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Lesson by lesson podcasts for teachers of Illustrative Mathematics®.
(Based on IM 9-12 Math™ by Illustrative Mathematics®, available at www.illustrativemathematics.org.)
Spreadsheets. Right. They might not scream excitement at first glance, but today's deep dive, well, we're taking you on a journey into the heart of how middle schoolers can unlock some seriously cool math secrets hiding within those rows and columns.
Speaker 2:It's like giving them x-ray vision for numbers, isn't it? Yeah. Suddenly, those cells aren't just boxes. They're clues in a giant mathematical puzzle.
Speaker 1:Exactly. We stumbled upon this really intriguing lesson plan, and what grabbed us was how it guides teachers to help students kind of discover these concepts on their own.
Speaker 2:That's the key. Yeah. Especially for students who might be stepping into the world of spreadsheets for the first time, it's not about force feeding formulas. It's about igniting that natural curiosity we all have deep down.
Speaker 1:Makes you wonder what is it about this whole discovery based approach that makes it so darn effective even in something as, you know, seemingly technical as a spreadsheet.
Speaker 2:Well, there's a mountain of research out there suggesting that when students, you know, actively uncover things for themselves, the understanding just runs deeper. Think of it like, think of it like being handed a map versus navigating your own path through a forest.
Speaker 1:You get that sense of accomplishment when you find your own way. And speaking of finding your way, this lesson plan, it kicks off with a really cool warm up activity, the make 24 game. You get four numbers and using just basic math, you gotta make them reach 24.
Speaker 2:Sounds deceptively simple, But when you think about the skills at play, analyzing relationships, experimenting with different operations, spotting patterns, those are the building blocks of spreadsheet thinking.
Speaker 1:It's like they're stretching those mental muscles they'll be using later on. Then things get really interesting because the lesson dives into mystery operations.
Speaker 2:Yes. This is where the real detective work begins. Students, they get a premade spreadsheet. Right? But here's the catch.
Speaker 2:Some cell values, they magically change based on others, Their mission, crack the code, figure out how they're all connected.
Speaker 1:So instead of just being told, hey, here's the formula, plug it in, they're actually figuring it out themselves through, what, experimentation?
Speaker 2:Exactly. And the beauty is the lesson encourages them to explain their thought process. They have to put those moments into words. That's where it really sinks in much more so than just passively plugging in a formula.
Speaker 1:It's like they're building their own knowledge brick by brick instead of just just being handed a preassembled model. That's gotta be empowering for them.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely. And that feeling of empowerment that I can do this attitude, well, that's pure gold in a learning environment. Wouldn't you say?
Speaker 1:Absolutely. They're starting to see the matrix, the connections within the numbers. But what about those inevitable roadblocks? I imagine this kind of activity, it's gotta come with its fair share of misconceptions.
Speaker 2:You're right. And the lesson plan anticipates that. It tackles it head on, one common stumbling block, grasping what it actually means for numbers to be related. What does that look like mathematically? Addition, subtraction, something else entirely.
Speaker 2:Students need to define that for themselves.
Speaker 1:You know, it seems like such a simple word, related. But in the context of a spreadsheet, it takes on a whole new meaning.
Speaker 2:Precisely. And that's what makes this approach so valuable. It forces that deeper level of thinking, that questioning of assumptions. Instead of just saying, okay, these numbers are related, but I don't know why, they're challenged to dig deeper.
Speaker 1:This is already so fascinating, and we haven't even gone to the part where they start building their own spreadsheets.
Speaker 2:So we left off with students, you know, cracking the code of those premade spreadsheets.
Speaker 1:Right. Putting on their detective hats.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:But then it gets even more interesting because now
Speaker 2:Now they get to build their own.
Speaker 1:They switch sides. Right.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. From code breakers to code creators.
Speaker 1:I love that.
Speaker 2:It's that natural progression. Right? Yeah. Once you kind of understand how something works, you wanna try your hand at making your own version.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Like, I get it. I get how this recipe works. Now let me
Speaker 2:Let me put my own skin on it.
Speaker 1:Yes. Exactly.
Speaker 2:And that's where the real learning you know, that's where it goes to that deeper level when they're actually creating taking their mathematical thinking and translating it into, you know, the language of a spreadsheet formula.
Speaker 1:Because it's one thing to understand it. It's another thing to actually apply it, to create with it.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Exactly.
Speaker 1:Even take it a step further. Right? Because they don't just make their own formulas. They challenge each other.
Speaker 2:They do. They trade them with their classmates.
Speaker 1:It's like a spreadsheet showdown.
Speaker 2:It is. It's like a little bit of healthy competition.
Speaker 1:Which I imagine keeps them engaged. Right? No.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Because you're not just doing it for a grade. You're doing it to
Speaker 2:To stump your friend.
Speaker 1:Exactly. To outsmart.
Speaker 2:Yeah. To outsmart your friends, you gotta, you know, you gotta really understand the ins and outs of what you're creating.
Speaker 1:It's brilliant. I love that.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But let's be real. Not everything always goes as planned.
Speaker 2:Of course. Of course.
Speaker 1:What happens when students get stuck?
Speaker 2:Well, that's where, you know, those anticipated misconceptions come in.
Speaker 1:Right. Because they planned for that.
Speaker 2:They did. And the the authors of this lesson did a really nice job of of thinking through some of those common stumbling blocks.
Speaker 1:Because there are gonna be some.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Especially with something like this.
Speaker 2:Especially with, you know, all the syntax and the order of operations. It's like learning a new language almost.
Speaker 1:It is. It's like spreadsheet grammar.
Speaker 2:Yes. Yes. Exactly.
Speaker 1:And just like learning any new language, you're gonna make some grammatical errors.
Speaker 2:You are.
Speaker 1:You're gonna forget to put, you know, an apostrophe or something.
Speaker 2:Right. Like, forgetting an equal sign, that's a big one.
Speaker 1:Oh, I've done that a 1000000 times.
Speaker 2:It happens, you know, it happens to the best of us, but that's why, you know, being aware of those common pitfalls is is really valuable for teachers so they can kind of provide that targeted support.
Speaker 1:It's like turning those moments into of course moments.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Exactly.
Speaker 1:Right. Like, now it makes sense. Yeah. Another thing they highlight is that sometimes it's hard for students to translate, like, a calculation in their head into the actual formula structure.
Speaker 2:Right. They know what they wanna do.
Speaker 1:They have the idea. They just don't know.
Speaker 2:They just can't quite get it down
Speaker 1:Out of writing.
Speaker 2:Onto the onto the spreadsheet.
Speaker 1:It's like having all the ingredients, but not the recipe.
Speaker 2:Yes. Exactly.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Like, I know I wanna combine these things, but But hang on. The method? Yeah.
Speaker 2:What's the method? And that's where, you know, breaking it down into those smaller steps can be really effective.
Speaker 1:Scaffolding scaffolding and learning.
Speaker 2:Yes. Yes. Exactly. So instead of, you know, trying to write the entire formula all at once, start with something simple. Like, you know, can you reference this cell correctly?
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And then you kinda build from there.
Speaker 1:You build on that.
Speaker 2:Yeah. You build on those successes.
Speaker 1:And with each step With each their confidence builds.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Exactly. What might have seemed really daunting at first, you know, gradually becomes more more familiar, more second nature
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:As they kinda master those those fundamental skills.
Speaker 1:It's like learning to ride a bike. It is. Once you have it, you have it.
Speaker 2:You have it. You're off and running.
Speaker 1:And what I think is so remarkable is how this lesson plan takes something that could be, you know, kinda dry and technical, spreadsheets
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:And turns it into really, like, engaging, empowering experience for students.
Speaker 2:It does, and it and it highlights that those principles, you know, that exploration, that creation, even that playful competition, those are all things that can be applied to Mhmm. To so many other areas of learning.
Speaker 1:It's about fostering that love of learning and that, like, problem solving and that you can push through these perceived limitations.
Speaker 2:It's that growth mindset
Speaker 1:Yes. Exactly.
Speaker 2:That we wanna cultivate in students' lives.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. So this has been incredibly insightful, but we're we're running a bit short on time for this part. We'll be back shortly to continue our deep dive into this innovative approach to teaching spreadsheets and explore, you know, what kind of lasting impact it can have on how students approach learning in general. Stay tuned. Welcome back to the show.
Speaker 1:We're wrapping things up today by looking at how this approach to teaching spreadsheets you know, it's not just about spreadsheets. It can actually have a ripple effect on learning in general.
Speaker 2:Yeah. It's really remarkable when you think about it. It's like this this seemingly niche subject, spreadsheets
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Can actually unlock these these really powerful insights into how we learn into the learning process itself.
Speaker 1:Right. We've talked about sparking that curiosity, that sense of, hey. I can do this, building confidence. Right. But what other what other lasting impacts?
Speaker 1:What else might this lesson plan? How else might it impact these students?
Speaker 2:Well, I think it goes back to that idea of transferable skills. You know, when we guide students to uncover patterns, when we encourage them to experiment, when we when we ask them to explain their findings, we're not just teaching them about spreadsheets. We're actually giving them a toolkit they can use in countless other areas of learning.
Speaker 1:It's like it's not just about the content. It's about developing this, like, critical thinking engaged approach to problem solving, and you can use that in any context, really.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Exactly. And that can translate to anything. It could be science experiments. It could be writing essays.
Speaker 2:It could even be, you know, navigating social situations.
Speaker 1:It's funny how those connections, you know, you wouldn't necessarily think that learning about spreadsheets would make you a better writer, but it's those underlying those underlying thought processes.
Speaker 2:Precisely. It's about the, you know, recognizing patterns. It's about testing hypotheses. It's about refining your approach based on the feedback you're getting. Those are valuable those are valuable skills no matter what you're learning.
Speaker 2:They extend way beyond just the world of spreadsheets.
Speaker 1:And it all comes back to that sense of empowerment we talked about earlier when students realize they can decode something as, you know, something that seems as complex as a spreadsheet. I feel like it just opens up this whole world of possibilities.
Speaker 2:It does. Absolutely. It plants that seed of I can figure this out. Yeah. That's powerful stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah. As they face new challenges, unfamiliar situations, having that belief in themselves can make all the difference.
Speaker 1:Speaking of figuring things out, the lesson plan, it wraps up with this it calls it a cool down activity, but it really drives home this shift in thinking. Students, they're given a spreadsheet formula, but instead of actually calculating it, they have to predict what the output's gonna be.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's great because it really forces them to think about it on a much deeper level. You know? They're not just plugging in numbers and seeing what they get. They're actually they're thinking several steps ahead. They're anticipating how that formula is gonna interact with different values.
Speaker 1:They're basically thinking like a spreadsheet.
Speaker 2:Yes. Yes. Exactly. And isn't that isn't that really what this lesson plan is all about? I mean, it's about moving beyond that rote memorization.
Speaker 2:It's about empowering students to really think critically and creatively with spreadsheets.
Speaker 1:This whole deep dive has been so eye opening. We've gone from, you know, those basic rows and columns to uncovering the mysteries behind mathematical relationships, you know, fostering that growth mindset that I can do this attitude and even to, you know, thinking like a spreadsheet. Who knew?
Speaker 2:It just goes to show that even the most unassuming topics like spreadsheets
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:Can spark these these really profound learning experiences if we approach them thoughtfully, if we approach them creatively.
Speaker 1:A huge thank you to the authors of Illustrative Math for creating such an engaging and insightful lesson plan. And to our listeners, thank you for joining us on this journey into the world of spreadsheets. Until next time. Keep exploring and stay curious.