Teacher Feature: Using “Trashketball” in a DBE Math Class

26 Feb

Mariève Gagné teaches DBE Math at the ACCESS Adult Education Centre in St-Lambert with the Riverside School Board. 

Mariève places an emphasis on developing a positive mathematical mindset with her students (see her video “Math is Frightening”) and is constantly experimenting with innovative ways of teaching and learning. She is also a believer in Flexible Learning Spaces and has done some incredible changes to her classroom this year, but that’s for another blog post!

When Tracy Rosen and I recently dropped by Mariève’s DBE MTH-4151-1 classroom, Mariève was helping her students recognize linear equations and functions in word problems. What absolutely amazed me was that I walked into a classroom FILLED with laughter, positivity, and learning. Again, this was a review class on linear equations and functions! Her review activity used a format called “Trashketball” which Mariève learned about from Jon Orr on Twitter. Want to see what it looked like in her classroom? Check out this two minute video:

I’d like to take a moment to thank Mariève for keeping her door open and for always inviting us into her class. She is truly an inspiration and has changed my attitudes towards learning math. You can follow Mariève on Twitter at @MarieveProf and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MarieveProf