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** 4. Teachers know how to teach. ** The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies, including the use of technology, to encourage children's development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

Evidence 4: Integer Podcasts

Rationale 4: This podcast was created for use in my 7th grade math class as part of the unit on integers and number concepts for pre-algebra. Students sometimes struggle with finding a way to remember the different rules of integer use and this podcast was created as a way to introduce them to an acronym that is helpful in memorizing the rules. I have found that using an acronym is the best way to get students this age to remember rules that are so essential to success in all further math units. Not all students are good at memorizing facts and rules so by using a podcast they are able to hear the rules, the acronym that represents them, and hear simple examples for them them to relate back to. The students that are more auditory can listen to the podcast whenever they want instead of just relying on looking at written notes and examples.

Before enrolling in this program I had no idea what a podcast was and certainly not how to use one as a tool for instruction. Being able to create podcasts and teach my students how to create them as a way to aid in memorization and strengthen their performance skills is invaluable to me as a teacher. I now have another instructional tool to work with when planning my lessons.

KSD

4.K.1.: The teacher understands the cognitive processes associated with various kinds of leanring (e.g. critical and creative thinking, problem structuring, invention, memorization and recall) and how these processes can be stimulated.

Memorization of integer rules is often difficult for students. Providing them with the acronym and an auditory tool helps to cement the rules into their memory. The more they hear it, the more they remember it and use it.

4.S.1.: The teacher carefully evaluates how to achieve learning goals, choosing alternative teaching strategies and materials to achieve different instructional purposes and to meet student needs (e.g. developmental stages, prior knowledge, learning styles, learning differences, and interests).

In seventh grade one of my biggest goals is to get all my students competent and confident in working with positive and negative number operations. Learning and remembering the integer rules is always easier for some students and completely challenging for others. Simply giving them the rules and having them posted in the room is not always an effective way to get all my students using the rules correctly. I have found that by adding the auditory piece and the acronym that I am able to reach more students.

4.D.1.: The teacher values the development of students’ critical thinking, independent problem solving, and performance capabilities.

I know that not all of my students will master the task of remembering the rules for operations with integers in seventh grade as it is an abstract concept. We always continue the process in the eight grade year as well. It is comforting to me to know that the podcast is available for those students who need it to aid in their performance of interger operations.