Goal 5: Connections & Assessment
Connections:
Plans and Lessons...
· Connect areas to build student learning effectively
· Show ability to connect content from all areas of the curriculum
One of the many joys of teaching in an elementary school setting is being able to teach many different subjects. Sometimes this may feel like a burden because many hours go into planning and preparing engaging, thought-provoking lessons, but really it is a joy to see children making real-world connections with mathematics and other content areas such as science. In my classroom my second and third grade students were able to raise salmon eggs. During the course of the year I was able to include lessons that incorporate science and math, such as looking at the Accumulated Thermal Units or ATU’s to predict when the salmon would hatch.
Another example of a lesson I created incorporating engineering, mathematics, and technology was to have students design a structure. The students had to stay within a certain budget to design the structure, use estimation, and create a structure that was safe.
Structure a 6th grade student created in Minecraft.
Finally, another lesson might incorporate baking and language arts. Many students love to make cookies at home with their parents so reading a book about cookies and even maybe making them is a great way to get students to make connections. During this lesson I started by reading, “The Doorbell Rang” by Pat Hutchins. As we read this book we discussed how the cookies were shared equally or “divided”. This is also a great text for working on the strategy, “making predictions” because students begin to see what is going to happen next. My students loved this lesson and even asked to do it again.
Through the course of my master’s program and my teaching career I have learned that time is very valuable when you are working with students. When you create lessons that connect different content areas you are not only using your time wisely, but you are helping your students learn more effectively. Reading does not exist only during a reading class, for instance. Students in my room learn that reading also exists in the real world when a student wants to bake cookies for instance. Students learn that math is an important skill when taking care of fish such as salmon. Math is also important when a parent needs to build something such as a tree house or a shed. Helping students make connections between content areas by incorporating real world community based problems, will help students be successful outside of school.
For example, here is a STEM lesson I created and completed with my son. Due to budget cuts we determined that the military would close at least one golf course. So, the kids were told to design a playground at the golf course. The students had a certain budget and certain elements to include in their playground.
Connections:
Plans and Lessons...
· Connect areas to build student learning effectively
· Show ability to connect content from all areas of the curriculum
One of the many joys of teaching in an elementary school setting is being able to teach many different subjects. Sometimes this may feel like a burden because many hours go into planning and preparing engaging, thought-provoking lessons, but really it is a joy to see children making real-world connections with mathematics and other content areas such as science. In my classroom my second and third grade students were able to raise salmon eggs. During the course of the year I was able to include lessons that incorporate science and math, such as looking at the Accumulated Thermal Units or ATU’s to predict when the salmon would hatch.
Another example of a lesson I created incorporating engineering, mathematics, and technology was to have students design a structure. The students had to stay within a certain budget to design the structure, use estimation, and create a structure that was safe.
Structure a 6th grade student created in Minecraft.
Finally, another lesson might incorporate baking and language arts. Many students love to make cookies at home with their parents so reading a book about cookies and even maybe making them is a great way to get students to make connections. During this lesson I started by reading, “The Doorbell Rang” by Pat Hutchins. As we read this book we discussed how the cookies were shared equally or “divided”. This is also a great text for working on the strategy, “making predictions” because students begin to see what is going to happen next. My students loved this lesson and even asked to do it again.
Through the course of my master’s program and my teaching career I have learned that time is very valuable when you are working with students. When you create lessons that connect different content areas you are not only using your time wisely, but you are helping your students learn more effectively. Reading does not exist only during a reading class, for instance. Students in my room learn that reading also exists in the real world when a student wants to bake cookies for instance. Students learn that math is an important skill when taking care of fish such as salmon. Math is also important when a parent needs to build something such as a tree house or a shed. Helping students make connections between content areas by incorporating real world community based problems, will help students be successful outside of school.
For example, here is a STEM lesson I created and completed with my son. Due to budget cuts we determined that the military would close at least one golf course. So, the kids were told to design a playground at the golf course. The students had a certain budget and certain elements to include in their playground.
Assessment:
Plans and Lessons...
During the fall of 2013 I completed a research study on mathematics achievement and attitudes towards mathematics. My goal was to determine if parental support would increase academic success and the student's attitudes towards mathematics. This is an excerpt taken from my research study focusing on the academic portion of my research:
"In addition to improving my students' educational experience, I also wanted to see what effect parent support would have on the students' academic performance in mathematics. I used the AIMSweb Math Computation Assessment to assess my students in September (fall) and again in November (winter). As seen in Appendix C, in September, ten students tested below the benchmark; the fall benchmark was fifteen. In November, seven students tested below the benchmark; the winter benchmark was thirty. Of those
seven students who tested below the benchmark in winter, three students only missed the benchmark by two-three points.
Appendix E outlines the scores for at-risk, some risk and low-risk scores on the M-COMP. In the fall, five students were in the at-risk category. In the winter, one student fell into the at-risk category. Furthermore, the students all improved from the fall to the winter assessment with some students improving as much as twenty-three points.
Finally, I looked at the students' first and second quarter grades. In first quarter two students had a 69% overall grade; in second quarter all students had a grade of 74% or higher. Six students improved their grades from first quarter to second quarter, while two students remained the same. Nine students had lower grades in terms of percentage; of those nine students five of them had the same letter grade. Four of the nine students dropped down a letter grade. The class average or mean for the first quarter was 88.5%, while the class average for second quarter was 87.8%.
Although the class average went down slightly, all seventeen-second-grade students had the equivalent of a C or better in the second quarter. Many other factors affect the students' grades; it would be difficult to prove that parent involvement was the sole factor in improving students' grades. In addition, not all student grades improved second quarter; this may be due to several different factors including a new curriculum and new content."
For the full research paper please follow this link:
Plans and Lessons...
- Show assessment is used to plan, evaluate & strengthen instruction
During the fall of 2013 I completed a research study on mathematics achievement and attitudes towards mathematics. My goal was to determine if parental support would increase academic success and the student's attitudes towards mathematics. This is an excerpt taken from my research study focusing on the academic portion of my research:
"In addition to improving my students' educational experience, I also wanted to see what effect parent support would have on the students' academic performance in mathematics. I used the AIMSweb Math Computation Assessment to assess my students in September (fall) and again in November (winter). As seen in Appendix C, in September, ten students tested below the benchmark; the fall benchmark was fifteen. In November, seven students tested below the benchmark; the winter benchmark was thirty. Of those
seven students who tested below the benchmark in winter, three students only missed the benchmark by two-three points.
Appendix E outlines the scores for at-risk, some risk and low-risk scores on the M-COMP. In the fall, five students were in the at-risk category. In the winter, one student fell into the at-risk category. Furthermore, the students all improved from the fall to the winter assessment with some students improving as much as twenty-three points.
Finally, I looked at the students' first and second quarter grades. In first quarter two students had a 69% overall grade; in second quarter all students had a grade of 74% or higher. Six students improved their grades from first quarter to second quarter, while two students remained the same. Nine students had lower grades in terms of percentage; of those nine students five of them had the same letter grade. Four of the nine students dropped down a letter grade. The class average or mean for the first quarter was 88.5%, while the class average for second quarter was 87.8%.
Although the class average went down slightly, all seventeen-second-grade students had the equivalent of a C or better in the second quarter. Many other factors affect the students' grades; it would be difficult to prove that parent involvement was the sole factor in improving students' grades. In addition, not all student grades improved second quarter; this may be due to several different factors including a new curriculum and new content."
For the full research paper please follow this link:
Another way I use assessment to plan, evaluate and strengthen instruction is by using exit cards. Exit cards provide me with a quick assessment. I am able to assess whether my students met the objective or not. Sometimes all of my students meet the objective and other times I have students who struggle and require remediation. Simple tools such as exit cards provide me with great information that helps me evaluate and strengthen my instruction. Another tool I use to assess my students is white boards. I use white boards during lessons to ensure my students are engaged and comfortable with the skill we are working on. I am able to quickly assess who needs assistance and who is comfortable and ready to move on to cooperative learning groups or individual practice.
These are just a few examples of how I use assessments to inform my instruction.
These are just a few examples of how I use assessments to inform my instruction.