Subject: Re: basic math class content
From: Geoffrey Akst (grabm@cunyvm.cuny.edu)
Date: Thu Aug 03 2000 - 15:02:57 EDT
One of my favorite teaching techniques in basic math skills
classes, in order to meet individual student needs, is "exit problems": if
time permits, I stop the class maybe 20 minutes before the end, put some
sample problems on the board which I have covered during the class, and
have students work on them individually bringing them up to me for
correction one at a time.
If a student gets a problem wrong, I say that it's wrong but don't
correct it -- the student returns to his/her seat and redoes the problem.
If a student gets all the problems right, the student can leave
the class early -- except that I ask the first few students in this
category to take my place as a grader, maybe giving a little hint if
necessary to students with mistakes. Students always accept this job,
because it is an honor.
The idea is for the class to shrink, so that the last 5 minutes or
so of class I, with the help of the graders, can focus attention on the
remaining students who are the ones who may need the most attention.
Another good strategy is to encourage students during class to
work together. One way to do this is to only give out exercise sheets to
one student in each group.
Best,
Geoff Akst
At 12:48 PM 8/3/00 -0500, tforstater@harcum.edu wrote:
> >--What techniques have any of you used successfully to help your
> developmental
>students learn the basic math skills? I will be teaching a course in the fall
>and would like any ideas you could suggest.
>Thanks.
>Tammy Forstater
>
>
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