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Reflection on Dream IT project completed in Fall 2014
Before writing this reflection, I investigated use of journals and their positive effect on students understanding in my 10’Th grade Geometry classroom. I found that Journals can be very rewarding and help students learning process. Through Journaling, my students became more skillful using correct math vocabulary terms orally and written My Students felt they learned the content better and could retain it for longer time.
Mathematical Journals encouraged me to emphasize the correct use of terminology and through explanations of mathematical thinking in classroom discussions. I plan to improve and refine my journaling process and continue to use mathematical journals with my future classes.
As a high school/College instructor/facilitator for last 19 years, I have been constantly striving to find more effective instructional and teaching strategies. In my early years of teaching mathematics courses ,I was very traditional teacher ( Thanks to how I was taught and made to learn as a student) but over a period of time I see a sea change in my instructional strategies and adapt according to students readiness, interest levels and build on their strength.
I feel that by communicating their understanding and skills students understand better and motivated to learn mathematical concepts.
Student population I taught in fall dream project had lot of academic and social challenges and was well below their grade levels. When students were exposed to multi modal ways of learning (Journals was one of them) their interest and engagement levels in math classroom grew and enjoyed math classroom.
Students were provided with opportunities to learn and communicate their understanding through visual (Math software, online Jeopardy customized math games, virtual manipulative s), writing (Cornell notes, Journals, math literacy worksheets etc.), organization (Math Portfolios).
When we started the project , I felt that students had very low level of confidence and struggled to communicate their mathematical thinking, understanding orally and their reading levels were very low ( 3-5 grade level as per IEPS).
I was pretty sure they were never provided with opportunities and tasks to communicate their understanding in their previous experiences of learning math.
I started out with Pre -assessment on unit to check their understanding and modify my unit and lesson plans. I had good intentions of assessing my students but was unsure of which way or process is the best to evaluate each student’s mathematical understanding. I found that Journals provided me good feedback about students understanding daily basis and helped me to adapt my teaching strategies daily.
I will continue to work on improving my ability to creating developmentally appropriate questions/tasks, ( Depth of knowledge levels 2-4) and challenge my students to think, provide explanations of understanding and improve their ability to recall and apply concepts and retain it for longer time.
Reflection on Dream IT project completed in Fall 2014
Before writing this reflection, I investigated use of journals and their positive effect on students understanding in my 10’Th grade Geometry classroom. I found that Journals can be very rewarding and help students learning process. Through Journaling, my students became more skillful using correct math vocabulary terms orally and written My Students felt they learned the content better and could retain it for longer time.
Mathematical Journals encouraged me to emphasize the correct use of terminology and through explanations of mathematical thinking in classroom discussions. I plan to improve and refine my journaling process and continue to use mathematical journals with my future classes.
As a high school/College instructor/facilitator for last 19 years, I have been constantly striving to find more effective instructional and teaching strategies. In my early years of teaching mathematics courses ,I was very traditional teacher ( Thanks to how I was taught and made to learn as a student) but over a period of time I see a sea change in my instructional strategies and adapt according to students readiness, interest levels and build on their strength.
I feel that by communicating their understanding and skills students understand better and motivated to learn mathematical concepts.
Student population I taught in fall dream project had lot of academic and social challenges and was well below their grade levels. When students were exposed to multi modal ways of learning (Journals was one of them) their interest and engagement levels in math classroom grew and enjoyed math classroom.
Students were provided with opportunities to learn and communicate their understanding through visual (Math software, online Jeopardy customized math games, virtual manipulative s), writing (Cornell notes, Journals, math literacy worksheets etc.), organization (Math Portfolios).
When we started the project , I felt that students had very low level of confidence and struggled to communicate their mathematical thinking, understanding orally and their reading levels were very low ( 3-5 grade level as per IEPS).
I was pretty sure they were never provided with opportunities and tasks to communicate their understanding in their previous experiences of learning math.
I started out with Pre -assessment on unit to check their understanding and modify my unit and lesson plans. I had good intentions of assessing my students but was unsure of which way or process is the best to evaluate each student’s mathematical understanding. I found that Journals provided me good feedback about students understanding daily basis and helped me to adapt my teaching strategies daily.
I will continue to work on improving my ability to creating developmentally appropriate questions/tasks, ( Depth of knowledge levels 2-4) and challenge my students to think, provide explanations of understanding and improve their ability to recall and apply concepts and retain it for longer time.