Helpful Resources for Teaching Place Value

Summary of Lesson:

For my lesson plan I will be integrating mathematics and technology. It is geared towards a first-grade classroom. The general mathematic topic is Numbers and Operations. In specific, this lesson will focus on exploring place values in regards to money. In this lesson, there will be a moc classroom store. Each student must come up with an object to sell in this store. Next, we will discuss the different amount of money ranging from 0.01-$1.00, which relates to place value. For example, a student can make their item worth 0.35 cents. This means there are 3 in the tens place and 5 one place. After that, they will create a price for their item, which they must put on their picture. All the students will listen to their peers’ product and cost. Finally, students will have the opportunity to “purchase” their classmate’s items.  At the end of each day they must write down the amount they made and in their bank account in regards to place values. Within this activity there are apps in which students will use their Ipads to keep track of the details within the lesson.

Resource One:

Name/Title of the resource: Basically Base Ten: Discovering Place Value Meaning Using Base Ten Blocks

URL: NCTM Illuminations

How you found it: I found this website by searching through the NCTM Illuminations website. I looked up place value in Pre-K based on Numbers and Operations.

How you might use it in your final project: For my learners that need that visual representation to figure out the place values in their number, I will have them work with base ten blocks that represent their amount/number of their product. This lesson tells me how to go about teaching this strategy to students. For example, if my student has their product costing 54 cents. They can see that there are 5 ten sticks and 4 unit one cubes within that number. Then they know that the unit cube represent the ones place and the sticks represent the number in the tens place.

What standards does the resource address: The standards that address my specific classroom set up in this lesson would be a mix between these two standards:

(CCSS.Math.Content.1.NBT.C.4)
Add within 100, including adding a two-digit number and a one-digit number, and adding a two-digit number and a multiple of 10, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used. Understand that in adding two-digit numbers, one adds tens and tens, ones and ones; and sometimes it is necessary to compose a ten.

(CCSS.Math.Content.2.NBT.B.5)
Fluently add and subtract within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.

Resource Two:

Name/Title of the resource: Multiply and Divide by Power of Ten

URL: Pinterest Got To Teach

How you found it: I went to one of my Pinterest finds in my PLN. Her name is Suzy Brooks. She pins a variety of educational resources. I went to her saved Math Methods board. This is where I found this method of “Act it Out!” dealing with the power of tens.

How you might use it in your final project: I will adjust this activity to only focus on power of tens in regards to place values. This is a fun interact way to get your students moving. I would have each student representing a number 0-9. I could give them a decimal or cost in cents amount in regards to place values. For instance, I would say I have 5 ones and 9 sticks in this number. Then, they have to place on the right side of the decimal, in the correct order, of the number I just described. This provides a visual and kinesthetic learning to the place value concept. I could even make groups to get more students involved.

What standards does the resource address: The standard that this activity mainly address is:

(1.NBT.2)

 Understand that the two digits of a two-digit number represents amounts of tens and ones.

Resource Three

Name/Title of the resource: Counting Pennies

URL: Smart First Graders

How you found it: I googled “math place values for first grade activities”. It was the fourth option that pulled up. This resource has multiple activities to help first graders understand place value.

How you might use it in your final project: In first grade, being visual is important because place values are a difficult concept to grasp because they are still learning their addition fact from 0-10. Therefore, I will choice to use money to demonstrate place values, which will be a perfect segway into a classroom store where they must come up with a cost for their product. I would use this activity first. This activity talks about children counting pennies and putting them in stacks of tens and count how many tens stacks they made and how many left over they have (one’s place).

What standards does the resource address:

(1.NBT.2)

 Understand that the two digits of a two-digit number represents amounts of tens and ones.

Are Virtual Schools Taking Over the World?

          According to the Michigan Merit Curriculum, the definition of Virtual Schooling or Online Schooling is “it is a structural learning activity that utilizes technology with Intranet/Internet-based tools and resources as the delivery method for instruction, research, assessment, and communication.” There has been a rapid growth in interest to the online learning verse the learning in a classroom. In the year 2013-2014 there were 25 out of the 50 states that have state operating systems, which includes Michigan. The top reason that the states make online learning available is because students are provided opportunities to recover course credit. The downside is that not all people have internet capabilities at home. In a recent study in October 2010, it stated that 68% of households had access to internet and over 77% had a computer. There are various types of online learning delivery formats. One of them being teacher-led. This model is just like the role of a traditional classroom teacher. For example, this online teacher provides direction, content, and feedback through some online resources such as Blackboard. Another format is the blended-instruction. This format involves communication like in a classroom but it links it to the power of internet based resources and tools. The last one I will mention is the self-paced format. This one involves no teacher interaction. The teacher places work online to for their students to complete and they give a grade without feedback.

          When thinking about what grades this virtual schooling fits best with would be college. This would be very challenging in an Elementary or Middle school classroom because their technology skills and reading skills are not up to the point needed to learn new content. This would be doable for a high school/college because their literacy skills and technological understand should be efficient to get through a lesson online. Thus, since I want to teach Elementary school this trend doesn’t affect me because I can’t see a first grader listening to a computer talking to them about a new concept. Plus, they would never know how to work their way around a site such as Blackboard.

          My personal feelings about this virtual learning is negative. I love the physical interaction a classroom brings. You can’t receive that connection with your students if you were on a computer. This is especially in the lower grades, having the students know you’re always there for them and can SEE how much you care for them means the world to them. Therefore, I will always be for the physical classroom "ruling" this world.

Work Cited:
Michigan Merit Curriculum
Fun-Facts

A UDL approved App for Kids at all Learning Levels?

Here is my screencast of the Universal Design for Learning Principle. I had the Principle 2.3, which talked about supporting decoding of text, and mathematical notation and symbols.
The app I choose to specifically focus on is called ABCmouse for my first grade classroom.
In the video, I talk about the UDL Principle, what learning disabilities my classroom has, and information about the app and reviews posted throughout the information. Enjoy!

What about the myth's and fad's of the Educational System?

While reading through these four articles I instantly thought about how I was as a learner and how I am as a teacher. I related to a lot of the articles in a sense that I've either done them as a teacher or experienced them as a learner. I think the most surprising one was the visual and verbal learners myth. This stated that people may not learn best from a learning style when taught in a way that matches their beneficial learning. I was surprised and ultimately dismissed this one too because I know what works best for me and it works in every subject area I try. I know I am a visual learner and I need some type of print or activity in front of me. I have been in lecture where only verbal talk was the way of learning. I spent more time making sure I wrote down all the important words the professor was saying rather than actually learning from them. Therefore, I don't agree that students don't learn best if you teach a concept towards their learning style of visual or verbal. I also semi don't agree that Gardner's multiple intelligences aren't a guideline to the educational system. I have had classes, such as Child Development, that taught us the importance of learning which eight are your strength and weaknesses in order to help you best learn a concept. The article dealing with Gardner stated an example:

"For example, to help students learn punctuation, a teacher might have them form punctuation marks with their bodies (bodily-kinesthetic intelligence), assign an animal sound to each punctuation mark (naturalist intelligence), and sort sentences according to the required punctuation (logical-mathematical intelligence)."

I remember learning and currently are doing a type of this activity with my students in my CT's classroom. We uses body motions and visual cues to accomplish Handwriting. We relate how you form a letter to a certain area the students know and have them write the letter with different body parts. Therefore, incorporating our visual learners, our kinesthetic learners, and verbal learners by saying, doing, and participating in the words. Thus I would say that when designing a lesson plan, I keep in mind the eight multiple intelligences and make sure I at least are incorporating three of them. This is because I know at least one of the ones I choose my students can relate to because I identified their strengths and weakness intelligences. I understand that the article did say that Gardner believes you need to teach multiple of the intelligences into a lesson, which is what I have been keeping in mind. However, I don't agree with the fact that Gardner believes that teachers have a shallow understanding of the intelligences. In my child development book, it clearly identifies what each one looks like in regards to a child's reaction. That is why I semi disagree with that article.

Finally, if someone higher above me (a teacher) were to tell me that for some reason because of evidence that students don't learn from this learning technique and I need to change my teaching style. I would try it there way for a couple lessons. If I notice my students aren't responding as well as I would like them to be, I would bring that information to "them" and politely ask (with the support of my own research in my class because every class you have will respond differently to the new approach) that I can keep teaching my students the way you would like but I see more benefit in my old way of forming a lesson then from this new technique change. Ultimately, they are higher than me; thus, I would have to listen and do what they say. However, it doesn't hurt to show support about your claim and bring your concerns to the higher up people.

Benefitis of Blogging in a Classroom?

Blogging is a new concept for me. I have had to blog more in my last two years of college then I ever thought I would have too. However, there are benefits of blogging that I've come to discover over that period; especially ideas related to classroom involvement. When I think about blogging I would say that it is definitely a tool for middle school and high school students. Being an Elementary Education major, I think the benefits would be more for the teachers rather then the students. For example, your group of team teachers could create a page and share ideas of worksheets or books they thought worked best. That way you can bounce ideas off each other online rather than meeting in person. If I were to ever be in a middle school classroom I think this idea of blogging is a great idea. With the advancement of technology, students love to go on computers. I know I used to find computers, when we went to that special, fascinating and fun. Therefore, if I were a middle school teacher I could do something along the lines of implement it by using it as a tool for a class discussion. For example, the students could make a project and share it on their blog. When everyone finished their projects I could have my students go look and read at least 5 of there classmates blogs and reply. The replies could consist of stating what they liked, what the student could improve on, and one question they had for the creator. This would help on classroom management because time management is a big part of teaching. Teachers try to fit so much in the day that having a blog to help that out is something to consider. However, you must keep in to mind the school district your students are in. Some students have could have never dealt with or have access to a computer. If you are able to have the proper technology to do the blog then the only constraint would be that you have to take time out of the typical day to explain how to work the site. Overall, I think this idea of blogging could be used just beyond typing papers up there for a teacher to read.

About Me

Hello Everyone!
My name is Kourtney Wolters. I am currently in my 6th year of college. I have attended Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) for 2 years. Then, I transferred to Western Michigan University (WMU) for a year. Finally, I transferred to Grand Valley State University (GVSU) and I have been here ever since. I am majoring in Mathematics with an Elementary Education emphasis. I plan to graduate in the April 2017.  

I am currently teacher assisting at Jamestown Lower Elementary in a first grade classroom. It is in the Hudsonville Public School District. Also, I am currently a part-time preschool teacher assistant at Appletree Learning Center in Grand Rapids.

Throughout my college years, I have participated in collegiate volleyball at the varsity level. I have used up all 5 years of eligibility (2 years at GRCC, 1 year at WMU, and 2 years at GVSU). I have a strong passion for volleyball but in general for sports. This year is interesting because it's my first year as a student instead of a student-athlete. Other hobbies of mine consist of boating, reading, and Netflix shows. I am a very active person but when I do have down time I enjoy every second of it.

A fun-filled fact about myself is that I am an identical twin. I have a sister who looks exactly like me except that I am two inches taller than her, but she is two minutes older. She went to GRCC with me but than transferred right away to GVSU. She has also played volleyball for all four years of college. I have a brother who is a sophomore at Calvin College. He is also athletic because he plays Tennis for Calvin.

I know you all are wondering, is my family tall? Yes, we are all above 5'9". My sister is 5'9", I am 5'11", my mom is 5'10", my dad is 6'2", and my brother is 6"3. We definitely got that Dutch gene of height! :)

For being in a what is know as the millennium year, I am not as high-tech as I would like to be. I know how to go between HDMI, projection, etc. However, the little new technology gets me. I currently just used an Elmo for the first time in my Elementary School classroom. It was quite a challenge but I got through it and can use it in my future classrooms. I would love to try and plan to use technology more in classroom since it is a big thing now a days. However, I don't stray too far away from PowerPoint or Word Document. I will admit that if my computer or anything were not functioning right, my first call is always to my dad. He is a computer programmer. Therefore, he has "magical" powers when fixing all my technology.

Below you will see a link for a video of myself along side my volleyball team here at GV. This is clips of the skills I played. I was a 6 rotation player. What this basically means is that you are on the court the WHOLE time. In these video clips we are playing against our rival Ferris State University, which is why the background is in Ferris' gymnasium. Enjoy!

Here is my professional picture of my twin sister and I on a trip we took this summer to Nashville, Indiana. You better read that again. I did not say Nashville, Tennessee but Indiana. It's a cute little town full of old fashion stores. For those of you who may be wondering, I am the one on the left in the orange tank top.  

What Was School Like Back in the 1980's-2000's?

I am a 90's child. However, that doesn't mean I understand fully about what learning or even paid attention to what classrooms looked like as compared to today's era, and what I face being a future teacher. Luckily, there is a way to see a glimpse into that life by watching TV shows that came out during that time. I choose a show that I absolutely could not stop watching while growing up. This show is called Boy Meets World. It was filmed from 1993-2000. It is a show about Cory and his journey throughout his school years. There is multiple life lessons that can be taught throughout each episode.

I will be focusing mainly on Cory Matthews, who is the main character in this TV series. During the first season, Cory was portrayed as a sarcastic, slacker who doesn't see eye to eye with his teachers (Mr. Feeny or Mr. Turner). However, in every episode he comes to learn a valuable lesson from either of them but it doesn't come easily for him to admit it. As Cory gets older and into college life he relies heavily on Mr. Feeny's advice. Below are multiple glimpses into the attitude of Cory and his best friend Shawn in both teachers classrooms.

^ Mr. George Feeny teaches a lesson to his class.

^ Cory Matthews learning something from his teacher, Mr. Feeny.

^Classroom interaction between Mr. Turner and Cory Matthews and Shawn Hunter. 

In order to determine the socioeconomic status of Cory, we have to take into account what his family income is. Cory's father works at a Supermarket. His mother doesn't work. He lives in a two-story house in a suburb area where the school is supplied with all the necessary or up to date learning supplies. Therefore, I would say this TV series is placed in a Middle level income class, Rural Secondary type of school/area.

For most of the episodes Cory tries to distract each class he is in. Whether that is speaking out of turn, sleeping through class, or even reading/listening to something else while the teacher is teaching. For example, Cory is really into baseball, causing mischief with his best friend Shawn. Therefore, his main goal is to be a distraction. Until, he figures out what either Mr. Feeny or Mr. Turner have been telling him can relate to his own life.  

If I were to come across a student like Cory Matthews I would have some strategies and technologies up my sleeve. Students who tend to act out more need to have information that they are excited about. For example, I would try to incorporate some element of sports in an activity. That way he is interested in learning about the topic and won't act out as much. There are multiple ways to do such a thing. Since I want to be in a lower Elementary classroom, I would include baseball books for him to read, workshops that incorporate a more sports aspect to it. I could create multiple worksheets for my students to pick but still have the same concept on it. I know in my classroom that I teacher assist at we do body breaks, which consist of letting loose of those built up muscles from sitting there. I could incorporate more of something that involves moving or sports/physical abilities.

Looking back at Cory Matthews school journey, I would say he definitely has potential of being college ready (which you find out in later seasons) but he has to work on his attitude towards learning.