I had the opportunity to do my first IGNITE! talk during the 54th Northwest Mathematics Conference in Whistler, BC, Canada. If you’re unfamiliar with the IGNITE! talk format, all speakers give talks that are exactly 5 minutes long. They get 20 slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds, whether you’re ready or not. It was definitely nerve racking.
I chose to do my talk on productive struggle and how important it is in mathematics education. Check it out:
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In the bike examples, you had these combinations of struggle and feedback: no struggle + no feedback = no reward, low struggle + low feedback = low reward, medium struggle + high feedback = medium reward, high struggle + high feedback = high reward. The lesson here seems to be that to get rewards, there must be struggle, which is a good lesson. But it’s not really a comparison between productive struggle and unproductive struggle, but between productive struggle and (unproductive) lack of struggle. It would be most interesting to hear more about other combinations. In particular, high struggle + no feedback and high struggle + low feedback. These to me would be the epitome of unproductive struggle — there is struggle, sure, but not enough feedback to make it productive.
And perhaps that’s the issue with the resistance from others about letting our students struggle. To see your child struggle is a struggle for the parent, but it’s an unproductive struggle for the parent unless they get feedback — feedback on how their child is making gains through their work.
Thanks David. Lots of great points. My train of thought was that I would first distinguish productive struggle from unproductive struggle. With that done, I went from calling it “productive struggle” every time to simply “struggle”. Yes, there are other interesting places I could have taken the talk, but it can be challenging to fit it all into 20 slides in 5 minutes! Ha.
I think the big challenge is to create “productively struggling students environment” But It depends on teachers. I don’t want to generalize, however, if you work with teachers who are in the field for many years and has their own, traditional way of teaching style, it is a big unproductive and time-consuming struggle to expect them to create a”productive struggle” mathematics classes for students.
Hmm, I’m going to have to disagree with you Al. Have you seen any of the questions on Open Middle? Those often get students to productively struggle and I have yet to meet a teacher who can’t implement one.
I agree with you and I utilize the questions on Open Middle, Robert. What I meant by those types of the teachers were that they have a fixed mindset even though I have a few of those teachers. I debrief and encourage them to integrate such question into their instruction. I usually follow up with them and would like to see the changes in the next classes. Since these teachers may not like to spend enough time for planning, students get involved in less or no struggle as a result.
Great point. I’m definitely going to have teachers ponder and connect the correlation between the level of struggle and the quality/quantity (for the lack of better words) of the feedback for the video discussion.
Thanks, Robert, for sharing your resources and for the great visual. Thanks, David, for your though provoking question.
Thanks for sharing.
I liked the visual comparison of the bike, in particular when the mother was on it. Unfortunately, it still sometimes feels like some students and some teachers expect that math learning will happen just by watching a teacher perform a demonstration. The simple comparison with the bike shows how silly it would be to expect that happen.
Thanks Zane. I searched long and hard for that image, but when I found it, I really hoped it would make the point you’re noticing.
Robert that visual was the one that got your whole point across to me. Thanks for that.
Your presentation was right on point. I find my myself so often doing the work for the students, like the mom helping her child ride the bike. I am working on having them struggle productively.
Let me be clear that it is far easier for me to tell others what to do than to follow my own advice. Ha!
Nice talk. Your photos were perfect to make it relatable and I think I will use some of your points in my Open House Parent Night. Can I use a few images? This felt like an intro to a good workshop. I want to see the rest of the workshop. I will be looking through more of your resources over the summer. I’m in first grade. Thanks!
Thanks Janine. I believe that you have to purchase the images, as I did, from the places that sell them. But for sure feel free to find them and use them as well.
LOVE this video! It perfectly articulates my instructional approach. I typically use the analogy of a baby learning to walk, but I like the glider aspect of the bike analogy. As always, your balance of information and humor are perfect. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for the kind words Kimberly. I’m glad that the bike metaphor resonated with you so well.
Hi Robert,
Do you have CC for this video already? I’d love to show your video in class, but have students with hearing imparments. Please let me know and thank you!
Sorry, I don’t. I’ll put it on my to do list.
Hi Robert,
Do you have another copy of this video with better audio? Since there are no captions it’s hard to share it with teachers.
I’m sorry, I don’t. I really need to caption it and will put it on my to do list.