Artifact and Reflection Form

Name: Tiffany Embry

Artifact number: 2

Title of artifact: Smart Shorties

*Sample worksheet samples along with lyrics of the program are attached*

Course number and name: MAT 728 Engaging Learners with Brain Compatible Teaching

Type of artifact: Marketed Program, worksheet samples, song lyrics

Write a brief description of the artifact

This artifact is the actual marketed program that I used which combines mainstream popular
music with multiplication facts. The program comes with supplemental workbooks that provide
song lyrics as well as visual representations of multiplication facts. The program is called, Smart
Shorties and can be found at: www.smartshorties.com

Professional and/or Learner Outcomes Represented by this Artifact

Relate this artifact to your listed professional and/or learner outcomes.

Professional Outcomes
1. Teacher will use music to aid in the memorization of multiplication facts.
Success Criterion: Teacher will purchase the program Smart Shorties. Teacher will teach the
lyrics and participate in the singing of the program. Teacher will also create assessment (verbal
and written) opportunities to assess learning.

2. Teacher will set up real world situations for students to practice/extend learning.
Success Criterion: Teacher will participate and evaluate through observation students abilities to
use learning from outcome 1.

Learner Outcomes
1. Students will use song lyrics/melody to learn multiplication facts.
Success Criterion: Students will actively participate in Smart Shorties program.
2. Students will be able to recite multiplication facts from memory on-demand as well as in real
world situations (i.e. games, problem solving, etc.)
Success Criterion: 4 of 4 students will be able to successfully recite via written as well as verbal
3’s multiples. (If time, they will also be able to recite 4’s multiples.

This program connects to both professional and learner outcomes. The program combines the
brain strategies of music and math to create a multiple sensory learning environment that allows
for previous knowledge and life experiences to combine, which research shows increases the
retention rate of newly learned material. The program provided opportunities for real-world
situations as well as for the “unexpected”. The unexpected being that I rapped this program,
something my students would never expect.

Report of Outcomes Attainment

After analyzing the program and related artifacts I came to the following conclusions:
• My students really enjoyed this program; however they struggled with the lyrics.
• This program is fun and exciting and combines popular, mainstream music with
mathematics.
• The program provided online support as well as student workbooks to reinforce learning.
• Performance of the program (multiples of 3’s – only) did not meet the anticipated goal;
however I determined student attendance was a huge factor in this goal not being reached.

Research Quotes
• “learning is more meaningful when students are given the opportunity to play with, apply,
manipulate, and assimilate new ideas into their own schema.” (Nunley, 2004).
• “help students retain more information and provide them with multiple modes or information
retrieval.” (Brewer).
• “…students are expected to master basic multiplication facts. In order to conquer higher
order mathematical problem solving, these basic facts should be recalled automatically
(Caron, 2007; Woodward, 2006; Lerner, 2003).
• “Our brains are structured to remember novel events are unexpected.” (Willis, 2006).

Reflection on the process

1. What does this artifact demonstrate as far as your learning?
 This artifact took me out of my comfort zone. This program is composed
of students using the music form of rap. I am not a rapper and my southern dialect
proved to be a challenge at the beginning of the program. I became the student
during this program because I was learning the lyrics along with the students. The
students could see me struggling and observed how to persevere and keep working to
get better. This was a great opportunity for me to model appropriate behaviors when
things are difficult.
2. What does it represent in relation to the changes you have made in your classroom?
 I have started incorportating more music and art into the classroom. In
one section of the program, I had the students paint the multiples of 3’s. I never knew
the students enjoyed the arts so much. I have also used more brain based strategies
within the class, such as having the music on when students enter. I found that the
students enter the room more calmly and are typically in the “work” mode.
3. Describe why you chose this artifact.
 I chose this artifact because the Smart Shorties program was the entire
basis of the unit. Every lesson that I did concerning multiples always connected to
what the students learned while doing Smart Shorties. I felt it was very important to
provide the program to connect to the other artifacts presented.

4. Link the action research process, these results, the research you used to back your
decisions and the program and/or course outcomes.
  Candidates utilize measurements and evaluation accurately and
systematically to monitor and promote learning.
 Candidates demonstrate the ability to be reflective practitioners by
identifying a problem, examining research, advocating solutions, implementing a
plan, and measuring and evaluating outcomes.
Connection:
During this program, I was constantly reflecting and trying to discover how to extend.
Since I have only completed the multiples of 3’s, I plan to continue on with the program
and do all of the multiples (0-12). As stated in previous assignments, I feel multiplication
facts, which are used in everyday life, are not in our core curriculum in Jefferson County.
In our curriculum maps, learning the multiplication facts are not taughts. Students can
show us how to create arrays to solve and can even explain why and how you multiply.
However, they can not give the answer to a multiplication equation from memory; and in
the real-world most people do not draw and array when in the grocery store.

5. What does this artifact demonstrate about you as a teacher? Link what you found to the
NBPTS Core Propositions?
 Proposition 1: Teachers are Committed to Students and Their Learning
 Proposition 2: Teachers Know the Subjects They Teach and How to Teach Those
Subjects to Students.
 Proposition 3: Teachers are Responsible for Managing and Monitoring Student Learning.
 Proposition 5: Teachers are Members of Learning Communities.

 I became a learner when I started this unit. I was learning and rapping a
song which took me out of my comfort zone. Why? I did it because I care
about my students and I want their lives to be easier because they are
educated. Knowing your multiplication facts makes life easier. I know
my students and I know that drill/practice flashcards will not work for
them. They become very frustrated and will give up. I found that they do
not give up in the middle of a song. They were striving to learn more so
that they could “sing it without the music”. By doing this, they were
demonstrating their ability to display the multiples of 3’s. Since I
purchased this program, I have shared it with two of my fellow teachers
who are also starting to implement the program. All of these things
demonstrate my abilities as a teacher.
 References

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http://www.songsforteaching.com/brewer/memory.htm

Bruer, J. (1997). Education and the brain: a bridge too far. Educational Researcher, 28(8), 4-16.

Chipongian, L. (n.d.). BrainConnection.com - Education Connection - What is Brain Based

Learning?. Retrieved September 11, 2009, from

http://brainconnection.positscience.com/topics/?main=fa/brain-based

Chipongian, L. (n.d.). BrainConnection.com - Education Connection - What is Brain Based

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http://brainconnection.positscience.com/topics/?main=fa/brain-based

Jensen, E. P. (n.d.). Kappan Magazine. Retrieved September 16, 2009, from

http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k_v89/k0802jen.htm

Jensen, E. P. (2008). Brain-Based Learning: The New Paradigm of Teaching. Thousand Oaks,

CA: Corwin Press.

Kathie. (n.d.). Dr. Kathie Nunley's Layered Curriculum Web Site for Educators. Retrieved

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September 16, 2009, from http://help4teachers.com/grading.htm

Nunley, K. F. (n.d.). Dr. Kathie Nunley's Layered Curriculum Web Site for Educators. Retrieved
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