I'm quite excited!!

For me, this is a wonderful post. A young, enthusiastic, passionate teacher thinking of different ways in encouraging their pupils to problem solve.
Well done, JD.

 

Re: JamDrop ...

Kids can't count? Teachers' fault
Kids can't read? Teachers' fault
Kids don't have respect? Teachers' fault
Kids are not aware of social dangers? Teachers' fault

A pattern emerges...one that JamDrop's kids could probably spot quicker than those quick to criticise the profession

 

I agree

 

An update on this for anyone interested.

The children did fantastically!! They really enjoyed it, had fantastic discussions, represented their findings in completely different ways (one group drew the frogs, one did a bar chart etc.) and one of them spotted an incredibly difficult pattern worthy of a level 5 at least:

number of moves = (green frogs x blue frogs) + total number of frogs


Here's what we did yesterday: http://www.transum.org/software/SW/S...y7.asp?ver=stu

This gave them a chance to consolidate their knowledge of factors and multiples in a different way, rather than them just writing them all down in a long list. There is an option to change numbers lower down for the higher ability children. I've never seen them quite so excited about their times tables.

 

I just get a server error with that link JD. Was looking forward to testing my skill haha

 

Oops try this: http://www.transum.org/software/SW/Starter_of_the_day/starter_May7.asp?ver=stu

Or this should definitely work (same thing, but has a solution at the bottom of the page) http://www.transum.org/software/sw/starter_of_the_day/starter_May7.asp

 

Did everyone acheive under old fashioned schooling? Eerrrmmmm ....no!!!!! Kids that couldn't do it were left to rot basically. Don't put kids of today now .. mine are doing work in year 6 that I didn't touch until we hit secondary.

 

An update on this (as someone asked me earlier how the frogs were coming along ) The children are being extrememly grown up about it all and can't wait for Investigation Fridays! I have been asking them for ideas, and suggestions I got were along the lines of "we could practise our times tables" and "we could use the laptops some weeks, but not use them all the time, we could use counters instead" etc. (that kid got some daggers shot their way ) I have written a short description, and a link where possible to the task for people who want to join in.

Week 1
Frogs - see first post for detailed description http://www.transum.org/Software/Investigations/Leapfrog.asp

Week 2
Flabbergasted. Factors and multiples - see post #44 for more info http://www.transum.org/Software/sw/Starter_of_the_day/Starter_May7.asp

Week 3
Palindromes - Children had to find out how many steps it takes each 2 digit number to become Palindromic. A palindrome is a number (or word) that is the same read backwards as forwards. To make a number palindromic reverse the digits then add them together e.g. 21 + 12 = 33 Some numbers take more steps than others. (89 takes 20 odd!) Again, the children approached this in different ways, some logically working through each numbers, some realising that you only have to do half of the numbers as you have already done the reverse, some just picking random numbers to try.

Week 4
How many triangles can you see? http://www.transum.org/software/SW/Starter_of_the_day/starter_September23.asp The children had smaller versions of the triangle to colour in the different ones they spotted. Again, some approached it logically, some not so. One group actually found all of them!

Week 5
Power Lines - The children loved this!! It followed on from our week of problem solving and magic squares. http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/powerlines/powerlines1.html The Power Cells have to be placed in the circles so that all the numbers in the same straight line add up to the power line total. Once you complete all 8 levels you get a password to unlock the next phase and then a final password for the ultimate phase. Three of my groups (out of 10), got up to Level 4 in Phase 2 in 30 minutes. Can you beat them? Extra merit if you spot how the password links to a previous investigation

Week 6
Caterpillars - A caterpillar's age is written on its head (no caterpillars live more than 100 years). If its age is even, you halve it and write the number in a body part, if it is odd you add one and write the number in a body part. Keep going in this way until you get to 1. E.g. 50, 25, 26, 13, 14, 7, 8, 4, 2, 1 An age 50 caterpillar has 9 body parts (head not included). What age caterpillar has the longest body? Can you spot any patterns?

 

Last week's update for anyone who is interested/is playing along.

Week 7
Murder Mystery - I gave the children a list of suspects and 5 clues to work out who the murderer is (using skills such as co-ordinate reading and codebreaking). The clues can be done in any order, but if done in numerical order they will eliminate half of the suspects each time. I think this challenge has been their favourite so far, and involved a dramatic race to the finish (I didn't encourage this, they are just competitive), between a team on the top ability table and a team on the bottom ability table. The top ability did just beat them to it in the end.

Here are the clues if you want to have a go too, the suspects will be in the next post.

 

Suspects:

 

Pity they didn't teach you how to not be a **** in school DT.

 

Eh?

Edit: Ooh I get it, you don't mean DT as in Design Technology!!!