WRMA+Project

Fall 2009 – Spring 2010 Enhancing the Algebra and Algebraic Reasoning in your Curriculum
 * WRMA Curriculum Development Project, PART II**

__**Goal**__ To improve instruction collaboratively through intentional modification of activities and/or lessons that engages students in algebraic reasoning; to measure an effect of these intentional modifications on student achievement.

__**Tasks**__ __** Written Reflection (Tentative description) **__
 * Form a small study group of your WRMA colleagues (2 – 5) who will work on improving instruction of the same or similar learning goal related to the foundations of algebra (fluency with whole numbers, fluency with fractions, similarity and measurement) and/or algebra and algebraic reasoning.
 * Select a lesson (or set of lessons) from your pacing guide that can be modified to purposefully engage students in some form of algebraic reasoning. If possible, the lesson or set of lessons should include learning goals that have been problematic for students in the past.
 * Modify the lesson or sets of lessons in collaboration with your WRMA study group. You are encouraged to use existing resources, as appropriate.
 * Design a pre/post set of questions to measure some aspect of students understanding. (The pre-lesson set of question responses may be used to make final adjustments to your lesson; the post-lesson set of questions could be the “task” or “assignment” that students complete throughout the lesson.)
 * Implement the lesson(s). Arrange for one of your WRMA colleagues to be present in your classroom on a day in which you teach part of the lesson (not required, but might be nice). Plan to discuss the lesson(s) with this colleague at the end or after their visit.
 * Make arrangements to attend one of your WRMA colleagues during their modified lesson(s). (Every WRMA teacher will be given travel and substitute support to visit at least one other classroom. Modified arrangements will be considered – e.g., if your team is all in the same school.)
 * Collect and analyze student responses to the pre/post set of questions.
 * Share your insights with WRMA through a written reflection (one from each group member) and a presentation (one from each group) at the February 6, 2010 meeting.

The written reflection that accompanies your lesson or learning task should have 5 components. This reflection should be between 4 and 6 pages in length (12 point font, 1.5 line spacing).


 * 1)  The Context

Briefly describe the context (either a classroom or learning group of students) in which the project took place. Address one or more of the following components that you deem relevant so that a colleague can understand the setting of your classroom:
 * Academic Development – Describe key skills, developmental levels and other distinguishing educational needs of your students.
 * Language development –Describe the language development of your students, including any English language learners.
 * Mathematical Dispositions – Describe the attitudes that your students hold toward mathematics. Are they curious? Flexible, Persistent? …
 * Social development – Describe your students’ abilities to get along with others, negotiate and solve problems, and express themselves in constructive ways.
 * Socioeconomic and Cultural context – Describe the broader context of the communities from which your students come.


 * 1)  The Lesson(s)

Describe the central mathematical task(s) that the students did and your expectations for how students would respond to this task. You may want to address one or more of the following questions in your response:


 * What is the main Mathematical Focus of the lesson?
 * In what way does the lesson engage students in algebraic reasoning?
 * What did you expect students to understand quickly?
 * What did you expect would be difficult for students?
 * 1)  Discussion on Instruction

You and your visiting colleague had a discussion after the observation. Summarize the key points of the discussion, including one or more of the following:


 * What teaching strategies seemed to work well; what teaching strategies did now work as well?
 * What did student seem to understand as a result of the lesson; what did students seem to have trouble understanding?
 * What did your visitor observe that you had not observed in the past?
 * 1)  Commentary on Student Understanding

The pre-lesson and post-lesson questions and/or student work that you collected assesses some aspect of student thinking and understanding relative to the main mathematical focus of the lesson(s). Create a summary of student thinking/learning across the whole class relative to this focus. Then, comment on one or more of the following items:


 * What did most students appear to understand well?
 * What were the misunderstandings, confusions or needs that some or many students faced?
 * How can student thinking and/or understanding be characterized for the class? (For example one group of students demonstrated a relational understanding of “=”, while another group of students could not seem to get past the operational understanding of “=”.)
 * Are there some special instructional needs that must be addressed for some students?


 * 1)  Reflection

Based on your experience teaching this lesson or learning task, what did you learn about your students as mathematical thinkers and learners? You may want to include responses to one or more of the following questions in your reflection.

__**Timeline**__ //**Thursday, August 13**// Form study groups, identify a student learning outcome and lesson or set of lessons on which to focus, create a draft of the main mathematical activity for students, create a draft for the pre/post set of questions. //**Friday, August 14**// Present your ideas to another study group (or two) and receive feedback. //**Saturday, September 25**// Group meetings with your HSU instructor. //**October - January**// Implement your lesson; host your visitor (s), visit your WRMA colleagues’ classrooms, write your paper, prepare your presentation. //**Saturday, February 6, 2009**// Presentations
 * What do you think explains the differences in thinking or learning that you observed among your students in this lesson or learning task? Cite relevant research or theory, if appropriate.
 * What more would you like to know about your students’ thinking in a numeric or algebraic context.
 * What are some possible next steps to try in your classroom?
 * If you could go back and do this lesson or learning task again to the same groups of students, what you would you differently?

__**HSU units**__ __ Two units of credit in Math 701 through HSU may be earned through completion of this project, to be “posted” in the spring semester of 2009. Registration for these units will be available on Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 in the __

Project Guidelines: