Field Experience Report for EE333

Date/Time: January 28, 2015 12:10 PM - 1:15 PM Name: Catalina Dvila

1. Topic(s) that students learned (Brief description of the math class) and related Standards (CCSS-M) The third grade students have been working on a subtraction unit. Today the students were to work on subtracting from a thousand. The students are expected to use both the algorithm method (abstract) and the place value chart (semi-concrete) to solve the problem. The following Common Core State Standards were observed during the lesson. CCSS: Third Grade 3.OA.D.8: Solve problems involving the four operations, and identify and explain patterns in arithmetic. 3.NBT.A.1: Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic. 3.NBT.A.2: Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.

2. Description of the students (Strengths and weakness of the students in the class regarding the topic they studied during the class)

The class was set up with eight circular tables. This third grade class had 33 students. From observing the classroom and the communication that was taking place, this class would be considered a bilingual third grade class. The majority of all the posters hung around the classroom whether they were math or another subject were written in both English and Spanish. Strengths Students understood and were able to label the place value chart. They would identify the ones, tens, hundreds, and now thousands place. Students were able to work in groups or with partners.

Weaknesses

Students were confused by how to transfer the Place Value Chart into the Algorithm. Students confused where to start the subtraction (farthest left or farthest right) due to the use of both the Place Value Chart and the Algorithm.

3. Flow of the lesson (Minutes of the class)TimeTeachers instruction (questions, comments, etc.) Students learning activities (answers to the teacher, group work, individual work, etc.)

12:10-12:25

12:25 - 12:40

12:41-1:15

- Ms. Vazquez instructed the students to cut the Place Value Chart and glue it into the math journals. - Then said told the class the problem: Ms. Vazquez has read 265 pages of 1,000. How many pages does she have left to read? Thumbs up when you have written it down. How do we tackle our word problem?

- Ms. Vazquez walked around to help students. She explained the directions to a few kids in Spanish. - Ms. Vazquez would ask question like the following: How many do you have in the tens place value?

- When most of the students were finished they in the rug. - Ms. Vazquez had two students show their work. There were two different answers. I saw two answers and dont know which one is correct. We need to figure it out.

- Each table captain was to get the tables math journals. -Students participated in naming the five steps for tackling word problems. 1. Read the problem. 2. Find important information. 3. Retell the story in your own words. (Talk in your table)4. Choose the best operation. 5. Solve the problem

- Students worked quietly solving the problem using first the Place Value Chart and then using the algorithm.

- The students were participating in showing their work and solving the problem together as a class to find the correct answer.

4. Summary of the class observation

I enjoyed this third grade class. Ms. Vazquez was very engaging. She wisely presented the subtraction problem first stating it verbally and then wrote it on the board thus addressing both the auditory and visual learners in the classroom. The manner in which she guided the students to an in depth understanding using both the Place Value Chart and the Algorithm was a great demonstration of semi-concrete and abstract. Ms. Vazquez was careful to explain why the students were using the Place Value Chart. She said, Using the Place Value Chart will help you explain your very own thinking. The mathematical explanations were always there to help the students understand why they were doing what they were doing. When the class was on the rug, she was attentive to both what the student on the board was doing but also to the students who were sitting on the rug. When the students would guide their peers at the board, Ms. Vazquez would allow them to participate, every now and then asking them Why? This was the first day that the third grade class had a problem using thousands. There were various levels of knowledge and understanding, as there was one student who triple checked his work while others were struggling. Many students were doing what they knew which was addition instead of subtraction. For the 33 students only 11 students were able to find the correct answer but the method they used would allow them to understand for future problems.