Disruption in Presence: Missing PBL Math Class

What do we all do with kids who miss out on the wonderful rich discussions where the learning happens in a PBL math class? @0mod3 asks what to do about kids’ absences. (thanks for the great question!)

It’s not as simple as “get the notes from somebody who was there” is it?  What did they actually miss by not being in class? Yes, new vocabulary possibly, new concepts, whether their problems were right or wrong – these things can all be “looked up” in some ways in another students notes or with a conversation with the teacher or a tutor just like in any other mathematics class.  So what is it we are really concerned with that they missed?

It seems that DReycer is hitting the nail on the head in her second tweet here.  Of course, it’s the experience of being a part of the rich mathematical discussions.  Hearing other students’ ideas and deciding for themselves or analyzing critically in the moment what they think of those ideas – is it right? wrong? potentially right? more efficient? similar to what I did?  These experiences are very hard to re-simulate for students who are absent from the PBL classroom.

When students come to me who have missed class.  I do tell them to look at other students’ notes.  However, this is because of how I tell students in my classes to take notes.  Kids are supposed to attempt the homework problems on one side of the notebook and then on the other side take “note of” what the other student who is presenting the problem did differently from them.  Eventually when we, as a class, come to some type of consensus about how the problem connects to a new concept or to a problem we have already done, it is then that a student should take note of the new idea as we formalize it into a theorem or new idea.

Absences will always be a problem for us who teach in the PBL classroom since we can’t recreate the in-the-moment learning that happens when a student sees another’s presentation (unless you feel like having parental consent for recording every single class, and even then you can’t really have the interaction with the student that missed it) however, what you can do is make the most of the time when each kid is there. PBL is by its nature relational learning and student and teacher presence is extremely important.  Be sure that students are the ones who are talking and asking questions in order for them to actively be engaging with the presenter.  Be sure that you are present to their needs when they return from an absence.  On days when they are not there, it might be enough for them to ask questions on the next day after they have read through the vocabulary or seen someone’s complete solution.  Sometimes active learning the next day can just be enough.

I’d love to hear other people’s ideas and thoughts!