REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LAB ~ APPALACHIA

1. REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LAB ~ APPALACHIA The Effects of Kentucky Virtual High School’s Hybrid Course in Algebra I on Teaching Practices, Classroom Quality, and Adolescent Learning On-Line Collaboration March 2008 Series Challenges to Teaching Hybrid Algebra I

2. GOALS FOR ON-LINE COLLABORATION • On-line Collaboration using Horizon Wimba: • Share teaching strategies/resources, • Discuss planning instruction, • Analyze student work, • Share formative and summative assessment instruments/strategies that move learning forward, • Provide instructional structures where “feedback is focused on how students can improve related to learning goals,” • Others as defined by teachers and as need to address issues in the field – including new learning that promotes student achievement.

3. NUTS & BOLTS • Technology Issues • Update regarding changes to the Lessons • See Spot Light on Algebra – Course Documents, Teacher’s Instructor Guide • Control Panel Hints • February Results

4. SHARING STRATEGIES, PROCESSES, & STRUCTURES • Mathematical Literacy Strategies - Vocabulary Development - Writing to Learn - Reading to Learn - Academic Dialogue - Technology - Manipulatives - Modeling

5. SHARING STRATEGIES, PROCESSES, & STRUCTURES (continued) • Formative or Summative Assessments Created and Used • Instructional Issues or Barriers You Are Facing or Encountering • Shared Experiences and/or Suggestions from Colleagues (Community of Learners) • Processes, Structures, and/or Lessons that Promote Student Achievement • Others

6. REQUESTED TOPICS • Storing key concepts in long-term memory. • Keeping students focused during the KVHS Lesson. • Gauging student learning progress and determining next steps what is the best time for the formal assessment. • Interacting with students during the KVHS Lesson in order to draw attention to key concepts. • Recognizing key components to graphing linear equations – especially slope-intercept of a line.

7. STORING KEY CONCEPTS IN LONG-TERM MEMORY • Making connections (Use of NAGS, Three way tie….) • Note-tracking and having them look back at notes and how learning is tracked. • Working in groups for constructing knowledge and practicing skills. • Attending to brain research strategies.

8. From: What is "Brain-Based Learning"?by Lisa Chipongian “Hart pushes this analogy even further in order to drive home his primary point: if classrooms are to be places of learning, then "the organ of learning," the brain, must be understood and accommodated.” Leslie Hart is the author of Human Brain and Human Learning (1983)

9. From: Brain Research and Effective Teaching by David Ruenzel “… that the single most effective strategy is to have students compare, contrast, classify, and make analogies and metaphors.” “This was followed by eight other effective teaching strategies, including: • having kids summarize and take notes on what they're learning, • reinforcing effort and giving appropriate praise, • assigning homework that encourages practice, and • having students use non-linguistic representations- e.g., using a symbol or diagram to represent something they're learning.”

10. Summarizing and Note-taking • Requires that students distill information into a concise, synthesized form and focus on important points. • Research emphasizes the importance of breaking down the process of summarizing into a structure that can be easily understood by students. • Students should be encouraged to revisit and revise their notes after initial recording them. • They should use different formats and make notes as complete as possible. • Verbatim note taking is the least effective note-taking technique

11. Classroom Instruction That Works

12. From: Will the Real Brain-Based Learning Please Stand Up? by Jerry Gabriel “You can look at what kinds of experiences change the anatomy of the brain in studies,” he says. “If the animal is in control of the experience, then there is a much more powerful effect on brain structure than if the animal has no control and the experience just sort of happened to the animal. So there are connections like that you can draw by funneling things through the behavioral science.”

13. RECOGNIZING KEY COMPONENTS TO GRAPHING LINEAR EQUATIONS – ESP SLOPE-INTERCEPT OF A LINE • Three way tie method each time you are discussing or modeling linear functions • Use of Number/Table, Algebraic Symbols/Equation, Graphic Model, Sentence or Oral Description of what story the Models are telling

14. REMINDERS • Office Hours: Monday from 9-10 AM & Tuesdays 1 -2. • March On-Line Series ( 13TH Thr, 17TH Mon.,18TH Tue,19THWed ) • April On-Line Series ( 1ST Tues, 2ND Wed, & 3RD Thurs) – three sessions • Help Line: • - Bb: 866-590-9240 • - KDE, Paula White: 502-564-4772(#4512) • paula.white@education.ky.gov • - KDE, Kari Welch: 502-564-4772 (#4546), kari.welch@education.ky.gov • - KDE, Grace Yeh: 502-564-4772 (#4537) • grace.yeh@education.ky.gov • - Identify yourself as HYBRID ALGEBRA I TEACHER • NCTM Conference: - April 9-12, 2008 ,Salt Lake, Utah - www.nctm.org • KCTM Technology Conference: April 19