EDIT 5370: Module 1

Three Questions

EDIT 5317: Module 13

1. My second project focused on how to approximate the square root of imperfect numbers.  This built on prior knowledge of finding squares of whole numbers and square roots of perfect numbers.  Students used this prior knowledge combined with how to plot numbers on number lines using decimals to complete a set of steps which would allow them to approximate a square root to one decimal place.  This procedure lent itself well to this project because it has a clearly defined set of steps to achieve the desired answer and included both prior knowledge and new skills.

2. I think I could definitely have been more punctual on this assignment.  The end of the semester got away from me with some personal issues and I had a hard time keeping up.  It had nothing to do with the schedule or structure of the project - I actually thought it was spaced out and organized really well.  

3. Completing both projects this semester really made me think about the difference in teacher concepts vs. procedures.  I have taught for several years but never really thought about it that way before.  I can say that the concept project, for me, was more difficult.  I don't know if that is because I have a very procedural mind (being a math teacher and all) or if concepts are just more abstract to think about.  As far as what went well or didn't in this course - I thought the assignments were really well aligned with the course description.  I enjoyed using the blog to post discussions instead of the traditional discussion board in blackboard.  I thought the syllabus and assignments were confusing at times (the syllabus repeatedly referred to the final project as a group project) but Dr. White was incredible with helping clear up confusion and clarify assignments for me.  Overall, it was a positive experience this semester.

EDIT 5317: Module 7

1. For the majority of adult learners, I think the minimalist structure is a good idea.  Adult learners want to get the information efficiently and then work on it at their own pace (especially with internet-based classes). Minimalist instruction provides a way for instructors to give the assignments and projects and then allows learners to use prior knowledge and experience to complete these tasks at a pace and in an environment that is most conducive to their learning.  Some procedures that would probably lend themselves well to the minimalist structure would be activities such as learning how to use Microsoft Office programs (such as Word, Excel, Outlook, etc) by completing tasks in those programs.  Another idea would be how to enter grades or test scores in to a program such as Eduphoria where data can be tracked and used in a variety of different scenarios.

2. I think any procedure which learners would need regular direction and feedback would not lend itself well to minimalist instruction.  Math processes tend to be a struggle for many people, and bad habits in calculations can be quick to form and hard to break without feedback and supervision.  

3. In my context of middle-level math, I think most discovery activities work well with the minimalist structure.  For example, if I want students to discover why certain numbers are grouped together based on their physical representation, a minimalist instruction plan would be perfect for allowing students their own time and space to develop ideas about the groupings.  I also think assessment strategies to show mastery would be perfect in a minimalist structure since, at that point, the learner should require very little redirection or supervision to demonstrate comprehension. 

EDIT 5317: Module 5

a. I selected the concept of numbers representations because understanding the relationship numbers have with one another without calculations being involved is key to students gaining a base understanding of math.  

b. Being a classroom teacher, I've noticed that many students struggle with the vocabulary involved with math which gets them tangled up before they ever even reach the computations part.  I work a lot with defining terms and how they relate to non-math situations hoping that if we can conquer that hurdle, then we are one step closer to the actual problem being solved.

c. I originally selected the concept of numbers in general but it was too broad which then opened it up to too much detail to be covered in the suggested time frame which is why I edited it down to just number representations (fractions, decimals, percents, whole numbers).  That solved my problem of fitting it within the time allotted; however, then I felt like I did not have enough sub-topics (there are only 4 and the assignment suggested 5-6).  After discussing it with Professor White, we agreed this was still the better concept.

d. I switched my initial concept idea after feedback from Professor White,  I have not yet received feedback on the second topic so this part is TBA for now.

EDIT 5317: Module 3

a. I think a concept is the "big picture" you teaching to.  It encompasses many smaller subcategories and underlying processes but a concept looks more at an idea you're trying to understand rather than a process you're trying to master.

b. As a teacher, I was the Student Council sponsor the middle-school group and this was their first experience with a service organization.  Trying to teach them the concept of being leaders was challenging.  There were definitely processes involved - community service, networking with other school groups, assigning tasks to increase responsibility.  The concept of leadership was taught through these processes, but also through my own leadership of them and open discussions about why leaders are important and how they felt after helping others and accomplishing tasks.  I'd like to think this concept was ingrained in several of them through this process.

c. I think that a lesson needs to be developed based on the process needing to be mastered as well as the underlying concept to be understood.  Being a math teacher, many students would question the "why" of learning processes but if they had more understanding of the concept why, I think they would accept the process why more.

EDIT 5317: Module 1

A. While I have tried most if not all of the learning theories discussed in this lesson, I tend to find the most success with constructivism.  My teaching experience has been mostly with middle school age students, and being able to relate math topics back to prior experiences or real world issues helps students understand the WHY behind what they are doing and retain the information longer.  Especially with math topics, students struggle with the question of “when am I ever going to use this” so when I’m able to answer that question for them and give them real situations and scenarios to apply the learning to, I get a more positive response and attitude towards learning from them.

B. Instructional Design refers to more than just teaching, but rather the entire process of teaching, learning, planning, and review.  Quite literally, I think of it as “designing instruction” where you are not just the one delivering the lesson, but you are also facilitating learning by looking at the end goal and building a strategy around achieving that goal.  While teaching is more one-dimensional as it refers to delivering content on a specific topic, Instructional Design is building an environment that focuses on learning and retention of a skill. 

C. I think throughout this semester I will continue to change my way of thinking from one of “teaching” to one of “designing”.  Being a classroom teacher, we are trained to deliver content and test content, but not so much “evaluate” content mastery.  I think that to be successful in the class and the practices that we are learning, I need to look more at the big picture of what I want my students to retain, and I need to become more familiar with different learning theories and how to incorporate several in to a single lesson rather than one theory per lesson.