Topic:  Lesson Plan on Polygons

Grade level: 5^th Elementary 

Period:    50 min session.

The Lesson Plan:

I.       Objectives:

A.    Instructional objectives:
The number of sides of polygons.

B.     Behavioral objectives:
 At the end of the session, the students should be able to:

1.   Identify the different types of polygons by their sides.

2.   Match polygons names to their sides.

3.   Find the hidden polygons on the triangle grid paper.

C.     Performance objectives
Number (1) and (2) in the behavioral objectives

II.    Prerequisites:

I assume that the students know:

1.      The quadrilaterals concepts and it related prerequisites:

A. Points, Lines, Rays, and Line Segments.

B. The concept of measuring segments / congruent segments
C. The concept of pairs lines as parallel, intersecting, or perpendicular.
D. The concept of angles and different types of angles (acute, right, obtuse, and straight angles).

2.      The different types of triangles.

3.      Open and closed shapes and qualities of polygons.

4.      Regular and irregular polygons.

     In order to confirm the levels of the students’ knowledge on the prerequisite skills, the students are asked, on a previously session, to do the prerequisites activities online by using the classroom computers or laptops with the help of the teacher to provide them immediate feedback. The alternative option is to do them on paper sheets and to correct them in class.

III. Procedures of the learning cycle:
A. Exploration cycle: Polygons presentation (10 min)

   During the exploration cycle, the teacher uses the power point presentation from the beginning of the session to present the educational objectives, and to remind the students about the prerequisites that are related to the topic of polygons. The students will be asked to answer the prerequisite worksheets to identify the level of their previous knowledge to re-teach immediately if necessary in order to be able to jump into the new topic. By using the teacher’s laptop and LCD projector, I will start by:

1.   Presenting the educational objectives.

2.   Reminding them on the prerequisites information.

3.   Asking them about the different shapes that could have 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 sides.

B. Development cycle:  (10 min)

     The presentation will be presented as one shot during this cycle in order to open the opportunity for the students’ interference and participation during the application activities.   
I introduce formally the different types of polygons with their correspondent sides:

1.   Triangles: Equilateral, isosceles, right, and scalene.

2.   Quadrilaterals: Square, rectangle, parallelogram, rhombus, and trapezoid (isosceles, right, neither isosceles nor right).

3.   Pentagon.

4.   Hexagon.

5.   Heptagon.

6.   Octagon.

C. Application cycle:
      I ask the students to:

1.      Match the polygons names to their sides on the computer individually. (3 min)

2.      Find the hidden polygons on the triangle grid paper individually or in pairs. (7 min)

3.      Discuss with peers in group of 3 or 4 “if a circle is a polygon?” (5 min)

Each group has to present their findings to the class to open class discussion. (5 min)

IV. Materials:

     The materials needed are one overhead projector, one teacher’s laptop, and several laptops or desk-top computers for students if possible. If this is not possible, the students’ prerequisites, activity, and assessment sheets are needed. As for the assessment activity, enough quantity from geoboard is needed for all the students and a box of stretching rubber band. If there is limited number of geoboard, the students could be grouped in pairs or more for doing the assessment activity. In case the school does not provide the geoboard manipulative, pencils and doted papers are used instead.   

V.    Evaluation: (10 min)

      In the assessment activity, the students have to use the geoboard to construct polygons figures with stretching rubber bands individually or in pairs, or in groups.

Another assessment activity is the homework that the students have to solve individually either online if they have their own computers or laptops or on paper. The homework is to help the students find the relationship between the different figures of polygons.

Appendix

Activity sheet 1

Activity sheet 2

Activity sheet 3

Assessment

Homework

Activity Sheet 1: (Based on the presentation)

Match the polygon to its equivalent number of sides:

Activity Sheet 2

Find the Hidden Polygons on the triangle grid paper below:

Do you need a definition?

Activity Sheet 3:

Is a Circle a Polygon?

Assessment:

Use the geoboard to construct polygons figures with stretching rubber bands individually or in pairs, or in groups.

Geoboard manipulative

Geoboard on Paper

Homework:                                                     Cynthia Lanius

No Matter What Shape Your Fractions are In

| No Matter What Shape | Fun Fractions| Drawing Fun Fractions | Designer Fractions |
| Teachers’ Notes | Math Forum’s Fraction Tour| More Math Lessons |

Determining the Relations

|No Matter What Shape | Fun Fractions | Drawing Fun Fractions | Designer Fractions |
| Teachers’ Notes | Math Forum’s Fraction Tour | More Math Lessons |

lanius@math.rice.edu

Copyright 1997-2007 by Cynthia Lanius

References:

Prerequisites: http//www.edhelper.com/geometry.htm

Polygons Presentation: http://www.athens.edu/pt3/vinson/polygons.ppt

Activity sheet 1: http://math.rice.edu/~lanius/Geom/pol.html

Activity sheet 2: Math Forum – Ask Dr. Math

Assessment: http://homepage.mac.com/efithian/Geometry/Activity-03.html

Homework: http://math.rice.edu/~lanius/Patterns/

Evaluating Educational Site using guidelines:

The evaluated site: allmath.com

The scale of evaluation: “1” is not good; “2” is slightly good; “3” is good; “4” is very good; and “5” is excellent.

     The allmath.com is an educational site for math targeted for kids from pre-kindergarten till 5^th elementary grade. It is evaluated according to the following characteristics:

       I.            The Documentation and Credibility:

     The site received an excellent evaluating grade in presenting the information needed such as the contact information to “AllSites.com” which is clearly stated at the bottom of each page. AllSites.com presents the author’s name “Ann Arbor”; the region “Michigan”; the site dual mission, and the various provided websites. In addition, the site author was excellent in providing credentials such as the author is identifiable and reliable in Michigan; the purpose of the information is stated at the top of each page; the information sources are indicated at the bottom of each page; and the date of the latest site revision is also provided at the bottom of each page which is in 2005. The site URL extension “.com” tell us that the site is commercial and it is provided by the company for profit. Furthermore, the site is excellent in presenting new information which is highlighted in purple color. Also there is a message informing that more grades are coming soon with the same breadth and depth of content as the other presented grades. Whereas, the site received a slightly good evaluation grade because it offers partial use for 20 free math problems, and charges fees for continued or in-depth use, and it requires to create an account.

    II.            The Content:

     The site receives an excellent evaluation grade in presenting the content material because the site title “allmath.com” represents that math content is presented in all its subtypes; and the purpose of site is clearly stated when the user clicks “AllSites.com” at the bottom of each page. Also, the site content can be used for various learning styles and intelligences such as math skills and practices, words dictionary, visual learning, practice learning, and educational games. In addition, the site has links to other relevant sites which is stated in the home page as “Other Math Links” and others are presented in a table form. Moreover, the information is current and accurate since math information is revised in 2009; and the content is free of stereotypes or bias.

 III.            The Audience Appeal and Suitability:

     The site receives an excellent evaluation grade in the audience appeal and suitability section because the general appearance of site is appealing to target audience with yellow background, light and dark green, and purple font, blue and red table borders. Also the language is easy and developmentally appropriate for target audience. In addition, the content, text and graphics are colored, appealing, and appropriate for target audience.

  IV.            Ease of Use, Navigation, and Accessibility:

     The site receives an excellent evaluation grade under the ease of use, navigation, and accessibility section because the user can navigate through the site without any difficulty; help features such as Math Help is available and easy to access on the home page, and “Tell a friend | User guide | Help section” is provided at the top of each math practice page; and site map is also provided on each page. In addition, the information is very well organized and the math information is presented in ascending level order; the links to other sites are relevant especially on the home page; and all the links work. Moreover, few large graphics increase download speed; directions are given for downloading in a clear form and no need for plug-ins. Furthermore, the site functions in a variety of browsers such as “Internet Explorer” under the search engine google.com, and robtex.com and “Netscape Navigator” under the search engine Firefox. Also the site is accessible to all users even the individuals with disabilities. On all the above information the site receives an excellent evaluation grade despite that it receives a very good evaluation grade on the links back to homepage because they are included on each succeeding page despite the math practice pages.

     V.            User Interface and Design:

       The site received an excellent evaluation grade on the use interference and design section because the navigation options are clearly marked and self-explanatory; and spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct. In addition the site text is presented in the Calibri and Verdana fonts which are clear, suitable, and easy to read for the kids. In addition, the media elements such as graphics, audio, video, animation, databases, JavaScript are of high quality and they are used to enhance content, as appropriate. Moreover, the design elements are consistent on all pages; and the advertising by Google is always presented at the right section of each page but it does not interfere with the content; yet it is not existed in the math practice section to minimize students’ distraction which provide the site an excellent evaluating grade on all of the above section. But the site receives a slightly good evaluation grade on the design as a stimulating environment because none were integrated inside the site despite it was presented on the advertisement of the web site on the internet which create the impression that the site is fully integrated with stimulation which is not.

Reflection on Learning with Blogs and Wikis

Based on the article “Learning with Blogs and Wikis” (Ferriter, 2009):

1.      The purpose of wikis in educational settings:       
     Using wikis in educational settings has dual purposes: a) to provide the educators with free digital tools in order to continue their professional development, and to help them improve their teaching practices; and b) to improve the collaboration, interaction, and communication between students in order to encourage the network learning at free cost, and helps the students master skills which help them succeed in future workplaces.

2.      The advantages of using wikis to promote collaboration in the classroom are the following:

a)      Wikis facilitate the entering of new knowledge about teaching and learning through which the user of wikis can easily publish his/her work on the Web at free cost. The groups of members (students, teachers, or others) who are sharing his/her wiki password can edit the content at any time which provides more learning interaction and collaboration.

b)      Wiki opens the opportunity for the users to master higher critical thinking such as the users can learn to create, communicate, collaborate, manage, edit, and evaluate online information.

c)      The educators use wikis as discussion boards to conduct ongoing conversations about developing classroom projects such as: project websites, group projects, and classroom discussions and debates. Others use wikis to create warehouse of materials among teachers working in the same field or as source of information for educators’ teams who are creating classroom textbooks. These conversations increase the educators’ motivation and engagement.

d)      Wikis facilitate the professional development of educators by providing continual learning with minimal time and efforts. The educators could browse and be exposed to the thoughts of other practitioners and exchange ideas on the effective characteristics of professional development such as teachers’ empowerment, schools’ accountability, schools’ improvement, and curriculum development.

e)      Wikis minimize the teachers’ role and increase the students’ participation and interaction.

3.       Issues that need to be considered when using wikis with students:

a)      Let the students master some basic word processing skills in order to use them in wikis.

b)      Select a main topic of interest in your content area and divide it into subtopics.

c)      Divide the target students into groups and assign each subtopic into a group to generate ideas.

d)       Provide time for the groups to open their accounts on wikis and share their wikis password.

e)       Let the students work with peers to create a collaborative writing wiki.

f)       Let the members of each group edit on each other work to polish the final text.

g)      Encourage the students to explore the work of each group to stretch their thinking and challenge the thoughts of each other.

h)      Let the students dedicate few minutes each day to browse the changing content in their wikis and to add few entries.

Reflection of Chapter 1

     This chapter helped me to develop mental pictures or cognitive frameworks of the field of educational technology. It seems that educational technology as a key term is not defined the same way by everyone. This created many perspectives in defining it such as media, instructional systems, vocational training, and computer systems; whereas the textbook defines it as the combination of the processes and tools such as computers and electronic technologies that are involved in the educational needs and problems.

     In my opinion, educational technology is the combination of all of these perspectives because it reflects the development of educational technology which was shaped by the development in computer technology. According to the textbook, the history of the computer development is divided into three eras: the pre-microcomputer era, the microcomputer era, and the internet era. Whereas, in my opinion, there is a fourth era which is the laptop and wireless connections era; and the disadvantages of each era helped in the creation of the following era. In the first era, the computers were huge, and the systems were expensive to buy and complex to operate. So the educators rejected the idea that computers would create a revolution in instruction. In the second era, despite that the stand-alone desktop microcomputers were small in size but there were difficulties to get the equipments through doors and up stairs which increased the security problems. Therefore, most of these equipments were located in labs which created additional problems in supervising and maintaining resources, and in scheduling for users because the labs were available to only one class at a time. In addition, the programs were cheaper and less complicated but they were still considered time consuming for teachers to operate. Despite that many programs were created such as the Logo programs in order to replace the traditional instruction but they were useful in some contexts only; and the interest in computers faded.

In the third era, the creation of World Wide Web (WWW) had changed the picture and developed interest in educational technology. The easy access to online resources and communications facilitated the offering of distance learning in higher education, and supported more the people with disabilities. But there were needs for high speed communications, and for portable computers especially the wireless computers which helped in the development of the fourth era of laptops and wireless connections.

      The development of these technologies had a great influence on the use of technology and helped in the merging of other technologies such as the cellular phone, the availability of high-speed communication (DSLs), the visual immersion systems (virtual 3-D models on computer screen), and the intelligent applications (intelligent programs).

     These new technologies have opened the opportunity to turn the traditional educational settings into flexible computer labs in which the majority of universities’ students are equipped with their own laptops; and they are required gradually to present their technological skills. On the other hand, the teachers are more capable to assess and monitor students’ progress on continuous basis. In addition, they are not tight to paper and pencil assessment. Therefore, they are asking the students for electronic portfolios in which the students demonstrate educational and technological skills that they have learned. 

     Despite all of these advantages of recent technologies but its major disadvantages are the legal and ethical issues that the educators face such as viruses, hacking, plagiarism, and illegal downloads of software which forced schools and universities to install firewalls and virus protection software, Turnitin software to catch plagiarizers, copyright laws and policies to make fair use of published materials.  

Reflection of Chapter Two

     This chapter helped me develop a clear mental picture of the differences between the sets of learning theories Objectivism and Constructivism which follow different underlying epistemologies in the way of defining learning, and their beliefs on the acquisition and development of human knowledge. It also helped me realize my own beliefs about learning.

     The Objectivists are those people who followed the Direct Methods of learning based on the Behaviorist, Information processing, Cognitive-Behavioral, and the systems theories. Whereas, the Constructivists are those people who followed the Social Activism, Scaffolding, Child Development, Discovery Learning, and Multiple Intelligence theories.

     In my opinion, learning is a combination of three theories: the Scaffolding theory of the Constructivist, the Cognitive-Behavioral theory, and the information-processing theory of the Objectivists that could be achieved through the use and the integration of technology. Therefore, learning is a cognitive development that is shaped by the human differences in knowledge (Zone of proximal development), the influence of the culture, and the instructional conditions that are provided in order to help learning to move from the sensory registers, to the short-term memory (STM), and to the long-term memory (LTM). In the process of learning, the adults are the experts’ people who help the children that are considered the novices to construct their knowledge by building on what they already know in order to perceive the world differently. But the adults as teachers need to provide the proper instructional conditions to help the development of the children’s learning. These conditions are the nine Events of Instruction of Gagné that the teachers could use in slightly different way to foster learning the different types of the required skills; whether these skills are intellectual skills, verbal skills, physical skills, or attitudes.             

     These nine Events of Instruction include: 1) Gaining the students’ attention by asking important questions, or by using pictures, film, or virtual tours through the use of Internet and multimedia resources. 2) Informing the students of the instructional objectives. 3) Helping the students to recall the prerequisites also through the use of drill-and-practice software which could provide repetitive applications, and can give fast and accurate information on the students’ weaknesses and deficit skills without being time consuming. 4) Presenting the new material through the use of video-based scenarios in order to support students’ problem solving.              5) Providing the students with the learning guidance (scaffolding). 6) Extracting performance through cooperative learning in order to help the students collaborate with and learn from each other either by doing internet research as multimedia products or web pages, or by competing in instructional games. 7) Sending the hands-on production work electronically to the teacher in order to provide the students with immediate feedback. 8) Assessing students’ performance by using a combination of traditional assessment such as subjective and objective tests, and non-traditional assessment such as the electronic portfolios which include a collection of the students’ assignments and projects, and present the acquired technological skills. 9) Enhancing retention and recall by locating the students’ weaknesses based on the students’ portfolio.

     In the first and second instructional events, the students are in the sensory registers stage; whereas, in the third through the fifth events, the students are handling the information in the STM. From the sixth through the last events, the students’ learning moves to the LTM.

     In using the cooperative learning, the teacher has to be very careful in grouping the students heterogeneously based on their skills levels. In order to do this, the teacher collects such evidences from the survey questionnaires that could be used before the instruction.

     In addition, the merging of the new technologies such as the wireless connectivity, the high speed communication, the laptops with cameras and microphones, and the World Wide Web facilitated the planning of the implementation of technology in the educational settings.