Peds and Bits

           Long Term Storage – It must have sense and meaning.  Project makes math relevant by using concepts embedded within NJ history.

            Hugging --  It must be close to the student’s environment to increase encounters in the future.   Math concepts are highly applicable using ratio, percent, and proportion.

            Accepting New Learning –   Curriculum in relation to emotion.  Project curriculum is closely associated with emotion of home grown sports heroes.

            Bridging – It must connect new meaning to old/new meaning.   Brainstorming and analogies allows students to connect one Olympic event to another.

            Endorphins – Use humor to increase retention.  Instructor begins the lesson with a humorous story about his Uncle Waldo at the Olympics.

            Constructivism --  An approach which foster dialogue; questions understanding; and elaboration.  Students will construct relationships between the athlete, sport, event, and math.

            Generate Interest – Process time will be extended if the learner is interested.  Home grown association which the student can relate to geographically and mathematically.

            Transfer of Learning – Presenting thematic units allows for the transfer of learning.  Cross-curricular application of math, geography, and technology.

            Level of Concern ( degree vs. learning) – Learning must have a consequence, visibility, and time factors.   Students will take a test, move around the room during presentations as well as follow a rubric.

            Chunking – Learning single items as a set of data.   Each athletic event will be chunked as the Olympian, sport, event, location, and math application.

            Synergy --  Learning which employs an active approach.   Student will stand, move,  and deliver throughout their presentation.

            Guided Practice – Teacher driven instruction until the student understands.   The teacher will spend 1 full period( guided practice) plus the downtime of several others (student driven) to ensure internalization.

            Rehearsal – The presentation of material allows for processing and reprocessing.   The organization of the worksheet allows for the students to apply ratio, percent, and proportion to each Olympian/event.

            Primacy-Recency Effect – Instruction time takes place at the beginning; the end; and just past the middle.    Students will learn about the athletes first; manipulate the data just past the middle; and apply the math concepts at the end.

            Elaborate Rehearsal – Interpret meaning form simple names and events from rote rehearsal.   Students will have small group practice time as they memorize elements of their presentation.

            Bloom’s Taxonomy – Remember > Understand > Apply > Analyze > Evaluate > Create.    Students follow each stage as reflected within the lesson plan. Remember athlete/Event >Understand the math concept > Use the Concept > Show how it is applicable to the sport/event > Evaluate all the information > create the written/verbal presentation.

            Gardner’s Eight Intelligences – Music > Logical > Spatial > Kinesthetic > Linguistic > Interpersonal > Intrapersonal > Naturalist.   Students will apply each intelligence with the exception of music --------  Math applied to the event > Relationship of athlete to NJ > Sport > Research > Group work > Individual research > Outdoor Environmental Location.