Bondurant-Farrar Community Schools

Artifact
Artifact Title: Math Wall and Activities
Portfolio Author: Christina Cornia
Date: October 27, 2015
Iowa Teaching Standard 3 Demonstrates competence in planning and preparing for instruction.
a. Uses student achievement data, local standards, and the district curriculum in planning for
instruction.
b. Sets and communicates high expectations for social, behavioral, and academic success of all
students.
c. Uses student developmental needs, background, and interests in planning for instruction.
d. Selects strategies to engage all students in learning.
e. Uses resources, including technologies, in the development and sequencing of instruction

I chose this artifact to show:

X strength and competency in this standard
Evidence to support attainment of this standard:
Description of artifact and how the artifact meets the standard:
Represented in this artifact is an example of how math instruction engages students in their daily work. I have
a math board at the front of my classroom that is up to date with the skills we are learning and practicing.
During two chapters of multiplication the math board displayed with clue words for multiplication story
problems, examples of multiplication, and a problem with labels to show what each piece of a multiplication
problem is called. This particular component made it easier for students to use a reference point when asked
to identify the factors or product.
Additionally in math instruction I frequently ask students to use the whiteboards kept in their desks. In my
experience the students enjoy the opportunity to show their work in this manner. The students stay engaged
while they are working through a problem and when they are finished they immediately look to me to tell
them if they are right or wrong. I have students work with their white boards during guided practice as well as
during independent practice. I have a handful of students who prefer solving problems on their white board
with a partner as opposed to playing one of the math games. I encourage and allow this as the students are
still working with the skills and concepts and building on them in a different way.

Reflection on artifact:
I have found one downside of using the white boards so publicly is that students who do not know the answer
will look to their neighbors board, or what for a classmate to show me. These students then write down the
answer and dont do the work to prove it. A way I am working on to get around this is asking students to
show the ceiling their answer as opposed to me. I can then make my way around the classroom as I normally
would and still observe the work. Students who I see struggling will be those I work with independently or in a
small group setting. I think the white boards are a great tool for students to use and a great tool for myself to
check for understanding without a formal assessment.