Notice and Wonder Charts

     Wednesday was the last day of class, and the last peer presentations as well. In saying this I was glad to have been introduced to another style of inquiry that can be utilized in a variety of lessons. The instructor began the lesson by showing us a small clip of a man attempting to break the world record for most claps in a minute. She showed us 4.5 seconds of this video and then instructed us to record our observations on the 'notice and wonder' chart. I had seen these charts in an online forum before, but had never used them in a classroom setting. I was intrigued by the use of the charts and the discussion that was created. She then also asked us to predict whether or not he would beat the world record of 721 claps in a minute. Many of us used reasonable strategies to predict this outcome that included trying to count the claps per second or the total number of claps in the 4.5 seconds.

     Once we had all recorded our predictions on the sheet we then watched the remainder of the video and were asked if we thought our prediction was reasonable. This would allow students to demonstrate their understanding of mathematical processes and theories. They can show connections to topics outside of mathematics as well. For example, my group factored in fatigue as we did not think he could hold the same pace for a minute straight. In the end this prediction was correct as he did miss some beats near the end.

     After this activity I began to think about how I could use these 'notice and wonder' charts in my future as an educator. I feel as thought it was a highly successful tool in creating discussion and allowed students to either share their thoughts with the group, or record them on their own sheet for later. I think they could apply in a variety of lessons in the math classroom, as well as a variety of other subject areas as well. I could not help but connect this to my first teachable, Physical Education. I can see myself using these charts to analyze the mechanics of a specific skill. Showing two videos side by side and allowing students to 'notice and wonder' about the differences in that skill. We could then talk about which style may be more beneficial and how the mechanics could be changed to reach the highest level of success. Overall, these 'notice and wonder' charts will be useful in my future as I can utilize them in every aspect of my classroom.

Mr. Moore