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Results
Student surveys
Twenty of the 26 students completed the survey. The first thing that I learned from the survey was how my students feel about math. Below is a pie chart showing how my sixth period class feels about math. The first number represents the number of students and the second number represents the percent of the class.
Student surveys
Twenty of the 26 students completed the survey. The first thing that I learned from the survey was how my students feel about math. Below is a pie chart showing how my sixth period class feels about math. The first number represents the number of students and the second number represents the percent of the class.
In addition to finding out how my students feel about math, I was able to learn about how they think they learn the best. Students were allowed to pick more than one activity that helps them learn. Below is a bar graph representing how my sixth period students like to learn in math.
The last piece of information I was able to get from the survey was about the type of activities that students like to do in the classroom (they were allowed to choose as many activities that they enjoy). For dry erase boards students will work out problems on individual dry erase boards. For puzzles, students do problems and place them together in a puzzle format. Dominos is an activity where students do a problem on a rectangular card and connect that problem with the answer (another rectangular cared) to connect the ‘domino’ cards, and continue the process. Signs are used when a problem is put on the board or overhead and students will hold up the appropriate sign. Below is a table that provides the activities, the number of students that enjoy the activity, and the percentage of students that enjoy that activity.
Student observations
During the three-week data collection period, I completed a student observation form for three different students that assessed their participation in the different activities. There were eight possible activities during each period: opening activity, notes, class activity, small group activity, individual practice, technology, assessment, and closing activity. Each student was given a participation point 1 – 5: 1 – none, 2 – little, 3 – somewhat, 4 – most, and 5 – all. In addition to giving the students points, I also wrote comments about each student on a daily basis. Below is a table that shows the average participation points for each activity throughout the three-week period. In addition to the table below, Table 1 in Appendix B, has some of the comments that were recorded on the individual students.
During the three-week data collection period, I completed a student observation form for three different students that assessed their participation in the different activities. There were eight possible activities during each period: opening activity, notes, class activity, small group activity, individual practice, technology, assessment, and closing activity. Each student was given a participation point 1 – 5: 1 – none, 2 – little, 3 – somewhat, 4 – most, and 5 – all. In addition to giving the students points, I also wrote comments about each student on a daily basis. Below is a table that shows the average participation points for each activity throughout the three-week period. In addition to the table below, Table 1 in Appendix B, has some of the comments that were recorded on the individual students.
Exit tickets
I required the class to complete exit tickets on 5 of the 8 days during the three-week period. The data from the exit tickets was used to guide the next lesson. I found that the majority of students would complete the ticket and choose level of difficulty they thought the lesson was. Comments were only given on about a quarter of the tickets. There were several times that students asked clarifying questions, abstract questions, and left comments about their current feelings about the material and mental state (several said they were having a bad day and had been unable to focus).
I required the class to complete exit tickets on 5 of the 8 days during the three-week period. The data from the exit tickets was used to guide the next lesson. I found that the majority of students would complete the ticket and choose level of difficulty they thought the lesson was. Comments were only given on about a quarter of the tickets. There were several times that students asked clarifying questions, abstract questions, and left comments about their current feelings about the material and mental state (several said they were having a bad day and had been unable to focus).