Design Project Report 4

Unit Goals

    The purpose of this project is to provide students with the skills required using graphing technology devices like the Ti-84 or Ti-Inspire calculator so that they can successfully problem solve in their mathematics courses.  Graphing Calculator is used in all courses Algebra 2 and above in Pasco County Schools, so it is necessary to teach the students how to operate them efficiently and effectively.  My course will be conducted within my classroom with support of Pasco County’s Moodle system where I have a site for each of my Mathematics courses.

    The goal of this program is to bring all students to a minimal level of competency in using graphing calculators. This will facilitate teaching using the technology for problem solving throughout the year.  All students will be able to operate their graphing calculator for mathematical functions and be able to demonstrate the nine processes listed here.

1.       Students will be able to adjust the basic settings on their calculator and know which are appropriate to change when using.

2.       Students will be able to perform all Home screen operations for evaluating mathematical expressions

3.       Students will demonstrate using the MATH menu for operations that are not on the keyboard.

4.       Students will use the Graphing Menus and know how appropriately graph several types of functions.

5.       Students will use the Matrix menu and perform operations with matrices on the Home screen.

6.       Students will perform operations in DMS with Angle menu.

7.       Students will use the STAT menu to find and graph several regressions for data

8.       Students will demonstrate use the PGM menus to write, exec and transfer programs

9.       Students will access and use several useful applications in the APPS menu and be able to associate them with school or real life uses.

Instructional Rationale

   I have been teaching high school math for fourteen years and have found with the requirement of using graphing technology that students are easily frustrated with the device and have trouble operating it for their course.  Students will not read or use the manuals that come with the calculator because they many times do not have the background knowledge to even know where to start.  An Algebra 2 level student is usually experiencing this technology for the first time and is overwhelmed by the amount of buttons, menus and functions it has available.   It is my desire to get them comfortable with the basic and most frequently used operations in the first quarter of the school year so they can continue to build on that knowledge throughout the rest of my math course and in the future. 

   In a literature review study on the use of graphing calculators researchers determined that the core philosophies of mathematics teachers regarding Algebra and graphing technology are at odds.  A “significant number of the mathematics education community who believe allowing technology to do the computations and manipulations means allowing technology to do the mathematics” (Dewey, Singletary, & Kinzel, 2009).  This seems to be part of the battle I also deal with when it comes to students, they are afraid to make the change from their 4-function or scientific calculator to something significantly more powerful and useful.

Theoretical Framework

    The framework will be based on the social learning theory model of learning.  Social Learning is best known for the learning from others through observation and modeling.  The premises of the theory involve drawing attention to the model, retention of the skill observed by mental rehearsal and practice, productions of the retained behavior and motivations to help learner sustain and repeat behavior when needed.  Students will collaboratively work together in the classroom with the instructor as a model of the desired skills.  They will rehearse and practice the skills on typical mathematics problems associated with the learning objective and then demonstrate their mastery on formative and summative assessments.  They will revisit these skills throughout the mathematics course and have reference material to refer back to when necessary. 

Learner Characteristics

    Learners in this group are many times first time users of graphing calculators and they do not understand the power that they hold in their hands.  Many are apprehensive about using the technology while others are very excited about it.  The students I am working with are primarily Algebra 2 students that have already successfully completed Geometry and Algebra 1 in high school.  They are a diverse group with a wide array of technology backgrounds, financial status, cultural differences, learning styles, and special needs.  The program will accomplish the goal of setting a base of knowledge and skills in calculator use, suppress fear of using it, develop confidence in the tool and develop motivation for continued use in problem solving.   

   The Kick-Start for Graphing Calculators will occur within the traditional classroom period once a week during the first quarter of the year for students in my Algebra 2 courses.  The students who have not purchased calculators my borrow mine in class or check one out from the media for the year. Our school has purchased many to alleviate the financial hardship it could cause for some lower income students.  I find that once they experience success in using the device they tend to find a way to purchase one for their own.  The experience will carry over to their Moodle site where I plan to provide self-assessment, video reviews and graphic organizer support for each module of the program. 

 Units & Objectives

Unit Plan: Basic Settings

Lesson Essential Question: What are the basic settings I need to be aware of for the operation of my graphing calculator?

Objective: Students will be able to use the Mode, Alpha, and Catalog functions of their Graphing Calculator.

Materials:

·         Algebra 2 Textbook

·         TI-84 Graphing Calculators

·         TI-Smart View Graphing Calculator Emulation Software

·         Smartboard and Projector

·         Graphic Organizer for Students

·         Demonstration and Example Problems

·         Moodle Review Videos

·         Self-Assessment and Flashcard Activities

Activating Strategy: “What You Know About Math” Video is used to build interest in the use of technology and to get learners attention on the device.

Instructional Strategies:

1.       Provide students with a blank graphic organizer to record steps of the procedures, this should be kept is a section of their notebook for future reference.

2.       Form collaborative Pairs throughout class considering the technical capabilities of the various students and their tolerance for frustration, and need for support.  The tech guides (student assistants) that were designated in earlier training can assist pairs by circulating class.

3.       Model the Mode menu of calculator describing the appropriate settings for normal use using the Ti-Smart View software and the Smartboard.  Students will follow along with steps using their own or a borrowed calculator.

4.       Model The Alpha Key and the lock Alpha using the same materials. 

5.       Model the use of the Catalog and describe its purpose on the device. 

Guided Practice:

1.       Students will set their calculator to appropriate Mode settings given several problems on a worksheet and describe why the setting is desired. 

2.       They will type a message to their partner using the Alpha Keys of the calculator

3.       They will locate the Catalog menu and find several key functions listed on their worksheet.

Summary Strategies:

Have students address the LEQ in a 3 sentence summary on the worksheet before leaving class. Remind them that their Moodle site has a self-assessment, video review of the procedures and flashcard activity to use.

Assessment:

  The assessment is observational in during class time, I will collect and review the worksheet and graphic organizer the students have produced during lesson. The student will receive positive feedback in class and corrective on the assignments.  The self-assessment online will also provide feedback to guide student to correct answer.  They will also have an attitudinal survey about graphing calculators and performance quiz at the end of unit to determine if skills have been mastered.

Materials & Activities

Video  “What you know about Math” use

Graphic Organizers / Practice: Mode, Alpha- Catalog: these are also available as an attachment to the screencast video that is posted.

Self-Assessment, Flash Card and Attitude Survey are available on the students Moodle site for the course.  I will attach a screen cast here for the example.

Moodle Video: http://www.screencast.com/t/kHs4KeZR

Video Reviews: Mode, Alpha, Catalog & Memory

·         Basics Mode Video Part 1: http://www.screencast.com/t/6sbK46XkHQ

·         Basics Mode Video Part 2: http://www.screencast.com/t/XhlvT4wQ

·         Basics Alpha & Catalog Video: http://www.screencast.com/t/jv64C04W0

Implementation Strategies

   The program will be implemented at the beginning of next school year because most of the skills it teaches we have already addressed in class with the students.  The program will promoted with a flyer to parents and students at the beginning of year registration.  It will also be available for viewing on the schools Moodle website which be provided to students at the onset of school  The classroom facilities are typical but certain media equipment  are imperative to the success of this program .  Including media resources like a Projector, Smartboard, Graphing Calculators, Internet access, and TI-Smart View Emulator for demonstration and modeling of skills for students. Instructional material would include handouts that can be distributed to students which can be taken care of by instructor.  It other teacher would like to implement or use this program with their students in the school.  I could provide them with the resources and training on the calculator when we meet for our Data Chats.   

Learning Assessment

   Each unit will be individually evaluated by myself and the students and then improved on for future classes.  I will be able to determine from the work we continue throughout the year in the Algebra Course if the Kick-Start program has had any impact on student learning with the technology.  Students will answer brief surveys about each unit, practice using the self –assessments, and then demonstrate their skills with the calculator during the standard tests and quizzes from the course.   It is my hope that all students gain a good foundation for problem solving with the technology as a result of this program.

References

wykaMath: What you know about Math. (2009). Retrieved Nov 13, 2010, from http://www.wykamath.com/index.php

Bass, L., Bellman, A., & Johnson, A. (2010). Teaching with TI Technology. Boston: Pearson.

Dewey, B. L., Singletary, T. J., & Kinzel, M. T. (2009). Graphing Calculator Use in Algebra Teaching. School Science and Mathematics, 109(7), 383-393.

Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J. E. (2011). Designing Effective Instruction, 6th edition. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Design Project Report 3

Graphing Calculator Kick-Start

Instructional Design Report 3

Catherine Haight                     ESE 6939

Revised: Goals, Objectives, Task Analysis

 The goals, objective and task analysis are the same as in report 2.  I believe I have a pretty good understanding of what I am trying to accomplish for my students and that no further revision in needed. In terms of management of instruction I have made some changes to in grouping of students so that they can discuss and support their classmates in using the technology.  I am planning on modeling the procedures, and then acting as facilitator for the groups as they work through the problems for each objective.  This learning by doing activity I plan to have each week until we finish the kick start program. 

Goals Statement:

    The goal of this program is to bring all students to a minimal level of competency in using graphing calculators. This will facilitate teaching using the technology for problem solving throughout the year.  All students will be able to operate their graphing calculator for mathematical functions and be able to demonstrate the nine processes listed here.

1.       Students will be able to adjust the basic settings on their calculator and know which are appropriate to change when using.

2.       Students will be able to perform all Home screen operations for evaluating mathematical expressions

3.       Students will demonstrate using the MATH menu for operations that are not on the keyboard.

4.       Students will use the Graphing Menus and know how appropriately graph several types of functions.

5.       Students will use the Matrix menu and perform operations with matrices on the Home screen.

6.       Students will perform operations in DMS with Angle menu.

7.       Students will use the STAT menu to find and graph several regressions for data

8.       Students will demonstrate use the PGM menus to write, exec and transfer programs

9.       Students will access and use several useful applications in the APPS menu and be able to associate them with school or real life uses.

Report 1,2 & 3:

http://smirkelpus.blogspot.com/

One-to-One Formative Evaluation Plan:

  The plan for my developmental evaluation at this stage is to try-out teaching the Matrix objective on a current student in Algebra 2.  We have not reached this unit yet in class so the learner would have no reason to know this material previously.  The student is a typical high school teenager that carries a B/C average in the course. I will go through my matrix instruction with the student, provide a graphic organizer for the calculator steps to enter, add, subtract, multiply, inverses, and solve matrix equations.  The materials that will be used include the Ti-View program, the Smartboard, Ti-84 graphing Calculator, and Graphic Organizer Blank for the student to fill in.  I will also post a review video of the steps involved on the students Moodle website and ask them to watch it on their own.  I will then present these types of problems and determine if the student can accomplish the task on their own with the aid of the graphic organizer the following day and interview the student about any difficulties they may be having with the learning.  At this stage of development, I feel since I am both the designer and the SME it will be easy to make changes based on the feedback from the student. 

Results:

The student was able to enter the matrices provided with no errors or problems.  They thought that this was a very simple task to accomplish.  Once the matrices were stored in the calculator the student was able to solve all the matrix problems with no assistance from myself and only minor assistance from the graphic organizer we had created for the steps.  They felt that the video review allowed them to walk through the problems at their own pace because they could pause it and catch up without getting lost.  When asked what changes or improvements need to be made to this instruction the student felt that it was a lot of information for one day and that it would be more difficult to learn in a class setting where there are more students to teach. I completely agree with the student on the amount of material and classroom setting issues and feel that grouping students together in the class may alleviate some of the problems by placing them in pairs to do these tasks.   They can have one person filling in the organizer and the other working the calculator and switch to repeat this process for each task.  This will allow them to support each other and discuss anything that may go wrong.

Materials & Assessments for Small-Group Evaluation

Students will use the following graphic organizers that will become a required part of their notebook for the Algebra 2 course.  Each task organizer will be organized by objective and be presented in flowchart form.  The Matrix objectives will have the following organizers: storing matrices, add/subtracting matrices, determinate and inverse matrices and matrix equations.  The organizer will also contain sample problems and screen shots of the calculator.  The Assessment would include the Pre-Post Test I included in report 2 as well as observations and frequent verbal comprehension checks during instruction of students. 

The following Links are to the Instructional Packets for the Unit on Matrices.  Please view the video and the documents attached on screencast.com.   The pre and post instruction assessments follow the screenshots.

http://www.screencast.com/t/oz2qJ1ji

http://www.screencast.com/t/AOsnTo2xO

http://www.screencast.com/t/9vgdK295Wsi

Assessments:

Survey:

 On a scale of 1-10 Rate the Following Statements:

·         How capable are you at using your calculator for matrices now that we have gone through this unit?

·         How do you feel about using the technology for your math course?

·         Do you believe you will be able to use the content of this unit when it comes time in the class?

·         Do you think the calculator graphic organizers were helpful?

·         Do you think the review videos were useful?

Characteristics & Instruments of Small Group Evaluation:

 

 The small group evaluation learners were six average capability Algebra 2 students from my target audience.  I worked with them using the instructional instruments above to determine if more support was needed and if students were able to perform the tasks using their calculator.   I also interviewed the pairs of students working together to determine if they felt the additional instruction on the calculator was beneficial to them and if they felt more comfortable using the device than prior to instruction.  Using a simple 1-10 rating for the attitudinal survey gave me an idea if they instruction was effective from the students point of view. The procedure for evaluation was very informal due the overlapping roles I am playing as designer, instructor and subject area expert.  I pulled some students that were staying after school for tutoring/sports study hall to assist in looking at my design.  I spent time explaining the purpose, gave them the short pre-test, then instructing the group using my Smartboard, the Ti-View software to model the procedures.  They were put into pairs to work through the graphic organizer and problems with me.  Once, instruction was completed I asked them to review the videos online at home and then took a second meeting to post-test and interview the pairs of students. 

Summary & Discussion  of Small Group Evaluation

   The students really had very little Idea of the Matrix menu or concepts on the pretest but after instruction the small group of students were all able to perform on the post test.  These are very simple skills once the students know where to access the menu so it really isn’t surprising that they all got them correct.  I am more interested in the confidence boost it gave the students post instruction with the calculator.  They felt that they could operate it better and that they would be able to solve problems when the material was addressed in the course.  The survey and interview did suggest that the students didn’t really feel that the review videos were necessary but I feel that they are still a good resource when the unit is not so fresh I their minds.  

Pretest Results                 Post-test Results                           Survey Results

 Q1: 3/6                                Q1: 6/6                                           Q1:  9.3          

 Q2: 2/6                                Q2: 6/6                                           Q2:  7.8 

 Q3: 2/6                                Q3: 6/6                                           Q3:  8.3

 Q4: 0/6                                Q4: 6/6                                           Q4:  7.3  

 Q5: 0/6                                Q5: 6/6                                           Q5:   6.7

 Q6: 0/6                                Q6: 6/6

                                               Q7: 6/6   

                                               

Revisions

   I feel as though the process is going well for this unit and that I am getting the desired affect from this module of the program.  The revisions I may make will concern time management and finding ways to instruct larger groups of students in a traditional classroom.  Small group instruction is much easier manage than 30 students.  So I may recruit some students to learn the  unit before the others and then place them strategically within the classroom to assist others who are struggling with the technology.  I hope this will alleviate some of the frustrations students feel when they can’t get my attention immediately.  The assessment will continue throughout the year as we approach the different topics in the Math course that pertain to the calculator kick-start program. 

References

Morrison,G., Ross,S., Kalman, H., &  Kemp,J. (2011) Designing Effective Instruction, 6^th Ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Bass, L., Bellman, A., & Johnson, A. (2010) Teaching with TI Technology, Pearson, Boston, MA.

Design Project Report 2

                                     

Design Project Report 2

ESE6939

Catherine Haight

http://smirkelpus.blogspot.com/

Graphing Calculator Kick Start Program

Revisions since Report 1:

   The revision since report one consist of deciding what calculator functions are most useful within the mathematical content of the course as well as the programs and applications that can assist student with all their school subjects.  I have done a topic analysis to find that there are nine main branches of topics that would be appropriate for my students in this setting.  In looking at the reading competency and attitudinal surveys; I know I have to model all the processes visually with support from text and graphics.  The program will use hand-on practices to develop the comfort level and level they need to operate the device without frustration.  The students need realistic ways to use the technology in their hands on a daily basis for them to feel it has a relevance to their learning.  I plan on showing the connections to the math course they are currently in, as well as the uses for Science, standardize testing, organization, and studying for any topic through the use of a variety of examples and topics.

  

Goals Statement:

    The goal of this program is to bring all students to a minimal level of competency in using graphing calculators. This will facilitate teaching using the technology for problem solving throughout the year.  All students will be able to operate their graphing calculator for mathematical functions and be able to demonstrate the nine processes listed here.

1.    Students will be able to adjust the basic settings on their calculator and know which are appropriate to change when using.

2.    Students will be able to perform all Home screen operations for evaluating mathematical expressions

3.    Students will demonstrate using the MATH menu for operations that are not on the keyboard.

4.    Students will use the Graphing Menus and know how appropriately graph several types of functions.

5.    Students will use the Matrix menu and perform operations with matrices on the Home screen.

6.    Students will perform operations in DMS with Angle menu.

7.    Students will use the STAT menu to find and graph several regressions for data

8.    Students will demonstrate use the PGM menus to write, exec and transfer programs

9.    Students will access and use several useful applications in the APPS menu and be able to associate them with school or real life uses.

 

Task Analysis tied to the Goals:

   

 The concept map above is a topic analysis of the material that is necessary in an Algebra 2 math course setting for graphing calculators.  The topics in dark green are the nine essential goals I see for my students need to reach a minimal competency level with the technology device.  I have revised the topics using what I know is taught in Algebra 2 above mathematics courses as well as common Science and organizational topics that can benefit them as students.

Each menu has several options and procedures to teach so below I will do the task analysis for my Matrix menu goal. 

 

Task Analysis for Matrix Menu:

    The flow chart below describes the basic procedures needed for Matrix mathematics in Algebra 2.  There is an assumption that students have already been exposed to Matrices operations in the course so this module would occur during the chapter that addresses them.

  

Instructional Objectives:

Graphing Calculator Skills for Math

1.       Basic Settings/Functions

o   MODE: Students will set up the Mode menu on calculator to appropriate settings given a problem situation to solve without assistance with 100% accuracy.    (cognitive synthesis)

o   Memory: Students will manage the Memory menu of calculator to Reset, Clear Entries or Lists, and delete excess programs without assistance with 100% accuracy. (cognitive synthesis)

o   Catalog: Student will describe in their own words the purpose and location of the Catalog feature on the calculator when prompted with 100% accuracy. (cognitive comprehension)

o   ALPHA: Students will demonstrate the use of the Alpha key for inserting texting into the screen of their calculator when prompted or needed during operation of the device with 100% accuracy. (cognitive application)

2.       Home Screen Operations

o   4 Functions: Students will solve problems with the calculator using the 4 basic functions of add, subtract, multiply and divide with 90% accuracy. (cognitive application)

o   Fractions: Students will be able to enter and solve problems using fractions with the calculators and transform the answer into multiple representations including improper, proper, and decimal formats with 90% accuracy. (cognitive application)

o   Exponents/Roots: Students will be able to enter and solve problems using exponents and roots on calculator with 90% accuracy (cognitive application)

o   Pi/10^x/e^x: Students will be able to enter and solve problems that contain Pi, 10^x and e^x when appropriate on their calculator with 90% accuracy. (cognitive application)

o   Trigonometry Functions: Students will be able to enter and solve problems that contain sin, cos, and tan on their calculators in both radians and degrees using their calculator with 90% accuracy. (cognitive application)

o   STO> Button/RCL:  Students will demonstrate the use of the store and recall functions of the calculator when needed to solve problems with 100% accuracy. (cognitive application)

3.       MATH Menu

o   MATH: Students will demonstrate the use of fraction to decimal conversions, entering cubes and cube roots, or any root from the MATH menu of the calculator given problems containing those operations with 90% accuracy (cognitive application).

o   NUM:  Students will demonstrate and use the MATH NUM menu to calculate solutions to absolute value, least common multiple, greatest common divisor, and improper to proper fractions conversions using the calculator given problems that contain those operations with 90% accuracy (cognitive application).

o   PRB: Students will employ the use of the MATH PRB menu to calculate problems that contain factorials, combinations or permutation situations with 90% accuracy. (cognitive application)

               

4.       ANGLE Menu

o   Students will access the Angle menu to find and enter the symbols of degrees, minutes, and seconds for solving problems with those measurement types with 100% accuracy.

o   Students will convert DMS to Decimal form and back using the Angle menu of the calculator for problems requesting alternate representations of the answer with 100% accuracy. (cognitive application)

5.       MATRIX Menu

o   Students will be able to access and display stored matrices in their calculator from the Matrix Names menu when necessary to solve problems with 100% accuracy.(cognitive comprehension)

o   Students will be able to calculate the determinate of a matrix using their calculator in the Matrix Math menu when needed to solve problems with 90% accuracy.  (cognitive application)

o   Edit: Students will be able to enter and edit any matrix needed for a math problem with 100% accuracy. (cognitive application)

o   Students will be able to perform matrix operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and inverse using the HOME screen in conjunction with the Matrix menu to solve problems with 90% accuracy. (cognitive  application)

6.       Graphing Menus

o   Y= : Students will demonstrate the graphing menu functions by turning on/off Plots, edition the screen to enter functions, and editing the display settings for various types of graphing problems with 80% accuracy. (cognitive application)

o   WINDOW: Students will use the Window menu to set appropriate screen dimensions for the graphing of various functions on the calculator with 80% accuracy.  (cognitive application)

o   ZOOM: Students will employ the use of the Zoom menu features of the calculator to get a closer look at various functions critical behaviors with 80% accuracy.

o   TRACE: Students will use the Trace menu and the cursor buttons to access data on the function that is graphed in the Graph screen of calculator when necessary with 90% accuracy.

o   GRAPH: Student will demonstrate graphing various functions for math problems as well as formatting the screen, employing the Calc functions and looking at Tables related to that function with 80% accuracy.

7.       Applications Menus

o   AreaForm: Students will access and describe what AreaForm application’s purpose is from the APPS Menu with 100% accuracy. (cognitive comprehension)

o   Conics: Students will access and describe what Conics application’s purpose is from the APPS Menu with 100% accuracy. (cognitive comprehension)

o   CellSheet: Students will access and describe what CellSheet application’s purpose is from the APPS Menu with 100% accuracy. (cognitive comprehension)

o   Inequalz: Students will access and describe what Isequalz application’s purpose is from the APPS Menu with 100% accuracy. (cognitive comprehension)

o   Periodic: Students will access and describe what Periodic application’s purpose is from the APPS Menu with 100% accuracy. (cognitive comprehension)

o   Prob Sim: Students will access and describe what Prob SIm application’s purpose is from the APPS Menu with 100% accuracy. (cognitive comprehension)

o   PlySmlt2: Students will access and describe what PlySmlt2 application’s purpose is from the APPS Menu with 100% accuracy. (cognitive comprehension)

o   SciTools: Students will access and describe what SciTools application’s purpose is from the APPS Menu with 100% accuracy. (cognitive comprehension)

o   StudyCards: Students will access and describe what AreaForm application’s purpose is from the APPS Menu with 100% accuracy. (cognitive comprehension)

8.       PRGM Menu

o   EXEC: Students will demonstrate the ability to execute programs in their calculator when necessary for solving problems with 100% accuracy. (cognitive application)

o   EDIT: Students will demonstrate the editing of a program already stored in their calculator with assistance from instructor with 100% accuracy. (cognitive application)

o   NEW: Student will demonstrate entering a new program into calculator given the commands and text to enter with 100% accuracy. (cognitive application)

o   LINK: Students will demonstrate linking to other calculators and the computer to import and export programs with 100% accuracy. (cognitive application)

9.       STAT Menu

o   EDIT: Students will employ the use of the STAT Edit menu to enter data, sort data, clear lists and set up the editor when need for solving problems with 90% accuracy. (cognitive application)

o   CALC: Students will access and identify the 1-variable and 2-variable statistics that are available on the calculator when needed for problem solving with 90% accuracy. (cognitive comprehension)

o   Regressions: Students will demonstrate the use of several types of regressions using the STAT Calc menu to create functions for graphing when needed for problem solving with 90% accuracy. (cognitive application)

o   STAT PLOT: Students will select the appropriate settings for the plotting of data on the graph screen when needed to solve data driven problems with 90% accuracy.

Instructional Sequencing:

   This unit will is very content orientated and will be sequenced so that prerequisite skills are taught before they are needed for the next task.  I also have to consider how the mathematical content of the program relates to the content the students currently know and or will be soon learning in the course.  There are many things that can be modeled up front for the students and then recalled at a later date when the topic is more relevant to the course content.  The goal of the kick start program is to show students how valuable the tool can be throughout the year as well as for their other courses.  The sequencing I am employing is Learning-Related Sequencing teaching the skills that are needed for basic operations then progressing through to topics that build upon those.

Strategies for Teaching Objectives:

    The instructional strategies that will be used include demonstration and modeling, providing examples and elaborating on why decisions were made at different steps in the procedure.  Then the students will be provided with practice problems for each type of procedure.  There will also be remedial support available online through their Moodle website in the form of video refreshers of each procedure on the calculator. 

   Ex:  Students will watch as I demonstrate using the Ti-Smart view software I have for that matches the calculators they use.  I will present a problem that can be done using the Matrix menu.  I will then step them through the solution using a graphic organizer for the procedure and modeling the steps on the screen.  After the students have recorded the example I will present several other practice problems for this type of procedure.  They will be assessed on being able to enter the information without assistance and solve for the correct answer.

Details on Objectives:

   Students will practice the skills that have been taught in class under my observation by doing similar examples  and then through homework assignments for independent practice.  They will receive informal formative assessment as we move through the different objectives and formally on tests and quizzes where they will use the graphing calculator as a problems solving tool. 

Pre-instructional activities:

    Students will begin the unit by watching 2 videos on one using Graphing Technology in mathematics and a second that is a music video about math and graphing calculators.  These should help to peak interest in learning calculator skill during my kick-start program.  I will also have to ensure that all students have access to a graphing calculator for instruction during class and I will encourage them to purchase or borrow one for the year while in this course.  The Lesson essential questions will be for used to create a pre-test for each learning cognitive objective as we move through the curriculum as well as any key vocabulary terms that will be used.  There will be a poster diagram in the classroom for reference of the graphing calculator for students to view as a visual cue.  Students will develop flowchart/graphic organizers for each procedure as a guide for future application of the process which will be kept in a section of their notebooks.

Groupings and Media:

    The student will work independently on their calculators by have the support of collaborative pairs to assist them when they are stuck.  They will be able to view the Smartboard screen and their flow chart for text clues of the steps to perform in solving the problem.  Students have practice workbooks that are associated with the course that will be used for practice and review.  The videos of each procedure will also be available for view from their home computers if they need a refresher on a particular problem. 

  

Sample Assessments:

   Located below are samples of the pre-test and post test for the Matrix module of the instruction.  Goal 5 is to help students understand how to enter, edit and perform basic operations in the Matrix menu before they address the content in the Algebra 2 course as a problem solving tool for systems of equations.

Goal 5:  Students will use the Matrix menu and perform operations with matrices on the Home screen.

Objectives:

o   Students will be able to access and display stored matrices in their calculator from the Matrix Names menu when necessary to solve problems with 100% accuracy.(cognitive comprehension)

o   Students will be able to calculate the determinate of a matrix using their calculator in the Matrix Math menu when needed to solve problems with 90% accuracy.  (cognitive application)

o   Edit: Students will be able to enter and edit any matrix needed for a math problem with 100% accuracy. (cognitive application)

o   Students will be able to perform matrix operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and inverse using the HOME screen in conjunction with the Matrix menu to solve problems with 90% accuracy. (cognitive application)

References:

Dewey, B., Singletary, T., & Kinzel, M. (2009). Graphing Calculator Use in Algebra Teaching. School Science and Mathematics, 109(7), 383-93. doi: 10.1111/j.1949-8594.2009.tb17869.x

Morrison,G., Ross,S., Kalman, H., &  Kemp,J. (2011) Designing Effective Instruction, 6^th Ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Bass, L., Bellman, A., & Johnson, A. (2010) Teaching with TI Technology, Pearson, Boston, MA.