Reflection #5 Noggle

Develop a Mental Warm Up (MWU) that can be used in a Stage of your choice and that focuses on mental computation skills. Film yourself administering this MWU (2 minutes max) and upload the recording. Write possible answers children might provide during your MWU. Support your ideas with literature

'Noggle' Created by DL

The mental warm-up I have devised is an adaptation of the word game ‘Boggle’, known as ‘Noggle’. The game is aimed at students who are in Stage 3. To set the game up a square is to be drawn that is big enough to be divided into a grid of 4 rows and 4 columns. In the video I am using a whiteboard however, a template can be drawn on a computer and printed off for a class. Once the square is drawn students are to put random numbers from 1-9 in the boxes, repeated numbers are allowed, however, it is suggested that there is at least 2 of every number. Once the numbers have been added into the squares the students then choose a number higher than 10. McIntosh stated there are great benefits in the use mental computation strategies as seen in the video of ‘Noggle’, as it requires students to think and act on their understanding of arithmetic to generate a solution (McIntosh, 2004).

As soon as the students are ready the teacher can set a timer and the students are to write down as many equations as possible. show

The MWU I believe should be performed by students individually so they can then later get into pairs and the concept of pair and share can be introduced to expand the students social skills and as a way to show how other students performed their differing strategies. However, students are to select a position and then only use the numbers around them or design a path that allows them to equate the chosen number (students can go over the number as long as the end result equates to the chosen number). The aim from a teacher’s perspective is that the students are delving into the ‘Number and Algebra’ strand of the K-6 Mathematics syllabus and use the sub-strands of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division effectively. 

I am of firm belief this MWU is captivating, useful and provides reasons for student's wanting to self-improve on their knowledge of arithmetic to obtain a high level of competence in the above sub-strands.

The possible answers given from the children could be those that were written in the video or any other combination.

References

McIntosh, A. (2004). Mental computation: A strategies approach. Module 1: Introduction. Hobart: Department of Education Tasmania.

NSW, B. (2018). Mathematics K–10 :: Working Mathematically and content strands. Syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au. Retrieved 26 March 2018, from https://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/mathematics/mathematics-k10/working-mathematically-and-content-strands/