Below is a student profile on Collin. As you read the profile, note Collin’s strengths as well as any barriers to engagement and achievement. Examples of the three core areas of cognition (input/representation, integration/engagement and output/expression) are color-coded throughout the scenario, strengths and barriers and instructional design.
Collin is very athletic and loves playing sports. He gets along well with his classmates and teammates and likes to be in a leadership role. He has a great sense of humor and is usually the center of attention in a group. He tries hard in school and strives to make his parents and teachers proud of him but continues to have difficulty in his math class due to computational weakness. He displays difficulty with number sense and operations involving multi-digit numbers when solving problems abstractly.
Collin tends to disrupt the class by talking to students around him when the teacher is instructing. He also gets up when he is supposed to be working and walks around the room. His difficulty staying on task and distractedness exacerbates his achievement. He is confident but is often overwhelmed with tasks that his teacher provides and gets into trouble for “playing around”. When solving problems, he struggles with the U.S. standard algorithm and applies the steps to perform the algorithm inconsistently. He also loses his place when working out problems.
Collin picks up technology quickly and enjoys building with his hands. With modeling and support, he has been successful in the past with manipulatives. Recognizing Collin's quick grasp of technology and his enjoyment of building, his teacher integrates more tech-based tools and hands-on projects into the math curriculum. By using apps that simulate building projects requiring precise measurements and calculations, Collin can apply his mathematical skills in a context that makes sense to him and aligns with his interests.
Strengths
Athletic and loves playing sports
Gets along well with classmates and teammates
Likes to be in a leadership roll
Great sense of humor
Tries hard and strives to make parents and teachers proud of him
Confident
With modeling and support, is exploring the use of area models and manipulatives to develop procedural reliability and procedural fluency
Picks up technology quickly
Enjoys building with his hands
With modeling and support he has been successful with manipulatives
Barriers
Difficulty in his math class due to computational weakness
Displays difficulty with number sense and operations involving multi-digit numbers when solving problems abstractly
Disrupts the class by talking
Gets up when he is supposed to be working and walks around the room
Difficulty staying on task
Distracted
Overwhelmed with tasks
Plays around
When solving problems, he struggles with the U.S. standard algorithm.
Applies steps to perform the algorithm inconsistently
Loses his place when working out problems
Identification: Design to the Edges
Best practices for designing universal math instruction, including the integration of technology in the classroom.
Objective: Identify technology and learning supports that will increase engagement, participation and instruction
Accessing (e.g., method to gain access to the content being presented)
Use a variety of methods (e.g., color coded instructions, sticky notes, sports examples, models)
Interacting (e.g., tools used to gain knowledge and understanding of the content)
Increase conceptual knowledge (e.g., use of concrete/virtual manipulatives, Wiki sticks, index cards, building models, etc.)
Demonstrating (e.g., how you will provide evidence of your knowledge and understanding of the content)
Offer various ways for demonstration of knowledge to reduce unnecessary mistakes (e.g., cooperative demonstrations, interview, practice, graphic organizer, presentation guides, graph paper, cues)