Breanne Day

April 21, 2014

SPED 245

Week 5-Reflection
For this weeks lesson, I did a math lesson with Pedro and Joseph based on a
YouTube video on immigration to New York City, while incorporating PEMDAS.
First, we had a light discussion on immigration and if any of their family members
had immigrated from another country to New York City. Both explained that they
did. We then watched a YouTube video called Gilded Age Video Immigration and
both boys enjoyed it. Ive known from previous lessons did that both boys were
interested in New York City and how it became what it is today. I also knew this
would be culturally responsive teaching, since both boys come from different
backgrounds and New York City is the most diverse city in the world and contains
people from many different backgrounds. After the video, we discussed how much
things might have cost during this time period.
After our discussion, I handed out the PEMDAS chart which we went over
how to use and the left-right rule when it comes to solving math equations. I then
handed out our math PEMDAS worksheet. Pedro began telling me how he would
dominate his math handout, however when he began to do some of the problems, he
realized he was struggling. He asked for help and we reviewed some of the
problems. The problem he had with 2 problems were bringing down the subtraction
sign after solving what was in the parenthesis. At first he told me I was wrong, but
then once we checked his answer on the calculator together, he realized where he
made his mistake and then was eager to do the next problem on his own. He really
put a lot of effort into the next few problems and kept self-correcting himself until
he got the right answer. Joseph did great on the first three problems, working at a
slow and steady pace. The fourth one he had trouble with, but Pedro offered to help
him. Pedro took out the chart and guided Joseph through the equation. Watching the
two work as a team was really enjoyable!
Both students identified vocabulary, symbols and other language demands
related to the learning targets and language function. The language I put into place
to help both students was the PEMDAS acronym to help both students to solve order
of operation math equations. I knew based on previous questions asked, that the
boys were doing this in class and that both needed some help with order of
operation problems from my pre-assessment findings. PEMDAS is an acronym used
to understand and remember the order of operations. By giving both students the
PEMDAS chart to use while they did their math equations, they were provided
access to learning the task with a demonstration of language function towards the
learning target for each learner. The support of the PEMDAS chart moves each focus
learner towards maintenance and generalization or self-directed use of the targeted
language/communication function, vocabulary, symbols, or other identified
language demands. The chart is useful for any generalized order of operation
equation and works on the practice for each type of math within PEMDAS such as
addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. This chart also encourages self-
esteem to feel confident when doing math problems, and enables self-regulation and
self-monitoring since it can work as a checklist as they solve order of operation
equations.