Context:

This assignment was created for CI-3030, Investigating Mathematics and Learning, Fall 2008. It was created under the advisement of Art Quickenton. I created a lesson plan with four strategies students can use to tackle multiplication problems.  I taught this lesson to two seperate groups of four students on different days.  I taught my lesson in Ms. Arndt's third grade class at Thorton Elementary in Newton, NC. I used the internet and Microsoft word to create my lesson plan and used various materials to actually prepare and execute my lesson.

Impact:

This experience allowed me to try different methods of teaching students. It was insightful to teach a diverse group of learners in a small setting. The group of students gained a better understanding of various strategies to use when working through multiplication problems.  Interactive learning with hands-on manipulatives are amazing classroom tools.  This creates a more engaging lesson. I will teach my students how to properly use manipulatives and try to offer as much individual aid as possible.

NCSCOS Objectives met through this lesson:

Competency Goal 1: The learner will model, identify, and compute with whole numbers through 9,999.

·         Strategies for multiplying and dividing numbers.

·         Estimation of products and quotients in appropriate situations.

·         Relationships between operations.

Alignment:

This assignment met the following North Carolina Standards for Elementary School Teachers:

NC DPI Standard 2: Elementary teachers have a broad knowledge and understanding of the major concepts in mathematics.

Indicator 1: This indicator was met by illustrating techniques and methods to use while doing working with multiplication.

NC DPI Standard 7: Elementary teachers use developmentally appropriate strategies to design and deliver instruction in all areas of the elementary curriculum.

Indicator 3: Before I created this lesson I talked to the teacher about what she thought would be a good review lesson for her class. I also used my previous knowledge from observing the class to come up with certain parts that I did or didn't want to include in my lesson.

Indicator 4: This indicator was met through teaching and communicating with my students to help them gain a better understanding of what I was teaching.

NC DPI Standard 9: Elementary teachers understand and use the process of problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, connection, and representation as a foundation for the teaching and learning of mathematics.

Indicator 1: This indicator was met because this lesson required students to use their mathematical skills to practice real world math tasks.

Indicator 4: This indicator was met because I clued students in to the fact that skip counting is a form of mulitiplication.

Indicator 5: This indicator was met because I taught students to use various manipulatives; I have enhanced their understanding of representation.

Standard 15: Elementary teachers encourage underrepresented groups to engage in schooling process, especially math and science.

Indicator 1: This indicator was met because it enabled me to encourage underrepresented groups to engage in mathematics. We started the lesson by using concrete examples and then moving to semi-concrete so that the students could review and not get discouraged.