Final+Project+-+Atra

Using Instructional Strategies and Technology to Connect Students through Problem Solving Background Information: Hi! I’m Kristy and I work with 4th and 5th grade AT Math students at three different elementary buildings in D303. AT (Academically Talented) Math students qualify for the program based on their higher level potential in math and work a year or more ahead of their grade-level peers in a separate classroom five days per week. Class sizes typically range from as few as 4 or 5 students up to 20 or more students at each school. Differentiation is an essential component of AT Math, given that each class has a combination of fourth and fifth grade students, some of whom are new to the AT Math program, while others are returning as second-year fifth graders. ==

== While reviewing the manifesto, I began thinking about the ways 21st Century learners are “always connected.” I wondered what it means to be “connected”? In my classroom students often connect to the internet, they collaborate and connect with classmates, and they make connections with their learning about math. And once a year, AT Math students have an opportunity to meet, or connect with, other AT Math students across the district at our annual Math Fair. But what does it really mean to connect?



con·nect
verb \kə-ˈnekt\ definition of CONNECT intransitive verb 1
 * to become joined 

2 a : to meet for the transference of passengers b : to transfer (as from one airplane to another) as a step in traveling to a final destination  3
 * to make a successful hit, shot, or throw 

4
 * to have or establish a rapport 

5
 * to establish a communications [|connection] 



As I had more conversations with colleagues and classmates from our 21st Century Learning course, I began to think about ways we could extend our connections beyond the physical classroom environment. As one teacher at three different schools, I often share stories, ideas, progress updates, or pictures of the happenings at my other buildings. And students love hearing about their peers who are working on the same types of projects and activities.



But how could AT teachers provide authentic opportunities for our students to connect with other AT students? And, most importantly, how could these connections impact learning? While talking my AT Math colleague, Terri Novotny, we began thinking about our curriculum, instructional strategies, resources and technology. While all of these are an integral part of “staying connected,” I chose to focus on an instructional strategy that I could implement to help foster more connections among students in AT Math. My goal is to keep students motivated and engaged, while providing opportunities for differentiation. I quickly realized that most other elements of the manifesto were also imbedded in this goal. While striving to create a learning environment that is more connected, we are also creating one that is socially responsible, flexible, rigorous, empowering, and innovative. Since problem-solving is a year-round focus and integrated into every unit in AT Math, we chose to focus on the instructional strategies and technology that will allow us to simplify our learning targets while connecting students in this area of AT Math.



At the beginning of each unit, students will be asked to complete 5 problem solving prompts that will challenge them to incorporate the 8 Mathematical Practices as well as unit-specific math skills. Terri and I created a graphic organizer that will help students plan, solve and write their responses for each problem. Check out our links to problem solving strategies and a graphic organizer we created: As students work through these multi-step problems, they may collaborate with other students who are working on the same problems through our edmodo group, which is called “Number Ninjas.” This tool will allow our students from six different buildings to ask questions or provide feedback for the problem solving prompts, and peers can respond. While some class time will need to be provided initially to introduce students to the site, I am optimistic that this tool will promote a rigorous environment that empowers students to take more responsibility for their own learning. Check out our sample site: