Reflection:
The original lesson provided by my colleague focuses on teaching students how to find the volume of a rectangular prism.
The lesson has several strengths. For example, it has a specific, measurable learning target and uses different learning activities (ie. manipulatives, group work, individual reflection) to cater to different learning styles and keep students engaged. It includes differentiation strategies, such as providing additional examples, using graphic organizers, and grouping students based on their needs. The lesson incorporates multiple checks for understanding as well as addresses common misconceptions that students may have.
However, after reviewing this lesson plan and discussing it with my colleague, I found that it had a few weaknesses as well. The most notable was the limited use of technology. The lesson relies solely on traditional classroom materials and does not take advantage of the potential benefits that technology can bring to the learning process. Integrating instructional technology could be beneficial for visualization and engagement, especially when dealing with three-dimensional objects. An additional weakness of this lesson plan can be found in the closing assessment questions. The final assessment should better align with the learning target in order to accurately measure student mastery. (Assessment: What is volume? What are the formulas used to determine the volume of a rectangular prism? vs. Learning Objective: I can find the volume of a rectangular prism.)
In addition to incorporating instructional technology, my recommendation was to use the 5E instructional design model to streamline the lesson and ensure a logical progression of learning activities and assessment in order to support all learners in achieving the learning target.
After considering the needs of her students, I recommended using Tinkercad as an instructional technology tool. The app offers a hands-on, interactive experience for students to explore and visualize rectangular prisms. Tinkercad allows students to engage with 3D models, manipulate dimensions, and calculate volume measurements. It is my belief that this program will cater to diverse learning styles and encourage active participation in the learning process.
I submitted my revised lesson plan to my colleague, feeling overly confident and prepared to begin writing my reflection. However, my colleague promptly came back to me with concerns. She stated that she did not want to rely entirely on instructional technology because she did not have enough time in her pacing calendar to teach all students how to use it effectively. Additionally, she felt that an over reliance on Tinkercad for volume calculations would hinder students’ ability to master the concept independently. Finally, as our school is moving to mastery based learning through the use of MasteryConnect, we decided that the exit ticket questions should be multiple choice while giving students an option for how students will show their work. This will allow her to easily input student responses and use the formative data to determine how students are performing towards mastery of the math standard as well as create groupings for future lessons and reteaching, as needed.
The final edit of my revised lesson plan streamlines the learning activities through the use of the 5E instructional design model. Additionally, the lesson effectively addresses all components of the Triple E framework. The real-world topics, hands-on activities, and collaboration effectively engage students’ interest and curiosity, making the concept of volume relevant and tangible for students. The extension of using Tinkercad allows advanced learners to delve deeper into the concept and apply it in complex scenarios. The lesson effectively enhances students’ learning experiences by offering a mix of hands-on exploration and technology integration. The collaborative projects in the Elaborate stage also offer extension possibilities, as they require students to apply the volume formula in diverse real-life scenarios, encouraging deeper understanding and critical thinking.
