How...

For my project I will be the person that will be creating the graphic organizers originally. I think that I would fall into the technical processor according to LCI. For that reason, I can relate to the wanted to "do" something in order to learn, and want to be left alone and let me create what I am to do. I hope that the graphic organizers will help to address those that need the constant reinforcement, and that the organizer can be that reinforcement. The students will eventually be doing the same thing.

I plan to use Inspiration and Word to create the organizer to begin with. The students will hopefully use the same as well as Kidspiration for some of their creation. We have the Inspiration at school on some computer, but not all of them. This may lead me into some problems, but it should be solvable. My principal is new and very supportive of us getting on board with following the rules and plans that we currently have in place. There is money available for software, and if we supposed to be using graphic organizers, that's a good place to spend it.

To get this all done I am going to need to:

• determine which topics students most need graphic organizers for
• determine which type of organizer will work best for each topic
• create graphic organizers for mathematics topics
• familiarize students with various types of graphic organizers and their applications to math.
• Insert mathematical topics into various graphic organizers

My students once they begin using the organizers or creating them for themselves will need to:

• Familiarize themselves with various types of organizers
• Insert mathematical topics into various graphics organizers
• Use the organizers to study/ remember math topics
• create graphic organizers for mathematics topics

I have surveyed a few EC students, and plan to continue to do so, to determine their opinion of an wish to used graphic organizers. To see if they feel like this is something that will help them to be more successful in math. I will create a few graphic organizers to use at the end the school year this year to see how well this will work for them, so that I can know what I need to edit or change before starting a school year with this.

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Ideally, we would love for our EC students to perform as well if not better than the other students. They would understand the mathematical concepts, be able to demonstrate their knowledge of these topics in various different ways, while using graphic organizers as an aid. Some of those ways being on classroom assessments, Standardized assessments, and any other means encountered.

Many school districts in the state of NC including Charlotte-Mecklenburg (where I have worked previously) and Guilford County (where I am currently employed) are mandating that middle school student be enrolled in higher level mathematics courses. 70% of the 8th grade students in my school are enrolled in Algebra I or higher. The remaining 30% of students are enrolled in Pre-Algebra. All of these classes require the ability to think abstractly. Studies show that most middle school students are either visual or tactile. Frequently there are no pictures or diagrams to help those students who learn best in a visual manner. There is nothing to manipulate for those students who are tactile learners. Of the 8th grade students 40% of the EC students are enrolled in Algebra I and the other 60% in Pre-Algebra. The more abstract the concepts the more the students need to be able to "see" the connections.

For these reason as well, I plan to create a variety of graphic organizers for mathematics topics. I will make those that can be used early in the 8th grade curriculum. These could actually be used for some 6th and 7th grade classes as well, since alot of the topic in middle school math course are present at each level. Students will be able to take notes on or transfer notes to the graphic organizers. The orgainzer should help students to see the big picture, and the applicable connections. I will but the organizers as read-only files in the student applications folder at school, so that they will be able to do them in electronically and print it out if desired.
For those tactial learner, they will actually be able to manipulate information. If students are presented consistantly with simple and applicable organizers, they will eventually be able to replicate such graphics. If they can replicate the graphic organizers during the EOG, it may help them to be more successful as a sub-group.

I will be the person that will create the the original math graphic organizer for students to complete. Eventually they will be come the organizer creaters.

Do we need this?

Like I suggested I have moved my project idea to Exceptional Children. However, I have still stuck to my mathematics back ground. As far the context in which this all operates is pretty straight forward. My needs assessment used a variety of things, and people. I’ve had conversations beyond number with the EC teachers at my school about student achievement. I’ve had the same number of conversations with other math teachers including those who teach 6th, 7th, and other 8th grade teachers. With both groups of people I asked for suggestions to improving EC student achievement in mathematics. I’ve looked a student scores on the NC End-of Grade Test in Mathematics. I guess the mega was my school mission statement for the year, and the No Child Left Behind Legislation (NCLB). On a Macro level, the North Carolina Standard Course of Study says that all 8th grade students should be able to meet a certain number of objectives. Then, at a smaller level, I want my students to be successful, despite a disability or distractions, and I want to be able to provide them with any aids or accommodations necessary for them to succeed.
The school mission statement says that we will use graphic organizers to impact student achievement. According to Kaufman, a need is a gap between the current and desired or required results. We should be using graphic organizers school-wide, however what is really happening is that they are being used in Language Arts classes. There is a need for graphic organizers in the mathematics classroom. NCLB says that students in each of their sub-categories will be successful in all tested subjects. There is an obvious gap between “what is” happening with EC students’ scores and “what should be” happening. My school did not meet AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) according to NCLB because the EC sub-category did not meet the established goals. Hence, what is happening with the EC students is not what should be happening.
Several EC students have goals or accommodations in their IEP’s that say that they will use graphic organizers to help them understand complex topics. However, as I mentioned earlier, graphic organizers are only being used in Language Arts classes. Therefore, again we have a need… legally.

Project again....

What am I going to do as this project..... well like I said on Blackboard, I was thinking about what appeared to be obvious. I said in my first post blog entry that I thought that I would go with with I thought I would go with what originally got me into my grad program to begin with. I though that I would attempt to connect the two topics that I've come to love.

There however have come to be a couple different roadblocks or stumps or potholes that I have caused to change my mind. I was discussing some possibilites with my math and figured out that I have just as much interest( forced interest) or just as much stake in Execeptional Children and assisitive technology. Besides I have to explore Assisitive Technology on my own right now. The last class that I need to graduate is SES 662-Asssitive Technology and UNCG isn't offering the course until Summer of 2006, so I'm having to FIND a class that will transfer in. In the meanwhile I am ensuring that I can fulfill those competency for my portfolio. I teach a large number of EC students so I could easily make something meaningful.

So.....EC here I come....

Project???

I have no idea what I want to do as a project. Being that I am a teacher, I would guess that I would probably do something that will help to prepare my student for their most horrible end of the year test. I try hard not to mention that mess of test. However, like I said I teach, and I teach a tested subject in a "gateway grade". So, my job description should read," Make student pass the EOG and EOC by any mean necessary."

I teach 8th grade math which means Pre-Algebra and Algebra right now. I have taught Geometry prior to transferring to this new school. My concentration for my MEd is Instructional Technology. So, any way that I can integrate technology into my mathematics classroom will gratify both me and my students. Very vaguely that's what I hope to accomplish. That's the road I plan to travel down. Now, which exit I'll take, well I don't quite know yet.

Naturally, I have a love for both mathematics and instructional technology. So, a project that will help me combine the two will probably be in order. That idea excites me to some extent. However, it just reminds me that work in place were I'm told by school level and distrtict level administrators to teach a test and not students. I'm told and expected to plan my lessons in a manner that will emulate a stupid test that wasn't designed to measure student progress or success.

First Day

So.... it's the first week of class, and I've created my blog. I have my yahoo messenger and skypes accounts, and I'm ready to begin my venture into Instructional Design!!!