Rationale: Through the State Symbols Webquest students use all of the information they have learned to complete a comprehensive task.  They must not only work together to complete their task, but they must also navigate and chose the most appropriate information and communicate that information effectively.  Or, depending on the individual or group needs, I cn have sites ready for them.  This is a “real-life” task so students tend to take a little more ownership for their work.  For me as the teacher, I see the students responsible for their own learning, with my directed guidance, and greatly increasing their motivation to learn.  I can also easily modify this task with the group make-up and the amount of my input and direction needed.

 

KSD
4.K.2 The teacher understands principles and techniques, along with advantages and limitations, associated with various instructional strategies (e.g. cooperative learning, direct instruction, discovery learning, whole group discussion, independent study, interdisciplinary instruction).

4.S.4 The teacher varies his or her role in the instructional process (e.g. instructor, facilitator, coach, audience) in relation to the content and purposes of instruction and the needs of students.

4.D.2 The teacher values flexibility and reciprocity in the teaching process as necessary for adapting instruction to student responses, ideas, and needs.

 

 

Rationale: Every year students struggle with drawing lines of best-fit in math.  More so, however, they have difficulty with the accuracy of that line when used for making predictions from a given graph.  Therefore, if the students are able to recreate the same graph on the computer, they are able to see the differences in the lines with the exclusion of human error. 

I have taught a portion of this lesson and can see the students gaining a better understanding of the need for accuracy and care when drawing their lines of best-fit when used to make predictions from graphs.  I still need to work with various graph-making programs to be able to better manipulate the lines of best-fit and range to better meet the needs of the lesson.

 

KSD
4.K.3 The teacher knows how to enhance learning through the use of a wide variety of materials and technological resources (e.g. computers, audio-visual technologies, videotapes and discs, local experts, primary documents and artifacts, texts, reference books, literature, and other print resources).

4.S.2 The teacher uses multiple teaching and learning strategies to engage students in active learning opportunities that promote the development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance capabilities and that help students assume responsibility for identifying and using learning resources.

4.D.2 The teacher values flexibility and reciprocity in the teaching process as necessary for adapting instruction to student responses, ideas, and needs.