Section 2: Theories & Models of Learning & Instruction

1) Specific learning goal: Use place value to read, write, compare, and order whole numbers through the hundred billions place and decimals through the thousandths place.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES	LEARNING THEORY
Teach students a song about place value.  The song is accompanied with motions and music.	Behavioral Learning Theory
Teach the strategy to read large numbers by placing them in periods.  The commas will be assigned titles (thousand, million, and billion); the decimal point will be assigned the name, And.	Cognitive Learning Theory
Students will create their own numbers from the hundred billions to the thousandths place on dry erase boards.  Each table group will read aloud everyone’s number.	Situated Learning Theory
All students in the class will come together with their individual numbers they created and place themselves in order from least to greatest.	Situated Learning Theory
Students will work in small groups to create a rap, poem, skit, etc. to teach a younger grade level what they learned about place value	Behavioral Learning Theory

2)  The link I chose for Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction is http://de.ryerson.ca/portals/de/assets/resources/Gagne's_Nine_Events.pdf

LEARNING ACTIVITIES	LEARNING THEORY	GAGNE’S EVENTS
Teach students a song about place value.  The song is accompanied with motions and music.	Behavioral Learning Theory	Gaining attention
Teach the strategy to read large numbers by placing them in periods.  The commas will be assigned titles (thousand, million, and billion); the decimal point will be assigned the name, And.	Cognitive Learning Theory	Presenting the stimulus
Students will create their own numbers from the hundred billions to the thousandths place on dry erase boards.  Each table group will read aloud everyone’s number.	Situated Learning Theory	Eliciting performance
All students in the class will come together with their individual numbers they created and place themselves in order from least to greatest.	Situated Learning Theory	Assessing performance
Students will work in small groups to create a rap, poem, skit, etc. to teach a younger grade level what they learned about place value	Behavioral Learning Theory	Enhancing retention and transfer

3) The whole task approach is the use of meaningful learning tasks that are based on real-life tasks.  my students' biggest weakness in place value is comparison of decimal values.  They have a difficult time understanding that 11.7 is greater than 9.86 because they don't comprehend the importance of the decimal point yet.  i could relate decimal numbers to money because they understand the values of money.  If I teach them to place a dollar sign in front of every number that contains a decimal, students could connect better and make more informed decisions.
     Scaffolding a lesson about place value is key to student success.  Students need to be taught the skills in isolation to reach mastery.  For example, I need to teach students the order of the place values before we can read numbers aloud.  Next, different digits may be used for extra practice.  Then students should be introduced to writing numbers and breaking each number into expanded notation.  After these skills are taught, then students can begin to understand the values and be able to use numbers in problem-solving situations.
     Mathemagenic methods are of utmost importance.  The author states that this "method pertains to variability of practice, indicating that learning tasks must differ from each other on all dimensions that also differ in the real world, such as the conditions under which the tasks are performed, the way they are presented."  Leading questions throughout the lesson can help students learn how to perform the task at hand.

4) 

TABLE 9.2	MOTIVATIONAL TECHNIQUE
ATTENTION
Perceptual Arousal	Provide a focus for each day’s lesson that will capture their attention.
Inquiry Arousal	Provide journal time for reflections about the focus and ask probing questions to peak their interests more.
Variability	Use songs, videos, pictures, comic strips, random vocabulary words taped to the floor, etc. all pertaining to the topic
RELEVANCE
Goal Orientation	Decide which type of learner the students are: auditory, visual, kinesthetic, or tactile.  Pre-test to see where students are struggling.
Motive Matching	Throughout the lessons, students will develop fluency with efficient procedures, understand why they work, and use them to solve real-life problems.
Familiarity	Create problem-solving situations involving the world around them, including using their names and familiar things or places in our community.
CONFIDENCE
Learning Requirements	Make sure they understand and explain the computational methods they choose and produce accurate answers efficiently.
Success Opportunities	Provide immediate feedback for assessments.
Personal Control	My students understand the importance of their grade.  It is a reflection of their involvement in their learning.
SATISFACTION
Intrinsic Reinforcement	Provide opportunities throughout the year to use the information gained to complete new tasks.
Extrinsic Rewards	Affirmations, whole class celebrations, class competitions, notifying other grade levels of successes
Equity	Reflect on topic with journal writing.  Answer the following questions: What do I not understand?  What do I still want to know about the topic?

5)  The benefits of engaging in design research are as follows:

• Critical variables are identified in the beginning, prior to teaching a lesson.
• Data collection and analysis is key to driving the classroom intervention time; Individual student data is used to form groups and create appropriate activities for each group.
• Analyzing from multiple perspectives will help determine what needs to be revised and what areas need to be re-taught.