Learning Math using bean stick

1. Learning Math using bean stick NameVANESSA (VASILEIA) KERAMIDA - Which of the four face-to-face institute or Elluminate session topics did you select to report on and why?I selected mathematics because I wanted to improve the way I teach in my classroom using differentways of depiction- With whom did you pilot this new practice and at what grade level did you undertake your pilot?The school in which I teach this year is located in a small rural town. There is only one class in the kindergarten grade level, in which I am the only teacher. Therefore I could not cooperate and benchmark this new practice with any other teacher or class 1

2. Connections with Colleagues • - Describe in a few brief phrases what connections you made with colleagues in experimenting with this new practice. • Due to the fact that there were no other teachers in my school, I interacted with my CGS kindergarten colleagues through phone conversations. 2

3. Successes • - Name two or three 'successes' you experienced with this pilot. What changes did you notice? • The kids were very excited when the received the bean sticks. They interacted with the material, they learned how to create numbers using the different stick combinations • The kids started to understand numbers in a different, more practical way, through something tangible and not using a theoretical obscure definition. 3

4. Challenges • - Name two or three challenges you experienced with the pilot. What got in the way of your success? • Regarding the number combinations, it was quite difficult in the beginning and it took the kids sometime to understand the mechanism. • Unfortunately, I could not compare the pilot results with an alternative mechanism, or exchange views with other colleagues, since there were no other teachers or classes in my school. 4

5. Next Steps • - Name two or three next steps with this material. What will you try next? How will you build on your experiences with the institute? • Since the kids seem to have understood the concept, I will try to use different ways (i.e. different material) to confirm that everyone has understood the meaning of number combinations and that they do not relate them only with bean sticks • I will repeat the pilot next year when I will be teaching in a school with more classes along with other teachers. This way I will have the opportunity to share the team teaching philosophy with my colleagues and broaden my experience. I will try to work together with my colleagues in order to evaluate all activities through the student work protocol and to improve them if necessary. 5