Dario Avila Assignment 3A

This entry is about information gathered from the post-assessment of my students at the end of this unit.

Findings
The students improved their graphing skills and excelled at solving systems of equations by graphing. The students did not perform very well on solving systems of equations by substitution. The majority answered correctly on the first question, which required manipulation of just one equation, but they struggled mightily on the more lengthy problems.
The students were better at solving systems of equations by elimination, but still struggled mightily with the more complex problems.
The students struggled with graphing systems of linear inequalities.

What changes would I make?
I believe that my students struggled because I used too many "easy" examples during instruction. The questions on the test were a higher degree of difficulty than the examples I showed in class and in the activities that I guided the student through during class. In the future, I will select test questions that are more reflective of what I covered in class.  Lastly, I will make the instructional time more rigorous so that the students find the test questions far more manageable.

What did I enjoy?
I enjoyed seeing the students understand the concepts better.  My Algebra IB class is full of students who failed Algebra I at least once. When the students begin to make connections and see the correct way to solve a problem, their eyes widen and they become engaged in the learning activities.

TED 633 Assignment 2B: Entrance Tickets

Hello everyone,

Photo credit

I have decided to test one of my unit plan pre-assessments from my Algebra 1B class. It is a variation of the exit ticket or exit slip strategy (see photo at right), except that I plan to use it as a warm up and pre-assessment. The students will each be given an "entrance ticket" upon entering the class. The activity is designed as a warm up, will be graded as participation points, but it is also a tool for the teacher to check for understanding. The students will solve a problem on their entrance ticket that blends the previous lesson into the current day's lesson. The students will be graded based on the following rubric: 

• Score Level Four:
• Student shows each step in the solution and correctly answers the question. Student uses the appropriate method of solving and demonstrates content mastery. Student is ready to move to the next content area.
• Score Level Three:  
• Student uses the appropriate method of solving and includes some steps of the solution process. The student is close to the correct answer, but makes a small error or two. The student will be ready to advance to the next content area after a small review and practice prior to the next lesson.
• Score Level Two:  
• Student attempts to solve the problem, but does not use the appropriate method correctly. The student is able to produce an answer, but the solution is incorrect. The student will benefit from one to more days of reteaching and review before moving on to the next topic.
• Score Level One:
• Student struggles to write anything down.  The students writes little to no work and does not use the appropriate method of solving.  The student needs extensive practice and reteaching before he/she is ready to advance to the next content area.

I administered the pre-assessment to the entire class and recorded the data for five students. I was surprised to see that no students scored a level four. Only one student graded out as a score level three, one was a score level two and the remaining three were a score level one. The pre-assessment was very effective because it showed me that I need to go back and reteach the content and also have discussions with the students about having more tutoring time available outside of the regular class time. 

I believe adjustments are needed in the instruction and in providing the students with proper and timely feedback. The rubric is a good way of showing me if I need to reteach or move on to the next content area. The students that struggled were overwhelmed by the fact that they had to graph two linear equations on the same coordinate grid. Perhaps I can use more scaffolding and post visual aids around the room that can help the students with the step by step solving process. If there are any additional suggestions for changes, please share in the comments section.

Sincerely,

Dario Avila