Heather+Sauer

=Week 6: Using Technology to Differentiate Instruction=

I located the following web resources for use with my lesson plan for week 6. Students were encouraged to explore these websites to review the material they had learned on quadratics - graphs and ways to solve. They filled out a graphic organizer to share their critique of each website, as well as information learned. All of these resources are appropriate for high school Algebra I and Algebra II students.


 * __Visual/Spatial__**

Interactive Parabola: Allows students to explore how a graph/properties of a parabola change when a, b, and c (coefficients in standard form of a quadratic) are changed.

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 * __Verbal/Linguistic__**

These Khan academy videos explain concepts involved with graphing and solving quadratic equations.

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 * __Logical/Math__**

This website provides students with practice problems (that become increasingly more difficult) for solving quadratic equations.

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 * __Bodily/Kinesthetic__**

This website shows how students can manipulate algebra tiles to solve quadratic equations. Students who visit this site will receive a baggie of algebra tiles to use.

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 * __Musical/Rhythmic__**

This youtube video sets the quadratic formula to song (to the tune of “Pop Goes the Weasel”) so that students can more easily remember it.

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One computer will be designated as the “class computer”. Students who choose this option will find examples of quadratic online (graphs, words, algebraic expressions/equations, or real-life examples) and cut and paste them into a “quadratic collage” on a SMARTboard document.
 * __Interpersonal__**


 * __Intrapersonal__**

This website includes step-by-step notes, explanations, and practice for the motivated learner.

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=Week 5: Differentiating Instruction=

eHow: Differentiated Instruction Strategies for Math [] eHow: Tiering Instruction for Middle School Math []
 * __Readiness__**

The first link provides differentiated instruction strategies for mathematics. Specific examples are included to describe how teachers can tier instruction, use thematic centers, integrate collaborative groups, and tap into the higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. The second link is geared toward middle school math, but the ideas can be applied to my high school math classes. The article shares simple steps to tiering instruction, and these directions seem to be geared toward teachers who are tiering for the first time.

Bright Hub: Use the Jigsaw Teaching Method to Promote Responsibility for Learning []
 * __Interest__**

This article shares two methods for applying the Jigsaw strategy: one has students working in collaborative groups to read the text, create a lesson, and present it to the class. For the second method, students select a topic, meet with other students who have the same interest, become “experts” in their field, meet with “experts” from other groups, and take turns sharing information and answering questions. The jigsaw format appealed to me most because it seems more suitable for mathematics, and it allows students the choice to select a topic that appeals to them.

“What’s For Dinner?”: Reinforcing Math Skills Through the Multiple Intelligences []
 * __Learning Profile__**

This website is geared toward busy families, and it explains how parents can use the intelligences of their children to help them with mathematics. The author of this article explains how to appeal to each of the intelligences when teaching fractions. There are links to different activities and applets on the Internet for each intelligence preference, and they all follow Gardner’s specifications. = = =Week 4: Link to UDL Presentation on VoiceThread= [] = =

=UDL Resources=

As I conducted research to locate UDL resources, I focused on ways to integrate UDL into math curriculum. Here is what I found:

[] This is a PDF that has links to lesson plans, virtual manipulatives, and applets. The links are organized according to grade level, and a description is given for each link. I found some pretty cool resources through this PDF.

[] This site lists math software, math videos, and tips for how to use Microsoft Word to support mathematics instruction.

[] This site provides guidelines for UDL, educational theory, and strategies that can be used in the classroom to promote UDL. Examples are given for how to implement UDL with differentiated instruction.

Scott to Heather

It looks like you have a lot of good websites that will help with faculty in the math department. Have you come up with any that will target more of the departments within your school?

Scott

= = =DIFFERENTIATION STATION: ONLINE SURVEYS=

**Interest Survey:** [|http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/adapthandbook/learner/interest.html#712interest] There are two interest inventories on this website; one is geared toward elementary school students, and the other is more appropriate for use in secondary education. I am a high school teacher, so I selected the latter. As I was surfing to find a good interest survey, I came across several that were based upon future careers, and others that were multiple choice. I chose this one because it is open-ended and it asks students students detailed questions involving their preferences with regard to hobbies, sports, music, reading, television, computers, and traveling. It also includes questions like “If you could have one wish, what would it be?” Sometimes answers to hypothetical scenarios can provide more insight into how a student thinks. The format of this survey is not ideal, but I like the content. **Learning Styles Survey:** [] Even though this learning styles survey was developed for use with college students, I feel that it would also work nicely with my high school students. For each statement, students can respond on a scale that includes five choices (strongly disagree, moderately disagree, uncertain, moderately agree, and strongly agree). After students input their selections, results are given to indicate each student’s tendencies toward each of the following attributes: Independent, Avoidant, Collaborative, Dependent, Competitive, and Participant. There is also an area for students to type in a reflection. Although I do like the areas covered on this survey, I would like to see learning modalities and environmental concerns addressed more thoroughly.

**Multiple Intelligences Survey:** [] This online test is a series of “yes” or “no” questions that are divided into each of the eight intelligences. After students make their selections, they can process the results and see the percents within each category. I took this test myself, and it was fairly straightforward. I think if I were to give this test, however, I would want to mix up the statements so that students are not conscious of the fact that their answers are affecting their musical or interpersonal intelligences. For example, when I answered the logical-mathematical questions, I already had an idea that I would select “yes” for all the questions because I am a math teacher and I enjoy math and logic. This may have subconsciously affected the outcome of my test. **Learning Profile Inventory:** [] It was difficult for me to locate a survey that addressed how students’ learning styles are affected by culture, gender, and language, but I ran across this template (with minor differences) on several websites. I do not like that they suggest you include a pink stripe for girls or a blue stripe for boys, but other than that, the card addresses learning modalities, multiple intelligences, and personality. There are also fields for academic and extracurricular interests. On this site, reference is made regarding how cultural background relates to learning preferences; I might share some of these differences with my students (individual vs. group work, part-to-whole vs. whole-to-part, quiet observer vs. active participant) and have them indicate their preferences on the back of the card. They could also draw pictures that express their cultural background or values.

The data from these surveys can be used to create an inviting atmosphere conducive to learning, develop activities that reflect student interests, and differentiate instruction to appeal to the diverse learning styles and preferences or students.