Dyksterhouse

CEP 800
Final Reflection

For my lesson plan, I created a three-act math task designed for 8
th
grade math students who are
learning to apply the volume formula for cylinders to solve real-world and mathematical
problems. The lesson is designed for students who have already worked with the surface area and
volume of 3-Dimensional solids, so they are familiar with how to approach and solve related
computational math problems; however, this lesson goes beyond math computation and requires
the students to think critically and wrestle with an indirect problem. That is, this lesson requires
learners to formulate and solve mathematical reasoning problems (i.e. problems that require
application of math processes in the world around us).

Using pop cans and a marketing perspective, the lesson is set up to be a problem solving and
problem finding task. It was carefully designed to ensure learners are able to identify the problem,
accurately communicate their thinking, apply reasoning skills, make connections to prior
knowledge, and understand complexities in various forms. By using multimedia to present the
lesson, the learners are able to consider much more complex concepts on their own terms. They
are able to address real world problems and present real world solutions. They are able to see
how their math computation skills can be applied to real world processes realistically, such as how
surface area and volume effect producer and consumer choices. Most importantly, digital media
allows for learners to be involved in the process of mathematical abstraction, tackling the problem
in its most concrete form first and building towards the abstract form. To complete the task,
learners need to know how to find the volume of each cylindrical can, how to write proportions
for unit conversions, and how to interpret their findings. They also need to be able to identify what
matters in a problem situation and what information they need to complete the task.

After reflecting on how issues of memory, attention, development and metacognition should
inform thinking and lesson planning, I decided to make a few changes in the presentation of the
first act 1 of my lesson plan. According to the curriculum design, act 1 of a mathematical story
should ask very little from the learner, but offer a lot. After careful consideration, I decided that act
1 could potentially be over stimulating for learners. I initially liked the variety of concepts
embedded in act 1 because it allowed for choice as students identified which problem to attack;
however, the variety could potentially distract learners to the point of them having no resources
left to notice a problem even exists. I modified act 1 to impose as few demands on the students as
possible either of language or of math. Specifically, I removed the receipt with prices and the
advertisement portion, but left the two cans side by side. Im hoping this change allows students to
use cognitive inhibition to focus on the important concepts rather than feel overwhelmed and
wonder where to begin the task. With this change, I also decided to relocate the two items I
removed from act 1 to the sequel. I really think that pricing and advertisements are central to the
real-world connections being made, so I didnt want to remove them completely.

For the implementation of my lesson plan, I used my babysitter, Jaymmie a 10
th
grader who just
finished geometry, to complete the lesson. While the lesson standards are aligned to grade 8, the
task turned out to be appropriately challenging due to the nature of the task and its
correspondence to the more complex high school 3D geometry standards. It actually worked out
well that Jaymmie had recently worked with 3D solids in her geometry course as it took care of
reviewing background knowledge that I would expect my 8
th
grade students to know. Since the
problem focuses more on mathematical reasoning than mathematical computation, I didnt need
to modify the difficulty of the lesson. The task was easily adjusted to be more challenging when
necessary through effective questioning or by posing different perspectives. That is, the challenge
isnt in the problem itself but rather in the nature of how the student approaches the problem.

Moreover, during the implementation process, I had my roommate, Amy who is also a high school
geometry teacher observe the lesson and document student engagement and understanding while
I facilitated the lesson. In doing so, I asked her to specifically focus on my ability to effectively help
the learner without asking leading questions or providing leading answers. Questioning is central
to problem solving tasks, so I really was hoping to get good feedback from her on how to be more
effective the next time I implement this lesson. Before facilitating the lesson, I provided Amy with
a detailed lesson plan and we went over the changes I made. I asked her to make note of whether
or not she believed the changes were effective or if they took away from the problem solving
process. After the lesson, Amy and I debriefed. The lesson plan served as a useful tool to organize
Amys observations. She wrote her observations in the corresponding margin of the lesson plan,
organizing the feedback with the content. This made debriefing a lot easier since I had her looking
for several different things.

Overall, the lesson went over well. Jaymmie was engaged in the content as it was presented from
start to end. I could tell that Jaymmie felt really accomplished as she worked through the task. The
best part about three-act math is that each task is designed so learners are able to naturally
construct new knowledge and build on prior knowledge. That is, the lesson doesnt emphasize
what students dont know, it is constructed to build off of what students DO know. Discovering the
connections and regularities within knowledge you already have is empowering. Jaymmie was
stressed about looking dumb and not knowing how to do the work before starting the lesson, so it
was really rewarding to watch her confidence grow as she worked through the task. I was
transformed watching her transform!

In lieu of technology implementation, Jaymmie used the iPad with ease, as expected. However,
there was one development that surprised me. Without being prompted, Jaymmie used the
calculator app for computations and the Safari app to look up the conversion for cubic inches to
fluid ounces. Since students aren't typically given such freedoms in typical classrooms, I was
surprised to see how naturally she approached the problem in a more relaxed setting (my living
room). While reflecting on the lesson, I began to consider what made the use of these tools so
natural compared to in the classroom where some kids wont even get up to grab a calculator. I
began to consider the tools I use while problem solving in real life and why I use them. The
number one tool I use for pretty much anything and everything is my cellphone; it's importance
works somewhat like the bass line in a song, its so subtle you dont notice how important it is
until its gone or you don't have signal. This really was an A-HA moment for Amy and me. We
realized that Jaymmie might not have gone on to research the unit conversion had she not been
given a tool that allowed her to. Similar to the learning in the classroom, if a student isnt given a
tool that allows them to explore and identify important information, then they simply wont. What
I concluded from this enlightenment was that the networked device was essential to this task. It
allows students to approach and solve a problem using several mediums of support; it removes
barriers. Using the iPad beyond the multimedia clips I provided was so natural and automatic for
Jaymmie. It mimicked how she worked through problems in real life and allowed her to approach
the problem in a way she felt comfortable. I was prepared to give her the conversions and a
calculator when she asked, as you can see from my planning. I assumed students wouldn't look up
this information or use the apps on the iPad. I was satisfied giving students formulas based on
their ability to identify when one was needed. However, when the tools are available, such support
isnt necessary. The student can move along in the problem solving process at their own speed, on
their own terms.

One challenge I had to account for was the lack of student-to-student collaboration. Since the
lesson did not take place in the classroom, I tried to serve as a facilitator and a classmate, which
was challenging at times. I didnt want to provide too much information, but I didn't want to rob
her of the rich discussion that problem-solving tasks motivate. I wanted to provide Jaymmie with
alternative perspectives or approaches like a classmate would, but it was hard not too give too
much based on my experience with the problem. I tried to encourage collaboration by suggesting
Jaymmie use social media to collaborate with people on the topic of consumerism; however, she
wasnt fully comfortable using Twitter for educational purposes. She laughed when I suggested it. I
guess we arent there yet. If anything, the lack of student-to-student interaction displayed just how
important collaboration is in the problem solving process.

Furthermore, the changes I made to the sequel and act 1 proved to be beneficial. Act 1 was focused
and naturally sparked Jaymmies curiosity; it served its purpose. Also, by adding the receipt and
commercial mash-up to the sequel, Jaymmie made several real world connections. I assumed
students would choose one route (pricing, design, marketing) while considering how surface area
and volume effect consumer and producer choices, but by organizing the sequel to presenting the
commercial mash-up, the receipt, and the marketing ploy in that order at the end really helped
Jaymmie make sense of how each item effects product design. Amy and I agreed that the changes I
made to the lesson plan were worthwhile and added to the instructional purpose.

At the end, Jaymmie, Amy, and I discussed potential items we could redesign. We talked about
several different product presentations by looking at items in my cupboard. For example, we
discussed why pizza boxes are square when pizza is round; why 12-packs changed from a 3x4 to a
6x2; why some ice cream comes in a cylindrical container and why some comes in a rectangular
prism container. Jaymmie seemed genuinely engaged in this conversation and actually felt really
confident discussing the new knowledge she constructed in the three acts math lesson. She later
told me she liked being involved in an adult conversation. This made me consider how I could
involve professionals in this learning experience. I initially wanted students to design a product
and present it to a company, but now Im thinking it would be more beneficial to have a packaging
engineer or marketing manager come to the classroom and work with kids.

In sum, the reflection process proved to be extremely beneficial in all stages of creation and
implementation. It helped me make informed choices and modifications regarding technology and
learning strategies. Teaching and learning really is a process!