Sam Mullins Cal- Ed Conference 2013 Edgar is a 7 th grader who has struggled with multiplication in the past This year we implemented a mnemonics framework in his math class to help all students struggling with multiplication Three weeks ago Edgar took a multiplication test with 60 problems including all multiples of one target number (6s) It took 23 minutes for Edgar to answer 15/60 problems correctly A few days after the first test was administered, Edgar practiced his mnemonic and was given the exact same test This time, Edgar scored 59/60 in 14 minutes Clayton Valli: Famous Deaf poet (Rabbit) Stephanie Johnson: Former master teacher Rachel Knopf: Professor at CSUN Susie Boyett: General education math teacher Information cannot be learned or processed when a child is not attending (Hamilton, 2011). Hamilton (2011) discusses attention in deaf learners compared to hearing learners. He asserts that deaf students ability to recall information sequentially, process information quickly, increase capacity for memory load, and tap into working memory functions seems to be weaker than hearing childrens skills in those areas. Hamilton, H. (2011). Memory skills of deaf learners: Implications and applications. American Annals of the Deaf, 156(4), doi: /aad The order of operations Skip counting Multiplying binomials (FOIL) Equations of lines (Y= MX + B) The Pythagorean Theorem (A 2 + B 2 = C 2 ) Group A: 7 th grade students assessed (based on teacher observations and work samples) to be completing math on average at the first grade to second grade level Group B: 7 th grade students on average completing math at the fourth to fifth grade level Group C: 8 th grade students in algebra readiness ranging in math ability levels from first to seventh grade Target skill of multiplication Pre-test One target number: 60 problems Record overall score and time 26/29 times students scores on their post- exams improved or maintained the same as their pre-exams 25/29 times students times decreased or maintained the same from their pre- exams On no occasion did students scores decrease and times increase Students were never pre-tested because they never learned the order of operations in a direct instruction approach Thus, they learned in a mnemonic approach instead and were tested on: 1) correctly ordering the operations and 2) correctly following the order of operations 8 th grade students had already learned the order of operations in a direct instruction approach in a prior grade They were pre- tested, provided the mnemonic and post- tested on the following: 1) correctly ordering the operations and 2) correctly following the order of operations All 12 students in group C were able to correctly order the operations in the post- exam (that was a maintained score for 6 and improvement for the other 6) 11/12 students improved or maintained in physically following the order of operations Group B learned the order of operations in the mnemonic approach whereas group C learned via direct instruction (the mnemonic was an intervention) Group B fared better in their overall test scores in comparison to Group Cs pre- test both in ordering the operations and in following the order of operations Ellen Schneiderman and Rachel Friedman-Narr, Jennifer Burnett, Katie Hanna, Kerlan Kim, and Tony Marquez six very supportive and helpful professors and co-workers involved in Deaf education! In groups of two/ three come up with a mnemonic to help remember the order of operations Use the handshapes: PEMDAS Be prepared to share with the group!