WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:26.840 --> 00:00:31.299 Hello and welcome to this recorded session about using games in math class. Happy you could join me. 00:00:33.860 --> 00:00:38.799 My name is Kirsten Dyck, and I'm very excited to share some ideas with you about math games today. 00:00:38.800 --> 00:00:39.290 I'm 00:00:39.290 --> 00:00:45.459 coming to you from Saskatchewan and I would like to recognize that I am here on treaty six territory and the traditional homeland of the 00:00:45.460 --> 00:00:50.950 Metis. I teach middle years math in a grade seven to twelve rural high school. Our division, 00:00:50.950 --> 00:00:55.810 our district has about 44 schools, and we're located on all of the towns around Saskatoon. 00:00:55.970 --> 00:00:59.709 So in the mornings, I teach math in my own classroom and in the afternoons 00:00:59.710 --> 00:01:05.020 I support teachers across the division as I am one of two math coaches for Prairie Spirit School Division. 00:01:05.089 --> 00:01:10.989 I'm excited to be here with you today. A big thank you to both the volunteer organizers of this virtual 00:01:11.240 --> 00:01:17.559 OAME conference and also to Texas Instruments for sponsoring this amazing learning opportunity. So let's just jump in. 00:01:18.680 --> 00:01:22.599 Today, we're gonna spend some time digging into using math games in our classroom. 00:01:22.729 --> 00:01:28.298 You might wish to have something handy like a piece of paper or sticky note, the apps note, the notes app, 00:01:28.299 --> 00:01:33.009 pardon me, on your phone to record a few things for one game specifically. As well at the end 00:01:33.010 --> 00:01:35.859 there will be a link to a Google Doc that has all of the links and 00:01:36.049 --> 00:01:39.999 resources to what we've talked about today and there will be some extra game resources there 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:43.298 for some of the games I use in my own middle years math classroom as well. 00:01:45.979 --> 00:01:50.079 So before we jump in here's what we're going to cover during our brief time together. 00:01:50.540 --> 00:01:54.279 We're going to look at some of the reasons we might use games in our math classroom. 00:01:54.650 --> 00:01:56.650 So that's one of the things we're going to talk about. 00:01:56.750 --> 00:02:02.319 We're going to talk a little bit about how we might choose the games that we are going to play. 00:02:03.530 --> 00:02:07.599 And once we've picked some games, what's important when we introduce them to our students. 00:02:08.660 --> 00:02:14.739 We're going to give you some ideas for some games and all of those will be available in the handout at the end. 00:02:14.739 --> 00:02:16.929 And then finally a few 00:02:17.480 --> 00:02:20.049 considerations for using math games in your classroom. 00:02:20.049 --> 00:02:24.639 So all of these games will be ones that are easy to prepare and the only materials you might need 00:02:25.040 --> 00:02:27.040 might be dice and playing cards. 00:02:28.850 --> 00:02:33.549 So our first question is why would we choose to play games in math class? 00:02:36.660 --> 00:02:41.419 I'm going to give you a moment to just think about what that might be for you. 00:02:43.410 --> 00:02:48.320 So I'm just going to invite you to think about why you might use games in your math classroom 00:02:48.320 --> 00:02:52.849 or if you're already using games, what are some other things that you are curious about today or 00:02:53.970 --> 00:02:56.089 so I feel free to just pause this recording. 00:02:56.730 --> 00:03:00.350 Jot down a few things. Let it run through your mind and I'll just pause momentarily 00:03:00.870 --> 00:03:05.450 so that if you happen to be listening this while you're doing dishes or something that you still have a chance to think about why 00:03:05.450 --> 00:03:07.760 might you use math games in your classroom. 00:03:13.410 --> 00:03:18.380 So I'm going to share my list with you. Perhaps these are some of the same ideas that you had. That's for sure 00:03:18.380 --> 00:03:23.719 not an exhaustive list, but these are some of the things I hope my students gain from playing games in my class. 00:03:24.090 --> 00:03:27.560 So I want there to be some aspects of math class that are fun. 00:03:27.560 --> 00:03:30.440 So that's always the first thing that comes to my mind about playing games. 00:03:30.440 --> 00:03:33.169 I also would really like students to be engaged. 00:03:33.540 --> 00:03:38.719 And sometimes we see students willing to play a game and that might be the most engaging we see them all class. 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:43.070 I always hope that there's an element of collaboration in my classroom and 00:03:43.860 --> 00:03:49.610 depending on the games you choose there can be some collaboration and math conversation built right into the gameplay. 00:03:49.950 --> 00:03:54.830 As well games can be a great way to build some fluency and flexibility with numbers. And for all of us 00:03:54.930 --> 00:03:59.269 we have a variety of students and learners in our classrooms and many games are easily 00:03:59.459 --> 00:04:03.738 differentiated which allows us to the opportunity to meet the students where they are. 00:04:03.900 --> 00:04:07.519 So those are some of the reasons that I like to use games in my math classroom. 00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:10.160 Maybe some of those reasons match up to yours. 00:04:14.070 --> 00:04:18.229 So before we get too far into this we're gonna play one short round, two short rounds of a game. 00:04:18.229 --> 00:04:22.429 I'll give you an opportunity to pause the recording to make sure you have a place to write down a short 00:04:22.500 --> 00:04:26.450 expression. It will have four numbers and then we're going to get started. 00:04:34.960 --> 00:04:37.680 So when I started teaching math again a few years ago, 00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:42.750 I was hunting for games that I could play with my older students as there are so many games that have been 00:04:42.850 --> 00:04:47.339 developed for a younger students and it can often take some digging to find ones for our middle years kids. 00:04:47.650 --> 00:04:53.639 So I came across a blog post by Nat Banting and he described how we used this activity with his group of grade nines. 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:55.510 So that's the source for this game. 00:04:55.510 --> 00:05:01.439 He calls it something else but in my classroom the students started calling it "The Dice Game" and that's the name that stuck. 00:05:01.570 --> 00:05:03.629 So here is "The Dice Game". 00:05:05.860 --> 00:05:12.180 So this is what I would invite you to copy onto your paper. Four blanks for numbers with those operations in between. 00:05:12.520 --> 00:05:14.520 So I'll give you a second to copy that down. 00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:20.100 What's going to happen is you're going to place one number in each of those blanks. 00:05:23.919 --> 00:05:28.829 So this will show up again on the next slide so I'm just gonna move ahead while you copy that down. 00:05:32.200 --> 00:05:37.979 So here's what else is important to know. The numbers you place will be rolled randomly from a 10 sided die. 00:05:38.440 --> 00:05:43.919 After each roll you'll choose which blank to put the number into. So the goal is that in the end 00:05:43.919 --> 00:05:47.249 you're going to create the highest value for this expression. 00:05:47.830 --> 00:05:52.950 However, once you place a number it can't be moved. So you need to feel confident in your choice and your strategy. 00:05:53.080 --> 00:05:59.580 So one number per blank. You're aiming for the highest value and you can't change your mind after a number is placed. 00:06:00.039 --> 00:06:02.039 Okay. So are we ready? 00:06:03.010 --> 00:06:05.010 Here we go. 00:06:05.320 --> 00:06:12.599 As each roll happens, figure out where you're going to place yours to create the highest value. So first number rolled is a 2. 00:06:14.080 --> 00:06:16.080 Where's a good place for that 2 to go? 00:06:20.880 --> 00:06:25.429 Second role gives us a five. Where would you like to put your five? 00:06:28.590 --> 00:06:33.080 Third role is an eight. Did you save a good place in case a high number showed up? 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:38.720 And the last number 00:06:38.850 --> 00:06:46.010 two, so depending on what you chose, that can go into the last blank and I'll give you a few seconds to figure out the 00:06:46.010 --> 00:06:48.010 total that you've created. 00:06:51.780 --> 00:06:57.080 So you can imagine within a class there will be some tears of joy and some sighs of defeat. 00:07:00.330 --> 00:07:07.580 So this might be one way that somebody has put these numbers in and how we've arranged them. So let's just have a look. 00:07:09.300 --> 00:07:14.570 As these numbers are placed what might have been some of the mathematical thinking that this person had? 00:07:15.840 --> 00:07:17.840 What worked out well for them? 00:07:21.390 --> 00:07:24.049 How does this solution compare to what you had? 00:07:28.440 --> 00:07:30.440 So having a look at these numbers, 00:07:31.050 --> 00:07:37.070 we saw the last solution gave us a total of 32. Is 32 the biggest possible total? 00:07:37.890 --> 00:07:42.080 Did you choose wisely for your numbers? What strategy would you use next time? 00:07:47.220 --> 00:07:49.440 What do you going to keep and what are you going to change? 00:07:51.730 --> 00:07:55.110 Because we're gonna try this again with four new numbers. 00:07:55.750 --> 00:08:01.019 So what's the strategy you want to keep from the previous round? Our goal is still to create the highest value. 00:08:01.690 --> 00:08:05.489 Okay, so thinking about what worked last time and what didn't. 00:08:06.580 --> 00:08:08.580 Our first roll is a nine. 00:08:11.710 --> 00:08:13.710 Second roll seven. 00:08:17.380 --> 00:08:24.689 The third number is a four. So which operation are you looking at with the four? The addition? The subtraction? 00:08:26.260 --> 00:08:30.689 And the final number is nine. So that can go into your last blank. 00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:34.979 And I'll give you a few seconds again to figure out the total you've created this time. 00:08:36.250 --> 00:08:38.489 How did this round go compared to last time? 00:08:46.330 --> 00:08:49.020 So, what's the biggest total possible with these numbers? 00:08:50.800 --> 00:08:53.219 How did your answer compare? Did you choose wisely? 00:08:55.540 --> 00:09:01.740 So I'm going to get you to pause momentarily to just think about these questions. Was it helpful for you to play a second round? 00:09:02.440 --> 00:09:04.440 What did you do the same? 00:09:04.540 --> 00:09:09.690 The second time as you did the first time. What did you do differently? And how did your thinking change? 00:09:09.730 --> 00:09:13.410 So I'll repeat those questions and then you can pause the video. Just think about those for yourself. 00:09:13.450 --> 00:09:18.150 What did you do the same? What did you do differently? And did your thinking change? 00:09:27.759 --> 00:09:31.409 So, how would your thinking be different if I'd asked you to find the smallest total? 00:09:31.810 --> 00:09:33.810 What would need to change in your strategy then? 00:09:39.220 --> 00:09:44.970 As teachers, those are some of the questions that we would be able to use with our students when we're playing this game with them. 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:48.000 So now that you've had a chance to play 00:09:48.069 --> 00:09:52.229 I'd invite you to think about if this game was one you were to choose with your class, 00:09:52.509 --> 00:09:55.259 what might you consider before you jumped in? 00:09:55.509 --> 00:09:58.859 So feel free to pause here to just think about what this game might look like? 00:09:59.079 --> 00:10:04.079 Both for when you're in the classroom, and if you're teaching online right now either synchronously or asynchronously. 00:10:04.660 --> 00:10:05.680 00:10:05.680 --> 00:10:08.489 So just pause and think about how this might look in your room. 00:10:12.370 --> 00:10:15.929 How might you introduce this game? How about your students play this? 00:10:21.100 --> 00:10:21.880 00:10:21.880 --> 00:10:27.059 So being intentional about how you'd like to introduce a game might mean the first time you play you decide to play it all together as a 00:10:27.060 --> 00:10:28.300 class. 00:10:28.300 --> 00:10:32.339 Of course you'd want to think about having the setup on the four squares to be visible to everyone. 00:10:32.589 --> 00:10:38.429 You might want to think about whether you want to choose a student to play against or will you challenge the whole class? 00:10:39.009 --> 00:10:43.799 How will students record their guesses? Are they gonna put that on paper or are they gonna play it on white board? 00:10:44.110 --> 00:10:49.469 Once the class knows how to play maybe this is a game that can be played with partners or in a trio of students. 00:10:51.399 --> 00:10:55.948 And how many rounds are you going to play? What's going to be beneficial for your kiddos? 00:10:58.360 --> 00:11:05.189 So here's one version of a short game played with a ten sided die with two people. Each player got their own rolls 00:11:05.189 --> 00:11:07.259 and got to keep their own numbers to record. 00:11:07.300 --> 00:11:11.729 So this is again a variation that you might choose to use in your classroom and 00:11:11.949 --> 00:11:15.989 you will see that this is exactly where the rollsfor our sample game came from. 00:11:16.360 --> 00:11:22.319 So for our partner game, first player rolls a nine. They decide where they would like to place the nine on their game board. 00:11:22.509 --> 00:11:24.509 Game boards are set up exactly the same. 00:11:25.240 --> 00:11:29.430 Second player rolls their first role is a two. So, where are they going to place their two? 00:11:29.470 --> 00:11:31.449 Where would you place your two? 00:11:31.449 --> 00:11:37.469 Next we get a seven. Where will that seven go? And the second player their next roll ends up being a five. 00:11:39.009 --> 00:11:42.178 Player 1 rolls again. Their third number is a four. 00:11:42.610 --> 00:11:49.679 Where will they place that? We end up with an eight for player two. Nice roll. Looking for a biggest number. 00:11:49.989 --> 00:11:56.759 Here we go with another nine for player one. And the final roll for player two. One more 2. Uh oh. 00:11:58.299 --> 00:12:03.749 So when all is said and done based on where the rolls got placed, player one ends up with a score of 52 and player 00:12:03.749 --> 00:12:05.749 2 a dismal five. 00:12:08.739 --> 00:12:11.009 So now that you've seen a game in action, 00:12:11.619 --> 00:12:17.669 maybe pause again and just think one more time about how this might look in your classroom and in your context. 00:12:21.129 --> 00:12:24.509 I'd like to share with you a sample setup for one version I use in my classroom. 00:12:24.509 --> 00:12:30.389 This image comes from just what I've typed onto a regular sheet of paper which slides right into those wipe off covers that you saw 00:12:30.389 --> 00:12:30.959 in the little video. 00:12:30.959 --> 00:12:35.068 So if students are playing in partners they can decide if they wish to total each line. 00:12:35.230 --> 00:12:37.889 Or sometimes they decide to total each round of four. 00:12:38.199 --> 00:12:42.748 So if you were going to play this game in your classroom how might you differentiate it? 00:12:42.850 --> 00:12:46.740 So I'm going to invite you to pause the slides for a moment to just have a look at these options 00:12:46.869 --> 00:12:51.539 here and think about what you'd change if you're going to take this into your own classroom. 00:12:58.310 --> 00:13:03.399 So we can see there's some additional complexity built right in here with the order of operations and exponents. 00:13:03.980 --> 00:13:06.880 But if that's too much for your students, we can simplify this game 00:13:06.880 --> 00:13:10.119 if we need to. We could use fewer blanks for students to fill in. 00:13:10.550 --> 00:13:13.959 We could choose to use a six-sided die instead of a 10 sided die. 00:13:14.750 --> 00:13:19.779 And if needed we could differentiate it up if we wanted to change the operations. 00:13:20.300 --> 00:13:23.919 Change the number of blanks. How many dice we roll at once? 00:13:24.649 --> 00:13:29.889 Add some fractions. I have some students who love to play with a 30 sided die. 00:13:30.680 --> 00:13:35.589 As well, the goal of each round can be changed. Round one for us is usually finding the highest total. 00:13:35.630 --> 00:13:37.630 But we also play with finding the lowest. 00:13:38.270 --> 00:13:40.689 Depending on your grade level you can move into negative numbers. 00:13:40.970 --> 00:13:44.410 And trying to score as close to zero is often a good challenge. 00:13:44.510 --> 00:13:48.729 Or maybe there's a target number. Maybe a student rolls the die, and that's the target number 00:13:48.730 --> 00:13:51.820 they're all trying to reach. That can also be a fun challenge for our kids. 00:13:55.820 --> 00:13:59.830 So thinking it back to the reasons we used for the reasons we listed 00:13:59.830 --> 00:14:03.759 pardon me for using the games, what helps us decide if a game is going to meet our goals? 00:14:03.760 --> 00:14:07.390 So one of the first things we talked about was it needed to be fun and engaging. 00:14:07.610 --> 00:14:13.300 So hopefully the first time we play a game we'll know whether or not students are going to become engaged with the game. 00:14:13.490 --> 00:14:18.039 And for the fluency and flexibility piece, I think back to the first time I heard Dan Finkel. 00:14:18.220 --> 00:14:22.660 He's the creator of Math For Love and the board games Tiny Polka Dot and Prime Climb. 00:14:22.760 --> 00:14:27.939 The first time I heard him speak on a podcast he talked about how to find a good math game and he talked about three 00:14:27.940 --> 00:14:30.820 things to look for. As well as fun, 00:14:30.820 --> 00:14:36.909 one of the things he shares is that math should be the engine of the game. If there is no mathematical or logical 00:14:37.190 --> 00:14:40.510 thinking, then it might not be a good game for us to choose. 00:14:41.420 --> 00:14:45.729 And third, do students have some choices to make within the game itself? 00:14:46.130 --> 00:14:47.839 We've all seen those early elementary 00:14:47.839 --> 00:14:52.809 games where students roll a die or spin a spinner and then they have a blank to fill in about the result. 00:14:53.149 --> 00:14:55.779 So even some, not all, but some of the games 00:14:56.120 --> 00:15:01.510 that are in the textbooks and the other games designed for our older students have those game-like features 00:15:01.670 --> 00:15:07.750 but there are really few things that will disengage a teenager faster than not having any choice about something. 00:15:08.180 --> 00:15:14.539 So if they can't have some opportunity to use both luck and skill to engage their peers in some friendly competition, 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:17.299 then they're not very likely to play that game for long. 00:15:17.670 --> 00:15:20.930 However, if they can make some choices in the game, 00:15:21.089 --> 00:15:26.869 even if it's as simple as a where a number goes in a blank, then they're often hooked in and more willing to play. 00:15:27.660 --> 00:15:31.880 So those are some things that might be important for us to look for when we choose games. 00:15:31.880 --> 00:15:34.789 Are they fun and engaging? Is there some mathematical or logical 00:15:34.980 --> 00:15:38.570 thinking that we can get into? And are there opportunities for choice in the game? 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:44.389 So what's the best way to introduce game play to your classroom? In my context 00:15:44.390 --> 00:15:46.489 I start using games right at the beginning of the school year. 00:15:46.860 --> 00:15:52.099 When we're setting norms for what does our time together look like, we set norms for game play as well. 00:15:52.410 --> 00:15:55.610 So here's the prompt that we often use to guide our brainstorming. 00:15:56.520 --> 00:16:01.819 I'm going to invite you to pause the slides one more time and take a moment to think about how the students in your 00:16:02.070 --> 00:16:06.589 context might finish this prompt. Games work for everyone when... 00:16:18.870 --> 00:16:20.870 So here are some of the 00:16:20.880 --> 00:16:27.800 most frequently suggested answers from my students. Okay, one of the things that comes up about why games work for everyone 00:16:27.800 --> 00:16:33.109 is that when they are fair. This is where student choice during a game comes in. As our students get older 00:16:33.110 --> 00:16:35.869 they know we are trying to trick them into having fun. 00:16:36.150 --> 00:16:41.119 So if the game seems fair, they all have the same chance of winning or losing then they're okay with that. 00:16:41.330 --> 00:16:43.520 That's where said with a strategy pieces get built in. 00:16:44.310 --> 00:16:45.920 Second thing that they like to talk about 00:16:45.920 --> 00:16:50.869 is that every one place to the end or as my grade eights would phrase it no rage quitting. 00:16:50.880 --> 00:16:55.369 You can't just give up partway through. Once you start a game, you've got to finish it. 00:16:55.950 --> 00:17:00.860 And third decide on those rules together before you start. Whether we're playing something like "The Dice Game" 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:06.800 or Zilch or the Connect Four integer game or even something as simple as Pig, it needs to be clear to everyone 00:17:06.959 --> 00:17:12.139 before they start. What the goal is. How they're gonna keep score and how you might win. 00:17:12.600 --> 00:17:15.680 Otherwise someone ends up frustrated and then the fun stops. 00:17:17.970 --> 00:17:19.970 00:17:20.100 --> 00:17:23.000 And since our goal is that sometimes we would like our students to play independently 00:17:23.670 --> 00:17:26.029 it's important that we model the game for them. 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:32.119 Sometimes that can be with the whole class and sometimes showing a few students how to play is enough to teach everyone eventually. 00:17:32.280 --> 00:17:36.469 In my classroom, usually we start with everyone learning the game on the same day. 00:17:36.630 --> 00:17:40.969 That way we can be sure that everyone knows how to play when we come back to the game in the future. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:47.089 As well being intentional with a mathematical or logical thinking, that's also key. 00:17:47.310 --> 00:17:51.560 You know you have more mathematical goals for them besides just having fun. 00:17:51.810 --> 00:17:58.219 So once students have experienced the game, now you can roam the room and ask the questions like: What was your strategy? 00:17:58.560 --> 00:18:01.249 Is this game fair? How do you know? 00:18:01.830 --> 00:18:03.830 Will that strategy work every time? 00:18:04.380 --> 00:18:08.599 Is there a sure way to win? As the professional adult in the room 00:18:08.600 --> 00:18:11.570 you can decide if those questions happen the first time you play. 00:18:11.820 --> 00:18:14.239 Maybe they'll show up at the end of the day at an exit slip. 00:18:14.700 --> 00:18:17.929 Perhaps it's a conversation as you sit beside a group who's playing the game. 00:18:18.300 --> 00:18:21.440 Maybe you save all those for the second time around that you play. 00:18:22.590 --> 00:18:23.450 Either way 00:18:23.450 --> 00:18:29.210 we know that there can be some follow-up thinking to try to dig into what our students are doing while they're playing the game. 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:38.360 So time for another short game. When we consider how we can be intentional to try to hear the thinking of the students, 00:18:38.430 --> 00:18:41.389 there are some really common logic games which come to mind. 00:18:41.390 --> 00:18:47.509 The game of NIM is one that has many variations and can easily be adapted to various levels in your classroom. 00:18:48.060 --> 00:18:53.299 As well, there are many awesome versions of tic-tac-toe and I would like to share a really quick and easy version 00:18:53.300 --> 00:18:56.180 that was originally shared in a blog post by Sarah Carter. 00:18:57.120 --> 00:19:03.709 So this game is called "Traffic Lights". The game setup requires one tic-tac-toe board and three categories of items. 00:19:03.840 --> 00:19:09.199 So the red, yellow, and green worked great since their actual traffic light colors. For students at home right now 00:19:09.210 --> 00:19:13.069 maybe they use colored LEGO pieces that would work. Pieces of broken crayons. 00:19:13.260 --> 00:19:19.129 Three types of coins of increasing value. As long as you keep straight what order they're played in that's all you need. 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:22.160 So "Traffic Lights". 00:19:23.520 --> 00:19:28.009 This is the template kindly shared by Sarah Carter and has the instructions right on there. 00:19:28.040 --> 00:19:31.909 So on your turn you get to do one of three things. I'll give you a second just to read through that. 00:19:37.410 --> 00:19:42.740 So the goal is the same as with regular tic-tac-toe. You want three in a row. In this version 00:19:42.740 --> 00:19:44.839 you want three in a row of the same color, though. 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:50.810 So placing a marker doesn't mean you own the square because the marker might change color. The important thing to remember 00:19:50.810 --> 00:19:53.269 is that the colors must go in the same order. 00:19:53.270 --> 00:19:56.660 So red has to turn into yellow and yellow has to turn into green. 00:19:57.150 --> 00:20:02.570 You can't place a yellow or green marker on their own. They all have to start with being red first. 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:05.180 So here's a short example of what the game might look like. 00:20:05.910 --> 00:20:07.910 Okay. 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:10.990 Here we go. 00:20:10.990 --> 00:20:14.190 So in this game the first player puts down a red right in the middle. 00:20:14.190 --> 00:20:19.320 That means there are limited options for the second player to go or else they're going to be out right away. 00:20:19.320 --> 00:20:21.359 So it doesn't take long for students to figure that out. 00:20:22.780 --> 00:20:27.869 So as we watch we can see that there are a couple of choices that the players are making. 00:20:28.450 --> 00:20:35.500 Do they want to start with a red one every time or do they want to switch out a color red to yellow or yellow to green? 00:20:35.500 --> 00:20:42.060 So let's just watch for a moment and then we'll stop and see what your next step would be if you were the one playing 00:20:42.060 --> 00:20:44.060 the game. 00:20:53.910 --> 00:20:58.999 So if this is the way the game board ended, what do you think would be a good next move? 00:21:02.070 --> 00:21:06.199 So, what would you do if you had the next move? Is there a sure way to win? 00:21:06.570 --> 00:21:08.570 Is there a sure way you would lose? 00:21:09.180 --> 00:21:11.930 Feel free to pause the video just to consider some potential 00:21:12.060 --> 00:21:15.289 moves that you might make as a player if you were to play this game again. 00:21:18.390 --> 00:21:19.440 00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:25.279 Or you might want to consider what your teacher moves might be. If you were watching this game play out with your students, 00:21:25.280 --> 00:21:27.280 what questions would you have? 00:21:28.830 --> 00:21:35.240 Maybe this is an exit slip photo. What kind of thinking could you elicit from the students if they all knew how this game worked? 00:21:39.120 --> 00:21:42.829 How might you use a logic game like this in your math class? 00:21:48.450 --> 00:21:49.980 00:21:49.980 --> 00:21:57.349 And as we consider how to implement games in our classroom, right now we must be cognizant of the circumstances in which we find ourselves. 00:21:58.230 --> 00:22:02.240 And for many of us our teaching roles look very different right now. I acknowledge that 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:05.300 there are many many challenges with our emergency remote teaching. 00:22:05.400 --> 00:22:11.749 Some of us are teaching synchronously and some are not. Some of our students have access to access to technology 00:22:12.150 --> 00:22:17.389 pardon me. And for some we hope that they are getting adequate food every day and technology is the last thing we are worried about 00:22:17.390 --> 00:22:18.060 for them. 00:22:18.060 --> 00:22:20.449 So I will offer only a couple of little 00:22:20.550 --> 00:22:25.310 suggestions that we might want to consider when planning to implement math games in our distant learning practice. 00:22:25.710 --> 00:22:29.090 So first, let's try to keep the materials simple. 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:33.110 Easy to find things that are around their home anyway. 00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:40.099 Dice can be borrowed from other board games or random number spinners and dice can be found online online for those that have access. 00:22:41.490 --> 00:22:45.949 Second a lot of folks are overwhelmed. Let's keep the instructions simple and clear 00:22:46.740 --> 00:22:48.690 And third 00:22:48.690 --> 00:22:56.299 invitational. Our first goal for students playing games is have fun and to be engaged. We continue we can continue to have that as our 00:22:56.300 --> 00:22:58.300 goals for our kids. 00:22:58.650 --> 00:23:05.329 And there are so many people sharing things online right now. So check out the resources page for a few more ideas. Very quickly 00:23:05.330 --> 00:23:10.510 I'm going to share one idea that a teacher posted on his Twitter account. Just that might spark some ideas in you. 00:23:12.470 --> 00:23:13.720 So with his permission 00:23:13.720 --> 00:23:19.419 I'm sharing an idea from Jordan Rappaport. A teacher who has a math game and his most recent choice board for his students. 00:23:19.610 --> 00:23:25.479 The first week is the introduction to the game. The only materials are that you need two people and two dice. 00:23:25.580 --> 00:23:28.449 So I'll give you a second to just look the instructions for the game. 00:23:31.310 --> 00:23:34.720 And look at that awesome last question, is this a fair game? 00:23:39.860 --> 00:23:45.459 So then for week two, there are some follow-up questions. Now that the students know how to play the game, 00:23:49.040 --> 00:23:55.149 Jordan asked some ones that asked that have the students want to dig deeper into the fairness and the strategy behind the game. 00:23:55.850 --> 00:23:57.850 So have a look at those act two questions. 00:24:02.570 --> 00:24:04.100 00:24:04.100 --> 00:24:06.020 And then the third week, 00:24:06.020 --> 00:24:08.020 final questions for his students. 00:24:08.300 --> 00:24:14.500 So not only do the students have an opportunity to play a game. They have the opportunity to do some thinking about the game. 00:24:15.500 --> 00:24:17.450 00:24:17.450 --> 00:24:22.840 And their teacher has the opportunity to hear some of that thinking once its shared back with them. 00:24:23.960 --> 00:24:28.509 Simple instructions. Easy materials. And some rich mathematical thinking. 00:24:31.910 --> 00:24:34.300 So thank you to Jordan Rappaport for sharing that. 00:24:35.990 --> 00:24:40.959 So as we move forward into planning how math games might look when weare back in our classrooms, 00:24:41.270 --> 00:24:44.050 I'd encourage you to start collecting from anyone and everywhere. 00:24:44.050 --> 00:24:48.250 There are so many games that might seem really easy for your grade level and 00:24:48.470 --> 00:24:54.909 many of those can be readily adapted to increase the mathematical thinking required. As well there's nothing wrong with kids 00:24:54.910 --> 00:24:58.420 just having fun with something that's going to help them build some fluency and flexibility. 00:24:59.720 --> 00:25:05.139 Storing the games in my classroom just happens in basic file folders, which are accessible at all times for my kiddos. 00:25:05.360 --> 00:25:10.479 They know where the dice and the cards are kept. As well as where the wipe off covers are and the 00:25:10.550 --> 00:25:12.580 Whiteboards and they're welcome to use those at any time. 00:25:14.420 --> 00:25:17.830 So by using games as a regular part of my classroom practice 00:25:17.830 --> 00:25:24.549 I can feel confident in knowing that my students are developing some fluency and flexibility with numbers and they're having some fun doing it. 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:28.329 So I'm just gonna invite you have a look at some of those questions. 00:25:29.360 --> 00:25:34.000 Maybe pause for a minute and see if there are some things that resonate with you. 00:25:34.700 --> 00:25:38.919 Things that you maybe have an answer for today. Some things that maybe you want to keep thinking about. 00:25:39.110 --> 00:25:41.709 So I'll give you a moment just to pause to look at those questions. 00:25:55.870 --> 00:26:00.960 So I really hope that within this presentation you've been able to think about how using games might fit into your 00:26:01.090 --> 00:26:07.739 mathematical teaching practice. Or how you might become more intentional about choosing games if they're already something you like to have in your teaching tool kit. 00:26:07.930 --> 00:26:11.820 I'd love to hear any of these takeaways that you've got or any questions that you might have. 00:26:16.150 --> 00:26:21.930 Thank you to everyone who is here taking part in this workshop. I know this feels so much different than a hands-on workshop 00:26:21.930 --> 00:26:23.860 where you get to play all of the games 00:26:23.860 --> 00:26:28.620 but I hope you're able to find time to try out a few new games over the next months and weeks. Maybe even 00:26:28.750 --> 00:26:33.780 introduce them into your classroom practice for right now, or maybe just save them until we're back into our schools. 00:26:34.180 --> 00:26:40.139 Thank you to all those teachers, some of whom who might even be watching, who were ever so generous with their ideas and resources 00:26:40.300 --> 00:26:42.450 which allows the rest of us to be inspired. 00:26:43.210 --> 00:26:49.319 Thank you again to the committee for organizing this virtual conference and thanks to Texas Instruments for the sponsorship. 00:26:50.020 --> 00:26:56.129 And again, thank you for taking the time to be here today. Please feel free to email or connect on Twitter. 00:26:56.130 --> 00:26:58.130 I would love to chat with you. 00:26:58.750 --> 00:27:00.810 Thank you and stay safe.