Section A. Core Materials

1.      Core content – topics and core reasons

            {A description of the main topics you aim to cover and why you are choosing to introduce them in the ways you have chosen. It could be that you are using an activity from the Summer Institute, or adapting existing curriculum materials or experimenting with new curriculum. Your reasons for focusing on a particular theme or content area is critical. Expected format: Word/PDF; Textbox for comments}

2.      Materials

            {Examples include: Student handouts or worksheets; a description of resources you might use and why you are using them, e.g. manipulatives, software, hardware; teacher workbook or guide; notes from the Institute. Expected format: Word document; PDF from a scanner; Textbox for comments}

3.      Essential questions/Lesson Plan

            {This is a specific plan for the class or set of classes that you will use your portfolio in. This should be a very detailed plan and be based on templates used in our Summer Institute or ones that you have used in your schools. It should be time-based, complete with intended outcomes, i.e. what you expect your students to do and expect them to learn. This will probably take the form of a table and should be written in a clear way that someone participating in the class you would be implementing the lesson could follow along to, cognizant of your prior planning. You should also include the MA Frameworks that your

activity(s) will address. A full set of Frameworks for your grades are included in your binder and are available from the website. Expected format: Table in Word/PDF; Textbox for comments. An example template will be on the website.}

4.      Assessment piece

            {This can take many forms and might be administered during the class that you are planning to implement your portfolio, or in subsequent classes. In addition to the actual form of assessment it should include reasons for choosing the type of assessment as well as your expectations of how it will inform you of your students’ learning. Expected format: Word document; PDF from a scanner; Textbox or comments}

5.      Differentiated Instructional Techniques

            {If you are planning to use such techniques then outline the different kinds of methods you will be using and how they each attend to the core idea and aim of the activity. A template will be provided on the course website. Expected format: Table in Word/PDF; Textbox for comments}

 

Section B. Teacher Awareness Piece

1.      Types of potential student misconceptions.

            {During the Summer Institute we will be focusing on mathematical problem-solving each day, examining our own abilities and new ways of conceptualizing mathematical ideas. We will also observe how young children solve mathematical problems, and the different types of strategies they use. This section should analyze the specific content areas of your chosen activity(s) and your perceptions of how your students will have difficulties with learning the specific mathematical ideas which your portfolio focuses on. This section should details these and how you are preparing to address these misconceptions or other needs in your class. Specifying these here prior to the intervention will give you and any observers deeper insights into how you have prepared for certain types of questions/interactions/exhibited mathematical problem-solving behaviors. Expected format: Word/PDF; Textbox for comments}

2.      Specific Learning Aims and Outcomes

            {Specify your reasons for choosing to focus on the specific mathematical topics and the design of your final activity. Try to answer the following questions: What are your aims and how does your planned style of teaching attend to the effective delivery of such aims? What are the learning aims for your activity? Learning aims are more focused on the types of mathematical behaviors you wish your students to demonstrate either during, or in subsequent, classes. Learning outcomes are closely linked to aims, but are what you actually wish your students to demonstrate if they meet your learning aims, e.g. I wish them to perform addition (aim); they added 2 and 2 correctly (outcome). Expected format: Word/PDF; Textbox for comments}

3.      Pedagogical Analysis

            {Some of these will be in your lesson plan but this section allows for more analysis and reflection of your own styles of teaching and expectations. It might also include reflections of your own styles of teaching, and classroom norms that you have. You might also include specific strategies or techniques for teaching a new unit in a certain way that you have recently adopted, e.g. an inquiry-based style of teaching. Include: i. types of questions to ask, ii. pre-analysis of how effective these might be, iii. anticipated students responses. Expected format: Word/PDF; Textbox for comments}

4.      Link into MCAS scores with available data if possible

            {You should include any data here from MCAS or your school/district that flags the chosen activity/mathematical topic as something important or even critical for your school. Expected format: Word/Excel/PDF; Textbox for comments}

 

Section C. Logistics

1.      Implementation of Portfolio Activity(s)

            {When/where/why/for what reason will you be implementing the activity. It is expected that this section will be completed following consultation with Dr Hegedus, Chris Mars and/or Dona Apple as well as your own colleagues as you share your work-in-progress. Expected format: Word/PDF document; Textbox for comments}

2.      Curriculum Mapping

{This would be more general and longitudinal than your lesson plan, as it should describe the aims, benchmarks and content for a whole month, for example, parts of your existing curriculum that will be used during that period, core ideas and essential broad questions to be addressed, and where this portfolio fits in. There will be examples of templates to use on the course website. Expected format: Table in Word/PDF; Textbox for comments}