Standard2

@Standard1 | @Standard2 | @Standard3 | @Standard4 | @Standard5 | @Standard6 | @Standard7 | @Standard8 | @Standard9 | @Standard10 Home **Standard 2**  ** Teachers know how children grow. ** // The teacher understands how children with broad ranges of ability learn and provides instruction that supports their intellectual, social, and personal development. //

**Evidence 1: Opening Questions/Activities** [|PDP - Beginning Algebra Daily Question Evidence.pdf]

**Rationale 1:** I base the opening questions and activities on content and students’ different abilities and learning styles. Everyday I start out for the first 10 – 20 minutes having the students answer questions or doing an activity that engages them in that day’s lesson or reinforces relevant previous lessons. This is done while we are taking attendance and correcting homework. Some of these require computers, calculators or cameras. Any written materials I scan and put up on the SMART Board for us to review as a class (which is the case with this evidence). Eventually, I want to use some sort of tablet or student response system to streamline the process to utilize our class time. I provide a variety of activities that enhance all facets of student abilities. I may have a video to watch, or have them answer questions in the computer lab in a forum. We have done projects using digital cameras as well as played games. Certain activities require collaboration while others they have to work independently. They can be required to use creativity in certain instances as well as literacy tactics. We also may build upon an opening question or activity from previous lessons. For example, we had a set of story problems about linear equations that we revisited periodically throughout three chapters. Since these are graded, and I know students who struggle may feel overwhelmed trying to finish in class on certain activities, I try to have them submit some form of the activity on Moodle so we always have record and can always come back to it. This allows me to also monitor every student’s progress and different learning styles they seem to adapt easier to. Consequently, students can also communicate with me without being in front of their peers, which some feel more comfortable with. I have found that if students can be engaged in the initial part of class, while multi-tasking with the mundane tasks, they are much more effective through the lessons. Students usually retain more information with these activities and since I adapt them to the class needs, they seem to benefit on story problems and tests. The one downfall is if it is a long activity it may cut into their class work time, which is the only time certain students will do their homework, so they may not finish their work or will choose one or the other. Overall, this proper use of the beginning of class really gives students an opportunity to build on certain characteristics to improve others.

**KS** ﻿ **D** // 2.K.1 The teacher understands how learning occurs -- how students construct knowledge, acquire skills, and develop habits of mind – and how to use instructional strategies that promote student learning for a wide range of student abilities. //

The questions I may ask students or the activities I have them partake require many different skills. Collaboration, reading comprehension, application, creativity and technology are all aspects of these activities and may be applied on any given day. I always allocate time, whether it is at the beginning of class, the end of class or the beginning of the next day, to discuss and answer the tough questions together. We then can revisit these activities or questions throughout the lesson to reinforce what they are learning. The variety and the technology also me to account for those students who struggle and may not finish in class, because they can always submit something online later.

// 2.S.2 The teacher stimulates student reflection on prior knowledge and links new ideas to already familiar ideas, making connections to students’ experiences, providing opportunities for active engagement, manipulation, and testing of ideas and material, and encouraging students to assume responsibility for shaping their learning tasks. //

Since these are at the beginning of class, I always try to review and preview. We have revisited certain questions many times in certain instances. With the help of technology (Moodle and SMART Board), I can literally place previous activities into current lessons. I preview the upcoming objectives for that days lesson as well, so the students know what I expect them to understand when they leave.

// 2.D.2 The teacher is disposed to use students’ strengths as a basis for growth, and their errors as an opportunity for learning. //

When students’ work is scanned into the computer or submitted online, I can review individual work and communicate through online discussions or whole group interaction where improvements are necessary. Through the variety of questions and activities, students will be able to use methods they are more comfortable with, further develop those and grow in other learning styles.