Gemma Holdman MAE5945 04/01/13

INSTRUCTION AND DELIVERY REFLECTION

Directions: Complete four entries in a reflective log focusing on your instruction and delivery. You will use a variety of strategies throughout the weeks. Focus on two highly effective strategies and two less effective strategies. February 12th, 2013 Less Effective Strategy 1. Identify the specific instructional strategies planned and a rationale for the strategy: The lesson on this day focused on the four different types of linear equations standard form, general form, slope-intercept, and point-slope. I started the lesson by posing the following question: what ingredients do we need to make cookies? This was used as a metaphor for linear equations because they require certain components. Stations followed the engage activity. Students rotated around the classroom writing their notes. Each of the four stations contained a form of linear equation, what we need to form the equation, definition of the equation, example problem, and now you try it problem. Rather than listening to me talk and copying the notes, I wanted to try a different strategy. Students were up and about and in small groups writing the notes. After the completion of this activity I brought the class back together and we discussed the forms of linear equations students had just explored. The rationale for this was to answer any questions and provide an audio and visual representation of these forms. During this time I also explained to students how to convert between the various forms. After the explanation section of the lesson I wanted students to apply their new knowledge. I did this by giving each student a notecard containing a linear equation. They had to find the other forms of linear equations equivalent to the equation they held. The final activity of the day was a written evaluation. I asked students on an exit ticket to explain what they were unsure about or would like clarification on from the lesson. I used this technique to see if a portion of the lesson was not as clear as desired. 2. Explain how the class went and why you think it was not effective: This class was not as effective as the two lessons I have explained. The introductory activity was a success; students were engaged and participated. The note-taking portion in station form did not go as smoothly as I anticipated. Students were required to write down the notes and answer the question on the bottom. My first mistake was providing only 3 copies of each station. I needed to have a least one per student and tape them on desks. Students were standing awkwardly and crowding around one another. Another issue was student participation. Many students didnt feel the need to write down the notes and complete the problem. Students will not learn if they do not participate and follow instructions correctly. Once this activity was over, I reviewed the forms. Since students did not use their time wisely I had to go further in-depth than I had planned on, taking up more time. The class activity did not go smoothly and I had to assist students more than I should have. Students would rather ask me than refer to their notes or ask one another. This reflects on the classroom environment and norms. Students do not usually work in groups, using one anothers knowledge to help succeed in a common goal.

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3. Describe planned changes or alterations of these instructional strategies for the future: After that lesson, I always had enough printouts in stations so that students did not have to share with one another. I also taped the stations to desks so students were not standing and writing. This helped create a smoother transition between stations and students did not have to wait for a space to open. My students always try to get away with doing as little work as possible, so I started setting higher expectations. If students were required to write content down and answer questions, I always collect their work. Students are more likely to try harder and put in my effort when they know their work will be reviewed and/or graded. Also, for teaching the content, I will use a different instructional strategy (than stations) so can regulate the learning more appropriately. Class note taking, problem solving, and discussions work better for these classes. After implementing the above changes I have noticed a significant improvement. February 13th, 2013 Less Effective Strategy 1. Identify the specific instructional strategies planned and a rationale for the strategy: The lesson focused on graphing linear equations. I introduced the topic by displaying a graph on the projector. I asked students to label the y-intercept, x-intercept, and slope. Identifying these components allowed me to assess what students already know about graphs and their components. The next planned activity was a game on the projector. Students were to compete against one another and identify the main components of graphs. After the game, I conducted class notes and discussion. This was to provide students a detailed description of methods to graph linear equations. After note taking, I had students apply their new understandings by graphing linear equations. Taking notes and understanding the concepts is important but actually applying the content shows true understanding. The last activity of the day was a question and answer discussion of the main concepts learned during the lesson. This allowed me to review what students understood and adjust understanding where necessary. 2. Explain how the class went and why you think it was not effective: This lesson did not go as well as I had intended. The first activity was completely smoothly and students correctly identified the graphs components. The game needed the projector and smart board; however, we had technical difficulties and did not get the smart board to work properly. This required me to move on to the next activity. We took notes as a class and discussed the key concepts of the day. Students asked appropriate questions and we were able to discuss the content more in-depth due to the hiccup in the lesson. The elaborate activity required students to graph equations. I walked around the classroom observing students while they worked and correctly any misconceptions or mistakes that I witnessed. There are many common misconceptions related to graphing. Examples include the scale used on the x-axis and y-axis, arrows on the lines, which direction to go when including the slope. These misconceptions and concepts are supposed to be taught during 8th or 9th grade. My students are seniors. It is much more difficult to create good habits the older students become. Quite a few of

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my students held the misconceptions I listed above. During the question and answer session at the end I focused on the misconceptions students have. The technical difficulties placed a hindrance on the lesson and messed up the timing. 3. Describe planned changes or alterations of these instructional strategies for the future: In the future I will plan extra activities in case I have technical difficulties. Also, I will research common misconceptions before the lesson and assess students understanding of the material so I can adjust understanding wherever needed. If students learn new concepts on top of the misconceptions they already hold, they will not be able to successfully apply the new content. I need to focus my first activity of the lesson on assessing students prior knowledge and identify any misconceptions students may have. February 11th, 2013 Highly Effective Strategy 1. Identify the specific strategies planned and a rationale for the strategy: For this lesson I taught my students slope how to identify it, evaluate it, and analyze it. The engage portion of the lesson contained a video of a rollercoaster called Millennium Force. Throughout the video students were to state which direction the rollercoaster was going: up, down, almost vertical, or flat. I thought this activity would be a good visual representation of multiple types of slope in the real world (and students would enjoy riding a rollercoaster). For the main portion of the lesson I gave students a foldable to take notes on. The foldable included the various ways we can identify slopes, how we can identify slope, and the different types of slope. Each portion had visual examples (graphs, tables). My goal with this activity was to focus on the concepts rather than trying to copy down the notes in time. The core of the foldable had writing and students had to fill in the remaining portions. After students had learned in greater detail the components of slope I wanted them to practice. I gave them an activity called slope dominoes. Each piece of paper had two parts. One with a graph, equation, or two points, and the second with the slope in m = # form. The task of students was to work in pairs and match up all pieces until it formed a circle (or any other type of shape they desired). Evaluation of this lesson was slightly different than normal. Since I had just started teaching the students I wanted to learn more about them. I gave students an exit ticket that asked them to list three interesting or unique facts about themselves. 2. Explain how the class went and why you think these strategies helped the lesson: It seemed as though students enjoyed watching the video and were willing to respond to questions I asked them after it played. I think the video not only appropriately engaged students but it was a relatable and fun real-world example of an object containing slope. This activity set the stage, sort of speak, for the rest of the class. The second activity of the lesson was the slope foldable. Students showed appreciation and excitement when I gave them the handouts; realizing that I intended to align the lessons to their interests and spend time on designing the lessons. Students stated that they thought this way to take notes was cool. During this process I truly did spend more time on discussing the

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concepts as opposed to waiting for students to copy down notes. I remember, from taking notes in high school, that I spent a majority of my lesson copying down the notes quick enough and minimal on the actual concepts. Students were able to focus on the actual content when using the slope foldable. Once the students learned the main concepts for the day, I wanted to apply students new knowledge. The slope dominoes game worked really well. A large majority of students understood from previous experience how the game dominoes work. This game truly assessed and applied students understanding of slope. It was a challenging task; some students did not complete the activity in the allotted time. I think this activity was beneficial for students because it tied in a game with the concepts and they were able to work in small groups. The exit ticket, while not related to the actual lesson, was helpful because it enabled me to learn more about my new students. On class the next day students asked me if I actually read their responses. When I pointed out facts about each student they were very impressed. I think that showed students that I care about them and their progress in the class. Overall I believe this lesson went well. In the future I will use videos, foldables, and games in appropriate places in my lessons. Making learning relatable, fun, interesting, and tied to the real world is important for students. February 14th, 2013 Highly Effective Strategy 1. Identify the specific strategies planned and a rationale for the strategy: The lesson for this day focused on parallel and perpendicular lines. I started off the class by showing two graphs, one containing a set of parallel lines and the other containing a set of perpendicular lines. My goal of this was for students to describe what they saw in the graphs. I followed this task by showing the class a set of graphs, in which students had to state whether the lines were parallel, perpendicular, or neither. The purpose of this was so that students were familiar with the visual characteristics of parallel and perpendicular lines. Afterwards, we discussed the key concepts related to parallel and perpendicular lines. This contained some note taking and examples to back up the main ideas. The next activity of the lesson was applying students new knowledge. I did this by asking students to develop sets of parallel and perpendicular lines. Creating ones own problems or equations is an effective method to support ones knowledge of a concept. In order to successfully create problems, students must have a strong understanding of the content. 2. Explain how the class went and why you think these strategies helped the lesson: Overall, class went really well. I scaffolded the lesson for my students so they were not overwhelmed. Students were able to successfully identify parallel and perpendicular lines. Many students were already familiar with the appropriate terminology. I made a mistake on the perpendicular lines and forgot to place the right angle sign. My mentor teacher noticed my mistake and corrected me. Students often learn the material better when they make a mistake and correct it. I brought my mistake to the attention of my students. At the end of the lesson I questioned them on the important symbol necessary for identifying a set of perpendicular lines. Once the visual activities finished, we started tying in the symbolic form of parallel and perpendicular lines. Students made connections between the graphs we previously viewed and the equations representing

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them. Using multiple representations is important for students because we have different learning styles (kinesthetic, auditory, visual, etc.). After students had tied the concepts to the graphs, I wanted them to apply their new knowledge. Students created their own sets of parallel and perpendicular lines. This strategy helped students because they were required to understand the content in order to successfully perform the task. Creating problems views problem solving from a different perspective; usually students solve problems rather than creating them. When I circled the room, observing student work, I noticed a few mistakes that stemmed from misconceptions. This activity allowed me to clear up the misconceptions and strengthen my students understanding. During this task I asked students to write one set of parallel lines and one set of perpendicular lines on the board. This allowed students to see a variety of lines that satisfied the requirements of parallel and perpendicular lines at one time.

Please note: I chose to complete this activity for the week of February 11-14th because the week of March 11th was a review and all of the activities were the same. During the week of February 11th I had a variety of instructional strategies in place, allowing me to successfully complete the reflection.