Dear Santa
All I want for Christmas is for you to provide proof that I am on the right track with this special group of students. This school year I took a chance to do something different. Research does not always provide a solution for all children because every child is different. The one thing I can firmly believe is that "All Means All." I am at the crossroads of making a decision to become an educational leader to bring about a revolution of learning the world has never seen or even though about being possible. I believe it is possible because I have been here before (Annapolis Creed) more than once trying to do something no one else has done. I am a visionary leader in a classroom of students who others had loss hope on and cast as unreachable. I have found that I need an arsenal of instructional methods so that I can find the right one for each of them. I have been teaching for 15 years and maybe I am unrealistic but I believe that students (all students) can learn mathematics if the teacher can just not give up. We need to be more like Edison and try a 1,000 or more ways. So now it is more than about mathematics. Today we need educators who believe in change if it's not working for all students. So, this school year I ran an experiment with teaching the old way with 3 classrooms and teaching the new way with 1 classroom. So this year after 15 years of teaching I have received the best Christmas Gift ever as a math teacher. I have received proof of learning in mostly an unacceptable way of learning. This personal experiment combines co-teaching that includes all students (Yes They Can!) using multiple instructional intervention methods, daily professional learning community collaboration, technology integration, innovative learning applications, daily close reading strategies, computer coding, and WRITING in mathematics. Thank you Santa for the following gift after reading this today before Christmas break. This week, I asked students to write a learning summary of what they learned this first semester. Please note that this student had never experienced success in mathematics. She currently has a grade of "B" in my classroom. I am so proud of her! Not Corrected to Preserve the Moment My Learning Summary This semester I have learn three important ways to do math. There are three different ways to solve functions. There linear functions ,exponential functions,and system of equation. These are solve three different ways. A Linear functions can be added or subtracted. It's always increasing or decreasing by that number. If they give you numbers and want you to figure out the missing number start by making a table of value. The next step is to see if the adding or subtracting it. Sometimes it might not be linear it can be geometric. Geometric is the opposite of linear that one can be multiplied or divided. A exponential function is a function whose value is constant raised to the power of the argument.I can use a table to graph but it will not be in a straight line. The increase and decrease if subbstantinal. A system of equation is is a set or collection of equations that you deal with all together at once. is a set or collection of equations that you deal with all together at once.You can use a table of value. I can use a equation given x so i can find y. In conclusion there are three types of math that I learn this semester. They all have different ways to be solve. This type of math has helped me solve problems like this.
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The standards should always come first and not the curriculum. This year's co-teaching approach places a focus on the standards and to clearly identify exactly what students should be able to do at the completion of Math I. So our approach was to focus on the following(blue are complete thus far):
Teachers collaborate and discuss student learning outcomes throughout the week and change the material to meet the specific learning needs of the students. We focus on what we want the students to be able to do and what material, exercise, or method of instruction is best to move their learning forward. Formative assessment is active and concurrent each class period.
Literacy in Mathematics does not happen unless the formative assessment is accomplished through daily word problem-solving activities.
Formative Assessment, Analysis, Personal Feedback, Modification of InstructionThis time period was spent reteaching and providing feedback to students about their learning. Areas of focus continue to be about writing in their math journals, daily close readings using reading annotation skills and building now upon new topics to deepen their understanding about arithmetic and geometric sequences.
Analysis of the content and literacy assessment reveals that students do not have a good foundation on decimals and percents. Classroom warm-ups are given the first two days to address these deficiencies. The following worksheets were used: 1. Write decimals from fractions. 2. Change decimals to percents. 3. Solve simple percent problems. GIZMOS ApplicationsStudents have gained an understanding of linear and exponential functions using table of values, recursive, and explicit equations. Now it is time to work more deeply with the graphs and characteristics of linear functions. In the classroom we use the Gizmos application for practicing a performance task and as a formative assessment. Students complete the performance task and the formative 5 question assessment after completion of the lesson.
What are the Seven Revolutions? from CSIS on Vimeo. Have you considered how a global population of 9 billion people by the middle of the century will impact your life? What are the challenges for the availability of food, water, and energy resources? How will society balance the benefits of technological innovation and advanced communication with the threat of cyber security? How will global economic integration and governance affect trade, markets, and commerce overall? To answer questions like these, the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) embarked on an initiative in 1992 to address and analyze the key policy challenges that policymakers, business figures, and other leaders will face out to the year 2035 & beyond. It is an effort to promote strategic thinking about the long-term trends that too few take the time to consider. Though our research is constantly evolving, we created this guide as a snapshot for what we call the Seven Revolutions. The key points of this research have been captured in an exciting, fast-paced, multimedia presentation that has been given around the world—from governments to private corporations to academia to nongovernmental organizations. Seven Revolutions is constantly updated to reflect the latest data analysis and available technologies. It is an effective tool for pushing audiences to think outside of their areas of expertise and beyond their familiar planning parameters. Students are assessed on vocabulary (literacy) and content during week eight of Project 711. Students receive 7 weeks of instruction. One week of formative assessment, practice and review. One week of reteaching to reflect, correct understanding and receive feedback.
Typically students in the comprehensive school have by now taken a quarterly benchmark and assigned grades to students. Typically this is where students who have suffered bad experiences are saying "Here I go again, especially for those students who are failing for whatever reason. This alternative approach is using a different approach to focus on student learning and not grades at this point in time.
Traditionally, we have used assessments to measure how much our students have learned up to a particular point in time. This is called "assessment of learning" — or what we use to see whether our students are meeting standards set by the state, the district, or the classroom teacher. These summative assessments are conducted after a unit or certain time period to determine how much learning has taken place. Although assessments of learning are important if we are to ascribe grades to students and provide accountability, teachers should also focus more on assessment for learning. These types of assessment — formative assessments — support learning during the learning process. Types of Assessment Strategies (Math Journal Focus on Literacy) I have chosen a variety of quick ways for you to check for understanding and gather "evidence" of learning in the warrior math classroom.
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Dr. Smith
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