Context:

This case study was completed in CI 4030, Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School, under the supervision of Dr. Art Quickenton. This case study was done at Startown School with a first grade girl. These observations were done during my lessons on Plane figures and Solid Figures.

Impact:

This was a project where I had to observe one of my students and her thought process. This was a great project because I was able to see how one of my student's learned and how I could help her. In the future I hope to be able to help all of my studnets. I hope to be able to understand how they are learning and be able to change my teaching as we progress through the year together.

Alignment:

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

Indicator 2: Teachers have knowledge of geometry and measurement. Teachers: Understand construction of simple geometric figures

This indicator was met when I showed the students how to make the triangular prism with the toothpicks and gumdrops.

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

Indicator 1: Teachers develop and implement the pacing and alignment of curriculum that is consistent with the NC SCOS, LEA standards and pacing guides, and national standards in all subject areas.

This indicator was met when I used the NCSCOS to develop my lessons. I used the NCSCOS to determine what to teach and when to teach it. I first taught the plane figures then the solid figures.

Indicator 3: Teachers promote new learning by using students’ prior knowledge, misconceptions, and interests when designing lessons.

This indicator was met when I asked students what they knew about the different shapes. As I learned what they knew I changed what I had to teach them.

Indicator 7: Teachers develop and use a variety of formal and alternative assessment strategies as an integral part of instruction and learning appropriate for assessing individual, peer, team, and collaborative skills.

This indicator was met when I used many different types of assessment to judge whether the students understood what I was teaching.

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

Indicator 4: Teachers develop instruction in making connections that enables all students to: Understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a coherent whole; Recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics.

This indicator was met when I introduced the solid figures and asked how they related to the plane figures. I also had the students find the different shapes in the environment.

Indicator 5: Teachers develop instruction in representation that enables all students to: Use representations to model and interpret physical, social, and mathematical phenomena.

This indicator was met when I had the students find things in the environment to represent the different shapes that they had learned about.