The Trouble with “High” and “Low” by Matt Felton-Koestler by Jaclyn Pfenning https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow After reading this article, select a Sentence - Phrase - Word. Respond to others selections. en-us 2022-10-28 21:29:49 UTC 2025-10-19 19:24:51 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f4d1.png https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2366879951 Kids are high and low when the teaching and curriculum are narrow. ]]> 2022-11-02 15:23:46 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2366879951 https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2366880596 ...can learn basics as they engage in higher order thinking]]> 2022-11-02 15:24:06 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2366880596 https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2366881013 self-fullfilling prophecy]]> 2022-11-02 15:24:19 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2366881013 smartnesses cindydrouhard https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2370488926 2022-11-04 17:57:16 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2370488926 cindydrouhard https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2370490178 ...you end up creating a self-fulfilling prophecy]]> 2022-11-04 17:58:14 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2370490178 It's very rare that someone will be consistently better at every aspect of mathematics https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2370545019 2022-11-04 18:42:44 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2370545019 imagine that education is the "great equalizer" https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2370548492 2022-11-04 18:45:53 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2370548492 smartnesses https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2370550616 2022-11-04 18:47:48 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2370550616 Ability grouping consistently causes the gaps between the groups to get bigger. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2371256759 2022-11-05 19:04:29 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2371256759 ...focus on identifying all individual children's strengths.... https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2371257296 2022-11-05 19:05:30 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2371257296 thrive https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2371257958 2022-11-05 19:06:53 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2371257958 If you call them the "robins" and the "blue-jays" they all know which is the "smart group" or the "good group". https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2371439085 2022-11-06 03:49:06 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2371439085 You will subconsciously end up responding to and positioning students differently based on how you have labeled them, only exacerbating the problem. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2371439462 I know that's a whole sentence, not a phrase, but...]]> 2022-11-06 03:50:24 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2371439462 variety of math smarts https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2371439579 2022-11-06 03:50:52 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2371439579 It's rare that someone will be consistently better at every aspect of math. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2377362518 2022-11-09 18:56:06 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2377362518 Gaps get bigger https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2377363332 2022-11-09 18:56:39 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2377363332 Support https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2377363670 2022-11-09 18:56:51 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2377363670 The fundamental problem is thinking of children in terms of "high" and "low". https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379193626 2022-11-10 19:37:03 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379193626 Children know which group they are in. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379194361 2022-11-10 19:37:30 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379194361 ... or at least it’s not all math should be https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379425154 Kids are high and low when the teaching and curriculum are narrow. If math is mostly about computing answers quickly, then some kids will be faster or slower at that. But that’s not all math is (or at least it’s not all math should be).]]> 2022-11-11 00:04:08 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379425154 "very difficult to see with traditional math teaching and curricula" https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379426298 If your classroom focuses on limited aspects of math, never draws in authentic real-world knowledge, doesn’t engage kids in explanation, and doesn’t tackle problems that can be interpreted in multiple ways, then it’s nearly impossible to see these other kinds of strengths. ]]> 2022-11-11 00:05:12 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379426298 Self-fulfilling prophecy https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379426538 2022-11-11 00:05:31 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379426538 When you label some kids as “high” and others as “low” you end up creating a self-fulfillingprophecy. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379469155 2022-11-11 00:46:40 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379469155 evidence about howchildren learn math shows that they thrive in richer, more problem-solving basedenvironments and they can learn the basics as they engage in higher order thinking. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379470037 2022-11-11 00:47:25 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379470037 disproportionately https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379472964 2022-11-11 00:50:12 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2379472964 Self-Fulfilling sweedin https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2393001141 When you label some kids as "high" and others as "low" you end up creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.]]> 2022-11-21 18:06:20 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2393001141 The Research is clear: sweedin https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2393002266 Ability grouping causes the gaps between the groups to get bigger. ]]> 2022-11-21 18:07:18 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2393002266 Support sweedin https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2393002581 2022-11-21 18:07:35 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2393002581 hancockm https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2393312223 Disengage
We see over and over again that when kids are given boring, repetitive, narrow versions of mathematics, they disengage...evidence about how children learn math shows that they thrive in richer, more problem-solving based environments and they can learn the basics as they engage in higher order thinking. ]]> 2022-11-22 00:29:36 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2393312223 Labeling hancockm https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2393313343 ...you end up creating a self-fulling prophecy.]]> 2022-11-22 00:30:39 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2393313343 Disproportionately hancockm https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2393313946 2022-11-22 00:31:15 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2393313946 It's simply not accurate that some kids are consistently high or low https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2435971078 2023-01-06 19:03:18 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2435971078 It's the curriculum, not the kid https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2435971476 2023-01-06 19:03:46 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2435971476 Ifyour classroom focuses on limited aspects of math, never draws in authentic real-worldknowledge, doesn’t engage kids in explanation, and doesn’t tackle problems that can beinterpreted in multiple ways, then it’s nearly impossible to see these other kinds of strengths. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2435972418 2023-01-06 19:04:52 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2435972418 Equity https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2435972829 2023-01-06 19:05:14 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2435972829 The research is clear: Ability groups consistently causes the gaps between the groups to get bigger. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2443034489 2023-01-13 01:46:18 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2443034489 rich tasks that take a variety of math smarts https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2443034824 2023-01-13 01:46:44 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2443034824 persevering https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2443034934 2023-01-13 01:46:56 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2443034934 It's the curriculum, not the kid. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2444456324 2023-01-14 19:25:53 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2444456324 kids know https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2444456377 2023-01-14 19:26:05 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2444456377 creative https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2444456402 2023-01-14 19:26:10 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2444456402 If math is mostly about computing answers quickly, then some kids will be faster or slower at that. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2445006825 2023-01-15 22:59:25 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2445006825 Children will know what group they are in. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2445006882 2023-01-15 22:59:36 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2445006882 Problem-solving based environment https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2445006912 2023-01-15 22:59:46 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2445006912 These [other potential difficulties] are not related to math ability, but we often use them to limit children’s opportunities in math. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2447804038 2023-01-18 04:03:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2447804038 basics as they engage in higher order thinking https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2447804448 2023-01-18 04:04:07 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2447804448 inequities https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2447804496 2023-01-18 04:04:12 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2447804496 Self-Fulfilling Prophecy https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2448951238 2023-01-18 20:36:01 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2448951238 focus on identifying all individual children’s strengths https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2448951776 2023-01-18 20:36:38 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2448951776 We see over and over again that when kids are given boring, repetitive, narrow versions of mathematics, they disengage. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2448952381 2023-01-18 20:37:10 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2448952381 ...focus on identifying all individual children’s strengths and on how to incorporate and build on those in math lessons. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2463569987 2023-01-31 19:20:17 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2463569987 You need rich tasks that take a variety of math smarts. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2463571117 2023-01-31 19:21:05 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2463571117 Value https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2463571499 2023-01-31 19:21:19 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2463571499 You give low kids less challenging mathematics to do and they fall further behind, while the high kids are pushed further ahead. aylaolson https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2490259287 2023-02-21 20:39:40 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2490259287 a self-fulfilling prophecy aylaolson https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2490260024 2023-02-21 20:40:31 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2490260024 disproportionately aylaolson https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2490260385 2023-02-21 20:40:58 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2490260385 https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2494233551 While it seems reasonable to start with the basics first, evidence about how children learn math shows that they thrive in richer, more problem-solving based environments and they can learn the basics as they engage in higher order thinking.]]> 2023-02-24 18:26:06 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2494233551 https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2494234094 Ability grouping consistently causes the gaps between the groups to get bigger.]]> 2023-02-24 18:26:42 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2494234094 https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2494234717 labels]]> 2023-02-24 18:27:24 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2494234717 "Ability grouping consistently causes the gaps between the groups to get bigger." This caught my attention because don't we all ability-group? Also, it later said mixed groups can be problematic too. I'm not sure I saw a solution... https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2500254624 2023-03-01 22:46:23 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2500254624 Schools are great unequalizers. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2500256465 Sad, when we are so focused on equity.

]]> 2023-03-01 22:49:08 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2500256465 collaborating https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2500256617 2023-03-01 22:49:17 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2500256617 Children know which group they are in... https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2569378732 Labels and their implications are difficult to overcome. Let's attempt to avoid them during formative years.]]> 2023-04-26 21:29:04 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2569378732 You also need to explicitly support children in learning how to work effectively in groups and whole-class settings so that they value each other’s thinking https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2569379311 "valuing each other's thinking" is a nice goal]]> 2023-04-26 21:30:04 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2569379311 support https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2569380303 As a teacher the fundamental work is support, support, support]]> 2023-04-26 21:31:38 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2569380303 Children know which group they are in.. https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2574166115 Managing academic social interactions is a large part of shaping a math learner and a math classroom]]> 2023-05-01 19:53:11 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2574166115 You also need to explicitly support children in learning how to work effectively in groups and whole-class settings so that they value each other’s thinking https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2574167209 Getting students to value each other's thinking is a persistent challenge in math talks.]]> 2023-05-01 19:54:35 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2574167209 value https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2574167625 2023-05-01 19:54:57 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2574167625 https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2634536533 “This post is about why it’s problematic and educationally damaging to 
label kids as “high” and “low.”

]]> 2023-06-28 18:59:04 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2634536533 https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2634536875 "...one of the primary dangers of standards..."]]> 2023-06-28 18:59:57 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2634536875 https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2634536979 self-fulfilling]]> 2023-06-28 19:00:16 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2634536979 https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2634787972 The fundamental problem is thinking of children in terms of “high” and “low”.]]> 2023-06-29 02:42:42 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2634787972 https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2634790267 ... focus on identifying all individual children’s strengths ]]> 2023-06-29 02:45:09 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2634790267 creative https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2634792167 2023-06-29 02:46:59 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2634792167 https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2650410911 When you label some kids as “high” and others as “low” you end up creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. ]]> 2023-07-24 21:40:00 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2650410911 https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2650411045 We like to imagine that education is the “great equalizer” (Horace Mann, 1848), but with ability grouping, tracking, and unequal resources for different schools, it often turns out that schools are great unequalizers. ]]> 2023-07-24 21:40:45 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2650411045 https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2650411137 opportunities ]]> 2023-07-24 21:41:14 UTC https://padlet.com/jpfenning3/HighandLow/wish/2650411137