Spit Wads in the Classroom?

1. What did I learn? 

This week I learned how to turn spit wads into a constructive learning activity.  We learned how to turn what could have a boring worksheet assignment into a fun and interactive group learning activity.  One of my group members turned her cotton ball "frog" into a nicely weighted flying machine using her very own spit- how's that for ingenuity and creativity?  Giving students an interactive math project allows them to put a little of their own flair into the assignment, making it mean more to them, while helping them understand an abstract concept.  Students who wonder how or why would they would ever need to know a certain math concept in "real life" will benefit by physically doing an activity like this.  

I also learned about how to use tangrams to give students additional points of entry.  Although everyone at my table had trouble figuring out how to make the giraffe until it was done for us under the doc cam, we did feel successful when we figured out how to make a giraffe that was twice the size of the first one.  It was fun to learn with my group members.  We did a great job listening to each other, and solving the problem together.

2. What do I have questions about? 

I wonder how long it will take me to be creative and comfortable enough to incorporate interactive learning projects into my classroom.

3. What are the implications for classroom practice?

Students will be able to use the information they have gained from doing these types of projects/activities by applying them to abstract concepts and understanding how math is used in their everyday lives.  All students benefit from activities like this for the reasons stated above, and because different points of entry are offered for the students who need them.  (I think all students benefit in one way or another when exposed to many points of entry - you can never tell what will spark a students love for learning - or when a certain concept idea will "click" with a student).  

We have learned that students won't take risks with their learning if they do not feel safe.  I think the group projects and activities that we have been exposed to allow students to take risk with their learning in a safe and fun environment.  Students will feel more comfortable pushing themselves further when learning feels fun rather than boring or risky.