Standard 5

The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical/creative thinking and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.

My Interpretation: The teacher knows how to link ideas and bring in different viewpoints to engage students in critical and creative thinking, as well as teamwork, to solve real-world problems both locally and globally.

Artifact 1: Cross Content Lesson Plan

Indicator: 5 (b) Engages learners in applying content knowledge to real-world problems through the lens of interdisciplinary themes (e.g., financial literacy, environmental literacy).

Introduction to Artifact: I created this lesson after conversing with another student teacher placed in a social studies classroom. She wanted to do a cross-content day with the students. They recently did a presentation on a South American country, and she was having them plan a trip to their specific country. My job was to do the plane ticket portion of the project.

Rationale: I implemented this cross-content project into my content area by having them do a scavenger hunt review. We had just started the module on algebraic expressions, so it was the perfect time to introduce them into budgeting. I had them complete the scavenger hunt, which involved simplifying algebraic expressions. After a specific time, I had them bring me the last answer they found. Each answer coordinated with a budget. I gave them the problem: if they had to buy tickets for a family of 4 with their budget, how much would each ticket per person cost? This question prompted them to develop an algebraic expression that they had to solve to figure out the ticket price per person. After they had finished that, I had them convert their plane ticket budget into their country's currency and see how much that amount of USD would exchange for. They already knew what currency their country used because it was part of their social studies project. The exchange rate surprised many students, and I had them research how much the average produce costs there. ( Trying to explain that you have much more currency in their specific country but the price of things was associated with the currency). Not only did this lesson contain a cross-content piece, but it also touched on global financial literacy.

Artifact 2: Online Algebra Tiles

Indicator: 5 (l) Understands how to use digital and interactive technologies for efficiently and effectively achieving specific learning goals.

Introduction to Artifact: Polypad is an online algebra tile website. It has many other functions, but for my class, I use it for the algebra tile function. The problem I am representing here was part of the guided notes I created for lesson 5.2: adding algebraic expressions.

Rationale: When teaching a new concept to my students, I like to give them multiple representations of the same problem. One way to solve the problem is to use just the numbers, and another way is to use visual manipulatives. These may not be handheld manipulatives, but they work the same as handheld algebra tiles. This gives the students a visible representation of how to add 4x - 2 and -7x - 3. It shows them that combining negative and positive x's will cancel out and reach zero. What's left after the x's and constants have combined is the answer. After showing them how to use algebra tiles to complete the problem, I walk through the mathematical steps. This way, the students get both options and can use whichever makes the most sense. Since all students have iPads, it gives them a way to use math-related technology. There are many great tools that technology provides us, and Polypad is an interactive and digital tool that is free to all students and easy for students to manipulate and access. Providing students with this tool gives them the choice to visualise the problem, enhancing their ability to meet the content standards.