This essay will explain the math lesson I created for the 4th grade class I am student teaching. The subject is using key words to identify and solve addition and subtraction word problems. Math is very important because it is used in everyday life. We need math to shop, to figure out how much tiles to put on our bathroom floor, or to buy the correct sized bed to fit in our room. More importantly, addition and subtraction are the basis for any math problems. Without first learning how to add and subtract appropriately, it will be hard for students to understand the other levels of mathematics, such as algebra and trigonometry.

          I used the common core standard for this lesson because these are the standards that New York State are following for grades K-12.  On www.corestandards.org, it is said that “Common core standards make expectations for students clear to parents, teachers, and the general public.” These standards clearly state what is expected from students at each grade level and guide the teacher and parents when teaching the students. This lesson is so important because math is a part of other subject areas. It was also said on www.corestandards.org that “English-language arts and math were the first subjects chosen for the common core state standards because these two subjects are skills, upon which students build skill sets in other subject areas.”

          According to the Common Core Standards, students in the 4th grade are supposed to be multiplying and dividing. The students in my class are doing basic multiplication and didn’t learn division yet. They are behind where they should be academically at this point. I spoke with my cooperating teacher before I created my lesson and it was agreed that my lesson should be based on what the students are currently learning. The students have been learning how to solve word problems with their teacher but have been having trouble. Because I noticed this, I decided to introduce them to key terms. Understanding key terms for each strategy will help improve their word problem solving skills. The key terms, which are listed on my lesson plan, are simple enough for them to understand and are words that they are familiar with. Even though they are familiar, they aren’t familiar with them when it comes to word problems.

          According to Jeanne Ellis Ormrod in her book Educational Psychology: Developing Learners (2000), “Ultimately, learning mathematics is of little use unless students can apply it to real world situations. Word problems are often used to help students make the connection between formal mathematics and everyday life” (p.368). To help students connect to the lesson, I wrote word problems that include their names and topics that they are interested in. For example, one of the students loves footballs so footballs will be the theme of at least one word problem. I chose to include their names because children feel special when that happens. Also, I saw from my ELA lesson that when I do that the students really pay attention and grasp the concepts.

          Technology is an important aspect in the classroom. For this lesson, I have incorporated the use of a document camera. The students will be able to see what they are asked to do on the board and I will be able to model for the whole class to see. The students will also be able to write answers that will be displayed on the document camera for everyone to see. When the federal education plan No Child Left Behind was signed into law in 2002, there was an Enhancing Education through Technology Act of 2001 that was incorporated. It says the goal is “to improve student academic achievement through the use of technology in elementary schools and secondary schools” (Bitter, p. 19). Student academic achievement will improve because with the use of technology students become more interested and engaged. That will lead them to grasping more information and remembering things that they can use later.

          Accountable talk is a very important part of the lesson. For this lesson, the students will turn and talk with their partners about the key terms and which strategy they are used for. I will walk around and listen to hear if the students understand. Ormrod (2000) said “Students are more likely to remember new information and experiences when they talk about these things with others” (p.284). This will help them link the key words to the strategy they belong to.

          I want to keep the students engaged and interested so I made guided practice into a game. This game will test their understanding of the key terms and their understanding of the strategies used associated with the key terms. Omrod (2000) said “We can ask questions in class that test students’ understanding of the ideas we are presenting; our students are more likely to keep their minds on a lecture or assignment if they know that they will be immediately accountable for it” (p.231). The students will be models for the students who follow because those who don’t grasp fully will get more understanding from the students who do. For that reason, I am going to call on the students who grasp the concept more first. The game is also a formative assessment because while they are playing, I am observing and listening to see if they understand the key words. Based on what their answers, I will move on to the next step or go back and review the key words.

          Even though they will play the game and figure out what the key words are, I am going to show them how to do it first. This modeling process is part of Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (1977) which states that students learn best through observation. Learning by observation will “help students acquire new behaviors more quickly by demonstrating those behaviors yourself” (Omrod, 2000, p. 437). I had Bandura’s theory in mind when I decided to call on the students who understand what they are doing before the others.

          I am going to pair the students up for independent practice. This style of learning is based on Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development. Vygotsky’s theory suggests that children learn best from interactions with their peers. This is true for these students because sometimes because of the disabilities they are diagnosed with, they need help and reassurance not from their teacher but from their classmates. Piaget’s Cognitive Theory suggests that students learn on their own. I have seen these students work on their own and from that I see that they understand things better when they work with each other. Every part of this lesson calls for the students to work with each other, me, or the classroom para.

          The disabilities that the students have are learning disabilities, autism, behavior disorders, and ADHD. In the textbook Exceptional Learners: An Introduction to Special Education (2006), Daniel P. Hallahan and James M. Kauffman talk specifically about these disabilities and how students who have them can be helped. Children with learning disabilities have varying problems. In math, “The types of problems these students have include difficulties with computation of math facts, as well as word problems; trouble with the latter is often due to the inefficient application of problem- solving strategies” (Hallahan, 2006, p. 185). For the students who have this problem, I made a differentiated handout. Their handout has fewer problems than their peers and has lines that will allow them to separate the numbers according to place value. The classroom para, Ms. Santiago, will be guiding their interactions as they work together. “Students with learning disabilities have problems that affect at least two types of memory: short term memory (STM) and working memory (WM). A typical STM task requires a person to repeat a list of words that are presented visually or aurally” (Hallahan, 2006, p. 187). Throughout the lesson I am constantly reminding the students of the key words and pointing and referring them back to the charts with the key words.

          “For students with emotional or behavioral disorders to learn from peer models of appropriate behavior, most will require explicit, focused instruction about whom and what to imitate” (Hallahan, 2006, p. 275). For this reason, when I model I will tell the students what I am modeling and that this is the exact thing I want from them when they do the task on their own. I will make sure the students are quiet and listening when I give these instructions so they can hear me well.

          There is one student who is diagnosed with autism, but everything that helps him learn will help the other students learn as well. “Direct instruction means using structured, teacher-led lessons; instruction in small groups or one on one; lessons presented in small steps; frequent use of teacher questions; extensive opportunities for practice; and frequent feedback, reinforcement and correction” (Hallahan, 2006, p. 414). I am leading the lesson with the mini lesson, instruction is given in small groups when the students are paired up for accountable talk, the lesson is presented in small steps, not moving to the next step until the previous step is fully understood, I am constantly asking questions about the key words, what has to be done, and what was done to solve the problem, the students will have a chance to write their answers under the document camera and practice on the handout, and I will be letting them know what was right and what was wrong and why it was right or wrong.

          For the students who have ADHD, I made sure that the entire lesson is engaging and that there is more than one thing the students will be doing for that lesson. “Providing frequent shifts in activity creates additional support for such ADHD characteristics as short attention span, task-

completion difficulty, and short term memory problems” (Hallahan, 2006, p. 231). This lesson calls for a lot of student involvement so there will be little to no problems with losing interest.

          As I said earlier, throughout the lesson I will be asking questions, which is a formative assessment. According to Rick Stiggins, et al, in the book Classroom Assessment for Student Learning (2007) this is an assessment for learning. “Share with your students the learning target(s), objective(s), or goal(s) in advance of teaching the lesson, giving the assignment, or doing the activity” (p. 42). This kind of assessment is displayed in my teaching point, which is always put on the board before the lesson begins, and my instructions before each new task begins. The summative assessment will be the answers from the handouts that will be completed during independent practice. I designed my rubric based off of my teaching point so that what is expected from students during and after the lesson will be what they are graded on. “The goal of using scoring guides should be to define quality, and not just to provide a scoring mechanism or justification for giving a grade” (Stiggins, 2007, p. 209).  Because I am asking them to show their work, the kind of assessment that they are doing is extended written response. This will let me know how the students came up with their answers and will let me know if they are following the right steps, and if not, what is wrong.

          Along with the Common Core Standard that is being used, I am also following CEC and ACEI Professional Standards. CEC Standard 2: Development and Characteristics of Learners is addressed in my knowledge of the different kinds of instruction each disability calls for. CEC Standard 4: Instructional Strategies and ACEI Standard 3.3: Development of Critical Thinking and Problem Solving is met with my knowledge of different theorists and theories and why or why not I incorporated the theories in my lesson. I met CEC Standard 5: Learning Environments and Social Interactions and ACEI Standard 3.4: Active Engagement in Learning by allowing my students to interact with myself and their peers frequently. CEC Standard 7: Instructional Planning and ACEI Standard 3.5: Communication to Foster Collaboration was met with my use of technology, constant modeling, and guided practice. CEC Standard 8: Assessment and ACEI Standard 4.0; Assessment for Instruction were met with the different use of formative and summative assessments.When teaching in a classroom with students who have disabilities, it is important for me to meet the needs of the students and understand how and why I am doing so.

    References

Bitter, G. G., & Legacy, J. M. (2005). Using Technology in the Classroom. Boston:

          Pearson Education, Inc..

Hallahan, D. P., & Kauffman, J. M. (2006). Exceptional Learners: An introduction to

          special education (Tenth Edition ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc..

Ormrod, J. E. (2000). Educational psychology: developing learners (3rd ed.). Upper

          Saddle River, N.J.: Merrill.

Stiggins, R. J., Arter, J. A., Chappuis, J., & Chappuis, S. (2007). Classroom

           assessment for student learning: doing it right -- using it well (Special ed.).

          Upper Saddle River, N.J., Pearson Education, Inc..

www.corestandards.org