The curriculum plan project was definitely quite challenging. I found it very interesting to see how the three groups took different routes in creating the videos. I think that each group did a good job with the project. I do think that it may have been much more effective however, to just have presented our projects in class. The video is an interesting idea, but for a project with so much information I don't think it was the most effective way to display our works. Some points in the videos were difficult to see or hear as well as some points moved too quickly or too slowly. This could have been avoided if we had just presented our projects live to the class.
I do think that I have learned a lot through completing this project. I think that I am much more familiar with the standards throughout 6-8th grade and have a greater understanding of how the years flow into one another. The most difficult part of the project was coming up with semester long project ideas. Particularly for the more abstract concepts, it was hard to find something that was long and able to be built onto as the semester progresses.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Classroom Changes
I think that as a future educator, I am expected to do many things. I think that the Process and Practice Standards require teachers to be well rounded in math and education as a whole. The goal is to also instill that same idea into the students. One thing that I think I will have to put a lot of emphasis on is communication. Communication is a big part of several of the SMP as well as one of the Process Standards. I think that communication is very important and I can see why this is stressed in many standards. I also will be expected to make math much more applicable to the real world. Many of the content standards included applying skills to real-world situations. This is always important because it helps keep the students engaged and also helps them to gain a better understanding of the topic. I think that teachers are being expected to include more and more in their classes every year and it will be difficult to always include these changes.
Technology Reflection
My favorite piece of technology used in this class was the Smart Board. Although we only briefly presented simple tasks on the Smart Board, I found it to be very helpful. Prior to this class I had barely used a Smart Board. I know that I will likely be using one often in my career so it was really nice to be able to practice and experiment with it a little. I also really liked the idea of the blogging. I think that it saved a lot of class time. By blogging reflections, we did not have to spend a lot of time discussing how assignments/readings went which allowed us to move forward at a quicker pace. I also found the videos to be interesting. Although I did not agree with everything shown in the videos, I still think that it was entertaining and good to see. Watching other educators and critiquing them is one way to understand how to better improve ourselves as educators.
Manipulative Reflection
I found the manipulative activity in class quite informational. I had not seen some of the manipulatives before, so it was interesting in the way that I was learning about new things. It was also informational through hearing the ideas of my peers. We were able to come up with so many uses for something that at first glance may actually seem useless. It was great to see how some manipulatives can be quite versatile. This is something that teachers (especially new teachers) should really think about because we will not always have a lot of materials to work with.
1. How do you know students deepen their understanding while using manipulatives?
I know that students deepen their understanding while using manipulatives because they are able to make their own discoveries. Students who are able to explore and discover things on their own will always have a better understanding than students who were simple lectured on a process. Also, I think that when using manipulatives, the information is more likely to be moved to their long term memory. Students have an easier time remembering things that are hands on type activities.
1. How do you know students deepen their understanding while using manipulatives?
I know that students deepen their understanding while using manipulatives because they are able to make their own discoveries. Students who are able to explore and discover things on their own will always have a better understanding than students who were simple lectured on a process. Also, I think that when using manipulatives, the information is more likely to be moved to their long term memory. Students have an easier time remembering things that are hands on type activities.
2.
How
do you know if the students can transfer their understanding from manipulatives
to other situations?
I think that if the students can explain the topic/process in their own words, it shows a good understanding. If the students can do this, they are likely to be able to transfer their learning to different situations. It is important to assess the students' learning along the way always, especially when working with manipulatives. Posing different types of problems during manipulative activities is another way to ensure this.
I think that if the students can explain the topic/process in their own words, it shows a good understanding. If the students can do this, they are likely to be able to transfer their learning to different situations. It is important to assess the students' learning along the way always, especially when working with manipulatives. Posing different types of problems during manipulative activities is another way to ensure this.
3.
How
can you assess that understanding or growth?
You can assess student understanding using manipulatives in many ways. Discussion is the most readily available and likely way to assess understanding often. Students may also be assessed by completing certain activities where they may have to draw what the manipulatives would look like, write written responses to questions about the manipulatives, etc.
You can assess student understanding using manipulatives in many ways. Discussion is the most readily available and likely way to assess understanding often. Students may also be assessed by completing certain activities where they may have to draw what the manipulatives would look like, write written responses to questions about the manipulatives, etc.
4.
When
students work in groups, how do you hold each youngster accountable for
learning?
It is important to always make sure that each student in the class is learning. This can be achieved by listening to what each students has to say, having each student in a group answer a different question, have the students each write reflections, etc. This will depend largely on the age of the students.
It is important to always make sure that each student in the class is learning. This can be achieved by listening to what each students has to say, having each student in a group answer a different question, have the students each write reflections, etc. This will depend largely on the age of the students.
5.
When
students work in groups, how do you assess each youngster’s depth of
understanding?
The students' depth of understanding can be assessed in a similar way. Students in groups may each have to come up with one additional problem, or an extension onto the activity. The students may have to explain their thinking out loud or in writing, etc.
The students' depth of understanding can be assessed in a similar way. Students in groups may each have to come up with one additional problem, or an extension onto the activity. The students may have to explain their thinking out loud or in writing, etc.
6.
How
are you improving students’ problem solving skills with the manipulatives?
Students' problem solving skills can be improved greatly through using manipulatives. When using the manipulatives without much guidance, the students will have to come up with ways to implement them. Students will also be able to complete the problems in a completely different way, which will add to their skills.
Students' problem solving skills can be improved greatly through using manipulatives. When using the manipulatives without much guidance, the students will have to come up with ways to implement them. Students will also be able to complete the problems in a completely different way, which will add to their skills.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Assessment Reflection
Throughout my math career, assessments have been essentially the same. After learning a large chunk of material, one class period would be devoted to one written, summative assessment. I was always the type of student who disliked projects and group activities, so this never really bothered me. However, knowing what I know now, this was probably not the best way for my teachers to get a good idea of what I was understanding. Through this math methods class we have been assessed in many ways, none of which were a traditional written assessment. We have been assessed based on our blogs, presentations, discussions, and peer evaluations. We were also required to assess ourselves on various projects. I think that this is an effective way to assess students. In these types of assessments, you can hear what the students are actually thinking. Students also have the opportunity to tell you what they are having difficulty with. The peer and self evaluations also give the students a sense of responsibility which I think is important in the classroom.
Error Analysis
Having the chance to look at several different errors that students make was a great opportunity. I found it to be interesting to see all of the different misconceptions that students possessed on different topics. I also enjoyed that we had to answer some questions as if we were the students with those misconceptions. It was very easy to see how the students could think the way that they did when looking at the problems. I think that this was valuable because this is something we will have to do a lot when we are in the classroom. It is important to notice patterns in the types of problems that the students are getting wrong. Some misconceptions may go unnoticed if the student is still getting the majority of the problems correct. However, not noticing the issues as they arise can cause them to turn into a bigger issue down the road in the student's math education.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Assessment Journals
Open-Ended Assessment
Questions are considered open ended when there are multiple ways to solve it as well as multiple correct answers. Creating these types of problems is time consuming and often difficult. These questions are much more difficult to come up with. You have to be sure when creating these problems that the students will understand what the question is and that they need to show how they came up with their solution. Implementing these questions on assessments in my classroom would allow for me to gain a better understanding of where the students are at in their understandings of the topics.
Assessment Options
There are many different types of assessments for teachers to choose from. Assessments are designed to help students learn as well as to help teachers to see what the students are understanding. Assessments should be chosen specifically to evaluate students on each topic. Using the same type of assessment over and over is not useful to the students or the teacher. By using different types all of the time, the students will be able to demonstrate their strengths in different areas and the teacher will be able to get a clearer picture of the students' current performance levels.
Understanding Student to Open-Ended
This article focused on several different student responses to the same question. Their responses showed that the students who were in sixth grade were able to thoroughly explain their processes in writing. The responses also give the teacher a great understanding of how the students are working through the problems. Asking for an explanation of how the students found their answer is a great idea. I think that this will even help the students, because they may notice that something does not quite make sense when they are writing their explanations, which gives them a chance to go back and make adjustments.
Conversations
This article starts out with a great example of why classroom discussions are valuable. The students are answering questions aloud which lets the teacher know that some of her students are confused about a topic before the one which they are currently working on. This allows for the teacher to go back and clarify that basic topic and then continue to move on. Conversations in the classroom can be helpful in directing instruction. The teacher can listen to how students explain various topics to see where they need the most help.
Portfolio Assessment
When I think of portfolios, I think of something that shows growth and development. After reading this article, I realize that there are more things to look for in math portfolios than growth. Students can show their attitude, problem solving skills, growth, writing, and connections all in a portfolio. Portfolios can be assessed based on their organization as well as the math content within them. I think that portfolios are a great assessment tool which can be shown to future teachers to help understand the levels of their new students. This is also a great thing to show to parents so that they can see the growth as well.
Questions are considered open ended when there are multiple ways to solve it as well as multiple correct answers. Creating these types of problems is time consuming and often difficult. These questions are much more difficult to come up with. You have to be sure when creating these problems that the students will understand what the question is and that they need to show how they came up with their solution. Implementing these questions on assessments in my classroom would allow for me to gain a better understanding of where the students are at in their understandings of the topics.
Assessment Options
There are many different types of assessments for teachers to choose from. Assessments are designed to help students learn as well as to help teachers to see what the students are understanding. Assessments should be chosen specifically to evaluate students on each topic. Using the same type of assessment over and over is not useful to the students or the teacher. By using different types all of the time, the students will be able to demonstrate their strengths in different areas and the teacher will be able to get a clearer picture of the students' current performance levels.
Understanding Student to Open-Ended
This article focused on several different student responses to the same question. Their responses showed that the students who were in sixth grade were able to thoroughly explain their processes in writing. The responses also give the teacher a great understanding of how the students are working through the problems. Asking for an explanation of how the students found their answer is a great idea. I think that this will even help the students, because they may notice that something does not quite make sense when they are writing their explanations, which gives them a chance to go back and make adjustments.
Conversations
This article starts out with a great example of why classroom discussions are valuable. The students are answering questions aloud which lets the teacher know that some of her students are confused about a topic before the one which they are currently working on. This allows for the teacher to go back and clarify that basic topic and then continue to move on. Conversations in the classroom can be helpful in directing instruction. The teacher can listen to how students explain various topics to see where they need the most help.
Portfolio Assessment
When I think of portfolios, I think of something that shows growth and development. After reading this article, I realize that there are more things to look for in math portfolios than growth. Students can show their attitude, problem solving skills, growth, writing, and connections all in a portfolio. Portfolios can be assessed based on their organization as well as the math content within them. I think that portfolios are a great assessment tool which can be shown to future teachers to help understand the levels of their new students. This is also a great thing to show to parents so that they can see the growth as well.
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