Peer Review Comments

Title of Learning Experience: “Exploring Coins”

Standard Area: MST- Math, Science & Technology

Teacher: Allison Andrews

Recorder: Laura Hartman

Reviewers: Amy Wroblewski, Laura Hartman, Heather Gramza, Heidi Memminger, Shawna Lefort

Attribute / Warm Comment / Cool Comment / Response
Relation to the Standards / Standards are focused on lesson and extended through grade level. / Science Performance Indicators are listed but Science Standards are not. / The performance indicators are Measurement and Statistics PI’s.
Intellectual Challenge / Integrating coins and tally marks are connected with skills that will be needed in real world situations. / To increase comprehension of higher leveled coin understanding. Touch Money could be introduced to aid visual learners. / Touch Money would have been nice, if available. Students used real coins as tactile manipulatives.
Assessment / Pre-Assessment allows for a comparison with the post assessment and monitors students progress. / The summative assessment is an oral discussion and cannot be individually measured. / Students are not graded on their performance, Later on they are individually assessed for report cards.
Engagement / The use of piggy banks and real coins made the lesson authentic for the learners. / To use coins during morning message during the calendar to equal the date would add another connection. / That is something we do. Not included in this lesson however.
Adaptability / Use of hundreds chart and giving quarters to higher level learners provided differentiated instruction. / A desk chart of coins and their worth would reinforce the concept. / Good idea! Thanks!
Technology / Everyday Math computer program that tracks progress motivates students to use their best effort. / To extend the lesson more interactive money worksheets could be explored. / That was part of the rest of the unit. This lesson is more of an overall view of what the students learned.
Relation to the Standards / The standards and performance indicators specified aligned to the Learning Experience. / Not utilizing the Everyday Math program as suggested may alter the students’ educational learning path. / This lesson was used in conjunction with Everyday Math.
Intellectual Challenge / Giving the “quarter bag” to the higher level learners was a good way to differentiate instruction as was the use of the aide to help scaffold the lower lever learners.
Assessment / The pre-assessment tool was a great way to determine the students’ educational level. / Using words such as “complete, substantial, and understanding” on a rubric may be considered subjective depending upon the grader.
Engagement / The use of the work matt and coin piggy banks is a very engaging way to involve the students in learning. / Maybe have the students write“I am” stories. They could choose a coin and describe themselves. This would reinforce the concept in a creative way. / I like that idea!
On this same day for writers workshop students had to write stories about what they would do if they had a dollar in coins.
Adaptability / The use of the various manipulatives provided great visuals for the students.
Technology / The use of the “Money Math” games, from the Everyday Math program, on the computer was an engaging way for students to further practice the money skill utilizing technology.
Relation to the Standards / Standards are from Pre-K, K & 1st but that is good because of increasing demands/ standards of kindergarten and the performance indicators needed were not present under grade K.
Intellectual Challenge / Tally marks being changed into money makes the students think a little more-not so concrete, more abstract. / Have students possibly write an “I am” story to integrate both math and writing.
Assessment / Summative Assessment where the students have to decide if it is better to have more of one type of coin than another is a great way to get them thinking about the value of each coin. / On the rubric it may be hard to judge how well the students were working with others when there are several groups. / There were 4 groups and three teachers in the room. I walked around the groups as they worked and took note of how well each person was working with others.
Engagement / Sorting coins into piggy banks is a great way to get the students to touch/look at money.
Poem/Song called Coins, Coins is a fun way to get students thinking about money-the way it looks and also the values.
Adaptability / Students who are not as proficient got to work with an aid in the room. / Hundreds Chart to assist students who may be having difficulty with understanding. / The is a large hundreds chart in the front of the room as well as a smaller individual one in each group.
Technology / Numerous websites the students could use to further practice coins is good for reinforcing ideas.
Relation to the Standards / Had to meet new demands like how you branched off of the Everyday Math program.
Intellectual Challenge / Nice job varying some of the activities for higher level learners. / Maybe a “challenge” question could have been given to the groups. / I like that idea and will use it in the future.
Assessment / The discussion of why you would want more or less numbers of coins is a great way to check understanding. / Maybe you could have set up a little store for them to spend play money. / I wanted to set up a store, however it was not my classroom and time would not allow.
Engagement / Groups are good for them. They help keep the students focused. / How did the grade K students work with one another? / These students work great in pairs/ groups. They do a lot of buddy work in other areas.
Adaptability / I think that the pre-assessment could have easily been made for those who have difficulty cutting or matching a little easier. / I tried to make it as easy as possible. For this particular group of students they didn’t have trouble with cutting.
Technology / I really like the games in the lab-very engaging.
Relation to the Standards / Learning Standards directly relate to task at hand. Great job exploring their grade levels as well. / First Essential Question can be given in an immediate direct answer. Create a broader, higher level essential question to engage student thought. / I went back and changed the essential question.
Intellectual Challenge / Many learning styles were engaged. / Learning experience could have had students search for in-depth understanding by utilizing resources in the community. / This would have been nice and possible if it were my own classroom.
Assessment / Pre-Assessment addressed several tasks which could direct your future instruction. Your use of a histogram to chart student levels seemed very beneficial for an evaluation. / Student growth could have been part of a grade. / Students in this classroom at this level are not graded they are evaluated on whether or not they have an understanding. I added an explanation of the evaluation.
Engagement / Effective link to poetry to engage more multiple intelligences.
Adaptability / Differentiation was seen when different groups were given different types and amounts of coins, based on student ability level.
Technology / Everyday Math games allows students to have fun while learning as well as allow teachers to track student progress over time.