Running head: SYLLLABUS CRITIQUE

Syllabus Critique: An Examination of a Tessellations Mathematics Lesson Diana Ng ETEC 512 64C The University of British Columbia

SYLLABUS CRITIQUE Introduction The integration of appropriate learning theories within instructional lessons is critical as they provide the foundation for informed instruction. For this syllabus critique, a 5 th grade tessellations mathematics lesson developed by Pamela Szefler (2004) was examined. Szefler (2004) described how her lesson was influenced by notable pedagogical theories including Piaget, Vygotsky and constructivism. In contrast, this lesson was analyzed using 3 different theoretical approaches: 1) information processing, 2) behaviourism, and 3) situated learning. Theoretical Basis of the Tessellation Lesson In this lesson, students learn about tessellations (i.e. tiling) which are repeated closed

shapes arranged to cover a surface without gaps or overlap. Students prior knowledge is utiliz ed as this is the 8th lesson in a series within the geometry unit. Szefler (2004) uses the theoretical foundations of Vygotsky and Piaget based on constructivism for the lesson plan. Both of these theorists support constructivism in that they assume knowledge is constructed, learning goals include reasoning, critical thinking, understanding and use of knowledge, self regulation and mindful reflection. Also, the conditions for instruction include the setup of complex and relevant learning environments, social negotiation, multiple perspectives, ownership in learning, and selfawareness of knowledge construction. Vygotskys theories are evident in this lesson as the zone of proximal development and social interaction are applied. Szefler (2004) has students working in pairs to create tessellations using a computer. Students develop their knowledge using technology and to support constructivism, they are not provided with the definition of tessellations. Rather, students determine this individually and help scaffold their learning by working in pairs. Prior knowledge is assessed through guided questions to determine where students are cognitively and to

SYLLABUS CRITIQUE encourage them to work in their zone of proximal development through scaffolding. Students also determine the properties of tessellations by examining common household objects such as ties, checkerboards and pillowcases. In Piagets concrete operational stage,

students require a variety of hands-on activities. By using common items, students use their prior knowledge and engage in the processes of assimilation and accommodation. Prior knowledge is assessed by observing developed patterns, and a checklist to determine students misunderstandings and inform future instruction. Szefler (2004) uses a think-pair-share strategy to help students determine the qualities of tessellations, design their own tessellations, and to find them in the classroom. Students are taught a tessellation song, however they could be repeating it without fully understanding the concept. In addition, although they use websites to create their own tessellations it is arguable that this is an authentic learning context as it may not have applications to the real world. Changes to Improve the Lesson: Applying the Information Processing Perspective In contrast, this revised lesson will use steps in the scientific method to engage students in the following tasks. This will help them consolidate their learning objectives from this lesson into long-term memory and assist them with the retrieval of information in subsequent lessons as they use their math reflection journals. 1) Focus question: The students are provided with 11 different types of geometry blocks. These shapes include: diamond/kite, oval, rhombus, triangle, pentagon, hexagon, rectangle, square, pentagon, circle and semicircle. The teacher asks What do you notice about these shape s? What are the similarities vs. differences? In groups of 5, they are asked to brainstorm a list of comparative characteristics (i.e. similarities vs. differences) of their geometric shapes on chart paper. Next, each group will share their ideas with the rest of the class.

SYLLABUS CRITIQUE 2) Generate hypotheses: In this stage, students are introduced to the idea of tiling (tessellations) by the teachers demonstration of adhering square paper tiles. They are asked to develop hypotheses about which of the following geometry shapes will tile or not: diamond/kite, oval, rhombus, triangle, pentagon, hexagon, rectangle, pentagon, circle, and semicircle. This makes use of their declarative knowledge (I know that...) from their previous task of comparing characteristics as the students hypothesize which shapes will be able to tile or not. Students will record their hypotheses individually in their math reflection journals. 3) Experimentation: Groups will test each of their geometric shapes. They will use paper tiles to glue shapes onto a piece of cardboard to determine whether a shape will tile or not. Conducting

the experiment to test their hypotheses uses the students iconic (visual) sensory registers and the representation attribute in the stages of memory as they make their observations. From the sensory register, these iconic images moves into the students short term memory. After experimentation, this information moves into the students episodic memory as this is based on their personal experience of the experimentation process. In this stage, encoding occurs to process the information that the students gathered from the experiment. 4) Record observations & 5) Report results: As students record their observations (whether the geometry shapes tiled or not), students used cognitive strategies, particularly note-taking of what occurred during the experiment. The students also structured and organized their observations as they wrote and reflected upon their observations. In these last two stages, the information gathered from the students experiments has moved into long-term memory. The students draw upon their declarative and procedural knowledge as they record and share their results with each other. At this stage, reporting results draws on the students abilities to store and retrieve their knowledge. Each group will share their results with the rest of the class where a summary chart

SYLLABUS CRITIQUE will be created. Overall, the scientific method supports the information processing perspective and the goals in education as it aligns with Blooms taxonomy by building on the most basic to higher levels of thinking. For example, when students develop hypotheses for their tessellation experiments it parallels the first level of Blooms taxonomy knowledge as students predict what they believe will happen based on their prior knowledge. During and after conducting the

experiment, students observe and write their results which relates to their comprehension as they compare what happened in their experiment to their original hypothesis. Furthermore, as students share and explain their results with their group members and the rest of the class they engage in higher levels of Blooms taxonomy including analysis, synthesis and evaluation. As a follow -up field exercise, when students observe and find tessellation patterns in the real world they are completing the applications aspect of Blooms taxonomy. Application of Behaviourism According to Standridge (2002), behaviourism is mainly concerned with observable and measurable aspects of human behaviour. For this lesson, aspects of behaviourism can be applied in several ways. The teacher provides a demonstration on creating a tessellation pattern using paper tiles. By doing so, students are engaging in observational learning by subsequently modeling behaviour. Additionally, shaping can help change a behavioural response over time and rewards can be provided to students for positive reinforcement. Classroom management techniques can also be applied as needed to promote desired behaviour. This includes punishment, contracts and extinction. An example of punishment being used in this context is taking away breaks for not following class rules. Also, contracts can be used between a student and teacher to focus on behavioural changes. Lastly, extinction can be used to eliminate certain

SYLLABUS CRITIQUE behaviour through a reward response system where good classroom behaviour is rewarded for learning to take place. Application of Situated Learning Situated learning involves the use of authentic, real-life activities in the creation of classroom tasks (Brown et al., 1989). Since math word problems tend to be formal this may contribute to a culture of math phobia. By creating an authentic learning activity such as the tiling experiment, students acquire experience and understanding of math through real life applications. Tiling is an example of an authentic learning activity. Additionally, an assigned homework activity where students identify tessellation patterns within their daily environment (i.e. school, home, etc.) supports situated learning as it provides another meaningful context for students. Cognitive apprenticeship is applied to this revised lesson as students learn in groups to collectively problem solve and collaborate with one another. Moreover, extensions of this lesson can lead to connections to other subjects. For example, for a 5th grade science class students can connect their learning from math tessellations

when they are studying insects by observing the intricate tessellation patterns that occur in nature (i.e. on the wings of a butterfly). Furthermore, the integration of tessellations across the curriculum can be made through the creation of a quilt and as the pattern on each quilt piece is created by students they can also connect this to a written storytelling or oral presentation exercise in English, social studies, or even history. Conclusion Overall, this revised lesson plan improves upon the previous lesson as it provides students with several authentic learning activities by engaging them in a tiling exercise, observational homework assignment, and by extending this math lesson on tessellations into

SYLLABUS CRITIQUE other relevant subjects. As such, I believe this revised lesson can complement or even replace aspects of Szeflers (2004) lesson as it has described how 3 different theoretical approaches: information processing, behaviourism, and situated learning can be effectively applied to a 5 th grade mathematics lesson on tessellations.

SYLLABUS CRITIQUE References Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, 18(1), 32-42. Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction. Toronto, ON: Pearson.

Good, R., Mellon, E. K., Kromhout, R. A. (1978). The work of Jean Piaget. Journal of Chemical Engineering, 55, 688-693. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed055p688 Hautau, B. L., Skinner, C. H., Pfaffman, J. Foster, S., & Clark, J. C. (2008). Extending the external validity of the color wheel procedures: Increasing on-task behavior in an urban kindergarten classroom. Journal of Evidence-Based Practices for Schools, 9, 3-17. Hutchins, E. (2000). Distributed cognition. Retrieved from http://eclectic.ss.uci.edu/~drwhite/Anthro179a/DistributedCognition.pdf John-Steiner, V. & Mahn, H. (1996). Sociocultural approaches to learning and development: A Vygotskian framework. Educational Psychologist, 31, 191-206. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=tru e&db=ehh&AN=9710150897&site=ehost-live Jones, M. G., & Brader-Araje, L. (2002). The impact of constructivism on education: Language, discourse, and meaning. American Communication Journal, 5(3), 1-10. Retrieved from http://ac-journal.org/journal/vol5/iss3/special/jones.pdf Lombardi, J. (2010, June 19). Ernst von Glasersfeld on teaching and radical constructivism [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YozoZxblQx8

SYLLABUS CRITIQUE Lutz, S., & Huitt, W. (2003). Information processing and memory: Theory and applications. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/papers/infoproc.pdf Matthews, W. J. (2003). Constructivism in the classroom: Epistemology, history, and empirical evidence. Teacher Education Quarterly, 30(3), 51-64. Retrieved from http://www.teqjournal.org/backvols/2003/30_3/matthews.pdf Orey, M. (2002). Information processing. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Information_processing Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning theories: An educational perspective. Boston, MA: Pearson. Standridge, M.. (2002). Behaviorism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Behaviorism Szefler, P. (2004). Annotated lesson: A 5th grade everyday math lesson tessellations. Retrieved from http://buffalostate.edu/pds/documents/Annotated%20Lesson%20Plan%20%20Math.pdf von Glasersfeld, E. (1996). Aspects of radical constructivism. Retrieved from http://www.vonglasersfeld.com/191 von Glasersfeld, E. (2008). Learning as a constructive activity. AntiMatters, 2(3), 33-49. Retrieved from http://anti-matters.org/articles/73/public/73-66-1-PB.pdf