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Goal

This grant request is for materials that will utilize collaborative activities and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) strategies in our mathematics classrooms. Our goal is to increase student engagement and achievement in the classroom. These supplementary materials will enhance our existing curriculum, are aligned with Florida mathematics standards and End of Course exams, and will enable students to develop a deep and meaningful understanding of mathematics concepts. This will ultimately lead to gains in our school’s SAT, ACT and End of Course Exam scores. 

What will be done with my students

These materials will supply teachers with a library of guided, structured notes, graphic organizers, guided practice, assessments, games and learning activities. Students will participate in student-centered, engaging, collaborative activities including scavenger hunts, relay races, math games, task cards, and math centers. These learning tasks provide students an opportunity to practice concepts learned in the classroom and receive immediate feedback through self-checking, peer review, and teacher input. An example of one such activity is a math maze. Students solve a problem which leads them to the next step in the maze. If they get each problem correct, they will exit the maze. If a student gets a problem wrong, this will eventually lead to a “dead end” and the student must go back and examine their work to find the mistake and correct it. Scavenger Hunts enable students to work collaboratively and move around the room while solving problems and provides students the opportunity to self-check. These activities give teachers more opportunities to provide one-on-one instruction to struggling students, differentiate instruction, and provide challenging tasks for students at all levels. The notes, graphic organizers and activities support the methodologies of the AVID instructional program: WICR (Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Reading) and include several AVID and Marzano strategies such as Cornell notes, pair-share, cooperative learning, and concept mapping. More importantly, these activities are fun and will increase student engagement. I have used several of these activities in my classroom this year and students’ comments have been positive. One reluctant student volunteered, “This was fun. Why can’t we practice like this more often?” 

Benefits to my students

These materials and activities will increase student engagement in the classroom. The structured notes require students to actively participate during teacher led instruction. Structured notes improve accuracy and efficiency of students’ note taking, leaving more class time for guided practice. Other benefits include increased retention of concepts, greater organization of ideas, and clearer connections to previously learned skills. When students work collaboratively, they are more likely to participate in the learning activity. They are afforded more opportunity to be successful even if they don't yet fully understand the concept being taught. Often, fear of failure prohibits students from completing their work. Mathematics must be practiced to be mastered and these activities instill confidence while providing practice and feedback. As instances of practice increase, so does student achievement in the classroom and on standardized tests.
If this grant is awarded, at least 750 students and 5 teachers a year will benefit from this grant.
 

Budget Narrative

The total for all desired materials is $2665.00. These materials are from Teachers Pay Teachers. (teacherspayteachers.com/All Things Algebra) Each set of materials is designed for use by a single teacher. We are requesting transferable licenses so that all future teachers will have access to these materials. These materials are constantly being upgraded and expanded. The licenses include any additional material and upgrades. We hope to combine this grant with a mini-grant from the Fernandina Beach High School Foundation so the project will be fully funded.  

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