task.• Share your common questions with another

individual/pair.• Share with large group.

Common Questions

• Some questions should be specific to the mathematics in the task

• Some could address the processes that students might have used

• Need to pull out the intent of the lesson goal

• Students need to be able to respond regardless of which option they chose.

My Common Questions:

• What was your result?

• How did you get your results?

• Why do you think you got the results you did?

• Would adding 2 to a variable(s) give the same result as doubling the variable(s)?

• What effect would you expect if you halved the variable(s) instead of doubling?

Scaffolding QuestionsWhere to start?- Think about what difficulties students might have.- Anticipate misconceptions that might occur.- Try not to make your question “what you should

do next is…..”- TIPS4RM Mathematics processes package have

some good general question starters which you could adjust to make them more specific to the task.

Parallel Task on Simple InterestCreating Scaffolding Questions

• Go back to the MEL3E parallel task on simple interest.

• Now create a series of scaffolding questions for the parallel task.

• Share your scaffolding questions with another individual/pair.

• Share with large group.

My Scaffolding Questions:

• What does it mean to “double”? Can you give me an example?

• Does your answer make sense to you? Too small? Too large?

• Is there a way to organize you work that might help? Would a chart or table help?

• What patterns do you see?• Does it matter which variable(s) you select to double?

[Option 1 or 2]• Have you thought about the connection among doubling

one, then two, then all three variables?

Marian’s Suggestions for Creating Parallel Tasks

• Select the initial task.

• Anticipate student difficulties with the task (or anticipate what makes the task too simple for some students).

• Create the parallel task, ensuring that the big idea is not compromised, and that enough context remains common so that common questions can be created.

• Create at least three or four common questions that are pertinent to both tasks. You might use processes and big ideas to help here. These should provide insight into the solution and not just extend the original tasks.

• Ensure that students from both groups are called upon to respond.

Your turn – Starting from Scratch

Use a blank PPQT template (paper or electronic)•Choose a course and curriculum expectation•Connect it to a Big Idea and write a lesson goal•Create a parallel task for the “Action” part of the template. •Develop appropriate common questions.•Think about possible scaffolding questions.•Write a consolidating question that connects to your lesson goal

Conversations with Colleagues: Two Role Plays• Listen to each conversation.

• Note types of questions asked and types of comments made by Liisa as she and Karen discuss Karen’s task.

• Summarize the main characteristics of each conversation.

Discuss at your table

• What do you see as the main differences between the two conversations?

• What types of questions were asked in either or both conversations?

Focussed ConversationsCharacteristics:• a simple and effective way to support professional

growth for yourself and your colleagues• a colleague asks questions to help you reflect on your

practice (colleague sometimes called a critical friend in coaching literature)

• conversation is not evaluative or directive, but rather encourages reflection (the critical friend is not playing the role of an expert)

• question stems are provided to help both

participants focus on student learning

Focussed Conversations – cont’d

Characteristics:• can occur when you are planning a lesson or task, or at

the conclusion of a lesson or task, or both• more effective if you can plan something together that

you will both be doing in your classrooms• more effective (and less threatening) if they are truly

about student learning and not about the individual teachers

Practice• Work with a partner. • Ask one person to play the role of a critical

friend. • Have a focussed conversation about the parallel

task you created.• Switch roles.

• You may wish to revise your parallel task based on your focussed conversation.

Share

Share your revised parallel tasks with the group.

Session Goals• Understand how parallel tasks allow access to the

mathematics for all students• Make sense of the process for creating parallel tasks• Practice creating parallel tasks• Practice anticipating difficulties and creating scaffolding

questions• Develop skills at phrasing questions to conduct focussed

conversations as a critical friend • Practice focussed conversations with critical friends

Exit Card

• Please take a moment to complete the exit card and leave it with us before you leave

Letters from Camppp