Artifact # 6
This is an assignment on the math strands that drive the North Carolina math curriculum.
Context
This assignment was an ongoing investigation throughout the block semester
during the spring of 2001. Our class was divided into cooperative
groups, although there were independent components as well. We came up
with several math lessons based on the different strands for several elementary
grade levels. Some of them were designed to be taught sequentially as a
unit and others are single isolated lessons. Each lesson contains
some form of assessment. We often used informal strategies, but at least
one lesson uses a testlet based on the end of grade exam.
Impact
This assignment gave me practice in designing lessons, creating a cohesive
math unit, and determining appropriate assessment strategies for given
activities. I also researched the NCTM math strands and gained a greater
understanding of their importance and shaping of the curriculum.
Alignment
In the various lessons that I created, one or more forms of assessment
were always included. In many cases, ongoing assessment occurred during
the exploration phase of the activity in order to ascertain the development
of the imbedded concepts for the students and to observe the different
methods of approach that were used. In addition, some lessons utilized
a formal test modeled after North Carolina’s end of grade exam. My
goal for that assessment is to prepare students for the EOG by exposing
them to the types of questions that will be asked as well as my own information
about what they have learned (INTASC
#8). In many of the lessons included in the math strands assignment,
I used a combination of assessment strategies in order to give students
with diverse learning styles an opportunity to show their learning. For
example, a single lesson may ask a student to draw a picture, make a table,
write a sentence or paragraph explaining their answer, and/or complete
a quiz or test. In this way, I have shown my belief in the theory of multiple
intelligences and that I can provide learning experiences that benefit
as many as possible (INTASC #3).
This assignment also required each group member to teach one of the lessons
to the rest of the group and then write a reflection about the experience.
I detailed the activity that I taught, what went well, what did not go
well, and what I would do differently if I were to teach the activity again.
I also made allowances for how the activity would be different with actual
children. This reflection was a self-evaluation of my teaching practices
and how they would affect potential students according to my colleagues’
reactions. It was a tool for me to grow as a teacher and a professional
(INTASC #9).