Helping Students Learn

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Helping Students Learn What an awesome
experience
Columbus Public - Crestview Middle School
6th Grade Math Class
Otterbein Methods Winter 2006
Cooperating Teacher Mrs. Cavinee
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Student, Teacher, and Community Population

• Very diverse racial and ethnic student population
• Approximately 75 of teachers are white
• Many single family households
• Many students do not live with a parent (relative
  or foster care)
• Lower income community

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Ah Ha Moments Related to Student Learning

• Peer relationships and acceptance is much more
  important to middle school students than grades
  or obeying the teacher
• School is not a priority for some
  students/families bigger concerns such as
  taking care of family, eating, sleeping
• Homework is seldom completed there appears to
  be little support at home or motivation to
  encourage the students to complete homework
• Students lack pre-requisites - 75 of students in
  one class could not complete a basic
  multiplication and division worksheet they have
  no chance of computing volume and area
• All students have dreams - 5 out of 6 in my
  Advisor/Advisee group want to be doctors but
  dont understand what it will take

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Content Covered in Unit

• Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
• Palindromes (racecar, 1234321)
• Pascals Triangle
• Arithmetic and Geometric Sequences
• nth term in a sequence
• Rules for a pattern
• Linear and non-linear graphs
• Functions and function tables
• Function graphs

Data Analysis Mean Median Mode Range Outliers Hist
ograms

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Ohio Academic Content Standards

• Patterns, Functions, and Algebra Standard
• GLI 1 - Represent and analyze patterns, rules and
  functions, using physical materials, tables and
  graphs.
• GLI 2 - Use words and symbols to describe
  numerical and geometric patterns, rules and
  functions.
• Data Analysis and Probability Standard
• GLI 4 - Understand the different information
  provided by measures of center (mean, mode and
  median) and measures of spread (range).
• GLI 5 - Describe the frequency distribution of a
  set of data, as shown in a histogram or frequency
  table, by general appearance or shape e.g.,
  number of modes, middle of data, level of
  symmetry, outliers.

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Goals Students Will Be Able To

• Identify character and numeric palindromes.
• Recognize and extend a pattern.
• Determine the patterns within Pascals Triangle
  and add additional rows.
• Write match a rule or function to a pattern.
• Compute and graph the input and outputs for a
  function.

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Goals Students Will Be Able To (continued)

• Complete additional rows and columns in a table
  based on recognizing a pattern and understanding
  a function.
• Identify match a pictorial representation to a
  function.
• Compute the mean, median, and mode within a set
  of numbers or from various graphs.

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Rationale for Choosing SWBA Goals
Student centered

• Columbus Public School Curriculum Guide

Alignment with standards
Preparation for achievement test
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Methodologies Used to Teach

• Discovery with manipulatives to help students
  see the math
• Peer tutoring (with tutor passes)
• Small group activities
• Student board/overhead work for motivation
• Math Jeopardy (most effective and engaging)
• Real-life references (sports and more sports)
• Direct instruction for definitions and examples
• Worksheets for repetition and re-enforcement

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Methods of Differentiation

• Individual instruction
• Pre-written notes/definitions

• Peer tutoring (tutor passes)
• Co-operative grouping

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Pre-Assessment Data

• 6 questions, 5 multiple choice and 1 graph, given
  to the students on 1st day of the unit.
• Sample question
• Which rule is used to make this number pattern?
• 3, 5, 9, 17, 33, 65
• A. Add 2 to the previous term
• B. Multiply the previous term by 1 and then add
  2
• C. Multiply the previous term by 2 and then
  subtract 1
• D. Subtract 1 from the previous term and then
  multiply by 2

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Post-Assessment Data

• 6 questions similar to pre-assessment were
  included in the written post-assessment, but
  students had to figure out their answers instead
  of having multiple choice.
• Sample question
• Complete the table for the rule 2x 4 y.

X 2 3 4 5 6 7
Y 8 10 12 14 16 18
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Pre-Test / Post-Test Comparison
Pre-Test Avg 2.0 out of 6 Post-Test Avg 3.3
out of 6 61 increase in correct answers 79 of
students (44 out of 56) increased score
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Collecting Evidence of Student Learning

• Formal Assessments
• Written unit test
• Worksheets and homework
• Informal Assessments
• Board/Overhead work following group activities
• Individual discussion

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The REAL Evidence A Thank You note from a
student
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Observations on How Students Learn Best
Students need to enjoy the lesson and the
material in order to be engaged.

• Many students need very clear instructions and
  expectations.

Students possess multiple learning styles some
need to see it, others hear it, and many need
to do it.
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Professional Standards Addressed

• NMSA I - provide opportunities that support
  student development and learning
• Evidence ? post-assessment
• NMSA V - employ a variety of strategies for a
  developmentally appropriate climate to meet the
  varying abilities and learning styles of all
  students
• Evidence ? lesson plans
• NMSA VII - understand the complexity of teaching
  young adolescents, and they engage in practices
  and behaviors that develop their competence as
  professionals
• Evidence ? journal entries

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Supervisor and Cooperating Teacher Comments