Observation and Description

The teacher used colorful manipulative materials, visual aids, overhead projector, projector screen, blackboard, and chalk in teaching equivalent fractions.

The students gathered their desk together and worked in groups.  There were four students in each group.  Each group member has colorful fraction pieces of paper in a plastic bag to help them perform the Mathematical activities on equivalent fractions.

The classroom is spacious and there are shelves filled with learning materials.  There is also a television set above the blackboard.  The classroom is well lighted, orderly and the environment is conducive to learning.

b. Describe the observed teaching situation in video 2.

Students worked in groups.  There are three students in each station.  Every station has a variety of activities designed to help students learn the concepts of geometry.  Students have used the resources available in the station in learning geometry.

The classroom is spacious, orderly and well lighted.  There are several learning materials inside the classroom.  The environment is conducive to learning.

c. Describe the observed delivery of instruction in video 1.

The teacher has an organized way of preparing the class for the lesson.  Before presenting the lesson, the teacher instructed her students to get the materials needed for the Math lesson such as fraction pieces of paper and notebooks.  Then, she asked them to put all the colors of the fraction pieces of paper together so they could easily use the materials.

The teacher was able to give instructions in a clear manner.  She initially used her manipulatives and the overhead projector to demonstrate how to find one half of the circle.  This prompted the students to follow what she did and discover different combinations of one half using their fraction pieces of paper.

d. Describe the observed delivery of instruction in video 2.

The teacher allowed the students to discover the principles of geometry on their own.  She went to the stations to observe and check on what the students are doing.  She guided some students and tell them how other students approach the problem and work on the activities.  Probing was also done when she asked the students “this one connects to that vertex, is there another one that this one could be connected to?”  All instructions given by the teacher were clearly understood by the students.

There was a good follow-up on what the students have learned when the teacher asked some students about the types of information that they have used to describe the shapes, and what they have discovered when the vertices were connected.  In addition, she also had a good control of the flow of lesson and classroom situation when she asked the student, who was busy working on the activities in the tangram station, to write a reflection on what they have learned.  The teacher also expressed appreciation on the effort of the students.

e. Describe student interaction with the observed instruction in video 1.

After the teacher demonstrated how she was able to get the equivalent fractions using her manipulatives, the students use the fraction pieces of paper that they have and they were able to work on their own in discovering the equivalent fractions.

The teacher went around the group to ask questions as students work on their fraction pieces of paper.  There were positive interactions between the teacher and the students.

f. Describe student interaction with the observed instruction in video 2.
Students had positive interactions with their classmates and with the teacher.  They spoke and listened to one another, shared what they have discovered, considered the ideas of their classmates, and sometimes agreed or disagreed with their ideas.

Each member of the group contributed to the learning process.  They shared the resources found in their respective stations.

Analysis, Exploration, and Reasoning

a. Explain the pedagogical purpose of the observed teacher’s lesson in video 1.

The teacher has used modeling when she initially demonstrated how to discover the equivalent fractions.  The cooperative learning method has encouraged small groups of students to work together and discover the different combinations of equivalent fractions using the fraction pieces of paper.

While working in groups, the active learning environment was established and students learn by performing the activities, discussing their work with their group mates and seeing different combinations of fractions that their group mates have done.

b. Explain the pedagogical purpose of the observed teacher’s lesson in video 2.

The teacher has used cooperative learning in grouping students in each station.  The activities in each station were structured to help students learn geometry through their own discovery and to make them fully engaged in the learning process.

The teacher made some observations, listening and intervening whenever necessary so students can meet the goal in learning the concepts of geometry.  Students have hands-on learning experience, good interaction and cooperation as they share their ideas with their classmates and use the resources that are found in the stations.  This encourages retention of the lesson and appreciation of learning.

c. Analyze the observed teacher’s possible purpose for using a specific strategy in video 1.

Math is a subject that a lot of students fear and do not appreciate.  The teacher has used her creativity in utilizing manipulatives in teaching fractions to make the lesson interesting to the students.

A lot of students are visual learners and the mathematical activities involving the use of colorful manipulatives and overhead projector as visual aids and fraction pieces of paper for hands-on learning develop eye-hand coordination and critical thinking.

d. Analyze the observed teacher’s possible purpose for using a specific strategy in video 2.

The activities that were structured in every station were observed to be in various levels of difficulty.  Learning about shapes is easy, connecting the vertices and discovering if there are similarities between the number of vertices and the number of lines connecting them has an average level of difficulty.  The tangram station is challenging because students are required to put the polygons together to form some patterns.

The possible purpose of using the cooperative learning strategy is to allow students to work at their own pace and within their intellectual capacity.  Asking students to write what they have learned in each station is a good way of checking whether they find the lesson interesting or if they are ready to move to a different station in their next lesson.

e. Analyze the impact of the observed teacher’s instructional strategy on student learning in video 1.

Students were performing the activities in fractions without realizing that they were adding, subtracting, or multiplying numbers to discover equivalent fractions.

Cooperative learning allowed students to work with other students and gain knowledge through their own discovery while interacting with their teacher and with other members of the group.

f. Analyze the impact of the observed teacher’s instructional strategy on student learning in video 2.
All students were fully engaged in the activities.  Cooperative learning led students to engage in a lot of discussions, sharing of ideas and critical thinking.

Students are learning the principles of geometry through hands-on activities.  They also learn through exploration and discovery.  With the variety of activities, students are not bored and they appreciate the lesson.