Blog Post 9: EDBE 8P29 (11 November, 2016)

Good Day Bloggers!

Objective: 

For this week's blog post, it is my objective to present my responses to questions, ideas and information presented this week in the course EDBE 8P29 at Brock University! Due to this week being an online week, this post will also include connections to the readings, something that stuck out to me from the video and the Learning Activities Forum! In addition to this, today's post will also include connections to my future teaching; in placement and in a classroom of my own. 

New Beginnings: 

This week, we viewed a math scavenger hunt game that could be highly useful in my future teaching career to allow students to be interactive with one another yet also a contributor to their future math successes. 

Measurement: 

In the slide, 3 stages were underlines as important when introducing measurement as a strand of mathematics to students.

1) Definition/Comparison: compare two things to determine which has a greater measure. Can use           experiments, investigations, etc;

2) Nonstandard units: define measurement according to scoops, cubes, etc;

3 Standard units: cm, g, etc.

Students are naturally curious with measurement, commonly because they use this tool quite often in their every day lives. Students want to be engaged with their learning, and if you as the educator can add investigations and hands-on-activities in a mathematics strand like measurement, then why not use it?

Equally important as the last points: It is important for the educator to not assume anything about student learning. This is no different when instructing measurement. While you may assume students have a general knowledge of how to confidently use a protractor or ruler, students might not have yet attained those skills. Like any lesson, it is important for the students to attain the essential knowledge necessary for completing their task, such as using a protractor to measure a 90 degree angle.

A great resource to use for ideas on how to teach measurement is Measurement Grades-4-6, underlining accommodations and modifications that can be implemented in the classroom, as well as a variety of different instructional techniques that can be valuable in the mathematics class setting.

Formative Assessment Strategies

OF/FOR/AS Assessment: 

The following link Assessment For and As Learning with Mathematical Processes outlines resources for student success, showing goals and expectations. This tool can also be utilized in my future classroom setting with its valuable key features of effective mathematics instruction which includes:

1. Encouraging Students;

2. Ongoing Assessment For Learning;

3. Building Meaningful Success;

4. Utilizing Many Approaches. 

Evaluating and Integrating Digital Tools into the 21st Century Classroom by Rebecca Bunz:

Purpose: “The purpose of this study is deconstruct articles that examine the effect of technology on student achievement and engagement in elementary mathematics in order to determine the functions of digital tools and the qualities of technology integration that most impact student learning…."

(Bunz, 2016)

Through:

Figure 1: The TPACK Framework 

Figure 2: The SAMR Model

We next reviewed the Bunz Model of Technology Integration and Evaluation, which reviewed seven steps to approach learning and reviewed them in detail.

Stage 1: Create a Professional Learning Community (PLC)

Stage 2: Think Pedagogy First

Stage 3: Determine the Purpose

Stage 4: Determine Functionality

Stage 5: Search, Find, Evaluate

Stage 6: Plan Integration

Stage 7: Go For It

Reflection: 

In the study of measurement at the grade 1-8 levels, teachers require a sound understanding of the key mathematical concepts for their students’ grade level, while simultaneously connecting students prior and future experiences in learning this topic. It is essential for us as educators to know how to best teach the concepts to students through individual knowledge of each student. Through this knowledge, effective learning can take place because we as educators look for methods based on individual need to allow for differentiated instruction. From the video's, readings, and forum posts, it is clear that differentiated instruction is required to teach measurement, as it is a strand of math that students can clearly relate to in their own lives. Having this strand interest students is essential to their comprehension on the importance of measurement of their daily lives.


Thats all for now Fellow Bloggers! Until next week :)