Content

This artifact is a lesson plan that I used that incorporated technology into the classroom. Students were learning about congruent shapes, sides and angles. With the help of DESMOS, they were able to visualize and understand congruence on a deeper level. When learning about geometry and congruence, it can be hard to grasp the concept if there is no visual or hands-on aspect. By using DESMOS, the lesson on congruence became more accessible for learners, and allowed them to master the content. Students were able to mess around with shapes and change the shapes' rotation, as well as the length of each side. By doing this, they are able to see what makes shapes and sides congruent, and are able to tell if they are not congruent. When you give students pictures on paper of different shapes, it can often be hard to grasp the meaning of congruence. It is even more difficult to understand what sides and shapes are congruent, if the shapes are rotated in different ways. When working on paper you can try and redraw the shape so that it is easier to understand, or just keep it how it is. However, if you are able to physically move the shape and change the side lengths, then you are able to see how making these tweaks can change the shape. This allows students to better understand a difficult topic by using technology.

This reflects growth, because I was able to find a more hands-on approach using technology to help students master a topic. Previously, I was aware of many different literacy tools and strategies that I could use in math, as well as other subjects. However, these different tools were not hands-on. They still created different learning experiences to help different learners, but I did not account for kinesthetic learners. In the future, I want to make sure to take into consideration all my learners. It is great that I have different tools and strategies to help many different learners. However, I will keep exploring different options to ensure that all my students are learning in a way that is most accessible to them, such as using DESMOS.

This artifact demonstrates standard 5 because it got my students interacting and engaged with the assignment, as it related to their real life experience. They were given a task to find how much tablecloth and tape is needed, in order to cover the lunch tables outside that they sit at every day. We also left the task open to interpretation on how they want to solve it. The only thing we asked was that they show their work. That way, they are able to show their thinking in the way that works best for them. Such as drawing a model of the table and labeling the measurements, or using equations and plugging in numbers that correspond with the table.

This artifact demonstrates growth, because not only is it applicable to the students' lives, but it is also hands-on. I have thought about many different activities that I could do to engage all learners, by making sure the lesson involves something that the students are interested in or can relate to. Such as perhaps using statistics to look at different sports games and the students enjoy watching. However, that was about as far as I went. I had not done a hands-on activity before. Not only can they relate to figuring out what tablecloth is needed for their lunch table, they have to go to the tables and measure them in order to work on this task. In the future, I will continue to not only have assignments that are relevant to the learners, but can also keep them engaged and really involve my students. I will also continue to allow them to show their work in the way that best makes sense to them. Whether it is drawing a picture, using modeling, or using a formula sheet.