Armanda Morico

SPED 245
Dr. Elfreda Blue
Reflection on week 2


I will admit that this weeks lesson did not go as smoothly as I planned, and I was ultimately
happy when it came to an end. I am aware that no single lesson is considered perfect, as there is
always something that can be altered and done better. As a result, I take this failed lesson as a learning
experience that will help me as a future educator. Immediately as the students sat down, I got the vibe
that they really did not want to be there. I absolutely understand that after a long day at school, sitting
down with another instructor to do more work is the last thing that these students want to do. I attempted
to lighten the mood by asking the students what they did in school, and how their days went. The
students had normal reactions to my questions, and the majority said that their day was boring as usual.
One student in particular stated that she had a terrible day because she got in trouble and was sent to the
principals office, and that she really didnt want to be here with me. She immediately turned her head
so that she was not looking at me, and said that she would not be doing any work today. I knew I was in
for some trouble, but I did my best to smile and keep on going.
This weeks lesson focused on working with visual fraction models to explore the relationship
between equivalent fractions and common denominators. Using these visual fraction models would help
students to understand the relationship between equivalent fractions and common denominators, and the
students would then use this knowledge to help them complete word problems that involved the addition
and subtraction of fractions with common denominators. Keeping the students Individualized Education
Plans in mind; I thought it would be a good idea to incorporate different learning strategies. The fraction
strips would offer students a visual representation of fractions. I introduced the lesson by briefly going
over last weeks lesson, highlighting the major concepts learned such as the definitions of numerator and
denominator. I showed a picture of a pizza pie divided into eight slices but with seven slices shaded, and
asked students to write down what portion of the pie is shaded in fraction form. This would activate the
students prior knowledge, and would let me know if the students were ready to move on to more
complex fraction topics. The students all gave the correct answer of 7/8 and remembered everything we
went over in the prior lesson, so I knew we would be able to move on to adding and subtracting fractions
with like denominators.
I started the lesson by showing the students different examples of visual fraction strips. For
example, I had two different strips that were divided into 10 equal parts. One strip had five parts shaded
and the other had three parts shaded. I asked the students How many tenths are in the 1
st
strip? How
many tenths are in the 2
nd
strip? I gave the students a chance to think about their answers and then
respond. I then joined the two strips close together, and asked the students, How many tenths are there
in all? The students had to write down the two different fractions first, and then add them togetherA
common thing that students do when it comes to adding and subtracting fractions is that they add
straight across for both the denominator and the numerator. It is highly likely that certain students may
end up adding both the denominators and numerators when adding fractions with like denominators, and
that is something that one of my own students did. I wanted to use fraction strips to give my students a
representation of why numerators are the only numbers that change when adding fractions with like
denominators, and to make sure they understood that the denominator does not change, because it
determines the number of pieces into which the whole is divided. After several different examples of
fraction strips were shown to the students, I was able to ensure that every student understood the basic
rule to adding and subtracting fractions.
Next, I went over the strategy of using a Math Frame graphic organizer. The students were
immediately thrown off and noncompliant when they realized that there was writing involved. I chose to
use this particular strategy, because I have experience using the math frame with other students, and the
graphic organizer really helped them to understand the word problems. The math frame helps improve
students problem-solving abilities by organizing and structuring the information that is given in the word
problem and the information that the student needs to figure out. I believe the math frame offered the
students a sufficient amount of support by breaking down the steps necessary to solve the word problem.
Instead of just guessing, students would have to fill out each section of the graphic organizer and
carefully think about the process of solving the word problem. This method of instructional design
provides students with appropriate support and challenge relative to their learning needs, which in this
case is properly adding fractions with like denominators.
The graphic organizer would be used to help students to complete different word problems. This
particular graphic organizer asks the students to write down what information is given, what are you
asked to solve, what strategy might help you to solve this problem, what steps are needed to find the
solution, and what calculations are needed to find the solution. I often found the students just guessing
and not really showing any work when doing math problems, and using the math frame would require
the students to write down there actual thinking process. I stated that if they completed one word
problem using the Math Frame, they would soon be able to play a game. Originally, I had two word
problems set up for each student but with their current attitudes I decided against two and settled on one.
The students were attentive for the most part, and slowly but surely they each got through the word
problem successfully. They did not enjoy using the graphic organizer because of its length and the
amount of writing it involved; therefore, the students ended up writing little to nothing. If I could go
back, I would have definitely had the students work on two word problems. I was more focused on
getting through the entire lesson, mainly the fraction game, that I believe I took away something the
students could have benefitted from. Changing the graphic organizer used, and opting for a simpler one,
could have probably kept the students more focused. The story map, which is generally used for reading
and writing, could have been used for helping the students solve the word problem. Students could have
broken down the word problem in a way that was easier for them to understand, instead of having to fill
out the different boxes that the Math frame included.
I was very eager to let the students play the fractions game, because my lesson was not going as
planned. I didnt want the students to be miserable during their time there, and I hoped the game would
cheer them up a little. What I thought would be one positive thing about the lesson, also went wrong.
The students decided against the chosen game, because they deemed it boring. The students decided it
would be a good idea to find a game of their own, and started playing games that involved concepts they
did not understand. Getting them to cooperate was very difficult, but soon enough the lesson came to an
end. This lesson did not go as planned, but it did not bring me down. I know as teachers, we will have
good and bad days where lessons dont run as smoothly as one would hope. If there is one thing I have
learned from my failed lesson, it is that I have to find ways to truly engage my students. After a long day
at school, it is quite normal that these students will be tired and wanting to go home. As a teacher, I have
to find ways to engage them and grasp their attention. I realized that the majority of the students did not
seem to grasp the idea that when adding and subtracting fractions with common denominators, the only
thing that changes is the numerator. For my next lesson, I need to think of a way to engage the students
but also get them to understand this major concept. Without this knowledge, the students will not be able
to move onto bigger and more complex fractions.