Talk:Portfolio for Models: A Case Study for Instructional Tools

Instructor comments on your instructional analysis and ICM -- Jz833665 14:46, 9 November 2010 (EST)

Hi Christine, Great to see your progress in this design project. Your instructional analysis and ICM look very helpful for your next steps. A few suggestions:

Task analysis:

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this unit, students will be able to:
   * 1. Understand how to add/subtract/multiply/divide integers
   * 2. Develop procedures for add/subtract/multiply/dividing integers
   * 3. Perform mental mathematics to solve integer problems
   * 4. Develop critical thinking to answer integer problems 

You have already worked out your course-level performance objectives; your task analysis intends to elaborate the components (more specific, enabling objectives) of each course-level, target objective, and these components will be addressed as your unit-level objectives. The above list of "outcomes" are more general than the performance objectives so do not seem to provide more specific guidance for your lesson design. You may delete this list, and come up with more specific components for your unit/lesson objectives.

ICM: "Use real world problems to solve integer problems"?? Do you mean "solve real world problems that involve integer..."??? "Develop critical thinking skill..." Can you be more specific about how this skill will be performed/demonstrated? Again the objectives displayed and sequenced in the ICM need to be more specific (if possible), not less, than the performance objectives you listed earlier.

Nice work on the initial lessons.

-- Jennifer Krol 20:48, 23 November 2010 (EST)

You have a lot of objectives. In your email you mentioned that you are going to work on them. I noticed that you aren't doing anything with division. I think that's a good idea because you are already covering so much! I don't know how you feel about this, but I think you should just focus on adding and subtracting integers. I think that is a lot for the 7th graders to digest at once.

-- Jennifer Krol 20:52, 23 November 2010 (EST)

3. Perform mental mathematics to solve integer problems

I agree that the students need to learn how to solve integer problems without models (I hate finger counting as well!). I don't know if you really help the student go from models to mental mathematics. Maybe you could add something at the end encouraging the student to visualize the models in their heads. Some students will do this on their own but many need to be told to start to work on it in their heads. For example, you could end each lesson with "Now, instead of drawing the tiles on your paper, try to picture them in your head do complete the following integer problems."

-- Jennifer Krol 20:53, 23 November 2010 (EST)

Good job outlining your learning objectives. Your sequencing is very appropriate. You could do your second lesson first but I could see it either way. You might want to title your first lesson something like Adding Integers with Unlike Signs because it might be confusing that your second lesson is Adding Integers with Like Signs.

Your external websites are easy to use which is great for young students. The images and questions you use are motivating and help to keep 7th graders focused.

I like how you used additional pages to provide answers to the questions you ask. This is very helpful especially if a student is doing this course as an independent student.

Instructor comments on your draft units -- Jianwei Zhang 21:59, 27 November 2010 (EST) -- Jianwei Zhang 21:59, 27 November 2010 (EST)

The lessons you've drafted are in a good shape. Great work. Please read the following instruction re. instructional case report. General_Suggestions_and_Feedback#What_issues_should_be_addressed_in_an_instructional_case_report

There are three things you need to add:

1. In your portfolio before the lessons, you need to add a summary of your design rationale to lay out your major thinking implemented in the lessons, and particularly what types of models you are using for what purpose.
2. In the beginning of each lesson, add the corresponding unit-level objectives.
3. In the end of your portfolio, add a reflection paragraph to synthesize your success/failure and what other teachers may learn from this case.