Sunday, September 8, 2013

Centers for Math and Science

In addition to daily Math and Science Workshops, center time is a special part of our day which serves to supplement what is being studied in the core units of focus. Students are assigned a place in a "rotation" of four different types of activities, one per day, and each activity serves it's own special purpose.

Technology Time
While at this center rotation, students log on to Reflex Math in order to build and maintain their fluency with multiplication and related division facts. Occasionally, students may also finish a Gizmo activity that was started in a Math or Science Workshop, or they may be directed to visit a specific website that enhances something we are currently studying.


Concept Enrichment
This center rotation offers math challenges and enrichment games that correlate with skills or concepts we have been studying in class. In this particular photo the students are playing "Toss and Turn" where they roll dice to determine a problem that they will discuss with their partner on the topic of rounding whole numbers.

Skills Practice
Students complete independent work during this part of the rotation. Assignments might consist of a science lesson review or possibly a math skills practice activity where students will be assigned a task of math problems to complete (based on their identified needs).



Teacher-Led Small Group
This center rotation is very prescriptive so that individual student needs can be addressed with ongoing teacher feedback. Some students may need reteaching to address a misconception and others may need a challenge to extend their learning with more problem-based tasks. Anecdotal notes are recorded on each student while here and a note in each planner informs parents of skills or concepts that were discussed.


Our Wild Adventurers are WILD about center time!

4 comments:

  1. Center time looks like fun! So glad Chatfield has the opportunity to learn from you!
    Kelly

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  2. Thanks for the note in the planner about AJ's conference. It allowed me to have a conversation with him about the work and reinforce the concept of rounding.
    Lourdes

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  3. You seem very efficient with your center time. I appreciate the teacher led center as you get to know your students on a more personal level and know how to help them individually.
    -Karen Morris

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  4. Center time is AWESOME all of my other teachers have never had anything like it.Center time is my favorite time of the day.Not to mention that you get to know each student on a more personal level love,lexie

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