Identify Desired Results
As I sit down to think about the results I would like to see students demonstrate as a result of my Imagine-It, I can not help but think about the content that will need to master by the end of the school year. My imagine-It focusses on students getting in touch with who they are and what they know or do not know about math.
The first desired result I want to see is students identify themselves and see themselves as mathematicians. I want them to own their knowledge or lack thereof as it relates to math. I believe that when students are not confused about what they know and are capable of articulating what they do not know, they become better at exploring and understanding math.
The next desired result I would like to see is students making connections between the math they know and the new math they will learn. This is what I call making math to math connections. In the classroom this looks like student engage in activities and applying what they already know and understand and using that knowledge to take the next steps and explore the new concept and not be afraid to make mistakes or to get it incorrect. When student can demonstrate this level of understanding they are more likely to experience success in math.
The final desired result I want students to demonstrate is an ability to make math to real-world connections. I would like to see students take a leadership role in a real world way. For me this would be in the form of some community service activity that they will need to use math concepts they have learned throughout the school year to organize data, calculate quantities, and analyze the results to see the best why that their project can best fill a need in their community.
Although I have identified three desired results of my Imagine-It, there are several content area results that will also need to be demonstrated by students. Students will need to demonstrate a perficient level of mastery of the 5th grade Common Core Standards for mathematics. This component of students learning will be uncovered through teacher instruction. I have noticed, over the years, students tend to learn information for a test or lesson but are not able to carry the information over and apply the skill or content in another application. The article, Disciplining the Mind written by Veronica Boix Mansilla and Howard Gardner the author writes, “Although students have little trouble spewing forth information that they have committed to memory, they display great difficulty in applying knowledge and skills to new situations.”
Performance of Understanding
Formative assessments
Before and during each unit of study students will be given a number of assessments that will provide students and myself with information that will help to guide next steps for instructions and give students an opportunity to identify their misconceptions about the content. These assessments will be in different forms. Students will be given a Mars task or performance assessment to identify where students are in relationship to the skills needed to carry out the task and to identify their small group for the start of the unit. Students will also complete video diaries several times during a unit. The video diary will ask student to talk about the essential question for each unit, areas that they are finding difficult to get pass and to explain their understanding of how each of the units are connected and related to each other. Students will also so be required to complete exit slips each day to help drive the instruction for the next day and for regrouping if need be. Teacher observations will also play a role in formative assessments. As I walk around and interact with students, I will pull students and address misunderstanding that are keeping students from accessing the material or understanding the concepts.
Summative Assessments
As a summative assessment, students will be presented with essential understanding for the units and asked to demonstrate their level understanding. This understanding will vary. Student will be allowed to select their instrument of choice to demonstrate understand. This may be in the form of a written explanation, video, performance task, a project, a game, and instructional manual, or a thinking map. Tasks where students go beyond the skill given, but then create something new by expanding, applying and building upon what they already know. The authors of The Teaching for Understanding Guide writes, “Performances of understanding require students to go beyond the information given to create something new by reshaping, expanding, extrapolating from, applying, and building on what they already know. The best performances of understanding help students both develop and demonstrate their understanding. Students will engage in these types of performances throughout the school year.
Plan Learning Experience and Instructions
Context: I am a teacher at Beulah Shoesmith Elementary school in the Hyde Park/Kenwood community. Shoesmith is a level one school with a predominantly African American student body. As of 2015-2016 school year the demographics of the 317 students are: 1.9% Asian, 91.8% African American, 3.8% Hispanic, 1.9 % White and 0.6% other various backgrounds. 81.4% of the families attending Shoesmith are low income, 9.5% are diverse learners, 5.4% speak limited English, and our schools mobility rate is 17.5%. The fact that Shoesmith school sits right in the middle of the Kenwood community and the Hyde Park community provides the school with the best of both worlds. Families want to come to the school because when people describe our location they say, “Shoesmith is in Hyde Park” on the other hand other families want to come because we are a small school and when they visit the leave saying, “Shoesmith is like a little house in the park” and we are all like family.
This school year, I will be teaching 5th grade math to two classes of about 24 students each. Shoesmith currently has one laptop cart, two chromebook carts, one IPad cart and has purchased another chromebook cart. Each classroom as at least six IPads and 4 desktop computers in their room at all time. I have twelve IPads in my room and four desktop computers. The laptop cart and one chromebook cart is utilized by the 4th, 5h and 6th grade teachers and are assigned two designated periods to use them as a class. Classes are also allowed to sign out the cart when it is not in use.
Content: The topics listed below are the focus for 5th grade math.
Pedagogy: The are many pedagogical approaches that I feel will best fit the needs of my student and my Imagine-It including but not limited to the following:
References:
Gardner, H. (1999). The disciplined mind: What all students should understand. New York: Simon and Schuster
Tina Blythe and Associates, (1998). The Teaching for Understanding Guide. Jossey-Bass, San Fransisco.
As I sit down to think about the results I would like to see students demonstrate as a result of my Imagine-It, I can not help but think about the content that will need to master by the end of the school year. My imagine-It focusses on students getting in touch with who they are and what they know or do not know about math.
The first desired result I want to see is students identify themselves and see themselves as mathematicians. I want them to own their knowledge or lack thereof as it relates to math. I believe that when students are not confused about what they know and are capable of articulating what they do not know, they become better at exploring and understanding math.
The next desired result I would like to see is students making connections between the math they know and the new math they will learn. This is what I call making math to math connections. In the classroom this looks like student engage in activities and applying what they already know and understand and using that knowledge to take the next steps and explore the new concept and not be afraid to make mistakes or to get it incorrect. When student can demonstrate this level of understanding they are more likely to experience success in math.
The final desired result I want students to demonstrate is an ability to make math to real-world connections. I would like to see students take a leadership role in a real world way. For me this would be in the form of some community service activity that they will need to use math concepts they have learned throughout the school year to organize data, calculate quantities, and analyze the results to see the best why that their project can best fill a need in their community.
Although I have identified three desired results of my Imagine-It, there are several content area results that will also need to be demonstrated by students. Students will need to demonstrate a perficient level of mastery of the 5th grade Common Core Standards for mathematics. This component of students learning will be uncovered through teacher instruction. I have noticed, over the years, students tend to learn information for a test or lesson but are not able to carry the information over and apply the skill or content in another application. The article, Disciplining the Mind written by Veronica Boix Mansilla and Howard Gardner the author writes, “Although students have little trouble spewing forth information that they have committed to memory, they display great difficulty in applying knowledge and skills to new situations.”
Performance of Understanding
Formative assessments
Before and during each unit of study students will be given a number of assessments that will provide students and myself with information that will help to guide next steps for instructions and give students an opportunity to identify their misconceptions about the content. These assessments will be in different forms. Students will be given a Mars task or performance assessment to identify where students are in relationship to the skills needed to carry out the task and to identify their small group for the start of the unit. Students will also complete video diaries several times during a unit. The video diary will ask student to talk about the essential question for each unit, areas that they are finding difficult to get pass and to explain their understanding of how each of the units are connected and related to each other. Students will also so be required to complete exit slips each day to help drive the instruction for the next day and for regrouping if need be. Teacher observations will also play a role in formative assessments. As I walk around and interact with students, I will pull students and address misunderstanding that are keeping students from accessing the material or understanding the concepts.
Summative Assessments
As a summative assessment, students will be presented with essential understanding for the units and asked to demonstrate their level understanding. This understanding will vary. Student will be allowed to select their instrument of choice to demonstrate understand. This may be in the form of a written explanation, video, performance task, a project, a game, and instructional manual, or a thinking map. Tasks where students go beyond the skill given, but then create something new by expanding, applying and building upon what they already know. The authors of The Teaching for Understanding Guide writes, “Performances of understanding require students to go beyond the information given to create something new by reshaping, expanding, extrapolating from, applying, and building on what they already know. The best performances of understanding help students both develop and demonstrate their understanding. Students will engage in these types of performances throughout the school year.
Plan Learning Experience and Instructions
Context: I am a teacher at Beulah Shoesmith Elementary school in the Hyde Park/Kenwood community. Shoesmith is a level one school with a predominantly African American student body. As of 2015-2016 school year the demographics of the 317 students are: 1.9% Asian, 91.8% African American, 3.8% Hispanic, 1.9 % White and 0.6% other various backgrounds. 81.4% of the families attending Shoesmith are low income, 9.5% are diverse learners, 5.4% speak limited English, and our schools mobility rate is 17.5%. The fact that Shoesmith school sits right in the middle of the Kenwood community and the Hyde Park community provides the school with the best of both worlds. Families want to come to the school because when people describe our location they say, “Shoesmith is in Hyde Park” on the other hand other families want to come because we are a small school and when they visit the leave saying, “Shoesmith is like a little house in the park” and we are all like family.
This school year, I will be teaching 5th grade math to two classes of about 24 students each. Shoesmith currently has one laptop cart, two chromebook carts, one IPad cart and has purchased another chromebook cart. Each classroom as at least six IPads and 4 desktop computers in their room at all time. I have twelve IPads in my room and four desktop computers. The laptop cart and one chromebook cart is utilized by the 4th, 5h and 6th grade teachers and are assigned two designated periods to use them as a class. Classes are also allowed to sign out the cart when it is not in use.
Content: The topics listed below are the focus for 5th grade math.
- Understanding place value
- Add and subtract decimals to hundredths
- Fluently multiplying multi-digit whole numbers
- Use models and strategies to multiply decimals
- Use models and strategies to divide whole numbers and decimals
- Use equivalent fractions to add and subtract fractions
- Apply understanding of multiplication to multiply fractions
- Apply understanding of division to divide fractions
- Understand Volume concepts
- Convert Measurements
- Represent and interpret data
- Algebra: Write and interpret numerical expressions
- Graph Points on the Coordinate Plane
- Algebra: Analyze Patterns and Relationships
- Geometric Measurement: classify Two-Dimensional Figures
Pedagogy: The are many pedagogical approaches that I feel will best fit the needs of my student and my Imagine-It including but not limited to the following:
- Cooperative learning groups: student will work in small groups to solve problem, discuss strategies and share their thinking
- Small groups by interest: students will work together to complete tasks and activities in different ways in order to share the many strategies available.
- Video diaries: Students will use video diaries to document their journey, misconceptions, understanding and aha’s.
- Project based learning: student groups will be work through the different units and complete a variety of project that demonstrate understanding.
- Math talks/Number talks: students will engage in multiple math talks in order to articulate their understanding and critique the understanding of others.
References:
Gardner, H. (1999). The disciplined mind: What all students should understand. New York: Simon and Schuster
Tina Blythe and Associates, (1998). The Teaching for Understanding Guide. Jossey-Bass, San Fransisco.