The skills learned in math are building blocks that lead to future mastery of content. My experiences in the classroom have revolved around the lack of number sense with my learners. Even those brightest (aka gifted and talented) find themselves challenged. In my Honors Geometry classroom, I do not allow the use of calculators on assessments. I have given up trying to keep them off their device when calculating a solution.
My answer to this is to focus on giving opportunities for spiral review. I have implemented the use of Microsoft Teams amongst my learners. I have developed a gamified approach to this to incentivize it. I will not require them to complete the activities, but I will offer prizes in the form of homework passes and bonus points they can apply toward assessment grades. I am still in the planning stage for the prizes and how I will randomly select the students.
Even as I review materials presented in their lessons, I intend to use this method to offer a review of elementary math skills (i.e. operations with fractions and decimals) that we all need a refresh on from time to time. I picture this as a way to influence a growth mindset and give confidence to those who may doubt their mathematical abilities.
Ultimately, the “prize” will be clarification and mastery of some of the topics that learners remain puzzled by. As I develop this strategy, I will look to implement it in my Algebra I classes. This might be just the approach I need for the spring semester when the countdown is on for their mandatory state test. I see my learners and the potential that they themselves have yet to realize. In a perfect world, I will guide them all to that potential. I am not naive as I once was as a new educator. Even the success of one learner should be celebrated!
I began this year looking for better options for open lines of communication outside of the classroom for my Geometry learners. Remind does not offer the features I need to go in the direction I hope to guide my students in. In brainstorming with my campus Instructional Technology Specialist, he suggested Microsoft Teams. All the students in our district have access to Microsoft 365 Suite. It has integrated features to allow a teacher to create and monitor a class group. There are also ways to make assignments, calendars with deadlines, and other options that I utilize in our district LMS of choice.
I was looking for a way to encourage interaction and collaboration between the learners and even myself. I want to foster opportunities for peer support when they find themselves struggling. We can share files, pictures, and links. I am also looking at encouraging video responses, as well as text responses. I am not looking to do any type of formal assessment in this medium. I merely want to open a means of dialogue that will expose the learners to other resources they have when struggling through their learning. I am cautiously optimistic and I look forward to building on these ideas of collaboration that can be meaningful and useful in the future for all of us.
As my progress continues within the ADL program, I am afforded the opportunity to reflect on my own learning and contributions to the learning of my peers in this third course of study. Collaboration in this course was through discussion posts, group text messages, and feedforward on our ePortfolios. At the beginning of the term, I found that collaboration was going to be limited due to the purpose of the course. Developing and creating our ePortfolios is very personal. By putting ourselves out there, our vulnerabilities will only allow us to be that much better as a learner (or an educator). We must be unguarded with our own reflections about our learning to develop those connections required for mastery.
While I utilized the help offered by WordPress to problem-solve my way through my revisions, I was able to get help through my GroupMe chat groups. We have two groups established to maintain an open dialogue, ADL 2021-2023 and 5303 w/ Dr. H. Here is a list of the members that I have worked with:
ADL 2021-2023
5303 w/ Dr. H
Individuals that I teamed up with
Adrianne Ortiz, Anna Diemecke, Ashleigh Carter Patrick Rodriguez Chris Hill James Rawls Kelly Skillingberg LaTammie Rawls Melinda Flaugher Stacey Powell Tonya Logan Veronica Goodly
Stacey Powell Adrianne Ortiz Anna Diemecke Chris Hill James Rawls Kelly Skillingberg LaTammie Rawls Tonya Logan
Melinda Flaugher Kelly Skillingberg Catherine Duplisea Rebecca Rodgers
My Algebra I team My campus Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS)
The individuals I had the benefit of collaborating with assisted me in troubleshooting issues with my ePortfolio. I was able to get ideas about the layout of the content on my site and issues with navigation and functionality. I was also able to help them with concerns about their own functionality and ease of use with their ePortfolios. My team from my own school community and the campus ITS were able to give me a point of view from my audience.
I had to remind myself that my peers were willing and ready to assist if I was struggling. It was through asking for help that I found clarity as to how I imagined my ePortfolio’s appearance and functionality. I also did find my attendance at the weekly meetings we had with Dr. Harapnuik extremely informative. With his guidance on typical issues found in ePortfolio development that he related to his own experiences, I was able to discover what WordPress truly had to offer to improve my ePortfolio.
Another area of growth that I still see in my own learning is motivation and engagement. This term taking place in the first weeks of the school year did play a part in that for me. This is because of the experiences of last year in the classroom. While the obstacles this year are different from last year, time has become a more precious commodity than in previous years. I have established clear boundaries between my work and school. However, I still must remind myself of WHY I am here and struggling uncomfortably. I am doing this for me. I want to be a better version of my educator persona. I must not be too proud to ask for help. We should not have to struggle in silence. My understanding is only deeper through that collaboration.
There have been many trials and errors with the themes, layout, blocks used on a page, navigational menus, and how to use the Blog feature. Ultimately, I have stuck with my theme and platform for my ePortfolio. I have become more than a novice, but definitely not an expert in WordPress. WordPress is very creator-friendly once you get a handle on a few features. The ability to add content and tweak my ePortfolio in future courses and beyond has made all the tears and words of frustration worth it. I am proud of how far I have come and look forward to adding my work to my ePortfolio.
How can I create a significant learning environment for my learners to find choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning? Harapnuik et al. (2018) argue that it all begins with the teacher. I am obligated to do all I can to facilitate and mentor my learners through their learning. My readings about CSLE+COVA prompted me to revisit my Learning Manifesto. I am reminded of my “why.” Teaching high schoolers is not a task for the faint of heart. I truly love the opportunity I am afforded every day in the classroom. My current reflections are how can I be better for my students?
Harapnuik et al. (2018) suggested we must care enough about our learners to give up control to them. This is my current plight. So much rides on their mastery of the math concepts I am given to teach them. My students must pass a state-mandated Algebra I test for graduation. But beyond this fact, the topics being covered are foundational to future math courses. Mastery will ensure the possibility of future success in a math classroom.
I have implemented a hybrid of a flipped classroom. Time is provided in class for watching lesson videos, practice, and mastery checks (a formative assessment to provide a checkpoint of understanding). Students have been given firm deadlines for quizzes and end-of-unit assessments, but their pacing between those times is of their own choosing. I am looking for other strategies to lead learners to inquiry-based learning to cement the idea of autonomy and choice. These are one of the three pivotal criteria to boost engagement and motivation, as presented by Davenport (2022). She used the work of David Pink in his book,Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. The other two are mastery and purpose. Mastery can only be fulfilled if learners see themselves as “meaning makers” and not just as clients of the education they are being presented with. Purpose comes with the connections being made to the learning and the discovery of the why.
I am often presented with the question of why they have to learn mathematics. The sentiment is that it will never be of use to them. My automatic response is that I am teaching them to reason and problem-solve. This is true. But not the whole reason we learn mathematics. Math is also about creativity and making sense (Boaler, 2022). We must look for ways to influence our learners to see the connections and value knowledge of math has in their lives. I see math in many facets of daily life. I will task myself to put those on display for my learners and let them explore on their own.
Math is art. And why it matters. | Yudhister Kumar | TEDxTemecula
Kumar (2022) argue that math goes beyond its root in the sciences. He suggests math should be considered as it has for thousands of years, as a study of philosophy and its relevance to the field of art. Connecting mathematics to history and the arts might prove to be the strategy to engage reluctant learners. This re-evaluation warrants further exploration.
References
Boaler, J. (2022). Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students’ Potential through Creative Mathematics, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching. Wiley.
Math is art. And why it matters. | Yudhister Kumar | TEDxTemecula. (2021, November 4). [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCptO1sv7So
Giving opportunities for learners to own their learning is vital to mastery. This is prefaced by also allowing for choice in that learning. Over the last 4 months, I have spent countless hours reflecting on how I can create a learning environment that will provide choice and ownership to my own students.
Choice and ownership look different in my classroom than in others. This is partly due to my responsibility to prepare my learners for a required state test. My focus is on giving my learners autonomy and choice. This has been a struggle these first weeks of school. Even with clear deadlines for assessments, my learners struggled to find the motivation to fulling immerses themselves in the learning. The consequences have been the failure to understand the concepts in these first 2 units of study. This may be a reflection of my implementation strategy.
My Innovation Project that I am working on through my graduate program is to see a full implementation of a flipped classroom, a blended learning strategy that is discussed by Horn et al. (2014). The students would watch lesson videos at home and the work that would traditionally be assigned as homework is completed in class with my support available. This would also allow for more time for inventions and extensions with my learners.
With the beginning of a new unit, I shifted my approach. I am structuring class time more purposely in hopes of having them see how to use their time most effectively. As I have reached the end of the first term, most of my learners have made progress and I have witnessed growth.
We still have work to do. And it starts with me. How can I continue to adjust and reflect on my practices for the benefit of my learners? How can I continue to better provide choice, ownership, and voice? Harapnuik et al. (2018) suggest it begins with me, the educator. I have to find a way to relinquish control of their learning. I must remember that I love my students and I care enough about them to let them learn through their struggles. It does no favor to eliminate those hardships.
When I made the decision to return to school to pursue my graduate degree, I did a lot of research into online programs offered at universities across the country. I found myself also coming back to the Applied Digital Learning (ADL) program at Lamar University. My husband is a recent graduate of Lamar. His experience with his online Business Management program was a positive one. Many of my colleagues have received their master’s from Lamar. It seemed like an institution that would have a great deal to offer any learner seeking a graduate degree.
The ADL program is unique and appeals to my love of learning and technology. I was drawn to the fact that the knowledge was immediately applicable to my job. My classroom could be my laboratory. The more I explored the program, the more eager I was to get started. I found Dr. Harapunik’s ePortfolio and my excitement grew. As I read through posts and course tips and resources, I found what I was looking for.
The most appealing part of the ADL program is it looks very different for each learner. I did not have any idea about the opportunities to collaborate and learn from my peers that are outside of the world of public education. My network will expand with every course I take. I find myself exploring ideas and possibilities that could take me outside of the classroom. I see my goals and ambitions changing as I navigate each course. I see this as the key to my success in the ADL program.
The passion I have for learning and teaching can lead me to a path that is different from the one I have traversed these last 12 years. One of the reasons that motivated me to get my master’s was the stress I have experienced over the last few years. I was hoping to find my “why.” The “why” that lead me to become a teacher. My realization is that I do want to teach and guide others to find their full capacity as a learner. What is now clear is that I can accomplish that in other settings and not just as a public school teacher. My future as an educator and a learner is more exciting than I had originally imagined.
Thank you for leaving your feedback and suggestions as comments to this blog post. Your assistance will help me be the best teacher for my future learners!
Words have a lasting impact. We often hear the phrase, “Actions speak louder than words.” Body language and tone of voice are just as impactful as words.
By creating a visual representation of my innovation proposal, I hope to convey the importance of changing our learning approach in our Algebra 1 classrooms. The goal is for my audience, my administrators, my department chair, and the school community, to realize my sincere intentions of providing the most beneficial classroom environment for our learners. The opportunity that a flipped classroom will afford the students to find their voice and ownership.
The point of view that I must take with my media plea is one of our community. Here are some questions I need to answer:
Will the benefits go beyond our Algebra I classrooms?
How can this model’s employment inspire educators in other subject and content areas?
How will I support those joining in my vision?
Where do my colleagues stand in their comfort level of technology in the classroom?
What does the teacher’s role look like? What does the student’s role look like?
How do we ensure the success of a blended learning model?
Do we need to utilize other models and create a hybrid model of our own?
What support do I need to implement and ensure the success of my innovation project?
I think my words and research will help me do this, but I have to convince my audience that I truly BELIEVE it is a necessary change for ultimately the whole of our school community. This is the most important piece of my proposal, my belief. With that mindset, I do not see how we can fail!
Valary's Vision of a Modern Secondary Mathematics Classroom 