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Worthwhile Mathematical Tasks

Individual knowledge, collective

knowledge and cultural identity
interweave activity in classrooms.

Tasks and examples influence how students view,

develop, use, and make sense of mathematics.

Mathematical Focus

Students should not expect that tasks will always involve

practising algorithms they have just been taught; rather,
they should expect that the tasks they are given will
require them to think with and about important
mathematical ideas.
Tasks that require students to think deeply about
mathematical ideas and connections encourage them to
think for themselves instead of always relying on their
teacher to lead the way.

Building on Students Thinking

Plan mathematics learning experiences that enable

students to build on their existing proficiencies,
interests, and experiences.

Students current knowledge and interest are at the

centre of instructional decision making.

Problematic Tasks

First Nations Experiential Learning Cycle

Set tasks that require students to make and test

conjectures, pose problems, look for patterns, and

explore alternative solution paths.
Open-ended and modelling tasks require students to
interpret a context and then to make sense of the
embedded mathematics.
When working with real-life, complex systems, students
learn that doing mathematics consists of more than
producing right answers.

Engagement in
Real Life learning
experiences

Reflecting:
Internalization of
the experience

Games can also be a means of developing fluency and

automaticity. Instead of using them
as time fillers, use games because
they meet specific mathematical
purposes and because they
provide appropriate feedback and
challenge for all participants.

Culturally-responsive teaching
approaches are rooted in
students and communities
cultural knowledge.
Culturally-responsive teaching seeks to
enhance students academic involvement
in the learning process while honouring
the importance of First Nations
perspectives and world views.

It is an approach to teaching that

focuses on First Nations students
identities and self-esteem, as well

as the cultural integrity of the

community.

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Connect to Everyday Life:

Practice Activity
Students need opportunities to practice what they are
learning, whether it be to improve their computational
fluency, problem- solving skills, or conceptual
understanding.

Culturally Relevant
Math Pedagogies

Acting:
Application of
experience to
other real life
situations

Meaning Making:
Analysis of the
experience

Culturally-responsive approaches open up

new possibilities for re-imagining the
project of mathematics education and
education more generally for all students.

When students find they can use mathematics

as a tool for solving significant problems in
their everyday lives, they begin to view it as
relevant and interesting.

Making Connections:
Support students in creating connections
between dierent ways of solving problems,
between mathematical representations and
topics, and between mathematics and
everyday experiences.

Caring Ethics
Caring classroom communities that are focused
on mathematical goals help develop students
mathematical identities and proficiencies.

Connecting Learning to the Land

Look for opportunities to take learning outside.

Asking questions requires

students to participate in

mathematical thinking and problem solving.

classrooms have a strong mathematical

focus

Allowing sufficient time for students to

explore responses in depth.

classroom relationships become a resource

for developing their mathematical
competencies and identities

students find they are able to think,
reason, communicate, reflect upon, and
critique the mathematics they encounter

Teacher Questioning

Arranging for Learning

Pressing for explanation and understanding,

teachers can ensure that students are
productively engaged.
Questions are a powerful means of assessing

address the learning needs of students who do

may not thrive in a conventional classroom
setting

nurture respect for the natural environment

Independent thinking time

teach self-discipline and instil pride

Feedback
Helpful feedback focuses on the
task, not on marks or grades; it
explains why something is right

foster healthy living practices

Teacher Reflection
Apart from providing
feedback for students and
parents, it can yield
information about your own
teaching practice.

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Partners and
small groups

thinking.

engage in experiential learning

Eective teachers provide students with

opportunities to work both independently and
collaboratively to make sense of ideas.

Whole-class discussion

students knowledge and exploring their

What worked well?!

What didnt work so well? !
What would I do differently next time?!
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Reflect on and revise your own practice
with respect to teaching mathematics
(including mistakes). !

or wrong and describes what to do next or

suggests strategies for improvement
Effective teachers support students when they
are stuck, not by giving full solutions, but by
prompting them to search for more information,
try another method, or discuss the problem with
classmates.

Sources
Culturally-Responsive Mathematics Pedagogy
Through Complexivist Thinking
http://www.ibe.unesco.org/fileadmin/
user_upload/Publications/
Educational_Practices/EdPractices_19.pdf
http://firstnationspedagogy.ca/experiential.html