Lindsay's+Technology+Rich+Lesson+Plan

__*Please note:__ **When the word lesson is used, I am referring to this technology-rich lesson. When the word** //"lesson"// **is used, I am referring to the work the students have created using the ipads and the Educreations application.**

__Subject**:**__ **Math, Number Sense and Numeration**

__Grade:__ **2/3 French Immersion (20 students)**

__Skill:__ **Subtraction calculations with regrouping**

__Lesson Timing:__ **2 x 50-minute lesson periods**

__Technology Used:__ **ipads (one per 2-3 students) and an application called Educreations (designed mainly for the creation of teacher-directed lessons, but can easily be adapted to be used by students due to its simple user-interface). The accomodations offered with the use of this technology was mainly the oral component. Although students were expected to write their lesson out before using the application, I did not require every member of every group to do so. Some students who struggle with written output were given reduced writing output expectations and demonstrated their input through the recording of their voice and use of manipulatives. The enrichment offered was the opportunity for groups who completed quickly and with accuracy (groups were intentionally created to be ability groups, not mixed groups) to be given another more challenging problem which kept them engaged while other groups completed their inital problems.**

__Ensuring Engagement:__ **Student engagement is generally very high in my class during Math class, and especially when students use manipulatives in a variety of ways. Students were given base ten blocks to use to demonstrate their calculations. In addition, the use of the i-pads also ensured that students maintained focus in order to create their lessons before recording them on the Educreations app.**

__Lesson Objective/Purpose:__ **Students will be able to explain the procedural steps that they follow when solving a given 2-digit or 3-digit subtraction calculation, with regrouping. They will demonstrate this understanding by creating a step-by-step** //"lesson"// **using Educreations.**

__New Instructional Input:__ **The students have already practised a number of different methods of solving subtraction problems. Some count up or backwards on a hundreds chart, or use single-unit blocks and then remove the required number of single-unit blocks. All the students have also been taught the standard algorithm and many have become quite proficient at "following the algorithm procedure" but have difficulty understanding what each step of the algorithm actually means. In order to complete the lesson and be successful, students will need one of two things: 1. A step-by-step modelling of the subtraction algorithm while using base ten blocks to demonstrate the "borrowing" concept, or 2. Independence to attempt the step-by-step explanation and then feedback on ways to improve their explanations.**

__Modelling to be used:__ **For those students who require a direct modelling, I will demonstrate the step-by-step algorithm using base-ten blocks and write the steps that I took for each one, using the First Person (eg....Step 1: "I showed the number 325 by taking 3 hundreds, 2 tens and 5 ones." Step 2: "I am going to subtract 167. First I try to subtract the 7 ones from the 5 ones but that is not possible so I traded in one of the 2 tens and replaced it with 10 ones. I am left with 1 ten but now I have 15 ones. Now I can subtract 7 ones from 15 ones.")**

__Check For Understanding:__ **I will have a number of opportunities to check that students understand the task and are able to work effectively at solving it. Firstly, I require the students to write down the script of what they will say before recording themselves using the Educreations App. Secondly, I will review the Educreations** //"lesson"// **that they create when it has been completed, and I will give each group feedback for improvement or that they have succeeded. Thirdly, I will give the students opportunities to give each other feedback after we watch and listen to the** //"lessons"// **that were created.**

__Practice:__ **Prior to this technology-enhanced lesson, students had the opportunity to practice their subtraction algorithms during approximately 3-5 math lessons and some take-home work. During this technology-enhanced lesson, students have 2 lessons to practice their explanations in order to create their** //"lesson"//**.**

__Consolidation:__ **Students will demonstrate their mastery of the subject through the Educreations** //"lesson"// **that they submit to me. However, knowing that certain students do not often master a particular skill when working in groups of 2-3, I will follow up individually with about 6-8 students out of the 20 students in my class. This will have to happen during a follow-up math class in which students who I know have mastered the subject will be working on enrichment tasks that they can do independently so that I have the opportunity to conference with the students who need follow-up.**

__Challenges:__ **The greatest challenge I have encountered when students have worked in groups of 2 -3 during math class are the interpersonal communication and group work skills. These challenges will not disappear when the technology is introduced, but in fact will likely be exacerbated by the students' desire to be the user of the i-pad. In order to try to mitigate this challenge, I will spend some time modelling good communication and group work skills, as well as lay down some ground rules about proper handling and no-tolerance policies (eg. If I see a student grabbing a device, they will be removed for a time; If a student or group is using applications that are not for the purpose of the lesson, they will be removed for a time, etc....)**

__Post-Lesson Reflections:__ __Strengths/What went well:__ __Challenges/Areas for Improvement:__
 * 1. Students were engaged. They used the application correctly, were able to problem solve when the program didn't perform as expected, and were rarely off task (only one group was given multiple reminders to stay on task).**
 * 2. Students worked well in their groups and shared the tool effectively. With a few exceptions, the students were able to take turns taking the pictures, drawing or writing on the tool, and recording their voices.**
 * 3. The anticipation of receiving the tool kept the students focused on the planning phase, which had to be completed effectively before they were given the ipad.**
 * 1. I underestimated the number of lessons that would be required to ensure all groups had completed the task with some degree of success. Instead of 2x50 minute periods, it took 3 full periods and two extra 25-minute recesses. That is the equivalent of 4x50 minute lesson periods.**
 * 2. The language expectations were a little too high. The students had difficulty writing their steps in the first person in order to use as a script for their lessons.**
 * 3. Although the explanations were quite detailed, the students forgot to connect each step that they took using the base ten blocks with a step in the algorithm calculation.**

__Student Work Samples:__
 * Here are 4 examples of lessons that were created.**


 * This group of students used their own method, different from the algorithm that I had modeled.**
 * lesson 1 example**
 * This group of students also created an effective lesson. Although they were accurate in their description of the steps they took, they did not show each step in the calculation as they went along. They only showed the calculation that they were going to do at the beginning and then wrote the answer at the very end.**
 * lesson 2 example**


 * This group of students were struggling to be able to transfer their process into words and onto the i-pad so I coached them through it. The content was all theirs, but I simply had to give them some direction on their word choice and order.**
 * lesson 3 example**


 * This group of students had been off task for much of the final lesson period, so I kept them in at recess to complete their task. As a result, I was there to do some one-to-one coaching and the lesson was of a high quality.**
 * lesson 4 example**

__What I will do differently next time:__** 1. Plan for twice as much time as I expect. 2. Model more explicitly (use the i-pad instead of blackboard as a model, including how to connect the images of the base ten blocks with the individual steps shown in a calculation). 3. Give certain students simpler subtraction problems. Putting students in ability groups was an effective choice, as it allowed me to tailor the level of difficulty. However, I erred on the side of too difficult. Next time, I will err on the side of slightly too easy. 4. Have students use the Educreations app for a very simple task first and then introduce the real lesson goal once they are more familiar with the application.