Math+Congress


 * A math congress is a strategy a classroom teacher may use to consolidate a three-part lesson.**

There's a great monograph from the Capacity Building Series that explains what a math congress is as well as @Bansho and @Gallery Walk: @http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/CBS_Communication_Mathematics.pdf

The Math Congress is more than a group share. It's all about intentionality and making connections. The following photos are from actual SE2 classrooms. Thank you to Cynthia (North Bendale PS) and Laura (Donwood Park PS).

The congress begins with the teacher strategically selecting specific students to share their solution with the class. The highlighted solutions should allow the teacher to achieve the learning goals of the lesson.

After the selected students present their thinking, the rest of the class may ask questions, make connections to their own thinking etc.

Notice where Cynthia is sitting during this process? She did this purposely to let students know that she is part of the math community as well. Students tend to talk to the teacher, instead to each other, when he/she is standing at the front of the class.

After the selected students finish presenting their thinking to the whole class, the teacher summarize and highlight key points of the lesson. Laura made connections between the different strategies in this lesson. Justus uses this time to give the whole class oral feedback about their posters (organization, communication etc.) and their strategy.

The Summary and Highlights of the lesson may be recorded on chart paper to create an anchor chart (as Kvitka and Iain did in their lessons).

This strategy is most useful when a problem that will evoke conversation and discussion is posed to students.