Learning Project Analysis to Assess Levels

In order to improve my instructional practices, I analyzed instructional data from district math diagnostic and proficiency assessments. The most recent assessment assessed student’s abilities to count, add and subtract, and their understanding of place value. My students scored below not only the other first grade students at the school, but also all first grade students in the district. 81.6% of my students could count, read, and write numbers to 120. This was an improvement from their diagnostic assessment. However, only 66.7% could relate counting to addition and subtraction, and only 45% demonstrated understanding of place value in two digit numbers.

Learners may also have difficulty in understanding that a fraction of a group can be found when more than one object is represented, two fractions can be equivalent even with different denominators and that objects that are not the same shape can still be the same fraction. In terms of comparison students may have difficulty in comparing bigger fractions to smaller ones and in associating the size of the fraction to the size of the whole. Furthermore students may have difficulty is grasping all of the representations of fractions and the concept associated with fractions greater than one.

Literature: Read Remainder of One by Elinor Pinczes to prepare students for the lesson. “What do you think is going to happen in this story? Based on the title, what do you think this has to do with division?” Read the story. “Can anyone tell me how division was used in this book? What happened to the extra 1 person, or the remainder? We are going to learn about dividing larger numbers today and how to do it correctly.”

Students had previously covered the topic of developing fluency in multiplication by 2-digit numbers. After that topic students moved on to cover number sense, dividing by 1-digit divisors using mental math to prepare them for the following topic of my learning segment. The topic of my learning segment consists of developing fluency, dividing by 1-digit divisors. I designed my lesson as a three-day unit focusing on long division by modeling division with place-value blocks, dividing 2-digit by 1-digit numbers, and dividing 3-digit by 1-digit numbers. Students were introduced to division prior to my learning segment but the struggled to understand and comprehend division because students were only introduced to the division algorithm and were not provided with a mnemonic to help them recall the steps. Students also weren’t introduced to division with manipulatives or drawings. Therefore, I

According to Table 1.2, the following categories fell within close range to the mean: number sense, attends to print, basic reading, articulation, communication (receptive), matching, pre-writing, colors, and shapes. It is evident through this data analysis that most students are at the emerging stage of ability levels, implicating that they require some level of prompting to ensure they produce a correct response. It is concluded that students require continued instruction with addition, reading, and working independently are skills that require continued instruction. Division, multiplication, graphing, and telling time were areas that all students found to be the most challenging, thus these findings confirmed my original assumptions,

Answer- To demonstrate ability to solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions referring to the same whole and having like denominators, students will complete 5 addition problems with like denominators and 3 word problems, when asked to do so with the rest of the class, on a paper-pencil teacher-made fractions quiz, with 80% accuracy, at the end of the unit.

In the chapter, “Equal Sharing Problems and Children’s Strategies for Solving them” the authors recommend fractions be introduced to students through equal sharing problems that use countable quantities because they can be shared by people or other groupings. In other words, quantities can be split, cut, or divided. Additionally, equal sharing problems assist children to create “rich mental models “for fractions (p.10).

Our class is filled with students who all have different personalities and interests, so it would only seem fitting if the Crossdisciplinary Projects varied from person to person. These set of presentations were very interesting and entertaining to watch. From Danielle’s “Sweet Little Babies,” to Tyler’s demonstration on “How to Slay a Dragon,” they were all great. However, only one of the projects really stood out to me and it was James’ song based on John Donne’s sonnets. I am a person who really enjoys music, so it is no surprise that I would choose between Kaylee and James’ projects. Kaylee did a wonderful job setting Shakespeare’s sonnet to music, but I had to choose James’ project as my favorite because it sounded like the type of music

I think Project Based Learning has a more positive impact on learning and understanding than traditional learning. When I was an elementary student, I always enjoyed projects more than lectures because I was never bored. When I’m being talked at in a lecture about new information the important points tend to go in one ear and out the other. I also know that I understand a concept better when I’m shown an example or when I try it out myself.

The pre-assessment used to establish students' baseline knowledge and skills for this lesson was a comparing fractions pre-test. Students compared the following types of fraction comparisons: unit fractions, benchmark fractions, normal fractions, equivalent fractions, improper fraction vs. normal fractions, and improper vs. improper fractions. I have taken the information and used it to figure out which types of comparisons the students understand and using it to work on increasing the students' ability to include the other types. I use the information to accommodate what the students already know about the target. It showed me that students do not understand how to compare fractions, when they have a different denominator.

In order to close the gap of lagging United States math students, children need to be exposed as early as possible to number relations, such as rational numbers and ratios, so that they have better clarity of parts and wholes.

Using the Renaissance Learning Software: Math Facts in a Flash. Students spent 10 minutes-a-day practicing multiplication facts from 1-10. The software program first tests students’ knowledge of multiplication facts in on a baseline test. The facts are grouped in two facts per level. (1,2 – 3,4 – 5,6 – 7,8 – 9,10 – 11,12). Students then practice a variety of facts on that level including facts that were missed in the baseline test. In the practice portion of the software, students are given instant feedback on problems if they are correct it moves on, while when they answer incorrectly it provides them the correct answer. When the student is ready to test again they are given a timed test. They must correctly answer 40 facts in 2 minutes to advance to the next

Multiplicative thinking, fractions and decimals are important aspects of mathematics required for a deep conceptual understanding. The following portfolio will discuss the key ideas of each and the strategies to enable positive teaching. It will highlight certain difficulties and misconceptions that children face and discuss resources and activities to help alleviate these. It will also acknowledge the connections between the areas of mathematics and discuss the need for succinct teaching instead of an isolated approach.

Teaching students effectively in areas of multiplicative thinking, fractions and decimals requires teachers to have a true understanding of the concepts and best ways to develop students understanding. It is also vital that teachers understand the importance of conceptual understanding and the success this often provides for many students opposed to just being taught the procedures (Reys et al., ch. 12.1). It will be further looked at the important factors to remember when developing a solid conceptual understanding and connection to multiplicative thinking, fractions and decimals.

It makes more the students be interested in the topic and motivated to learn. Nowadays, it is usually used by teachers in teaching their subject. 21st century learners are techy and computer literate, the passages of information is faster. The more you used technology and unique programs, the more they listen and participate