Snapshot
Do the Math!
1. What is your problem of practice in implementing a blended learning environment?
The problem of practice in implementing a blended learning environment consists of students who are performing at a novice level in mathematics due to a lack of numeracy skills, structuring issues, and mathematical concepts. Students will continue to struggle this year and fall farther behind because of learning to navigate not just middle school/high school but through remote learning because of a global pandemic.
2. What strategy will you implement this year to address the problem?
The strategies I plan to implement are research based math strategies from the Kentucky Center for Mathematics and the U.S. Math Recovery Council. I will use strategies such as explicit differentiated instruction, understanding math vocabulary /KY Standards Vocabulary /Mathematics Practice Vocabulary, decoding word problems, scaffolding, subsidizing, structuring, and fluency through distance learning to build a coherent, mathematical foundation of skills and concepts that novice/special needs students lack. Also, one of the most important strategies is listening to my students. I will integrate number talks so students can voice their problem solving skills and learn from others that problems can be solved differently but provide the same conclusion and create connections.
My plan is to target students through data collected and analyzed from previous MAP scores, fluency assessments, formative/summative assessments, and teacher observations.
3. What resources and personnel do you need to implement your strategy?
The following resources and manipulatives will validate my students’ learning as I implement various strategies through digital learning. The resources I will need are a writing/ drawing tablet, Rocketbook and accessories, fraction manipulatives, algebra manipulatives, and geometry manipulatives.
A writing/drawing tablet is crucial to enable me to teach students through digital learning so they can visualize the mathematical processes and concepts as I model how to solve mathematics problems and equations efficiently using proper strategies and visuals such as models and color coding.
Rocketbook will be used to correspond with my students as an interactive whiteboard. This technology enables them to upload how they worked out their problems from various devices using a qr code to ensure they are able to send me their work digitally. This will allow me to see their thinking process to determine if they correctly answered the question/solved the equation. Not just an answer.
Due to the lack of numeracy skills and concepts of novice/special education students I will need an array of manipulatives to aid students in their understanding. Fractions rods, fraction tiles, and fraction shapes will be used to address students with fraction/ratio/proportion problems and conversions along with perimeter and area problems. Algebra tiles and an algebra balance will help students think abstractly as they build algebraic equations and will serve as a visual for visual learners as well as kinesthetically for kinesthetic learners. Geometry manipulatives will allow students to see how angles compare and their formation. Again, aiding the visual and kinesthetic learners.
These resources and manipulatives are imperative to guide my students as I differentiate my instruction to reach each struggling learner through blended learning.
4. What research question will guide your study of this innovation?
Can struggling students overcome grade level deficits through virtual learning during a global pandemic?
5. What outcomes will prove that your innovation has succeeded?
Students will have a mathematical foundation and increased math skills/concepts/strategies to solve mathematical problems and equations efficiently as evidenced in MAP scores, fluency assessments, formative/summative assessments, and classroom teacher observations.
6. How will you measure those outcomes?
Students outcomes will be measured by a myriad of analyzed data that includes MAP scores, fluency assessments, formative/summative assessments, and classroom teacher observations. Also, by discussions with students through GOOGLE MEET and student feedback, listening to not just their mathematical explanations but listening to their interests and what they feel is difficult for them to understand math concepts.
7. How can you be sure that any positive outcomes on these measures are actually due to your innovation and not something else?
Students that are selected will be receiving individualized, prepared interventions daily from me through distance learning using Clever, Google Suite, a teacher created webpage, an interactive writing/drawing tablet, Rocketbook, and manipulatives.