1. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Chris Harris, Math TOSA, Escondido Union School District
Strand: CCSS & Mathematics | Grade Level: Middle School
A Number Talk is a short daily routine that helps students build computational fluency. It’s not about speed, it is about students discovering and sharing strategies that allow them to be flexible with numbers. Students are engaged and teachers are amazed to hear their students' thinking. In this session, you will participate in a Number Talk and discuss what can be gained by adding this simple routine to your daily schedule. Learn about using hand signals, building students’ confidence, building vocabulary and speaking skills and implementing the Standards for Mathematical Practice.
Put up while waiting to start
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

2. Number Talks in Middle School Why and How
Chris Harris,
Math TOSA, Escondido Union School District
@charrismath
Resources:
Title page.Vote with your feet, if this isn’t what you want, walk out!
Vote with your feet:
If session is not what you need/want, walk out!!
Time is valuable.
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

3. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and HowMe
Currently I am helping 4-8 grade teachers implement CCSSM and change the way they teach to meet the Standards (both Content and Practice).
I AM NOT AN EXPERT!!!
You
Emphasis on elementary number talks.
YOU – classroom teacher or coach. Ts grades, self-contained or have you heard of Number Talks? Have you seen Number Talks? Have you done Number Talks? More than 2 times?
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

4. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
The Why
This is NOT a 21st century classroom.
What comment does (almost) every teacher who teaches 4th grade or higher sadly say about their math students?
teacher words vs student words. collaboration, critical thinking, conceptual understanding
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

5. Mathematical Practice Standards
The Why
CaCCSSM
Mathematical Practice Standards
CaCCSSM
Fluencies
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Reason abstractly & quantitatively.
Construct viable arguments & critique the reasoning of others.
Model with mathematics.
Use appropriate tools strategically.
Attend to precision.
Look for & make use of structure.
Look for & express regularity in repeated reasoning.
K Add/subtract within 5
1 Add/subtract within 10
2 Add/subtract within 20
Add/subtract within 100 (pencil & paper)
3 Multiply/divide within 100
Add/subtract within 1000
4 Add/subtract within 1,000,000
5 Multi-digit multiplication
6 Multi-digit division
Multi-digit decimal operations
7 Solve px + q = r, p(x + q) = r
8 Solve simple 2X2 systems by inspection
Standards for Magth Practice
Fluencies - like fluency with language, not entirely about speed. Flexibility and conceptual understanding.
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

6. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
The Why
As a Classroom Teacher
You’ll hear your students thinking.
You will build their Number Sense, which seems to be a missing component.
Your students will like the routine - they get to talk, to the whole class and to a partner. They can discuss and ‘argue’ for their strategy and answer.
As a Coach/TOSA/Specialist
Use Number Talks as a way to get into classrooms. Teachers will be pleased when you engage the students.
Teachers may be amazed when they hear their students’ thinking.
Model once and go back a month later!!!
You and I are going to chat throughout this so lots of stuff will come up.
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

7. All teachers and All students
Everyone!!
All teachers and All students
- language learners - working on speaking and presenting as well as math.
- SPED - these students have been learning alternative strategies for years, now they can share.
- advanced learners - working on explaining, more than just an answer, can look for more than one strategy for each problem.
- shy students - the ones who never talk can be talking to their partners, every answer is accepted, wrong answers included!
- ‘not so’ shy students - hand signals make these students think before throwing up their arms and distracting the rest of us.
The Who
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

8. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
The What
“Simply defined, number talks are five- to fifteen-minute classroom conversations around purposefully crafted computation problems that are solved mentally.”
Sherry Parrish, Teaching Children Mathematics October 2011
Definition, I like the best, emphasize purposefully crafted!!
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

9. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
The How
Teach students hand signals
Get rid of pencils & paper
Present the problem(s)
Accept all answers, non-judgmentally
Have students justify their answers
Make a written record
(Don’t forget to stop!!)
Can’t emphasize enough the purpose part. Show them hand signals
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15 9

10. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Let’s give it a try
Go over hand signalsPut a 5 dot card, also need it on paper
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

11. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Another more complex dot card – maybe linked to a strategy
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

12. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Another more complex dot card – maybe linked to a strategy
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

13. Why Dot Cards? numbers represent quantities
you can use dots flexibly (& numbers too)
students can be successful
almost always guarantees several correct answers
useful introduction to Number Talks
numbers are quantities

14. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Why Strings?
A Number String is a group of problems that can be used in a single session.
Each string consists of 3-5 problems.
The sequence of these problems allows students to apply a specific strategy or strategies from previous problems.
Students will build a toolbox of efficient strategies based on numerical reasoning.
numbers are quantities
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

15. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
7 + 3
8 + 2
8 + 5
8 + 9
addition strategy, making tens
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

16. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
35 X 8
100 X 4
70 X 4
50 X 8
140 X 2
25 X 16
A string – halving and doubling
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

17. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Why Single Problems?
Giving students a single problem allows teachers to see how a student chooses to solve a problem.
Usually there are multiple strategies for solving the problem.
As students explain their solution teachers ‘see’ how their students think!
numbers are quantities
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

18. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Closer to 0, ½ or 1?
13/24
16/25
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

19. Fractions: Addition Estimation
1/7 + 5/ About ½ About 1 About 2
88/91 + 5/ About ½ About 1 About 2
single problem maybe a fraction comparing lots of strategies?
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

20. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
For the teacher
wait time
look for multiple strategies
nudge students beyond the algorithm
expect precision of language
listen – don’t explain a student’s words
ask students questions (for both correct and incorrect answers)
get students to talk to each other
students should ‘present’ their answers
record the thinking – in a correct mathematical fashion
sometimes you can share your way of thinking
continue to do Number Talks – it gets better!!
Note all the connections with ELA standards
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

21. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
This is the book & method most commonly used in elementary school
There are lots of ways to do Number Talks and lots of purposes. We based what we do on the Sherry Parrish book.
It isn’t hard to have kids do math with a group but this must be purposeful!! This is the Book I used in elementary.
There is a DVD with examples
“Simply defined, number talks are five- to fifteen-minute classroom conversations around purposefully crafted computation problems that are solved mentally.”
Sherry Parrish, Teaching Children Mathematics October 2011
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

22. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Resources
This is the book for grades
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

23. Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
2 other good books
Session #301 - Number Talks in Middle School: Why and How
Personalizing Learning in the Common Core Era California League of Schools Annual Conference South 10/23/15

24. Chris Harris
Math TOSA
Escondido, CA
Questions, Comments, Concerns???
@charrismath
Resources:

25. Thank you for attending this session!
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