PowerPoint Presentation

ADVANCED DESIGN SEMINARISMINI THEODOROPOULOSFALL 2016ONLINE COLLABORATIVE LEARNINGIN A BLENDED SECONDARY MATH CLASSROM

Hello everyone! My final project was the designing a blended mathematics classroom at the secondary level which was hosted by Edmodo.1

RATIONALELEARNING IS LIMITED IN THE CLASSROOMALL STUDENTS LEARN DIFFERENTLYBUILD LEARNER AUTONOMYDEVELOP AND STRENGTHEN 21ST CENTURY SKILLS

The idea behind the environment stems from my experience as a Math teacher during this education reform with Common Core and the high expectations of students and teacher alike. These obstacles have caused learning to be limited in the classroom students are expected to learn new concepts, practice what they have learned, collaborate, write mathematically, amongst other things while teachers are expected to make all of this happen while having to differentiate their lesson and cater to all students different learning styles. Again, this is just a few of the things expected to happen in class which the usual time alotted is 45 minutes once a day. Students are sent home and many unfortunately fall behind. I have noticed that students dont take initiative either because of low confidence or not sure where to find online resources that are not only relevant to their grade level but caters to their learning needs. The ability to research and distinguish appropriate resources is a 21st century skill that in the process could develop and strengthen.2

HIGHLIGHTSGROUP FEATURESUPPORTS COLLABORATIONRESOURCE CENTERAWARD BADGESABILITY MONITOR STUDENTSSNAPSHOTSADAPTIVE LEARNINGACCESSIBILITY

The highlights that I want to share with you today are the following:The group feature is by far my favorite!The also helps support student collaborationResource center The ability to award badgesThe ability to monitor students progress and participationsThe snapshots embedded in EdmodoAnd lastly, the accessibility feature3

Students are all enrolled in an Algebra 1 math course ending in a regents exam. All students have one thing in common, and that is to master the content in order to move forward with their academic success.4

Learning TheoryLev Vygotsky (1978) founded the socio-constructivist theory which posits that learning is a social activity in which each individual learns by trial and error, feedback from others, and applying the suggestions to modify their approach. Learning in the collaborative activity occurs when the students discuss and share the difficulties they encounter, approaches theyve made, and their own perspectives of the problem.

Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner, & E. Souberman (Eds. & Translators). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

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Here is the list of students in the group and as you can see who has turned in their final response and grade them as well.6

The resource center is an area I have created for students to access when they need extra help. I used the group feature here by creating a class called Resource Center and each unit is separating into small groups. This was done intentionally to not overwhelm students and minimize any distractions.7

Students are provided with a list of various resources that are either written, video, or interactive tutorials. Again, all catering to the various learning styles of our students.8

And students are also urged to share any resources that they have found useful. I have considered awarding badges and extra credit points for those who provide a relevant and useful resource and maybe a brief description explaining what they found helpful.9

Motivation:Expecting teens to encompass an innate motivation to participate in a math social network is difficult. However, increasing the opportunities to raise their grades through badges can act as a motivational tool.10

In the students profile, teachers have access to an overview of student activity to monitor participation. We can monitor posts they have made as well as replies.11

A method of assessment and review:Edmodo has embedded an assessment feature with their own question bank aligned to the common core standards. Students can keep track of their own progress through the embedded gradebook that updates automatically once the instructor has submitted the grades. 12

I find adaptive learning to be extremely beneficial to studets, especially for mathematics. Adaptive learning individualizes instruction based on students progress. Khan Academy has an adaptive learning system that is free and allows teachers to monitor their work. 13

Khan Academy has the Algebra 1 curriculum embedded and each component of a unit is called a Mission. I decided to incorporate this as a checkpoint within the module and a few days were allotted as some students will take longer to complete than others. 14

Thank you for listening!

It provides videos and then a series of questions.15

Accessibility:The learning management system should be accessible to students through various mediums. Edmodos layout is user-friendly via PC and smart phone.

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THANKS FOR LISTENING!

Thank you all for listening!17