Reasoning Mind, Inc.

1
Reasoning Mind, Inc.
www.reasoningmind.org
Using Technology to Close the Achievement Gap
Leadership for Equity and Excellence Forum Feb
16th, 2010
Presenters Betty Baitland and Julie Fry
2
Framing Question
How do the realities of 21st century technology
affect a teaching model that was designed for the
19th century?
3
Discussion Question
What challenges do teachers in urban schools face
in differentiating lessons for students at
various levels of ability and motivation?
4
Technology in the Classroom Today

• 5th graders report using computers just
  24 minutes a week in school
• 8th graders report using computers just
  38 minutes a week in school

Teachers use computers to supplement and
reinforce the existing teaching model. As such,
computers add cost, while failing to
revolutionize the classroom experience US
Dept. of Education Report on Technology
5
Theory of Change
Incorporating Technology into the Classroom in
the 21st Century
Previously
Today

• Computer programs available are merely on-screen
  textbooks.
• Programs do not adapt to student inputs all
  students see the same thing, regardless of
  answers given.
• Non-customizable all students take the same
  path through the program.

• Animated, interactive programs that engage
  student interest.
• Programs adapt to student inputs what each
  child sees varies, depending on the inputs given.
• Highly customizable each students takes an
  individual path through the program, at their own
  pace.

6
New Role of Teacher
With Technology
Traditional Classroom

1. Teachers give the same lecture to the whole
   class.
2. Teachers use planning time to create
   one-size-fits-all lessons
3. The majority of a teachers time is spent
   creating assignments and assessments, and then
   grading those assignments and assessments.

1. Teachers use class time to work one-on-one with
   students.
2. Teachers use planning time to create customized
   intervention plans.
3. Teachers can devote their time to a detailed
   analysis of each students performance through
   automated reports.

7
New Student Experience

• Students become active participants in their own
  learning.
• Students receive instant feedback to their
  answers.

• The program diagnoses and remedies gaps in prior
  knowledge.
• Students enjoy a flexible and varied path of
  study.

8
Proven Benefits to Students
Increased Time on Task
Studies have shown that time on task in a
classroom where students are engaged in
computer-based learning is much higher than in a
traditional classroom Source Worthen, Van
Dusen, Sailor, 1994
9
Proven Benefits to Students
Improved Student Attitudes Towards
Learning
After using Reasoning Mind, an online mathematics
curriculum, over 70 of the students indicated
they either liked math a whole lot more or more
than they did previously before the program.
Source Waxman Houston, 2008
10
Proven Benefits to Students
Increased Face-to-Face Interaction
80 of a typical teachers time is spent
preparing to teach, teaching, and testing. Freed
from routine tasks, teachers can create
individualized intervention plans, increasing the
timeliness and frequency of direct instruction
for the students who need it most. Source
Christensen, 2008
11
Proven Benefits to Students
High Quality Curriculum
in Every Classroom
Administrators using a web-based curriculum can
be assured that a program of study will be
delivered in a consistent manner across all
classrooms, with appropriate content and
pedagogies.
Source Christensen, 2008
12
Proven Benefits to Students
A Classroom that Meets Every
Students Needs
Technology that adjusts the path of learning for
each student and provides multiple learning modes
to practice skills has been shown to dramatically
boost student achievement. Sources Schacter,
2001 Sivin-Kachala, 1998 Wenglinsky, 1998
13
Case Study
VIDEO Reasoning Mind A tool for closing the US
mathematics achievement gap
Teachers and administrators talk about the
dramatic impact of adopting Reasoning Mind in
their schools.
14
Reasoning MindOur mission

• Reasoning Mind is a non-profit that is changing
  the instructional paradigm in early math
  education in schools across the US.
• Reasoning Mind offers a combination of online
  learning programs for students and professional
  development to teachers.
• Reasoning Mind has emerged as a leader in
  dramatically improving the math achievement of
  students from disadvantaged communities.

15
What Is Reasoning Mind?

• Proven curriculum of the highest quality
• An effective teacher professional development
  program
• A powerful teacher tool
• An engaging student environment

15
16
Reasoning Mind A Math Class of the Technology Age
The RM Web-Based Educational Community
Teachers control and coordinate the learning
process, interacting with students, tutors and
the system
Hi, Im the Genie, an automated tutor who guides
students through the RM system.
Students get help from online tutors, who mentor
students and set up virtual classrooms to aid the
learning process
The Genie selects the path and pace of learning,
tailored to the individual characteristics of
each student
16
17
RM Teacher Training and Support

• RM teachers take a 5-day qualification course in
  the summer and a 100-hour ongoing course in their
  first year teaching RM.
• These courses develop teachers math content and
  pedagogy knowledge
• Teachers are provided with ongoing support from
  qualified intervention specialists who visit
  classrooms bi-weekly.

17
18
Genie II System
18
19
Genie II System
19
20
Genie II System
20
21
2008 RM vs. Control TAKS Data
21
22
2008 RM vs. Control TAKS Data
22
23
2008 RM vs. Control TAKS Data
23
24
2008 RM vs. Control TAKS Data
24
25
2008 RM vs. Control TAKS Data
25
26
Students Are Engaged

• Are taught at their pace and level of ability

• Have their weaknesses diagnosed and remedied
  automatically

• Collaborate and compete with each other

• Enjoy prizes, math games, and the Genie

As a result, students become engaged in learning
math and develop confidence in their abilities.
26
27
Students Say
Students Get Excited About Math
Liked learning math in RM 92 Like math more
than before after using RM 76 Would consider a
job that uses math after RM 81
27
28
Students Say
28
29
Teachers Say
Percentage of teachers who thought RM increased
the following
Reading comprehension 76 Independence in
learning 91 Reasoning skills 94 Non-standa
rd thinking abilities 100 Enjoyment of
mathematics 93 Confidence in mathematical
ability 91
29
30
Teachers Love RM
Percentage of teachers who were satisfied or
extremely satisfied with their overall RM
experience
96
Percentage of teachers who were satisfied or
extremely satisfied with the professional
development RM provides
95
Percentage of teachers who were satisfied or
extremely satisfied with the support RM provided
100
30
31
RM The Classroom of the Future

• The student-centric classroom is the future of
  education
• Technology facilitates transition to
  student-centric teaching
• Future teachers will need the skills to work
  one-on-one with different types of learners

31
32
RM Endorsed by NCTQ

• RM was endorsed in a 2008 report of the National
  Council on Teacher Quality.
• RMs training was one of only three programs that
  the report said show promise for dramatically
  increasing the mathematical competence of their
  graduates.
• According to the report, sustained inservice
  training is essential to imbue the practice of
  teachers with a deeper conceptual
  understanding.

32
32
33
RM Endorsed by TAMEST

• The Academy of Medicine, Engineering Science of
  Texas whose membership includes ten Nobel
  laureates endorsed RM in its 2008 report.
• RM was in the list of ten A Programs. It was
  the only math curriculum program in the list.
• The report said of RM, Due to its
  student-centric approach, the program benefits a
  broad spectrum of students, from special-need to
  gifted and talented.

33
34
RM Endorsed by Philanthropy Roundtable

• Reasoning Mind was profiled by the Philanthropy
  Roundtable in a 2008 guidebook for donors.
• The guidebook concludes with Ten Big Ideas in
  Need of Support.
• RM was the only program featured under Idea 10
  Maximize Strategic Use of Technology in the
  Classroom.

34
35
Question and Answer 15 mins