Online Activity, EDU 551

Reading Next documents the growing literacy problem in the United States.  As part of this, the article describes a growing problem following the elementary levels.  Overall, school systems have concentrated on word recognition however comprehension has been ignored.  While this has worked for students developing basic reading skills, through 3rd grade, it has proven to be detrimental to students in 4th through 12th grades.  As a result of this, Reading Next presents several key elements of an effective adolescent literacy programs.  First, and foremost, is the idea of direct, explicit comprehension instruction which is based on instruction in the strategies and processes that proficient readers use.  In reality, this idea has been presented previously, including by Gunning in Chapter 8 Comprehension: Text Structures and Teaching Procedures.  Throughout Chapter 8, Gunning presents ideas and techniques necessary to foster comprehension. As part of this, Gunning explains the tools that will build higher level literacy.


A further review of Reading Next reflects some very important aspects that have been previously discussed in IRA, Adolescent Literacy: A Position Statement.  Throughout this reading, the authors presented the principles that support adolescent literacy growth including the idea that adolescents deserve homes, communities, and a nation that will support their efforts to achieve advanced levels of literacy.  Overall, it is based on the fact that adolescent need support from the school, the local community, and the nation. Reading Next expands on this idea by calling for a comprehensive and coordinated literacy program that may coordinate with out-of-school organizations and the local community.    


As a secondary math teacher several of the elements presented in Reading Next can be utilized in my classroom to improve higher level literacy.  Overall, since math is a language of its own, building comprehension is essential to student success.  As part of this, direct and explicit comprehension instruction is essential.  I could easily achieve this by using techniques that will improve understanding including the use of selective reading guides for new vocabulary.  In addition, I believe that the use of explicit, planned questioning that gauges student understanding and comprehension is imperative.   


Further, the use of text based collaborative learning could be productive in a secondary math class.  For instance, I am a big proponent of jigsaw technique.  First, it requires students to work collaboratively to build understanding.  More importantly, it requires students to explain a topic to their peers.  In many situations, this can greatly improve student comprehension of a topic.  Maybe they do not understand how I explained a topic.  Many times students have a simple way of making sense of complex topics.  Overall, I could use jigsaw techniques in my math class when working through a complex topic that incorporates new math vocabulary.  In addition, it could be used in situations where there is, simply, more than one way to solve a problem.  For instance, when teaching systems of equations, I could have students jigsaw the different techniques (elimination, substitution, and graphing) for solving them.  


Finally, I believe that I could easily implement the use of diverse texts at a variety of difficulty levels and on a variety of topics in my secondary math classroom.  In my opinion, this could be done in several manners.  Initially, it would be very easy to have a "reading corner" in the classroom which includes diverse text and a computer.  Ideally, as a math teacher, some will be math related however a large portion would be student-relevant magazines, books, and approved web sites.  At my current internship placement, a middle school, the students are encouraged to use the computers in the room during homeroom and free time.  As part of this, they are not to use the computer for entertainment purposes.  Further, as a math teacher it is important to relate math topics to real world settings.  This can be done by bringing in relevant math articles or books that are subject related.  In addition, some of the articles could be on topics that students may not, initially, identify as directly related to math.   

2 More Web Sites that are great for students

www.studyisland.com

The studyisland.com website is a great resource for any Math teacher, teaching from 2nd through 12th grade.  Overall, the site is very interactive in nature and incredibly user friendly.  In addition, not only is the site a great source for Math practice but also includes programs for English, Biology, Chemistry, Civics & Economics, US History & Geography, and World History.  As part of this, the activities are lined up with the Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum and Core Learning Goals.  Further, as expected, the activities strengthen skills that are necessary to improve MSA and HSA test scores.

A further review of the site reflects its usefulness in the classroom.  Each section of the site includes a pre-test and a post-test.  As part of this the sections include questions, answers, explanations and lessons that address specific skills that are necessary to master the subject matter, which matches the Maryland VSC and Core Learning Goals.  Further, the website provides immediate feedback to the user and the teacher.  This allows for greater differentiation in the classroom and ultimately improves student understanding.  

Overall, the site is incredibly user friendly and easy to navigate.  As part of this, the page is neatly laid out, which makes navigating from section to section very simple.  The spacing of the lettering and graphics on the page is good and visually appealing. Finally, the page is very interactive in nature adding to the ease of use.  As a teacher, I would confident providing students with exercises from this site.  It is a great resource, easy to use, and connected to the Common Core Standards.

I could use the website in the classroom in several ways.  First, since the website is accessible anywhere, students could be assigned homework on the website.  Since the site is interactive in nature students will be provided with a different mode of instruction instead of the standard text.  Additionally, I could use the program in the classroom to give the students a break from standard instruction.  From time to time, the students could be assigned time in the computer lab to complete problems.  In my opinion, this type of instruction could be very beneficial to students as long as I have a clear objective of what is required from the beginning.  Overall, the site could be an asset in the classroom.  

http://figurethis.org

The website figurethis.org was created by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, in cooperation with the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Widmeyer Communications, and the Learning First Alliance.   The mission of the website is to help families enjoy mathematics outside school through a series of fun and engaging, high-quality challenges.  As part of this, the goal of the website is to help students master higher level math concepts, and assist in problem solving, that are the key to success in work and everyday life.  Further, the website provides information, and skills training, that allows parents to assist their children with the problems presented.  

As part of this, the website presents middle school level students with challenging problems that are fun but skill building, in nature.  As part of this each problem/challenge includes a description of the important math involved, how it is used in the real world, a hint on how to begin the problem, and a solution.  Further, each problem includes a description of some fun facts related to the math concept that is being presented.  

A further review of the website reflects how easy to use and fun the problems/challenges can be.  The site is built around cartoon characters named Polygon, Tessellation, Exponent, Tangent, and Axis.   The characters present the problems/challenges and reflect the nature of the page.  Further, the site includes support materials under the Family Corner tab that assists families including sample questions to ask teachers and administrators about the school setting, information on how to prepare students for their next level of education, and suggestions on how to help with math homework.

Overall, this website could be very useful for students.  For my purposes, I could easily assign problems for the students to work at home.  Further, the students could be required to present their answers to the class.  Given the nature of the site, I believe that this would be fun and interactive for all students.  Additionally, the site provides students with problems/challenges that present real world situations.  As well, the site is very inclusive in nature for the whole family and provides parents with instructions on how they can become involved in their child’s math education.  In reality, every teacher is interested in more parent involvement.  

In what ways does STEM curriculum develop higher level literacy?

Recently, I was speaking with a student's mother at a parent-teacher conference.  We were discussing her son's struggles, or better yet lack of interest, in an Algebra II class.  During the conversation, the student's mother said the following, "I was never good at math, so I guess my son has the same problem."  The bad part was that she was serious and truly believed it.  Wow, that is it?  Are you kidding me?  As many are aware, this is a statement, among others, that math teachers hear all the time.  They go hand and hand with statements like Math is Boring, Science is for Nerds, and I will never use this in my life.

Overall, after discussing the student with the parent and exploring ways that he could improve his grade, I could not help but ask myself a few questions.  First, when do students and parents start thinking like this? And ultimately, since testing has proven that achievement in STEM content areas and higher level literacy are directly linked, what can be done to engage students in math and the other STEM disciplines?

Anyone that has children of their own, or has spent time with small children, understands how curious and creative they are by nature.  In addition, students at the elementary school level have large imaginations and are enthralled with how the world around them works.  For this reason alone, research has shown that the implementation of STEM curriculum should start at the elementary school level.  If this was to occur, it would not be a stretch to assume that some of the misconceptions about math and science could be easily erased. Students would understand that STEM courses are not just about math equations and lab reports. Realistically, STEM curriculum is about solving problems through exploration and discovery.  It is about independent thinking and teaching kids the skills necessary to solve real world problems.  Overall, exploration and discovery leads to engaged students and ultimately self regulated learners.

A further review of STEM curriculum reflects how engaging it would be for elementary school students. STEM problems are open ended and encourage original research, which develops higher level thinking.  As part of this, students would be fully involved in designing, implementing, and testing their solutions.  In the long run, STEM curriculum prepares students to be good decision makers, creative thinkers, and excellent problem solvers. Don't our students deserve that much?

References: 
http://resourcelibrary.compasslearning.com/ContentCenter/ViewAsset/a1e7dcb0-2515-423e-9b36-a2c7979f1b2c

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2011/10/literacy_stem_ed_see_strong_em.html

2 Additionally Math Related Web Sites that are great for students

www.AAAmath.com

AAAmath.com is a great option for students in kindergarten to 8th grade.  As part of this, the site includes lessons that are grade and math concept specific.  Overall, the lessons are "student centered" and explicitly teach the methods necessary to complete problems on the concepts. Additionally, the site can be used by both struggling students, and those expanding their skills in the lower grades.

In reality, the lessons accessible at AAAmath.com are comprehensive and interactive in nature.  The site contains thousands of pages of lessons and an unlimited amount of problems which can assist students in the mastery of the subject matter.  As is expected, the site provides immediate feedback to the student as they complete problems.

Unlike most sites which contain games and other graphics that can distract students, AAAmath.com is simply designed and content specific.  At the same time, the site does not include worksheets or quizzes which can be threatening in nature.  Instead, students can work independently at home and gain the confidence necessary to improve their math skills on a "student centered" math web site.  As a teacher, I would find it easy to use this site as a resource for struggling students.

illuminations.nctm.org/

The website http://illuminations.nctm.org/ was designed, by the NCTM, to provide standard based resources and materials.  These standard based resources help improve the teaching and learning of mathematics for students ranging from Pre K to 12^th grade.   As part of this, the website is intended for teachers and students and the lessons, activities and games are tied to the Principles and Standards of the NCTM.  The activities and lessons cover the common foundation of mathematics to be learned by all students including Number & Operations, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, and Data Analysis & Probability. 

The site contains a variety of resources including 107 activities that can be used in the classroom by teachers, or by students at home, to help bring math to life.  As part of this, the activities are grade specific and include full instructions on how to complete them.  Additionally, there is an exploration section in the activity that requires students to explore a real world example, tied to the activity, and answer questions related to their work. 

Finally, the site includes a section that includes 724 math web links that are standard specific.  As expected, the sites include resources for math concepts and topics that are aligned with the NCTM Principles and Standards.  As part of this, the resources include links to lessons and activities that can assist students and teachers in the learning process. 

Overall, the site is incredibly user friendly and easy to navigate.  As part of this, the page is neatly laid out, which makes navigating from section to section very simple.  The spacing of the lettering and graphics on the page is good and visually appealing. Finally, the page is very interactive in nature adding to the ease of use.  As a teacher, I would confident providing students with exercises from this site.  It is a great resource, easy to use, and connected to the Common Core Standards.

In what ways does STEM curriculum develop higher level literacy?

Recent test results have shown that the literacy levels of American students, in 4th grade, is among the highest in the world.  However, by 8th grade, the same levels decrease drastically and our students are below average.  Unfortunately, by 10th grade, it gets even worse and the literacy levels of American students are among the worst in the world.  Given this data, it is easy to understand why recent ACT test results have shown that approximately 50% of high school graduates are not college ready when considering literacy.

Interestingly enough, the same ACT results showed that of the high school graduates that were college ready 65% of them were also math proficient.  Additionally, 31% of the same college ready students were proficient in science.  While these numbers are not "earth shattering" they are a drastic difference from those that were not college ready.  Of those that did not test college ready, only 14% were proficient in math.  Further, only 1% of the students were proficient in science.

In reality, educators at the K-3 level have been successful in teaching students to "learn to read."  However, as the test results have recently shown, students must progress beyond the "learn to read" level.  Overall, for students to excel at the middle school and high school levels they must be able to "read to learn."  Realistically, a large part of being able to "read to learn" is based on a student's ability to gain meaning from context and work through challenging vocabulary.  This is yet another example of why STEM literacy is a better option.  The content that is part of STEM classes builds vocabulary, which is essential to increase literacy, and requires higher level thinking.  A quick review of any state's curriculum guide for math and science reflects the building nature of the content areas.

As the test results have shown, literacy needs to be treated as a journey not a destination.  Interesting enough, math and science are the only subjects that can be described as a journey academically.  Additionally, to improve literacy, students must be taught at an early age that reading to learn is essential.

In conclusion, as our world becomes more technologically advanced, literacy requirements continue to increase.  This comes at a time when math and science skills are more needed in the workplace.  In retrospect, ACT scores have shown that most students proficient in math and science are ready to meet college level literacy demands.  Given this correlation between literacy and STEM proficiency, it makes more sense to increase the emphasis on STEM literacy at the elementary school level.

References:
http://resourcelibrary.compasslearning.com/ContentCenter/ViewAsset/a1e7dcb0-2515-423e-9b36-a2c7979f1b2c

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2011/10/literacy_stem_ed_see_strong_em.html

Additional Math Related Web Sites that are great for students

www.math.com

Math.com is a great option for struggling students in subjects ranging from Basic Math to Calculus, and beyond.  As part of this, the site offers a revolutionary approach to the subject matter.  Overall, the site offers students 24/7 access to a tutor that can assist them immediately.  Additionally, the site offers assessments that are easy to use, on-demand courses that target key concepts, and expert answers to specific questions.

Like most math websites, designed for students, math.com offers games and other interactive learning tools that present the subject matter in a "friendly, fun" way.  However, one of the wonderful features of the website is the calculator option.  The feature gives students access to calculators that are helpful with any level of math.  Overall, given the fact that most students do not have access to math calculators at home, this option is beneficial to students and teachers alike.  For instance, the use of this site, will allow teachers to assign homework problems that require graphing and other higher level calculations.

In reality, this website can be used by teachers in a couple ways.  First, as mentioned above, the calculator option allows teachers to assign homework that requires a graphing calculator.  At the same time, it allows students to practice their skills at home.  At present, most students only have access to a calculator at school.

Additionally, the site is quite useful for struggling students.  Given the fact that students have access to a tutor 24/7, teachers can use the site as a resource when assigning homework.  Further, struggling students can be directed to the site to work through the on-demand courses.  Since many math problems can be solved in a variety of ways, it is always beneficial to allow students to see another way of doing things.

www.mathpower.com

Mathpower.com is an award winning website that offers a variety of services to students struggling in Basic Math and Algebra.  In reality, the site is very different from most math web pages for several reasons.  First, the site offers students with study skills and ways to overcome math anxiety during assessments.  Further, it offers students a way to find their own learning style, along with the teaching style of the instructor.  Overall, this is done in a humorous way and the ideas presented are beneficial to students and teachers.

While the site is very different from most math websites, it is important to mention that the site does offer instructional options for struggling students.  As part of this, the site is full of tutorials, assignments, and math videos that can be accessed 24/7.  In addition, the websites offers a forum for discussing questions with a professor on a variety of math topics.

Overall, this site has a specific use that would be great for students and teachers.  For teachers, this site could be used as a means to reveal the ways students learn.  For instance, early in the year, the teacher could require the students to complete an assessment on their learning style and turn it in as homework.  As part of this, the teacher could find their teaching style on the site.  Knowing this information would be beneficial since a teacher could make adjustments to their teaching style to accommodate specific students.  Hopefully, in the long run this will increase student achievement.

Further, the site could be used as a resource for any teacher when dealing with struggling students.  For students experiencing math anxiety, the teacher could present ideas from the website to alleviate this problem. At the same time, the teacher can use ideas from the site to improve study skills.  Ultimately, this site can be used to increase confidence in all students.

STEM Literacy Group Focus Areas

My inquiry group is focusing on STEM Literacy.  Group members will be working on the topics below. 

Jason Goetz - In what ways does STEM curriculum develop higher level literacy?
Michelle Gray - Girls and STEM Literacy
Ashley DiCriscio - The teachers role in STEM Literacy.