This week we considered two alternative instructional approaches: the flipped classroom and challenge-based learning. Below, I have included my likes and questions for both topics. I feel that my current instructional practice would be more easily adapted to the flipped classroom and I think that my students would respond well. I currently use online resources and now that I have learned to create video lectures it would be very simple for me to post lectures before class, supply students with a set of notes that they could use to ensure they are making sense of the lecture and then create diverse learning experiences in the classroom that would be specific to a student’s needs – space to work collaboratively, space to receive one on one attention and space to do more advanced challenge problems.
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Quantitative data
For this study quantitative data was easy to gather, sort and analyze using the statistical tools in Excel. I first surveyed my students using the modified MARS (Math Anxiety Rating Scale) that was created based on the functions of my classroom. This established a baseline entry for my student’s math anxiety levels and also established the x coordinate in my statistical model. My student’s critical thinking score, an average of all of their quiz and test (referenced as assessments in my paper) scores up to this point, was used at the y coordinate in the statistical model. After entering the data it was easy for me to create a scatter plot, calculate the R squared value and determine the correlation coefficient. As predicated all of my Math 1 sections demonstrated a negative correlation between the data. This negative correlation indicates that as Math anxiety rises, performance on assessment decreases and could indicate that math anxiety prevents students from being successful in math courses. Qualitative data For qualitative data I will be using a survey to determine which teaching strategies my students found most effective in addressing and reducing their math anxiety. I feel that student feedback is most important in this instance because it will indicate which strategies students identify as being effective for their specific learning needs. I will of course reevaluate their math anxiety after certain strategies are used in the classroom to ensure that there is, in fact, a reduction in the overall level of math anxiety in my classes. Based on student feedback on reduced math anxiety scores I will be able to rank the most effective teaching strategies for reducing math anxiety in students. Building confidence in students is a difficult task. This is especially difficult for minority status who often have negative experiences that detract from their humanity. Every teacher should aim to build their students up, providing them with the tools necessary to succeed despite any adversity they may encounter. Culturally relevant teaching (CRT), as defined by Zaretta Hammond, focuses on developing the cognitive aspects of teaching and learning to increase the learning capacity of diverse students. CRT concerns itself with building resilience and academic mindset by pushing back on dominant narrative about people of color that prevent them from reaching the same level of success as their white peers.
The cultural wealth model is a tool we have used at Vintage high school to help our students, in particular, our students of color and other minority students to recognize all the tools they have available to them; tools they can leverage in their attempt to close the opportunity gap they face. The cultural wealths are aspirational, linguistic, navigational, social, familial, and resistant wealth. Aspirational wealth is the ability to maintain hopes and dreams for the future despite hardships in your life. Linguistic wealth is the collection of social skills learned through communication in many forms such as art, music, or translating from one language to another. Navigational wealth is the ability to succeed in different social settings. This cultural wealth describes someone who can adapt well to new situations with ease. Social wealth describes the network of people who support and uplift you. This cultural wealth describes the comfort of knowing you have people you can trust. Familial wealth describes the commitment our students have to the wellbeing of their biological or chosen family, those who provide you with your history and memories. Resistant wealth is the most relevant for culturally relevant teaching as it is a student’s ability to see and challenge inequality despite being a victim of inequality. To use this cultural wealth model in the classroom as a means to develop student capacity for learning it is important for students to identify the wealths they feel properly equipped with and those they feel they are lacking. We have, in the past, done an inventory with students to help them recognize when each of these wealths would have been a useful tool in negotiating a learning experience that had been particularly tricky. We also ask students to identify situations in other arenas of life where these cultural wealths can be leveraged to help students gain confidence in their abilities and ultimately find success. |
Brandon DeJesusMath Archives
July 2019
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