Web-based vs. Traditional Lessons: Activities

ACTIVITIES

Activity I

TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM LESSON: Decide on a particular math skill that you would teach (lets say introduction to fractions).Lets see if you can actually do this lesson with your team today, decide who will be the teacher as this would need to be a teacher directed lesson. Begin the lesson by telling this story: I came home from my classroom exhausted last Friday and stopped to pick up a "whole" pizza. Draw a large circle on the board (paper in this case) and emphasize as to why this is a whole pizza. Explain that the pizza is "whole" as it is all there, none of it has been eaten, yes it is sliced, but again none of it is gone. Continue story; just as I sat down to open my "whole" pizza the door bell rang. Unexpectedly, the principal stopped by to deliver more work and of course I invited him/her in to share my "whole" pizza. I cut my "whole" pizza in half. Draw a line down the middle of your circle and ask how many pieces there are. Write the number of pieces under the circle. Explain that the whole no longer exists and introduce the word "fraction", define "fractions" - part(s) of a whole, the whole no longer exists. Allow students to tell whole things they have divided to share. Introduce the word "denominator" and define - the bottom number of a fraction - practice pronouncing denominator with students.Continue story; my principal begin eating my pizza and I begin looking at the work he/she brought by. He/she ate one of the pieces of my pizza. Shade in the half of the pizza eaten by the principal. Ask the student how many pieces did the principal eat. Explain that one, the answer they gave is called the "numerator" because that is how many pieces were eaten or are gone. Draw a line above the number 2 and write 1 above the line to show 1/2. Explain this is how a fraction is written. Repeat/ review fraction, numerator, denominator definitions. Do the same story again and have 3 or 4 people to stop by. At this time distribute paper for students to draw pizza and participate in the activity as the story telling is taking place. If you were actually in a classroom then put students in groups of 4/5 and have them to decide on an item they have really shared, draw it, and divide into a fraction to show how many parts. Have students to come to front of room to tell their own brief story and to show their fraction. Use crayons to color each part or write the name of the person on each part of their fraction that they shared with. Lots of interaction with kids and it works. Etc.

Activity II

WEB LESSON: Using the Web lesson table under activities find a math web site and search for a site that has beginning fraction math lessons. Explore atleast four of eight different performance tasks for the beginning fraction math lesson(relevant to project, directions, etc as designated in selected lesson) that can be used in designing technology-infused learning experiences. The project tasks can be divided among your todays group so as to not allow all of the team members to work on the same tasks. Depending on the Internet project assignment some or all of the information that learners interact with will come from resources on the Internet. The Internet lesson should be authentic, doable and interesting. The activities for the most part should be cooperative and collaborative. NOTE: If computer availability is next to none in your classroom, try running the computer monitor to a television so that the whole group can view the site at once. This might not work for pages with a great deal of text or fine detail, but it works great for large images. See activities for sample Internet lessons for a variety of grade levels.

Activity III
Select Lesson Of Your Choice

Teacher Directed Lesson

The team should decide on another subject area and using the traditional lesson table search for a lesson and repeat the steps above doing a teacher directed lesson. Share your findings and discuss.

Web Lesson

The team will now find an Internet lesson using the web lesson table to search for a lesson to enhance and followup on the subject they selected above. Share your findings and discuss.

Activities IV

· Compare the two lessons you evaluated and note the differences
· Did any one site have traditional and/or web based lessons?
· What are the differences between the two types of lessons or is there a difference (same subject)?

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