MATHDan

One strength that I have as I am going into teaching this year is I feel confident in my content area and I feel that I have learned a lot of new ideas for writing strong lesson plans. I have been spending a lot of time thinking about how I will do my grading this year... it's still way up in the air but i have ideas.

Reflection Activity: I think that the easiest way one to accommodate for is the impromtu assembly because I think it would be easy in my lesson to play catch up with the class that missed material. I could easily cut back on review time or in class work time and have students do the home work entirely outside of class.

I think the most difficult one would be the broken wrist because if I give him a partner to write for him I have to extra careful that the two students are not copying one another. Also if I gave homework it would be tough to expect him to be able to do it because I don't know if he has some one to help him at home.

Content Advisor Meeting: We spent the time going over each others unit plans and I felt that we got a lot of feed back from one another on each part of what we had done. I was able to make changes and get new ideas right there in class it was a great way to spend our last day together.

This is what I have so far: Unit Designer: **Daniel Monfre** Unit Title: **Geometry live in 3-D! (Geometry of Solids)** Content Area and Grade Level: **Geometry grade 10** WI State Academic Standards: (Common Core) Unit Learning Objectives:
 * 1 page overview of unit which includes:**
 * Geometric Measurement and Dimension**
 * • explain volume formulas and use them to solve problems**
 * • Visualize relationships between two- dimensional and three-dimensional objects**
 * Modeling with Geometry**
 * • apply geometric concepts in modeling situations**
 * Students will be able to:**
 * **calculate the volume of prisms.**
 * **calculate the volume of pyramids.**
 * **calculate the volume of cylinders.**
 * **calculate the volume of cones.**
 * **calculate the volume of spheres.**
 * **Identify and Construct the 5 Platonic Solids**
 * **apply volume formulas to real world problems.**

Summative Assessments:
 * **Unit Test**
 * **Platonic Solid Project**

We spent a lot of time talking about ways to include multiple choice and true/false in math and what those can look like and what type of topics you would assess with these forms of questions.
 * Two insights I gained related to assessment practices in your content area. **

We also discussed performance assessments and talked a lot how traditional math tests are in many ways also a performance evaluation since it asks the students to perform the math, similar to using an essay as a performance.

Working Thesis: The world of teaching mathematics is constantly changing and evolving to include strategies such as new technologies, writing, and new forms of assessments.

Reading and Reflection What are the author’s main arguments or points?


 * The author's main point is that writing in a math class is a valuable way to increase students' learning. It explains that teachers can use writing to check how students think about the process of complex math problems.

Does he/she support those arguments or points convincingly? Explain.


 * Yes, the author, Marilyn Burns, explains that even though she didn't use writing for the first 20 years of teaching she has found that it has been extremely helpful. She sites multiple writing assignments that she gave students that allowed her to view their knowledge in a new light.
 * Not only did the writing give her insight to her students' knowledge but it also allowed for her students to be prepared to discuss the topics in class.

How does the information in this reading support what you will do or do in your classroom? Site some specific examples.


 * I think that as I get ready to begin my second year of teaching I will plan to use some of the ideas that Buns listed in her article.
 * The ideas I liked the most and will try to implement in the fall are:
 * "Post useful mathematics vocabulary". I think that by having the key terms clearly posted in class it will give students the tools the need to write about math.
 * "Have students share their writing" and "Use students' writing in subsequent instruction". These two topics will show students that I value the writing they are doing as a key part of our class's learning. It will help them see the importance of writing in math.

Topics from content meeting 1: We discussed the following trends in math: -The use of technology -Differentiation -Inclusion -Assessments and a few others.

** Textbook Survey—Mathematics **

As you peruse your content area textbook, please complete the following activities and/or questions. You may place your responses on this page.

1. Write a bibliographical entry for the book using APA format.

Brumbaugh, D. K., & Rock, D. (2006). //Teaching secondary mathematics// (3rd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

2. What are the authors’ backgrounds in education?

Douglas K. Brumbaugh-teaches math at all levels. Has a BS from Adrian College and his masters and doctorate from University of Georgia.

David Rock-teaches math. Has a BS from Vanderbilt and masters and doctorate from University of Central Florida.

3. Read through the Prefaces. What are 2 things that you learned about the book or author? The book is the author’s former Secondary Mathematics Methods class in print. The book is broken into three parts General Fundamentals, Mathematics Education Fundamentals, and Content and Strategies.

4. Looking at the Table of Contents, what are the 3 main sections of the book?

1.See above 2. 3.

5. Which chapter should you definitely read before you begin the unit project?

Chapter 3 Planning

6. What do PTHND stand for?

P-Problem Solving

T-Technology

H-History

N-NCTM

D-DO

7. A general format for a math lesson plan is provided on page 7. How does it compare to the RIO format? (What is similar? What seems missing?)

Same: Objective clearly stated, materials listed, procedures are pretty much the same as the input section.

Different: Input and output are combined into the procedures

8. Of all the chapters in the book, which one interests you the most? Why?

Chap 15 Probability and Statistics, because it’s my favorite branch of math and it’s what I want to teach the most

9. Of all the chapters in the book, which one will you probably not read during this course? Why?

I think I will at least skim all of them but most likely not spend too much time on chapter 9 General Mathematics because I won’t be writing my unit on that course.

10. What is one section in particular that you would like to discuss further with your content advisor? Planning in general would be a great help.


 * Instructor Recommendations for Reading:**
 * For Research Essay and Unit Planning—Read Parts I and II. Highlight as you read a chapter. Then stop and list your “Top 5 Ideas/Tips” from the chapter. Read only one chapter at a sitting.
 * As you do you the unit plan and summative plan, read the chapters in Part III that are applicable.