Creating a "Do"-Type Activity

Do-type activities are to help students transfer information into knowledge and skills (Horton, 2011).  Types of Do activities are practice, discovery, games and simulations.

 Games and Simulations

These activities stimulate the learner’s curiosity through exploration and discovery by increasing their motivation to practice in a safe and encouraging environment, while preparing the learner to apply new knowledge to the real world.

Discovery activities encourage students to learn as they interact and make discoveries by conducting experiments using virtual labs or incorporate stories into case studies with a computer-mediated scenario.

 Classifying activities develop data collection skills by inputting information into various tools as a guide for analysis.  This helps learners to track, label, and illustrate in order to formulate an answer.  

Classifying

 Hands-on activities allow learners to participate in the actual construction of knowledge as they explore and performing the task with guidance to help them apply theory.  Monitoring learning by capturing screen snapshots of the results for record keeping.

Hands On

Practice activities are to refine skills, increase accuracy, speed, and become fluent in performance.They apply learned knowledge and acquired skills.

According to William Horton, guided-analysis provides step-by-step instructions to strengthen the learner’s ability to perform a multifaceted cognitive task (2011).  

These activities will build confidence and become the essential foundation of knowledge in order for students to move to higher thinking skills.

 A "Do" Activity

Practice

Helping students comprehend word problems and find success would enhance their confidence and ability to successfully solve word problems, especially frustrating for even strong math students. A pretest will be conducted prior to the activity to find each individual's level of understanding.

"Some ideas for alternative ways to approach solving word problems are to only identify what steps are needed, analyze and discuss already solved problems, or explain out loud what steps to use" (Andrew, 2010).  Learners will problem solve by listening or reading word problems, analyze the information, select the appropriate operation, and calculate to find the solution. 

The lesson begins by scaffolding, giving support, and gradually allowing the student to work independently. The independent work should take 10-15 minutes.

The last four questions will be used to assess and measure for mastery.  Copies of the PowerPoint pages will be used as worksheets. 

"Ideally, assessment describes the progress of a child’s learning not just after a single test but over time" (Hughes & Gullo, 2010, p 57).  The learners will attain mastery after completing along the path of absorb, do, and connect activities.

Andrew, T. (2010) Read more at Suite101: Math Teaching Strategies for Students Struggling With Concept. Suite101.com Retrieved from http://suite101.com/article/math-teaching-strategies-   for-students-struggling-with-concepts-a236118#ixzz1yIGCGbao

Horton, William. (2011). e-Learning by Design, 2nd Edition.  

           John Wiley & Sons (P&T).

Hughes, K. & Gullo, D. (2010).  Joyful Learning and Assessment in Kindergarten.   

       NAEYC. p 57 Retrieved from www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/201005/YCOnOurMinds 

       Online0510.pdf