Exploring Standards Based Lesson Plans

It’s a Perfect Fit---Part I

Getting into Shapes

A Class Over Time (Geometry)

http://www-tc.pbs.org/teachers/mathline/lessonplans/pdf/esmp/perfectfit.pdf

Lesson Description

This PreK-2 math lesson plan involves geometry. During this lesson, students are expected to be able to visualize a geometric shape after it is shown to them briefly and reproduce the image on the table using the tiles provided.   (See Fig. A)

 Fig. A

They gain more practice recognizing shapes as they survey the room for objects in order to describe their shapes. Next, the learners, compare and contrast their shapes with the shapes of other students after they cut them out from the shape cards. (See Fig. B) 

Fig. B

In a cooperative activity, the students pair up for a classifying task where they group the shapes according to their attributes.  The students are then asked to explain and describe the reasons for their classifications.  This questioning takes the task to higher order thinking and reasoning skills. In conclusion of the lesson, the children are given more copies of the Shape cards to classify at home. (See Fig. C and D)

Fig.C

Fig.D

  

Common Core Standards of This Lesson

Kindergarten

Geometry

Analyze, compare, create, and compose shapes.

K.G.B.5 

Analyze and compare two- and three-dimensional shapes, in different sizes and orientations, using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, parts (e.g., number of sides and vertices (“corners”) and other attributes (e.g., having sides of equal length).

Grade 1 Geometry

Reason with shapes and their attributes.

1.G.A.1 

Distinguish between defining attributes (e.g., triangles are closed and three-sided) versus non-defining attributes (e.g., color, orientation, overall size); build and draw shapes to possess defining attributes.

Meeting the Standards in This Lesson

Throughout this lesson, the learners were comparing and contrasting their shapes with the shapes of their classmates and teacher.   Analyzing the structure of shapes in their environments.  In a whole group activity, the teacher had the students create a mock-up of an image flashed briefly before them.

In a cooperative task, the students were asked to classify the attributes of the shapes and describe/explain their classifications.  Within this lesson all of the above Common Core Standards were met through whole group, cooperative and independent tasks.

Implementing this Lesson

Most of this lesson was geared towards the visual learner.  A student with poor spatial reasoning skills would do poorly with the beginning where they used tiles to reproduce the shape that the teacher briefly displayed.  I believe that in my own classroom I would need to do this portion of the lesson in small groups so as to provide more assistant with those who are more inclined to auditory learning.

I appreciate the way the kids were allowed to observe their surroundings to find shapes in their environment.  I would have taken this opportunity to allow the students to leave their seats to observe shape attributes around the room and burn some energy during the lesson.  The portion where the students were to create a picture with their shapes and write a story about them seems a bit daunting on this grade level but of course, inventive spelling and mistakes in grammar and mechanics would be apropos since this isn’t a language arts lesson and the children are likely beginning or emerging in literacy and writing skills.

Assistive Technology for The Visually Impaired

     Visual Impairment and blindness greatly affects students’ learning due to their inability to see classroom materials such as text, graphics and images on computer screens. A student with this disability will need significant modifications to the learning environment to succeed and be afforded an equal education in the least restrictive environment according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). (2004) A student who is affected by a disability must be given the opportunity to be educated with non-disabled peers to the greatest extent appropriate.  A student with disability may be hindered by the print-rich environments of today’s classrooms. Their inability to see as clearly as their peers also hinders their participation in cooperative-learning activities and reading activities.  For these reasons, visually impaired students must be provided tools and devices will allow them to receive an equal and quality education.

     Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology is a very useful tool for the visually impaired student. This technology has the capability to scan, recognize and read text, as well as convert the images into recognized characters and words.  The OCR synthesizer then speaks the recognized text.  This file can be save on the computer for later access or stored on the OCR which has dedicated storage memory. The visually-impaired student can access their files as a word document format, since these files are easily converted. Just as the word processing applications we are familiar with and depend on our own computers, the OCR will also recognize sentence structure and language mechanics in order to correct common errors in spoken word or text.   The OCR like many non-AT’s has its own dictionary and spellchecker.

     One example of OCR technology is Cobra 10.2.  This screen magnifier provides speech output and large print magnification as well as support for Braille users.  It is available in twelve languages and is compatible with multiple versions of Windows Operating Systems. A special feature called Acoustic Hour Glass audibly reports the status of the system after a command has been issued by the user.  This is useful because a blind learner cannot easily determine the cause of the latency between the command and the execution of the command while it is processing.  This can be especially frustrating for the visually impaired learner.  While processing, the Acoustic Progress Indicator lets the user know how much progress has taken place in the application. This tool really is comprehensive with features that support Braille readers and audio tools to help the learner hear the text.

     The most current tech tool for the visually impaired is the refreshable Braille Display. This electro-mechanical device displays braille characters to allow the user to read text output.  A series of round-tipped pens raise through the holes of the keyboard in which the user reads with their fingers. In the future it would be advantageous for this technology to be available to users more affordably.  The current versions of this device are prohibitively expensive at $12,000 for individuals as well as schools.  Providing braille users with version of this device at an affordable price point will significantly change the way visually-impaired learners access text and content.

References:

Disabilities Education Act, U. (n.d) Building the Legacy:  IDEA 2004.  Retrieved February 16, 2016 from http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root, statue,I,B,612,a,5, 

American Foundation for the Blind, Optical Recognition Systems (2015) Retrieved February 16, 2016 from http://www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/using-technology/assistive-  technology/optical-character-recognition-systems/1235

Cobra 10.2 The First in The World: On-screen OCR - Text Recognition. (n.d.) Retrieved on February 16, 2016 from http://www.baum.de/cms/en/cobra_features/  

Ohio DL Schools

Connections Academy

http://www.connectionsacademy.com/

This institution is Accredited by AdvancED the national accreditation commission that represents tens of thousands of educational institutions across the United States. Ohio Connections Academy is also accredited by The North Central Association Commission. A parent looking to evaluate educational programs for their own prospective student would feel some assurance by these accreditations. 

The FAQ’s page on the site provides information a multitude of topics a first time visitor would inquire as well as the parent or guardian of a current student.  Topics such as student time spent on the computer, curriculum, financial structure of the organization, books and materials and a host of other topics.  I found this feature very helpful as I strived to become familiar with this school choice.

I also appreciated that the school provides specific expectations for the role of the parent or learning coach of each student. They also limit the number of students that each parent/learning coach can manage. 

The learning management system Connexus is accessible 24 hours a day.  Students can view daily and monthly schedules, access lessons and watch their progress, all from the learning platform.  Web mail and message boards are provided to facilitate communication between students and teachers. There are online learning resources and also a product called LiveLesson® that allows for broadcasts of live lessons.

Another tool for students that I thought was unique was something called Teachlets® are tutorials and learning games that uses graphics, video and audio to engage the learner.

Connections Academy provides the following subjects English/Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Geography, Art, Physical Education, Music, home-life, World Language, tech literacy and other enrichment subject areas.

Connections Academy would definitely be on my short list with its high Parent Satisfaction rates and efforts to connect parents with prospective families.  This reassurance goes a long way while navigating the Distance Learning Choices in Ohio.

Virtual Schoolhouse

http://virtualschoolhouse.org/

Virtual Schoolhouse is a K-12 charter school that boasts their acceptance of students of all abilities, backgrounds and needs. They offer a “mix of delivery methods” in their academic program.  I do appreciate their professed commitment to economically disadvantaged students, special needs students as well as ethnically diverse students.  The student body is however well over 80% African-American. This in my mathematical calculations, a largely homogenous student body.

There are multiple areas in which Virtual Schoolhouse (VSH) could improve as they present themselves as a quality option for Distance Learning.

There is no specific information on the curriculum being used by the school.  No evidence of accreditation that I could find on the website.  There is no information about what learning management system is being used or what the DL user interface entails. Three calls to the institution in order to inquire of this yielded no answer.

Descriptions for their programs are vague and offer little insight into the school.  The digital copy student handbook offered on the site is several years old.

I was interested in seeing the subject area offerings, Parent contact for feedback.

Judging from the website alone, this school would not be my first choice.  A site visit and interview would be necessary before I would even put it on a list of prospective schools. 

ECOT

https://www.ecotohio.org/

The Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) has been around for over 10 years.  It is fully accredited by the North Central Association and is certified by the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools. This accreditation and the over a decade of distance learning education is a huge selling point with parents with multiple distance learning options.

ECOT provides one computer per student and also provides a high speed cable connection for students to connect to ECOT’s secure Web-based network.  Students may log on 24 hrs. a day, 7 days a week. The broadband connection is a great option for families who do not have an internet service provider.

The ECOT website does not offer a FAQ’s page.  However I believe that most questions would be answered after visiting the information on the various pages.  The information is quite comprehensive.

The learning management system, IQity® is a cloud-based learning platform with high reviews due to its dynamic learning objects and customizable classrooms and content. I deem the learning management system as an important factor because it should be easy to navigate and appropriate for the learner and the age group in question.  User friendliness is imperative when school age students are the users vs. adult learners.

I would definitely put ECOT on my short list of distance learning options.  They have the experience, the technology and the professional wherewithal to offer a quality educational experience. 

Ohio Virtual Academy

http://ohva.k12.com/

This online k-12 institution professes to use the K12 curriculum.  This school does not provide laptops like many other distance learning offerings.  They do state that computers, printers, books, CD and tools such as microscopes are offered.  They also provide a stipend for internet services.  I must say that as I browse the site, I don’t get the gist of what the school is truly about.

The school offers F2F events for socializing with students and teachers and a parent advisory council to allow parents the opportunity to participate in school events and be able to voice their concerns. It seems Ohio Virtual Academy is a part of a larger network of schools in the K12 enterprise.  I think the site is comprehensive in the information it provides, however I think the organization of the site is clumsy and confusing at times.  Where is the mission of the school? the vision?  I couldn’t find anything on mission or the goal of the school.  As far as K12 as a viable option for my child’s distance learning choice, I’d need more information.  Perhaps an interview or phone conversation and visit.

Virtual School Community of Ohio

http://www.vcslearn.org/

This school has been in operation since 2001. This community school is sponsored by Reynoldsburg Community Schools. Once enrolled in the VCSO, students in grades K-5 use the Connections Learning Curriculum. Students in grades 6-12 use the Florida Virtual Global School Curriculum.  This is the first distance learning option that I noticed making use of Blackboard. Students are able to interact socially during live online Blackboard instruction.  VCSO also offers face to face learning in their local office. Students are equipped with a laptop and a box of learning materials to facilitate their coursework.  As I browse the site to get more information, I get the feeling that the school really tries to live up to the word community in its name.  There is a sense of familial warmth I get from the images in the pics of staff and students as well as the parents. The vision and mission for the school are clearly stated, albeit brief, on the website.  It is their mission to make a difference in the life of a child.  Their vision is to become a world-class educational organization.  I believe this school is well on its way.  I saw very few red flags that would be indicative of me eliminating this school as a distance learning option.   My first step with this institution would be to find out more about the Florida Virtual Global School Curriculum.

My Prezi

I have created a Prezi piece that presents to you the adult learner, how I began my journey as an elementary school educator and how that journey lead to my interest in adult education. I included a great deal of personal background information about my family life and pictures as well. It is my hope that that the video that I included in this Prezi presentation contributes to your understanding of the dynamics of educating adults and why it is a great fit someone who appreciates the contribution the older learner brings to the classroom. It is quite different from pedagogy! As I created my Prezi, I was quite impressed with how the intuitive the application is. The menus and features are quite user friendly and the animation helps bring the presentation to life quite effectively. Changing the order of the paths was a little cumbersome for me at times when manipulating the lines, but that was easily rectified. I can see this application overtaking PowerPoint as the go to presentation tool. I expect to use it again for my own professional presentation needs.