Factors

Description

Advan-

tage

Constraint

Initial Ideas for Maximizing

Positive Factors or Minimizing

Negative Factors

1. LEARNER FACTORS

Analyzing the student learners is a means to identify the learner characteristics that will likely impact the process and outcomes of the learning experience.

Age/Academic

Range

Average is about 8 years

75%

25%

The students are developmentally on target, but about a fourth show less maturity than would be best; the desire of those students to visit with each other sometimes slows down the lesson process – class management techniques are extremely important and Harry Wong’s methods can be used to better control negative behavior

Sex Distribution

13 boys/11 girls

100%

Students spend part of the lesson in their regular “cooperative learning” seating plan, which places 2 boys and 2 girls in each 4-top grouping; when they create “share-pair” teams for the hands-on portion, they are allowed to select with whom they will work and usually the boys gravitate to boys and the girls prefer to work with girls – the purpose of allowing the self-grouping is to give students experience in learning to be with their friends while controlling the tendency to “play” rather than learn

Racial, Ethnic

Diversity

100%l Hispanic

50%

50%

The camaraderie of students is apparent; however, the limited English proficiency usually does present a barrier to quick comprehension of lessons; at this point the students continue to be in bilingual program, but at least 50% of each day is spent in English

Factors

Description

Advan-

tage

Con-straint

Initial Ideas for Maximizing

Positive Factors or Minimizing

Negative Factors

Educational

Level

3^rd Graders, none

has been retained

Yes

Students continue to build basic knowledge; they do have some experience from lower grades and during this year with linear measuring  and the operation of addition.

Disability or

Impairment

One Resource

Yes

All children, regardless of ability, are welcome in the class and are treated fairly and with care. Since there is an IEP for one student in this class, time is taken by the teacher to prepare a modified lesson. The resource child can easily participate in the musical portion and will work with a paired team member to complete the task. A special assessment is designed to determine if the child can measure and can add. This assessment lets the child use a HotDot Reader to find the correct answer on his worksheet and then later on the assessment sheet.

Developmentally

Appropriate

Development is appropriate for age level with the exception of one Resource child;

Yes

Cognitive responses and motor responses are at an appropriate developmental level for all of Mr. Amaya’s students except the one resource child (this lower level of development of the resource child is NOT considered a constraint – it simply means a little more time is spent by the teacher on planning and lessons may take slightly longer – neither is a negative when considering the care and development of the child). Children are given as much time as necessary to practice and to complete tasks. That said, personal behavior is sometimes immature, which sometimes requires more time for lesson implementation.

Factors

Description

Advan-

tage

Constraint

Initial Ideas for Maximizing

Positive Factors or Minimizing

Negative Factors

Prerequisite

Knowledge

Motor skills of holding a ruler, recognizing marks on a tool, and the ability to add; also knowledge in rhythm and singing in tune is helpful

Yes

This lesson is being presented during the second semester, so students have experienced many lessons this school year that emphasize adding.

Related

Experience

DISD students are exposed to Calendar Counts program which emphasizes number lines

Yes

Throughout the school year, students take turns completing Calendar Counts tasks. They also spend time at the blackboard working addition problems and they use their boards and marker pens to work problems at their desk and to share answers; all of these tasks help them for this lesson

Perception of

Role as Student

Singing, measuring, and adding are common tasks for 3^rd graders.

Yes

Students begin the lesson with music, which is an enjoyable experience for almost every child. Their working in pairs give them the opportunity to feel reinforced by sharing experiences with their peers. As long as there is appropriate class management, the lesson should be positive for all students.

Motivating for

Learning

Music and Art seem to be excellent motivating factors for children.

Yes

Student will sing at the beginning of the lesson and this prepares them to enjoy the lesson. Later, they will draw a ruler from memory. This also will add enjoyment. Mr. Amaya and I find that when children are having fun, they are more motivated to successfully complete a lesson.

Factors

Description

Advan-

tage

Constraint

Initial Ideas for Maximizing

Positive Factors or Minimizing

Negative Factors

Attitude Toward

Subject

Excited

Yes

The music and artistic portions encourage the students to have a positive attitude toward the lesson. Even moreso, working with their peers in pair-share situations creates a very positive experience.

Expectations

From Session

Success at all tasks and identification with Bloom’s Taxonomy

Yes

We think there is an excellent opportunity for all students to succeed at this lesson. Bloom’s levels would be knowledge (observe and recall, describe, label), Comprehension (grasp meaning, interpret facts, compare and contrast), Application (solve problems, calculate), Analysis (see patterns in numbers and lines on ruler), Synthesis (predict, relate ability to measure in this lesson to other instances of measuring), and Evaluate (assess using CPS)

Competitiveness

Staying on task and completing the assignments leads to success on the assessment.

Yes

When students use the Classroom Performance System (CPS) “clickers,” they usually feel a sense of competition. The assessment is created on the computer nd, at the time of the assessment, the computer monitor screen is projected on the wall screen. Questions are presented sequentially. Students choose from the multiple-choice answers and click their answer on the remote. fter all students answer, the teacher moves forward and students can see which is the correct answer. Since they know which button they pressed, they know if they answered correctly. The CPS systems lists the percentage of students who make the correct choice. The kids always yell “Yes” as through each did get the answer right. In addition, as the questions proceed, the cumulative score is calculated and presented. This becomes very competitively oriented. The kids who can figure out the cumulative scoring will then tell the group, “we need to get our cum up.” This is very enjoyable for the teacher, since it reinforces that use of the CPS system and its positive effect on the children.

Factors

Description

Advan-

tage

Constraint

Initial Ideas for Maximizing

Positive Factors or Minimizing

Negative Factors

2. ENVIRON-MENT

FACTORS

Analyzing the environment is a means to identify the issues that ill impact the (a) process of the design and production, (b) implementation, and (c) outcomes of the learning experience

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Budget Available

Not Applicable

Payroll built in to teacher’s and mentor’s daily schedule; overhead built in to school operations

Materials Required

Rulers, worksheet paper with drawing; paper for students to use for their drawing;

Yes

The materials are at hand in the school

Production Equipment Available

Computer; CPS classroom set; LCD projector

Yes

School is already equipped

Time for Design and Production

Two to three weeks

Yes

An effort will be made to insure the efficient and effective use of time

Factors

Description

Advan-

tage

Con-straint

Initial Ideas for Maximizing

Positive Factors or Minimizing

Negative Factors

Department Technology Requirements

None

Technology equipment is already in the classroom

IMPLEMEN-

TATION

FACTORS

Class Size

24

Yes

Class management will be important – it would be better if the student to teacher ratio were no more than 18 to 1; since there is a high turnover of students, there are times during the school year when there are fewer students than the current 24-to-1 ratio

Class Period Length

Math is 90 minutes – Mr. Amaya is self-contained

Yes

Since Mr. Amaya is self-contained, if the lesson needs to be continued the next day, this is easily accomplished

Location

Classroom

Yes

Students will move around the classroom to accomplish the task

Seating Arrangement

Cooperative Learning seating of 4 to a group

Yes

Students begin in their regular seating arrangement of 2 boys and 2 girls in a 4-top seating arrangement. They stand for the songs and then return to their seats for paperwork. Next they pair up and move around the room measuring items. Finally, they return to their regular seats for the assessment using the CPS units (some students may sit in the front of the class for better viewing – this isn’t as much due to limited eyesight as it is the children’s need to be more flexible and creative)

Lighting

Standard classroom

Yes

Lights are on for most of the lesson but are turned off during the assessment using the CPS units and the test projected on the screen

Factors

Description

Advan-

tage

Constraint

Initial Ideas for Maximizing

Positive Factors or Minimizing

Negative Factors

Temperature

Normal

Yes

Temperature of classrooms in the building cannot be adjusted by teachers.

Noise

From quiet to above normal

Yes

The noise level will depend on which part of the lesson students are participating in. The songs will be loud, as will the measuring tasks when students are in their pairs. We expect some “visiting” among students.

Equipment

Computers, software, CPS units, LCD projector; drop-down wall screen

Yes

The classroom already has this equipment (although the CPS units are at times borrowed by other teachers – we don’t have sets for each classroom) – Mr. Amaya has a set in his classroom and always has a few days’ lead time regarding requests to borrow the set; scheduling this lesson can be flexible so that another teacher could be accommodated, if necessary.

Technology Support

Computer Lab 1 or 2 personnel

Yes

Support is not anticipated, but lab people will be available if there are problems

OUTCOME

FACTORS

State Requirements

3^rd Grade Math TEKS

Yes

The lesson will follow Student Expectations and TEKS

Employer Needs

DISD Curriculum

Yes

The actual lesson plan will be completed using DISD’s Curriculum Central Lesson plan template

Co-worked Needs

Peer support, reinforce-ment, and help

Yes

Any help needed from peers will be available.

Student Needs

Affective, Psycho-Motor, Cognitive

Yes

The lesson will address all of these needs in students.

Factors

Description

Advan-

tage

Constraint