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Theories in Action: Final Project

Evaluation of enVision Mathematics Grade 1 Topic 5 Unit

EIST 6101- Fall 2019

Daniel Donovan
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Introduction:

For the past several years, I have served as an elementary school teacher. I

have worked in two states: Connecticut and North Carolina. While teaching, I have

had the opportunity to work with students in grades: 1, 3, 5 and 6. Through teaching

these grade levels, I have encountered many different teaching approaches

including: Discussion Approach, Experiential Approach, Problem- Based Approach.

However, the most common method of instruction I used is the Direct Instruction

Approach. Direct Instruction can be described by saying, “It is an instructional

model that focuses on the interaction between teachers and students.” (Magliaro,

Lockee, & Burton, 2005, p. 41) As a teacher, I have used this approach in many of my

lessons across multiple grade levels and content areas. I find this to be an

appropriate explanation of it and find it to be an effective approach to instruction.

Direct Instruction is an important approach to learning as it can be utilized

across all content areas. Teachers can use it to introduce new concepts to learners

in: English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. For the purposes of this

paper, I will be evaluating the Math Curriculum adopted by the Charlotte-

Mecklenburg School District. The math curriculum is called envision Mathematics. I

will be focusing on the Fifth Topic of instruction for a first grade class. The program

utilizes many instructional strategies including: Direct Instruction, Guided Practice

and Independent Practice. This process is similar to a workshop approach in which

the teacher will introduce a concept, provide a chance for learners to practice what
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they learned with support from a teacher and independent practice where the

teacher will have learners complete newly gained knowledge on their own.

The enVision Mathematics curriculum, uses a variety frameworks included in

the Direct Instruction Approach. This paper focuses on ways in which the Direct

Instruction Approach is used and modified to meet student needs. Further, this

paper will discuss areas where the authors might want to add additional

components from the Direct Instruction Approach in order to enhance and track

student learning.

Unit Design Overview

The enVision Mathematics Curriculum contains fourteen topics or units of

instruction. For this project I am evaluating the fifth topic of instruction. At the

beginning the unit there are several pages that explain what students will learn over

the course of the unit. The opening pages contain the following components:

 Lesson Number

 Mathematic Objectives

 Essential Understanding (what is important for each student to know and

understand)

 Vocabulary

 Materials (needed for each lesson)

 Technology and Activity Centers (resources in the room to enhance student

achievement)
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 Resources found in books, which accompany the unit package. (Pearson

Education Inc. 2020, p. 209a- 209b)

 Explanations of key topics covered in the unit of study

 Resources which explain the knowledge in which learners come to the lesson

having already learned and how this unit will build on future understanding

(Pearson Education Inc. 2020, p. 209e-209f)

 Intervention explanations for those on or below grade level

At the beginning of each lesson, the curriculum developers include a script for the

teacher to follow. Furthermore each lesson uses the following format:

1. Solve and Share

2. Visual Learning Bridge

3. Independent Practice

Application of Theory:

EnVisions Mathematics Curriculum applies a Direct Instruction Approach.

According our class textbook, “It is labeled as a transactional model because it

emphasizes teacher/ student interaction at teach point in the lesson.” (Huitt,

Monetti, & Hummel, 2009, p. 80) The authors assert, “This model proposes four

categories of methods of instruction: (A) a presentation phase; (B) a practice phase;

(C) a summative assessment; and (D) methods dealing with monitoring students

and giving them feedback.” (Huitt, Monetti, & Hummel, 2009, p. 80) All of these

phases are used in some way in the enVision Mathematics curriculum.

Presentation Phase:
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One of the components of the Direct Instruction Approach is a presentation

phase. In this phase, learners are introduced to what the students are going to learn.

“Teachers state the objectives and how the student is to be held accountable for the

learning activity.” (Huitt, Monetti, & Hummel, 2009, p. 82) In the unit of study,

students are introduced to a “Solve and Share,” students are given a problem for

which they will be expected to know how to solve at the end of the lesson. The

teacher will pose questions to the class to help students begin generating ideas

about what they already know and how they might be able to solve the problem.

Through asking guiding questions, “Teachers and students go over previously

learned knowledge or skills that are relevant or prerequisite to the new learning

that is to take place.” (Huitt, Monetti, & Hummel, 2009, p. 81) These guiding

questions provide review, which is crucial in the initial phase of instruction.

Learners are also able to see what they are going to be able to do by the end of the

lesson by seeing a question that (while they are unfamiliar with in the moment) they

will be able to solve at the end of the lesson. As students attempt to solve the

problem, the teacher circulates the room providing guiding questions. The teacher is

gathering data; discovering who understands the content before it is taught and

who might need remediation. This idea follows Hunter’s Design of Effective Lesson

Model. In this model “Her initial phase is called an “anticipatory set” and provides

the introduction to the lesson by trying to connect with a “mental set” that children

already hold.” (Magliaro, Lockee, & Burton, 2005, p. 49) Through this analysis, the

teacher assesses background knowledge on the topic.

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After completion of the “Solve and Share” learners will come to the carpet

and will complete the “Visual Learning Bridge.” This occurs in every lesson. The

“Visual Learning Bridge” is a brief (often 2- 3 minute) video poses an Essential

Question for the lesson. This helps learners hear what they are going to learn by the

end of the lesson. Each video has multiple stopping points for which the teacher is

able to pose scripted questions for students to reflect on. These questions along

with the video provide opportunity in the lesson to “Probe and Respond.” (Huitt,

Monetti, & Hummel, 2009, p. 84) According to the book, “Teachers probe the

students regarding their initial understanding.” (Huitt, Monetti, & Hummel, 2009, p.

84) Through this the teacher is able to gather informal data to see which learners

understand the content. The video contains multiple stopping points during the

video. This allows teachers multiple opportunities to determine who may or may

not understand the content.

The Practice Phase:

After displaying the Visual Learning Bridge, the teacher is prompted to go to

the “Guided Practice section.” This page in the online curriculum is a page, which

mirrors the students’ workbooks. Often on this page are images of portions of the

Visual Learning Bridge. At the bottom of the page are between two and four math

equations, which align with the lesson objective. This aligns Direct Instruction

Model. “Students practice the newly learned knowledge or skills under the teacher’s

direct supervision.” (Huitt, Monetti, & Hummel, 2009, p. 85) While the teacher

leading the discussion, volunteers are called before the class to solve the problem.

As students work on the board, students watching are turning and talking to their
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partner explaining how they would solve the problem. As this is happening, “The

teacher must actively monitor student activity while providing immediate

feedback.” (Huitt, Monetti, & Hummel, 2009, p. 84) As students solve the teacher is

providing guiding questions, provided by the book to help support student thinking

and help learners avoid misconceptions.

After the teacher and students complete the Guided Practice portion of the

lesson. Students move into their Independent Practice stations. “Students practice

the new concepts independently. This may be done in the classroom or at home.”

(Huitt, Monetti, & Hummel, 2009, p. 85) In the case of the enVision Mathematics

curriculum, it is done both in the classroom and at home. In line with the Direct

Instruction Approach, the teacher allows students to work while the teacher is

working with small groups.

The Assessment and Evaluation Phase:

The enVisions Mathematics Curriculum uses both Formative and Summative

Assessment. In each lesson, the enVision Curriculum provides three questions from

the independent practice. According to the curriculum guide, “Check mark indicates

items for describing differentiation.” (Pearson Education Inc. 2020, p. 215) The

types of question and the number differ from lesson to lesson however, the belief of

the curriculum is if the learner is able to get that type of question, then the student

has shown master. This is a great example of Formative Assessment. This is because,

“Data from the previous methods of probing and responding, guided and

independent practice, and periodic review activities might be used.” (Huitt, Monetti,

& Hummel, 2009, p. 86) Because there is a formative assessment built into the
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lesson, teachers can use this to determine who has mastered the content and who

needs remediation.

At the end of the unit, there is a Summative Assessment. According to the

book, “Teachers gather summative data to see if students have mastered the

required concepts and skills.” (Huitt, Monetti, & Hummel, 2009, p. 86) The questions

go over content reviewed from other the course of the unit. This is the strongest

indicator for student understanding of the content.

Monitoring and Feedback:

In the enVision Mathematics Curriculum, teachers are given worksheets

which allow for learners to receive either remediation or enrichment. On the

worksheets are things for the teacher to say to the learner. This allows for the

learners to engage in the content in a different way. According to Huitt, Monett, &

Hummel, “The student will sometimes need a cue or prompt in order to be able to

recall the required information to demonstrate a desired skill.” (p. 87) Furthermore,

these strategic cues is often referred to as scaffolding this, “Refers to the

instructional support provided to students as they learn new skills, content and

dispositions.” (Magliaro, Lockee, & Burton, 2005, p. 51) The cues provided in the

curriculum allow for an increased likelihood students will master the content.

Recommendations:

The developers of the enVision Mathematic Curriculum developed effective

content for their learners. However, when looking deep into the unit of study, there

are some areas where some elements of the Direct Instruction Approach could be

added to enhance the instruction.

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Presentation Phase: What

Part of the requirements for effective following of the Direct Instruction

Approach is clearly stated lesson objectives. According to Huitt, Monett & Hummel,

“Teachers state the objectives and how the student is to be held accountable for the

learning activity.” (p.82) In this unit of study, the lesson objective is written on the

student’s workbook page where they complete the “Solve & Share.” However, in the

teacher’s guide the teacher is not expected to explicitly state the lesson objective.

Furthermore, a group of first grade students will likely overlook and not see the

objective they are expected to attain by the end of the lesson. It is recommended, the

Lesson Objective be more explicitly stated at the beginning of the lesson. This is

because learners may become confused or frustrated by the Solve and Share if they

are not readily able to identify what it is they are expected to do by the end of the

lesson. To avoid this, the script should include what the lesson objective is for the

lesson. This will give students a clue as to what it is they are going to learn in each

lesson.

Monitoring and Feedback: Cues and Prompts

During the Visual Learning Bridge portion of the presentation phase, videos

pose questions to the learner. The video allows for learners to have natural stopping

points for which learners stop and think about the content they are learning.

Students stop and think, followed by turn and talk to their neighbors about a

response the question. While this can be helpful sometimes students may need

additional support. Huit, Monetti & Hummel say, “When a student is in what

Vygotsky called the Zone of Proximal Development, the student will sometimes need
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a cue or prompt in order to be able to recall the required information or

demonstrate the desired skill.” (p. 87) From this one can infer students might need

supports or responses from the teacher in order to master the content. That is

hearing ideas from a peer may not be enough. From this, it is recommended the

curriculum develop responses during the Visual Learning Bridge in order to help

increase student mastery of content in the unit.

The Presentation Phase: Corrective Feedback

In using the enVision Mathematic Curriculum, teachers ask students multiple

questions as each lesson proceeds. The way the scripts are written, the teacher

seemingly asks the questions and the students answer them. While this is beneficial

for students to learn from each other, the curriculum developers need to provide

scripts for which teachers can incorporate what to say when learners do not

understand the content. Furthermore, due to the scripted nature of the lessons

explanations for the students should be provided for correct and incorrect answers.

According the book, “An important principle is that students should not only hear or

see the correct answers; they should also know why a particular answer is correct

or incorrect.” (Huitt, Monetti & Hummel, 2009, p. 87) From this if the guide provided

explanations to the teacher (and by extension to the students) learners’ students

would have greater understanding of the content they are learning.

The Practice Phase: Periodic Review

When looking at the Independent Practice for this unit, it is noted there is

limited review of previous concepts. According to one resource, “Teachers would be

well served, when designing instruction, to make sure students have opportunities
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to revisit material learned a week, a month or even a previously… Students need

practice retrieving that information and using it appropriately.” (Huitt, Monetti, &

Hummel, 2009, p. 85) From this one can see there is value in having practice solving

problems they learned in previous lessons or units. When looking at this unit of

instruction, it is apparent there is little to no review of concepts learned in prior

lessons or topics. From this a criticism might be, the topics move too quickly. To

help offset, or slow down the curriculum, the authors should provide additional

practice problems to types of problems learned in prior lessons or units.

The Assessment and Evaluation Phase:

One area of concern with the enVision Mathematic Unit is the Summative

Assessment. “Teachers gather summative assessment data to see if students have

mastered the required concepts and skills.” (Huitt, Monetti, & Hummel, 2009, p. 86)

When looking at the Topic 5 Assessment, several questions and concerns are noted.

Most notably is the length of the assessment. The assessment is approximately eight

questions long. For some learners the length of the assessment might be difficult.

Another concern is the lack of a pre-assessment provided by the curriculum.

Summative Assessments allow for learners to showcase their learning after

receiving the instruction. However, the enVision Mathematics curriculum does not

provide a pre- assessment. A pre- assessment would provide valuable insight, as it

would allow for teacher to see what prior knowledge students have prior to starting

the unit of instruction. If teachers had this data, then teachers would be able to

increase the instructional rigor for higher achieving students.

Conclusion:
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The Grade One enVision Mathematic Topic 5 Unit of Study was evaluated

based on the Direct Instruction model. The curriculum uses many of the Direct

Instruction practices mentioned by Huitt, Monetti, & Hummel. The topic overview

provides teachers an opportunity to see the content covered in the unit. Following

Direct Instruction protocol, the unit provides teachers with opportunities to

differentiate material and provides teachers with guiding questions for their

students. The curriculum provides questions for teachers to check in and monitor

student understandings. The overall area of growth is the need for a more explicit

approach if the curriculum is to fully follow the Direct Instruction Approach. This is

seen through providing clearly stated lesson objectives, providing teacher

opportunity to teach beyond the script provided and homework aligned to the

curriculum. Overall it seems the unit is effective in its design to teach learners how

to identify True or False equations and story problems with three addends.

References:

Huitt, W. G., Monetti, D. M., & Hummel, J. H. (2009). Direct approach to instruction. In
C. Reigeluth & A. Carr-Chellman (Eds.) Instructional design theories
and models. New York: Routledge.


Magliaro, S.G., Lockee, B.B., & Burton, J.K. (2005). Direct instruction revisited: A key
model for instructional technology . Educational Technology,
Research, & Development, 53(4), 41-55.

Pearson, Inc. enVision Mathematics: Volume 1 Topics 1-7. Pearson Education, Inc.
(2020) Glenview, Illinois.