Resource Blog #4

Learning logs

As students start class, they are given a prompt to which they respond for a few minutes in writing. The task is not designed as a mathematics problem per se, but rather to encourage students to focus on mathematics.

One fifth-grade teacher typically used learning logs to review previously learned material. On one occasion, the prompt she posed was, What did we learn about mean, median, and mode? Most students wrote at least a half page filled with definitions and examples (see Figure 1A). While studying probability, one student wrote the following definition: "The 'probability' of something is how likly your gonna get, pick, or find something." He then gave an example using shapes and colored cards (see Figure 1B).

Figure 1A: Learning log entries by fifth graders — definitions and examples of mean, median, and mode

The article I found gave examples of multiple ways to integrate mathematics and writing. One strategy I particularly liked was a learning log. A learning log is a way to get students to review what they did in class the day before through writing. This activity is like a bell ringer.  Students are given a prompt that usually asks a question about a term they learned the class before. Students only have few minutes to work on their learning log. This activity is designed to get students thinking about math as soon as they come into the classroom. This is also a way teachers can get a quick check to see what students know and what they still need work on.

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