Ability to Impact Student Learning

I improve student learning by utilizing a variety of strategies to teach a skill. This year I

incorporated room transformations to introduce and reinforce a skill. I also design lessons that

expand across the curriculum to foster student learning. Hands on activities make learning

appealing and provide opportunities to deepen their knowledge. These strategies show the

effectiveness of my teaching ability as an instructional leader.

During the first room transformation, I reinforced the skill of interpreting remainders by

creating a theme of division in the dark. The Alabama Course of Study standard met by this task

is under the category of Numbers and Operations of Base Ten. In fourth grade, students must

find whole-number quotients with up to four-digit dividends and one-digit divisors using

strategies such as rectangular arrays or area models. During this activity, I used black lights and

students completed division problems in the dark. Students solved problems with highlighters

and glow in the dark beads to visually represent the remainders. During the second room

transformation, students were introduced to fractions by transforming the room into a pizzeria.

The Alabama Course of Study standard met by this task is under the category of Numbers and

Operations for Fractions. Students created a pizza and wrote the fraction for each topping,

completed “real world” problems, and participated in games to learn about equivalent fractions.

Students were formatively assessed during both room transformations. For example,

during the division room transformation, students solved division problems with partial quotients

and interpreted remainders with task cards. During the activity, I walked around the room to

ensure students understood the questions and how to use the manipulatives to solve the problem.

At the end of math stations, students turned in the answer sheet and their work for the task cards.
During the pizzeria room transformation, students created a pizza and found the fractions for

each topping and compared them. Students turned in the pizza and their comparison sheet. The

formative assessments for both room transformations indicated students who understood the

concepts. I created groups to build on the concept and provide additional instruction based on the

formative assessments.

As a result of the division room transformation and fraction room transformation,

successful students were able to interpret remainders of division problems and gained a better

understanding of fractions. During the division room transformation, students had a better

understanding of utilizing division strategies to solve the problems. Interpreting remainders is a

very abstract concept. Before students started the activity, we reviewed how to interpret

remainders, and I provided scenarios for each example. During the fraction room transformation,

students built on their knowledge of fractions from third grade to complete the introductory

activity. The hands on activities and manipulatives provided a visual to interpreting remainders

and how to represent and compare fractions to facilitate their success. In the future, I can further

facilitate higher level thinking and problem solving skills by giving more “real world” problems

for students to solve. I can also continue to use the OGAP framework to support students to use

higher level strategies to solve problems.

As a result of the room transformations, struggling students gained a better understanding

of the concepts because it involved hands-on activities. During the division room transformation

common mistakes among students included solving the problem incorrectly or interpreting the

remainder incorrectly. Based on the results of the task card answer sheet, remediation was

provided through small group instruction. I grouped students based on their strategy to solve the
problem as well as their ability to interpret remainders. During the fraction room transformation

common mistakes among students included representing fractions incorrectly and comparing

fractions incorrectly. Based on the results of the fraction pizzas, I grouped students for

remediation to model fraction and compare fractions. In the future, I will continue to use room

transformations to introduce and reinforce skills. To ensure greater success with struggling

students, I will provide more small group instruction during the activity.

My teaching style is effective because I provided a variety of engaging instructional

strategies to meet all levels of learning. My instructional leadership is evident because I

coordinated a room transformation for the grade level. The same theme was carried across the

curriculum from math, where students were introduce to fractions to reading, where students

participated in a “book tasting.” By collaborating with colleagues and sharing ideas, students

make connections across the curriculum.

In the spring, fourth grade students take a field trip to Montgomery. To prepare for the

trip to Montgomery, students worked in groups to research an assigned landmark that we visit

during the field trip. After researching the landmark, students used Makey Makey and Scratch to

produce an interactive poster. First, students recorded a script in Scratch to share facts about their

landmark. Next, students coded their script in Scratch. Makey Makey was connected to the

poster so that when a certain area on the poster was pressed, the facts could be heard through the

audio recording. Finally, students printed pictures or drew images on the poster to represent their

script. Each group shared their interactive poster before the trip to Montgomery and each group

became the “experts” on their assigned landmark during the field trip.
 The subjects addressed in the Alabama Course of Study include Social Studies,

Technology, Writing, and Science. The Social Studies Alabama Course of Study standard that

was met during the project is analyzing the Civil Rights Movement and identifying key people

during the movement. The Digital Literacy and Computer Science Alabama Course of Study

standard met during the project was using basic features of digital tools to communicate key

ideas and details in a way that informs others. The Writing Alabama Course of Study standard

met during the project was writing informative texts to convey ideas and information clearly.

The Science Alabama Course of Study standard met during the project was explaining the

transference of energy from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents. Students

transferred energy through Makey Makey by using conductors of electricity. The circuit was

completed when the person presenting the project held the “earth” wire and tourched the

conductor on the poster. I assessed student learning with a rubric measuring organization,

visuals, design, audio, grammar, group work, use of time, and script.

Successful students were able to work in a group to research their landmark, code

commands into scratch, write and record a script, create a poster, and present their poster to the

class. To facilitate their success, I provided expectations before the project to help students gain

a clear picture of the project. I also provided guidance when needed during small group research.

Students enjoyed the hands-on learning experience that encouraged investigation and team work.

To push students even further, students could use another coding system. Hummingbird Robotics

would allow students to create a diorama of the landmark. With Hummingbird Robotics students

could use motors to transform the diorama into an interactive display. Most lower level students

struggled with researching the landmark. I paired struggling students with higher level learners
who work well with others. To ensure greater success for struggling students, I will pull

resources with lower level text, as well as text that is read aloud, fostering independence in a

group setting.

I shared my project outline with my fourth grade team and collaborated with the English

Language Arts teachers to enhance the writing and research elements of the project. Some of the

fourth grade teachers were not familiar with Makey Makey. I showed teachers how to use Makey

Makey and code it into Scratch. In general, this example suggests that I am effective using

higher order strategies to foster student learning. The example also demonstrates that I am an

instructional leader by sharing my knowledge and sharing with others to increase student

engagement and knowledge.