General Characteristics: The group that I chose to use for this blended learning unit is made up of four students. There are two African American males, one Caucasian male and one Caucasian female. All four students have documented disabilities and are being served on Individual Education Plans for math support for 30 minutes per day. The students all come from low-income homes with only one student having both parents in the home. Three of the students are first time second graders (7 years old) and one is a repeater (8 years old). All four students are well-behaved, although two of them have a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder for which they take medication. All four are hard workers and approach most lessons with enthusiasm, particularly when hands-on or technology based.
Entry Competencies: The students are able to:
Turn on/off tablets and navigate between apps
Navigate the internet using bookmarks or Symbaloo
Use ActiVotes to respond to multiple choice questions
Learning Styles: All four students were given a learning styles inventory. Data indicates that all four learners favor auditory and kinesthetic learning. Their reading deficits make learning visually more problematic for them in regards to text dependent learning. They enjoy watching videos with audio rather than reading books when new information is being presented. When given the choice between books, videos and educational apps, they all prefer apps due to their ability to not only have visual and auditory stimulation but for the ability to manipulate also.
State Standards and Objectives | Instructor/Trainer: Sharon Thornell
Standards Curriculum: South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Standards for Mathematics (2.MDA.6). Use analog and digital clocks to tell and record time to the nearest five-minute interval using a.m. and p.m. Technology: 2016 International Society for Technology in Education Standards for Students (Empowered Learner: 1c). Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
Lesson Objectives 1. Tell time to the nearest five minute interval 2. Record time in the proper format 3. Determine if an activity is taking place in am or pm 4. Students will use a variety of pre-selected websites or educational apps to practice and improve their ability to tell time to the nearest five minute interval. 5. Students will choose a method from a variety of formats (paper/pencil, manipulative, technology-based) to demonstrate the ability to determine the correct time to the nearest five minute interval using a.m. and p.m.
State Strategies and Resources | Instructor(s) / Trainer(s): Sharon Thornell
Select Strategies
I have decided to use station rotations within the rotation model. I will use a combination of whole group instruction, small group direct instruction, independent learning using technology, and modeled and independent hands-on activities. I will use whole group instruction to introduce telling time. During small group, direct instruction, I will model telling time to the nearest five minutes and to determining if a given time is am or pm using the educational apps. I will use individual learning with technology for students to receive additional instruction and practice telling time. I will use independent hands-on activities for students to use student clocks in conjunction with prepared self-checking folder games to practice telling time as well as technology for practice and review.
Select Resources
Technology and Media. This lesson will be introduced using a flipchart created using Promethean ActivInspire. It will also incorporate a video from BrainPOP Jr. with the quizzes for additional discussion. Small group instruction and independent practice will utilize educational apps on classroom iPads and Android tablets (Jungle Time, Freefall Time, Interactive Telling Time, and Kids Telling Time) to practice and improve their ability to tell time to the nearest five minute interval.
In order to determine the appropriateness of my technology and media selections, I used the following guidelines:
Alignment with standards, outcomes, and objectives. The flipchart, video and educational applications are aligned with the standards and objectives set out.
Accurate and current information. Information is accurate.
Age-appropriate language. The flipchart, video, and educational applications use language that is age-appropriate.
Interest level and engagement. The educational applications are highly engaging for students of elementary age with rewards and badge for feedback.
Technical quality. The flipchart, video and educational applications are of high quality.
Ease of use. The flipchart activities are self-explanatory, and the applications require minimal training for students.
Bias free. All media types used are bias free.
User guide and directions. There are minimal directions in the educational applications but are easy for young students to determine how to navigate them.
Select Materials This lesson includes a teacher created flipchart using district purchased software, a school purchased subscription based video, teacher purchased self-checking hands-on activities which require the use of manipulatives as well as free and teacher purchased educational applications.
Student Practice Activities Students displayed active mental engagement and practiced new knowledge through the use of Judy Clocks for ‘show me’ drills with the teacher. The students would also give each other a time for their partner to identify. Additional practice was achieved through a couple of worksheets which required them to identify the time by reading the clock given and to draw the hands on a clock for the time given. Technology and media, in form of an introductory video and flipchart as well as educational digital applications, were utilized to support learning and for additional practice.
Feedback Feedback was given prior to formal assessment in the form of reviewing the worksheets and making corrections to missed questions, question/answer during use of the Judy clocks and feedback/rewards earned from the use of the digital apps.
I previewed the BrainPOPJr. videos and quizzes to be sure that they were addressing the topics I wanted to cover. I reviewed the educational applications Jungle Time, Freefall Time, Interactive Telling Time, and Kids Telling Time to familiarize myself with how to manipulate within the app and to determine which (if any) would need to be used first versus any of the others. I review the ActivInspire flipchart to determine if any other items needed to be added to it from last year. The Judy clocks were inspected to be sure that gears are still functioning properly.
Prepare Resources
The ActivInspire flipchart did not need additional items added to it. The tablets’ saved data was erased. Number charts counting by five were prepared and laminated for student use.
Prepare the Environment
The lessons took place in my classroom. Judy clocks were placed on our small group table along with a teacher Judy clock. My classroom Apple TV was checked to be sure it would properly connect with the iPad and that the speakers were working. All iPads and Android tablets were fully charged.
Prepare the Learners
Students were given a pre-test to determine their prior knowledge/memory of telling time to the hour, half hour and quarter hour. It was determined that two students still needed more practice with time to the quarter hour. It will be included with telling time to the five minute. The same two students also have difficulty skip counting by five on numbers bigger than 30. A number chart will be used to accommodate this deficit. I introduced the lesson using the first few slides of the flipchart along with the BrainPOPJr. videos.
Provide the Learning Experience
This unit of instruction took place over eight days for 30 minutes each day. First, I reviewed telling time to the hour and quarter hour as well as part of the clock. Students worked along with the teacher to complete the activities in the flipchart. The next step in this unit was modeling telling time using the Judy clocks. Students were given instruction in how to manipulate the geared clocks and were then given various times to show on the clock. This step was repeated over two days. The second day of practice, students were given a worksheet of given times to draw the hands on the blank clock. Students were to find the time using the Judy clocks and then copy that clock onto the sheet. Students were then introduced to the educational apps on the Apple iPads by having the apps modeled using the Apple TV with speakers. After students felt comfortable enough to manipulate the apps themselves, they were allowed the rest of the class period to practice using the apps. Students were then introduced to the apps on the Android tablets as it was modeled using my classroom document camera. After students felt comfortable enough to manipulate the apps themselves, they were allowed the rest of the class period to practice using the apps. After the previous days of practice, students were given a worksheet to complete without the Judy clock writing the time in digital format for the given analog clock. Students were given instruction in determining the difference between am and pm. Students then played a card game reading the analog clocks for the last few minutes of class. Students used the Interactive Telling Time Android app with the am/pm feature turned on in order to receive further practice. Students completed a post-test to determine mastery of telling time to five minutes and determining am/pm.
Evaluate and Revise | Instructor/ Trainer: Sharon Thornell
Assessment of learner achievement I used a teacher created formal assessment, in conjunction with informal checklists of worksheets and hands-on modeling, to determine learner achievement of the state standard.
Instructional process and the impact of using technology and media The use of technology positively impacted the instructional process. Using video to review previous taught skills (time to hour, half hour, quarter hour) coupled with a flipchart with built in practice items was an effective way to begin instruction. The students appeared to be fully engaged. The use of tablet technology to practice the skill was an engaging practice for the student and beneficial for the teacher due to the ability to check the percentage correct for the practice sessions.
Efficiency of the blended learning model Which part works well, and which part does not? The video, flipchart, Judy clocks and two of the apps provided the most engaging activities for the students. Two of the apps were not engaging and the students frequently requested to use the other two apps. Overall, three of the four students were able to attained mastery (80% or better) on the skill. When questioned as to which activity they preferred, the tablet app Jungle Time was the most popular and the hands-on practice with the Judy clocks was their second choice.
Discrepancies between learning objectives and student outcomes For future use of this lesson plan, I would revise it removing the two apps that students were not engaged with. I would also like to add additional practice cards with QR codes for self-checking activities particularly in the section of instruction focused on determining am and pm.
I previewed the BrainPOPJr. videos and quizzes to be sure that they were addressing the topics I wanted to cover. I reviewed the educational applications Jungle Time, Freefall Time, Interactive Telling Time, and Kids Telling Time to familiarize myself with how to manipulate within the app and to determine which (if any) would need to be used first versus any of the others. I review the ActivInspire flipchart to determine if any other items needed to be added to it from last year. The Judy clocks were inspected to be sure that gears are still functioning properly.
Prepare Resources
The ActivInspire flipchart did not need additional items added to it. The tablets’ saved data was erased. Number charts counting by five were prepared and laminated for student use.
Prepare the Environment
The lessons took place in my classroom. Judy clocks were placed on our small group table along with a teacher Judy clock. My classroom Apple TV was checked to be sure it would properly connect with the iPad and that the speakers were working. All iPads and Android tablets were fully charged.
Prepare the Learners
Students were given a pre-test to determine their prior knowledge/memory of telling time to the hour, half hour and quarter hour. It was determined that two students still needed more practice with time to the quarter hour. It will be included with telling time to the five minute. The same two students also have difficulty skip counting by five on numbers bigger than 30. A number chart will be used to accommodate this deficit. I introduced the lesson using the first few slides of the flipchart along with the BrainPOPJr. videos.
Provide the Learning Experience
This unit of instruction took place over eight days for 30 minutes each day. First, I reviewed telling time to the hour and quarter hour as well as part of the clock. Students worked along with the teacher to complete the activities in the flipchart. The next step in this unit was modeling telling time using the Judy clocks. Students were given instruction in how to manipulate the geared clocks and were then given various times to show on the clock. This step was repeated over two days. The second day of practice, students were given a worksheet of given times to draw the hands on the blank clock. Students were to find the time using the Judy clocks and then copy that clock onto the sheet. Students were then introduced to the educational apps on the Apple iPads by having the apps modeled using the Apple TV with speakers. After students felt comfortable enough to manipulate the apps themselves, they were allowed the rest of the class period to practice using the apps. Students were then introduced to the apps on the Android tablets as it was modeled using my classroom document camera. After students felt comfortable enough to manipulate the apps themselves, they were allowed the rest of the class period to practice using the apps. After the previous days of practice, students were given a worksheet to complete without the Judy clock writing the time in digital format for the given analog clock. Students were given instruction in determining the difference between am and pm. Students then played a card game reading the analog clocks for the last few minutes of class. Students used the Interactive Telling Time Android app with the am/pm feature turned on in order to receive further practice. Students completed a post-test to determine mastery of telling time to five minutes and determining am/pm.