Mistake Analysis: Bringing Value to the Wrong Answers

Outline

Introduction (10 minutes)
Content:
Introduce the concept of mistake analysis and its importance in education.
Amy Mayer: Risk aversion and the “Fail-Positive” environment
Share quotes and research highlighting how mistakes trigger brain activity that promotes deeper learning. .
Engagement:
Use a Mentimeter to have participants evaluate the connotation of various failure words
Time:
Content: 5 minutes
Mentimeter Activity and Discussion: 5 minutes
Process:
Use real-time polling to engage participants, followed by a brief discussion on the results.
Encourage peer-to-peer sharing of personal experiences with student mistakes.

Brain Research and Mistakes (10 minutes)
Content:
Deep dive into brain research:
The role of the cingulate cortex and error-related negativity (ERN).
Insights from Jo Boaler about math anxiety and the fear center activation.
Kapur's (2008) findings on productive struggle.
Engagement:
Check understanding multiple choice questions
Pose reflection questions for small group discussions:
What did you not know? What surprised you?
Time:
Content: 6 minutes
Small Group Discussion: 4 minutes
Process:
Participants will break into pairs or small groups to discuss the provided reflection questions.
Facilitator circulates to encourage deeper discussion.

Mistake Analysis Procedure (15 minutes)
Content:
Explain the Mistake Analysis Procedure:
Separate students into small groups with whiteboards.
Groups create problems, intentionally solving them incorrectly.
Other groups rotate, identify the errors, and solve correctly.
Groups present their findings, including mistakes and corrections.
Engagement:
Activity Simulation: Padlet activity
Time:
Content Explanation: 3 minutes
Simulation Activity: 10 minutes
Reflection and Sharing: 2 minutes
Process:
Active learning through group collaboration.
The facilitator will provide feedback and guide reflection on how this process could be used in participants’ own classrooms.

Guesswork and Positive Failure Environment (10 minutes)
Content:
Discuss how creating a positive failure environment and allowing guesswork enhances learning.
Highlight strategies to integrate guesswork into lessons:
Asking questions like “What makes you say that?” or “Why might someone disagree with you?”
Encouraging students to explore different possibilities through trial and error.
Engagement:
Participants share their experience with open-ended questions and the idea of offering vulnerability in the classroom
Time:
Content Explanation: 4 minutes

Mistake Sort Strategy (10 minutes)
Content:
Introduce the Mistake Sort Strategy, where students are asked to evaluate multiple wrong answers and justify which one is "most right."
Example activity: Present a math problem with multiple wrong answers, and ask participants to sort them from "most correct" to "least correct."
Engagement:
Interactive Sorting Activity: Provide participants with an example math problem. In groups, they will evaluate different wrong answers and discuss which is "most correct" and why.
Time:
Content Explanation: 3 minutes
Group Sorting Activity: 5 minutes
Discussion and Sharing: 2 minutes
Process:
Collaborative problem-solving and justification in small groups.
Facilitator will lead a quick discussion on the value of this strategy.

World Café and Reflection (15 minutes)
Content:
Participants engage in a World Café to reflect on what they’ve learned:
What did you learn about mistake analysis?
How can you apply it in your classroom?
What roadblocks do you foresee, and how can you overcome them?
What are the benefits of mistake analysis?
Engagement:
World Café Style: Participants rotate through stations, discussing each question in small groups.
Time:
World Café Rounds: 12 minutes (3 minutes per round)
Group Sharing: 3 minutes
Process:
Peer-to-peer discussion at each station.
Facilitator leads a final group reflection and sharing session to wrap up the activity.

Conclusion and Takeaways (5 minutes)
Content:
Summarize key points about the value of mistake analysis.
Share additional resources for further exploration.
Engagement:
Ask participants to fill out a quick online survey or Padlet to reflect on how they plan to implement mistake analysis in their own classrooms.
Time:
Summary: 3 minutes
Reflection Activity: 2 minutes

Supporting research

https://www.edutopia.org/article/mistake-friendly-classroom/
https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/magic-of-mistakes/
https://www.amazon.com/Without-Worksheets-Roadmap-Creative-Engagement/dp/1394200110