Engaging HS Geometry Students Through Student-Centered Activities

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has advocated the use of manipulatives since 1940 (Hartshorn & Boren, 2005). Traditionally, however, hands-on activities and manipulatives are rarely seen in the high school mathematics classroom. Valuing the importance of student-centered learning, this study was implemented in two geometry classrooms in a rural high school with the goal to explore the impact of hands-on activities on student engagement. Lesson plans, teacher reflections, and student work samples were collected throughout the study. These data sources, along with student questionnaires, were content analyzed in order to uncover emerging themes that characterize student-centered learning experiences. Findings indicate that engaging students in these hands-on activities positively impact their mathematical understanding and participation in exploratory and collaborative mathematics learning environment

Understanding the Implications and Addressing Defiance in the Classroom

Defiant behaviors in the classroom can be frustrating, confusing, challenging, and stressful for an educator. Defiance can be addressed through many research-based strategies; however, there is very little preparation given in preservice teacher education programs on these topics (O’Neil & Stephenson, 2013; Smart & Igo, 2010). The consequences of this lack of education have been linked to emotional and physical stress in educators. In turn, linking to teacher burnout rates. I collected data from field and anecdotal notes, school policies, and the use of the PBIS Check-in-Check-out system to acknowledge students’ behavior. By considering relevant research as well as personal data that I have examined the effects of defiance in the classroom on educators and students as well as discovered clear and effective approaches and strategies toward management

Incorporating Multicultural Literature in an Elementary Language Arts Classroom

The purpose of this research is to examine how classrooms are able to incorporate multiculturalism in a classroom through the use of multicultural literature. Every day, the United States’ population is increasingly become more diverse (Morrell & Morrell, 2012) and teachers become more aware of and responsive towards this changing demographic in their classrooms. Incorporating different cultures into a curriculum helps create an atmosphere of mutual respect among students in the classroom along with allowing all students an opportunity to connect to the curriculum (Szecsi, Spillman, Vázquez-Montilla, & Mayberry, 2010). One such way to do this is by exposing students to literatures that incorporate diverse cultures. This study analyzed two volumes of a 2nd grade ELA textbook to discover what kinds of cultures students are currently being exposed to and what is missing, focusing on cultural content and traditions, language, and illustrations. This textbook reveals that, while students are being exposed to diverse cultures, these cultures they are exposed to are very limited and all given from a very “Americanized” perspective. Overall this study aims to identify the limitations of multicultural literatures that are currently being provided to teachers and allow for development of these literatures that need to be provided outside of a typical textbook

Breaking the Norm: A Classroom without Incentives

It is common practice for teachers to implement incentive-based behavior programs into their classroom management routine. This use of external motivators is a way to reward students for behavior and academic performance that is already expected of them (i.e., staying quiet in the hall, turning in homework). However, external motivators tend to diminish any opportunity for students to develop intrinsic motivation. There is a strong relationship between intrinsic motivation and student achievement (Ryan & Deci, 2009). Having students that are intrinsically motivated highlights the fact that they have found a topic in which they are passionate and as a result, will work harder and enjoy learning. This self-study includes a qualitative analysis of data (i.e. field and anecdotal notes, lesson plans, reflections) and a review of current research. This self-study investigates specific strategies teachers can use in order to foster intrinsic motivation that instills an overall passion for learning

Shying Away from Questioning: Discourse and Participation in Mathematics Classrooms

Classroom discourse is a well researched instructional practice that has yet to be incorporated into many mathematics classrooms across the United States. Research has shown that 78% of mathematical content is taught without discourse activities or incentives (Forrest, 2008, p. 23). My goal for this self-study was to investigate my questioning and discourse practices as well as the role of students\u27 participation in discourse in relation to their mathematical understanding. I conducted research in One geometry and two algebra I classes which consisted of approximately fifty five students from a local high school. Through several surveys, video-taped lessons, and various exit slips, I found trends on discourse techniques, student comfort, and overall academic comprehension. Students\u27 understanding was strengthened by discourse activities that were carried out in a classroom environment in which students felt comfortable conjecturing and explaining ideas

Tech-Talk: Using Technology to Teach Bilingual Students

Technology used in a constructive way, such as the interactive whiteboard (IWB), effectively diminishes the reading achievement gap between English language learners (ELL) and non-ELL students (Lopez, 2009). Within the last decade, the variety of available technologies for the classroom has grown significantly, while the presence of English language learners and English as a second language (ESL) students has also experienced a significant increase within our nation’s schools. This self-study was designed in response to these changes by investigating how technology can be used to teach language arts skills to bilingual students. The technologies of SMARTboard, iPad, and Internet websites were utilized to teach the language arts concepts of setting, sequence of events, and phonemic awareness to bilingual kindergarten students. Through content analysis of field notes, student work samples, and questionnaires, the researcher hoped to determine how the use of technology enhances students’ application of language arts skills. This researcher also wished to explore the students’ perceptions of using technology for learning. The integration of technology can significantly improve ELL and ESL students’ comprehension of language arts skills while addressing their unique needs as learners

Mathematics as a Language

During my student teaching process, I observed a separation between my students’ procedural knowledge of mathematics, and their mathematical reasoning. I attempted to bridge this gap by conducting research on the role of academic language in the classroom. Academic language is a way to communicate ideas, concepts, and higher thinking processes, but it is used so that students may acquire a greater insight into the material (Gottlieb & Ernst-Slavit, 2013). I specifically discuss how the incorporation of academic language affects student learning as well as possible implementations of academic language in the classroom. I constructed a series of lesson plans that focused on students engaging in mathematics through language and I constructed quizzes that focused on mathematical reasoning and justifying results. I content analyzed the quizzes, department tests, and review assignments using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The results of my analysis demonstrate that the incorporation of academic language into the classroom is beneficial for the students because it forces the students to delve deeply into the mathematics and to find meaning in their work. My results also support that incorporating academic language is beneficial for student learning because it lends more opportunity for teachers to understand student thinking and a result, easily spot misconceptions about topics

The Transition to Standards-Based Grading

Standards-based grading is a method of assessing students that is used to determine different levels of achievement of topics in each subject area (Marzano, 2010). It is meant to provide students with feedback so they can meet certain standards, or learning objectives, in a particular course (Iamarino, 2014). Assessing both honors and remedial mathematics students during my student teaching experience using standards-based grading helped pinpoint what concepts and skills students did or did not understand. Using standards-based grading to assess students’ summative assessments throughout the semester, I was able to analyze what academic standards students were meeting. Analyzing the benefits of standards-based grading and ways in which teachers can integrate this grading system into their classrooms were goals of this study. I analyzed both qualitative and quantitative data such as students’ graded summative assessments, a general grading rubric, and students’ survey results on standards-based grading. I have found that using standards-based grading as an evaluation tool has made it easier to analyze student assessments in order to focus on the individual learning needs unique to each student

Using Vocabulary to Enhance the Understanding of Mathematics as a Language

Mathematics vocabulary is not often a focus in the mathematics classroom; however, it is found that acquiring new vocabulary enables students to communicate better mathematically, which allows teachers to gauge student understanding. Bay-Williams and Livers (2009) discuss the importance of making connections between previous concepts and new material, so students can apply knowledge and explore and engage on an individual level. Monaco\u27s self-study focuses on two main topics: types of activities that help students learn mathematical concepts and the advantages of reading, writing and speaking mathematics. She conducted the study in three geometry classes and one fundamental geometry class at a rural high school in central Illinois. Monaco incorporated different activities, gathered student feedback, collected student work, and analyzed her personal journal reflections to draw conclusions on vocabulary usage in the mathematics classroom. Many students are not accustomed to emphasis on vocabulary in the mathematics classroom so student feedback and personal reflection allow for growth to enhance student learning and understanding of mathematical concepts

Implementing Group Interactions to Encourage Peer Teaching, Social Relationships, and Collaborative Problem Solving in Mathematics Classroom

Cooperative learning is a pedagogical practice that has attracted much attention because of a large body of research that indicates students gain both academically and socially when they have the opportunities to interact with others to accomplish shared goals (Johnson & Johnson, 2002). I implemented a self-study focusing on small group interactions into everyday lessons throughout student teaching. The participants of my study were unfamiliar with group work, but had positive perceptions of group work. By encouraging an active involvement in mathematics, I was able to increase the presence of peer teaching, social relationships among students, and collaborative problem solving in the classroom. Through surveys, observation, teacher journals and video analysis, I learned that collaborative learning, when introduced effectively and implemented properly, could prompt students\u27 mathematical understanding and promote learning communities in mathematics classrooms