Post # 5 Assignments and Readings

Assignments:   There are no small incremental homework types of assignments for the distance class.  You may have a quiz before a video conference, but no specific assignment to turn in until the end.  There are some larger ones though that will help you to internalize the methodology as you go along. The project at the end of the course ties it all together. The broad scope and sequence information is in the back of your binder in your Resources section.  It will tell you which readings will enhance specific content in the videos. 

First:  Really get to know the early chapters of your manual.  Read the front matter to the early chapters.  Try to get up to and through the lesson plan.  You should get to know the resources in the chapter on students who learn differently because that chapter offers justification for the methodology.  The resources here are the keys to my phrase "appropriate for all but essential for some."  It is not enough for you to hear that rate of speech is an issue.  You must know why some children look as if they are inattentive, really are not paying attention, or why some children just can't seem to memorize the times tables.  Knowing the “why” allows you to create strategies which will reach all students. 

Recently I was working with a fourth grade boy who is extremely bright but has very poor sense of numeracy and almost no ability to retrieve words.  He understands math concepts but has extreme difficulty with fluency for facts.  He has directionality problems and needs lots of gross motor activities to cement meaning.  We spent this week's lesson creating base ten models at the thousand's level.  He compared the quantity 14 to the quantity 14,000 with concrete manipulatives.  ( I use 10cm x 10cm x 10 cm gift boxes from the craft store.) He sat in the middle of what would be 100,000 unit cubes and then he was asked to decode large numbers.  Everything I do with this child is diagnostic and specific to his needs.  The wonderful thing though, is that I have done the same activities in a classroom with many children working at the same time. 

So, assignment number one, is become familiar with your manual, especially the first five sections,  and watch the first day's video segments.  By days 2 and 3 of the videos we are emphasizing place value and operations. As we move into the "Lesson Plan" you will have an opportunity to discuss possibilities in our first Video conference session.  Try making your own "Name That Quantity" Powerpoint presentation appropriate for the level you teach.  

Requirements are outlined in the reference section of the course at the end of your binder.  You may elect to take the course for CEU clock hours, Credit, or Graduate Credit.

Reading Summaries-available Resources found in Dropbox Turn in one single .doc or docx file with all reading summaries 

	Your Name Title, Author (Each summary & reaction not to exceed ½ page typed)         Brief Summary –content 4-5 sentences or bullet points         Brief Reaction – Liked/ Disliked?  Will/Won’t Use (How)-How it may help or inform your teaching. Title, Author of Reading 2 Brief Summary Brief Reaction Continue to next reading using the same format.

All Readings  are Available in Dropbox  They may be printed for your own reference and placed in the back section of the binder. This way you can annotate, high light or take notes. 

Group # 1 to be completed before your first Video Conference:

·     Excerpts: The Learning Brain, 

·     Subitizing: What Is It? Why We Teach It?

·    Contributions of Joyce Steeves: Using an O-G Approach to Teach Mathematics- Place in the Lesson Plan Section

·   The Initial Lesson-Steeves, place  in The Lesson Plan Section of the binder

·     Linking the Language, Ebbers,  place in the Language of Math Section

·      Ten is The Magic Number, place in References

Group  # 2 to be completed before your second Video Conference

·      Tying It All Together, place in References

Review and document

·   UDL Principles Graphic Chart- DO NOT Summarize- Simple Reaction is sufficient. Place in the General Theory and Background of Teaching Section of the binder 

· Achieve the Core – Math Standards by Grade   https://achievethecore.org/category/774/mathematics-focus-by-grade-level

NOTICE:  Graduate Credit Candidates

If you have signed up for graduate credits from Trinity University for this class, you must notify your instructor as soon as possible.  You may not wait until the course is underway to make that decision.