Running Head: SQUARE SPACE LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
Square Space Lesson 1
Pi Day Celebration: Square Space Lesson Implementation
Katie Heuer
The University of Akron
Mr. Farmakidis, M.A.
Integrating and Implementing Technology
5150:638:630
Spring 2012
Running Head: SQUARE SPACE LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
Square Space Lesson 2
Name: Katie Heuer
Lesson Plan Title: Square Space Pi Day Lesson
Subject Area(s): Advanced Math
Grade Level(s): 6
Content
Objectives/Indicators:
 Standard: Number, Number Sense, & Operations
 Benchmark: By the end of the 5–7 program:
D. Use symbolic algebra to represent and explain mathematical relationships.
 Indicator (Gr. 7): 3. Describe differences between rational and irrational numbers; e.g., use
technology to show that some numbers (rational) can be expressed as terminating or
repeating decimals and others (irrational) as non-terminating and non-repeating
decimals.
 Objective: Students will be able to identify rational and irrational numbers, and estimate
problems involving irrational values.
 Standard: Measurement Standard
 Benchmark: By the end of the 5–7 program:
C. Identify appropriate tools and apply appropriate techniques for measuring angles,
perimeter or circumference and area of triangles, quadrilaterals, circles and composite
shapes, and surface area and volume of prisms and cylinders.
 Indicator (Gr. 6): 2. Use strategies to develop formulas for finding circumference and area of
circles, and to determine the area of sectors; e.g., ½ circle, 2/3 circle,1/3 circle, ¼ circle.
3. Estimate perimeter or circumference and area for circles, triangles and quadrilaterals,
and surface area and volume for prisms and cylinders by: a. estimating lengths using
string or links, areas using tiles or grid, and volumes using cubes; b. measuring attributes
(diameter, side lengths, or heights) and using established formulas for circles, triangles,
rectangles, parallelograms and rectangular prisms.
 Objective: Students will be able to determine appropriate formulas and use them to solve
problems involving circumference, radius, and diameter of a circle.
 Standard: Geometry & Spatial Sense
 Benchmark: By the end of the 5-7 program:
B. Draw circles, and identify and determine the relationships among the radius, diameter,
center and circumference.
 Indicator (Gr. 5): 1. Draw circles, and identify and determine relationships among the radius,
diameter, center and circumference; e.g., radius is half the diameter, the ratio of the
circumference of a circle to its diameter is an approximation of π.
 Objective: Students will recall information concerning circumference, radius, and diameter.
Students will connect and determine the relationships among circum., radius, & diameter.
Prior Knowledge/Prerequisites:
I celebrate pi day with my students each year. Therefore, they are familiar with aspects of this
mathematical phenomenon. So, as they progress through the lesson hosted by Square Space, they will
recall prior knowledge surrounding pi in relation to how it can be represented. By this point in the 6th
grade, they should be aware of the symbol, decimal, and fractional representation. We also completed a
circle activity earlier in the year where students used a piece of string to find the circumference and
diameter of objects at home. They used these measurements to compare the ratios formed by the values
Running Head: SQUARE SPACE LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
Square Space Lesson 3
of these different objects, and stumbled upon values close to pi. They will activate what they learned
throughout the pages of this site, and extend their knowledge on the history and applications of pi.
Pedagogy : Identify and Discuss Pedagogical Decisions
Pre-Assessment:
No pre-assessment will be given. This is an extension and enrichment lesson for the concept of
pi. It will not only provide them with background information, but strengthen their skills while
celebrating pi on pi day (March 14th).
Formative and Summative Assessments:
One method for conducting a formative assessment will be through teacher observation. While
students are working their way through the Pi Day site, I will be circulating to make sure students are
progressing as they should through each page, as well as staying on track with the tasks. They will have
assignments outlined on the lesson home page, and will perform numerous activities, including viewing
a fun instructional video.
Another formative assessment will be based on the student homework assignment. On the Pi
Activity page, each student will be instructed to create a Pi Mascot for the class. It must be colorful,
creative, and contain a name or slogan. The design must include aspects and details of pi obtained from
the Pi Day website. This part of the assignment will be collected and graded the following day.
Lastly, a summative assessment will be made through the completion and collection of student
quizzes. As stated in their assignment directions, they will print and complete a quiz from the Pi
Activity page, once they have read through the About Pi page and watched the video. The questions
contained in the quiz should be answerable based on thorough student participation in the About Pi
section of the website, as well as from their prior knowledge of the material. The quiz will then be
turned in by the end of the day, preferably the end of class, and evaluated.
The observation technique used in the formative assessment was chosen because it allows me to
observe students as they are working in order to see how they do navigating throughout the site and
following the information. It enables me to keep track of student progress, and make note of those
staying on task. The additional formative assessment tool of having students complete a Pi Mascot for
homework gives each student a chance to individually express what they have discovered about pi. It
not only allows me to assess what they have taken away from the lesson, but allows them to express
what they have learned in a fun and creative way.
For the summative assessment, a quiz taken after the lesson will serve to test students not only on
what they previously knew about pi, but also on what they have learned specifically within the Pi Day
site. Since student will be made aware of this quiz in the home page, the hope is that it will motivate
them to stay on track and take in as much information as they can, based on what is provided. Just as
they complete the lesson individually online, they will do the same with the quiz. The scores on the quiz
will indicate that objectives were met during the lesson.
Technology plays a large role in both the lesson implementation and quiz assessment. The
instructional content is delivered through means of a learning site created through the Square Space
program, and this is how the information necessary to complete the homework and quiz is disseminated
to students. Technology is also needed to locate, print, and obtain the final quiz.
The results from the homework and quiz assessments will be shared with students through the
return of their graded work. Both items will be collected and evaluated specifically by me, the teacher.
Students will receive their quizzes in hand the next day, so that they obtain immediate feedback. The
same will go for their Pi Mascot posters; however, these will most likely be hung outside the class with
the winning mascot presented front in center within the classroom. Students would also have the option
Running Head: SQUARE SPACE LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
Square Space Lesson 4
of viewing their grades before coming to class, if they have been entered into the teacher grade book on
Edline.
Models of Instruction/Instructional Strategies:
This lesson is designed to be delivered through an indirect instructional strategy. Since direct
instruction was used to prepare students with a great deal of prior knowledge on this particular topic, I
feel students would do well with the indirect model for this lesson. As this strategy is naturally more
student-centered, they will proceed through the lesson in the WBLS individually. This requires them to
take on more personal responsibility for the content, and become more involved in any observation
and/or investigation they may need to perform. My role in this process is that of the facilitator. I will be
providing them with the environment and directions needed to access the learning system, and will be
available if confirmation and feedback are needed throughout the process. In the end, I will hold a class
discussion led by student quiz responses and students observation to summarize the main ideas and
connections of the instruction.
Procedures/Activities:
There are many activities planned out to support learning in the Square Space Pi Day lesson.
When student initially log into the site, they will read through an introductory page that will provide
them with not only their next steps in the lesson, but also give them a brief overview of required
assignments for their final evaluations. These directions will take them to the About Pi page where they
will begin their exploration of pi, its background, and its applications. Within this information, they will
also watch a video on pi to give them a visual representation of the material. In addition, they will find
pictures that will serve to provide illustrations for the information they are taking in. So, not only is the
site helping to host the pi lesson, but it gives me a format that makes it easier to include more images
and audio/video commentary to go right along with the content as it is being explored.
When they are finished learning more information on the mathematical number pi, they will
move onto the Pi Activity page. It is here that they will access, print, and complete the Pi Quiz.
This activity will supply the teacher with data on how well the students understood the presented
information, completed the reading and viewings as instructed, and whether they were able to
retain/connect the material. They will then be instructed to hand this into the teacher by the end of the
class/day (as determined necessary). Since this lesson is being conducted on Pi Day, and therefore in
one class period, having the material presented in an online format with easy access to the text, images,
and videos, allows students the ability to reread and re-watch any details provided to give them more
repetition and confirmation on the content. This will ensure that they will be ready for a quiz given so
quickly in that same time frame.
A second activity described on the Pi Activity page is that of having student create and design a
Pi Mascot for the class. All the directions and requirements for the mascot will be provided in the
instructions, and the teacher will even provide the sheets for the mascot design if students prefer. In
short, the mascot must be colorful, connect in some way to pi, and have a slogan or name attached it.
This will be an additional way for the teacher to assess whether the students have taken something away
from the days lesson. It will be expected to be completed and turned in the following day when we will
return to the classroom and summarize our findings.
Lastly, there will be several other additional activities provided to support the lesson content.
These will be optional, but recommended, as they give further acknowledgment and direction to the
lesson and most importantly to pi. Most of these will be found on the More Pi page of the site lesson.
Here there will be a pi song played and animated through a video. The hope is that students will watch
it to try and memorize as many digits of pi as they can. There is a hint given that they may possibly be
asked to recite them. I will be asking them to recite them the following day to see who knows the most,
Running Head: SQUARE SPACE LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
Square Space Lesson 5
and bonus will be given to the winner. This tactic will be a side note evaluation that will tell me if
students did in fact take advantage of this additional page. Also, more for fun, there will be a pi game
that they can play through an embedded video game link, and a Sudoku pi challenge that they can print
and complete. The last thing that I have provided for them to access in this learning site is a list of “Pi
Fun Facts”. These are even further tidbits of information about pi, and again another source of info to
not only support the learning, but to also make it more fun and entertaining.
Technology/Resources: Identify and Discuss Technological Decisions
Resources:
Some of the non-technological resources needed to support the activities are writing and coloring
utensils, and possible note or construction paper. Each student will need to have a writing utensil in
order to complete the Pi Day Quiz, as well as if they have extra time to print out and complete the
challenge Sudoku puzzle. If time permits, and they decide to use it to begin their Pi Mascot, they will
need the teacher provided paper, along with color supplies, to begin the design. These resources allow
them to complete the assignments that will count towards the majority of their grade for this lesson.
Technology Resources:
There are several technological resources needed to create and access these activities. First and
foremost, the teacher needs access to the Square Space site in order to design, adjust, and embed content
for the lesson. The selection of this editing program centered on its ease of use, and for how flexible it
was in the designing and integration process. Additionally, the use of Microsoft Word was needed to
create and format the Pi Day quiz. This was chosen, again, because it has an easy-to-use format for
numbering and bulleting.
For the actual implementation, students need to have access to computers. I will make sure they
have access to school supplied computers or laptops for the lesson. Since most of the other activities are
completed directly through the site, they just need to be able to access and maintain an internet
connection throughout the lesson. Lastly, and more specifically for the quiz, students will need to have
printers installed on their computer, or be able to e-mail and print to the school printer.
All of these resources allow them to meet the lesson objectives through the study of pi in an
online setting with the added benefit and instruction supplied through video content and imagery. The
techniques and activities utilized through the online formats and settings, allows students to do more
than just read about the mathematics behind pi. It helps the students to make a better connection to the
value of pi and how it developed and can be applied. It is a lot easier to see demonstrations of such
mathematical calculations, especially in working with students of a younger level. This technology also
helps to make evaluation and the delivery of assignments more differentiated, and gives students a
chance to reread and re-access the material at home, as opposed to just hearing and watching the
demonstration and directions in class.
Running Head: SQUARE SPACE LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
Square Space Lesson 6
Evidence of Delivery
These pictures demonstrate student navigation and participation through different pages
of the learning site. Some pages required listening to audio/video material.
Running Head: SQUARE SPACE LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
Square Space Lesson 7
Sample of Student Artifacts
The following are images of and links to some of the student artifacts produced as a result
of the Pi Day Lesson. The images reflect their completion of the homework assignment
to create a pi day mascot for the class. They were to use facts, icons, and/or details from
what they learned throughout the site to help them design and provide proof of what they
learned.
Running Head: SQUARE SPACE LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
Square Space Lesson 8
These are copies of some of the Pi Day quizzes that students took after they participated
in the Pi Day site activities. These quizzes were conducted as the main summative
assessment for this lesson.
Running Head: SQUARE SPACE LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
Square Space Lesson 9
Running Head: SQUARE SPACE LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
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Square Space Lesson
Lesson Reflection
My thought process in the development of this plan reflected a great deal back to my
implementation of the pi day lessons in previous years. Prior to the design and implementation of this
lesson through the Square Space site, I would deliver the information more or less in pieces. The class
would watch a couple videos, including a slightly amateur one delivered through Brain POP. It was
then after watching this particular video that they would then be prompted to answer quiz questions.
The questions were delivered one at a time, and not completely reflective of what the students should
know about the topic at their grade level. I truly felt that some of the students would have benefited
more from the study of pi if they could read and watch the material presented at their own pace. In
addition, they needed an assessment that would truly evaluate their ability, prior knowledge, and new
awareness of the content. Therefore, I wanted to device a lesson that would pull the material together.
Square Space seemed like a great platform to do so, as it would allow me to connect videos with
readable content and images, and allow my students to proceed at their own pace. Thus, maximizing
learning for each student.
As I developed the lesson in Square Space, TPACK played a huge role in my decision making
and planning process. I did not implement the technological piece for the simple need to add
technology, but I added it to strengthen the lesson. I also wanted to utilize Square Space to help me to
convey a deeper message and make better connections between the content and the student. In addition,
this tool would serve to assess the students in a more effective manner than was previously being
conducted. Therefore, since a main idea behind TPACK is to use technology only when deemed
necessary and appropriate to the content and pedagogy, I feel it has impacted me immensely in the
decision making for this lessons instruction.
Since learning more about TPACK, it is with this same mentality that I now approach all my
lessons. In the past, I used to approach most of my lessons questioning how I could incorporate some
type of technology. Moreover, whenever I learned of a new site or technological tool, I was moved to
implement it in any way I could without real regard to the content or pedagogy. Now, that has all
changed. If a lesson works better with hands on manipulative, or with little to no technology, I do not
push to integrate a digital resource unless it is deemed necessary to convey the task or lesson. As I
implement this technology, one way I would measure its impact is by comparing new assessments with
assessments given prior to the implementation of the technology. Since, the technology was integrated
with the hope of strengthening and supporting the lesson material, one would hope that it would produce
positive side effects on distributed evaluations. Another, more direct, way to measure the effects of the
technology would be through class observation. This would allow me to see how students are
interacting with the technology, and if it is easy to follow, engaging, and increasing student
collaboration and participation.
On the day of the Pi lesson implementation, I had to log the computers in under my teacher log
in to override the block on the YouTube video that was embedded in the site. The students were given
the site name to enter in the URL, which took them directly to the homepage of the Pi Day site. Despite
students that were typing it incorrectly, they were able to do this with ease. They were instructed to
bring their assignment books, writing utensil, and additional note paper. As each found the homepage, I
reminded them to copy the site address into their assignment books in case they need to access it later
for the homework description, and to use their extra paper to jot down any notes or details from the site
they wished. The last piece of instruction I gave them was to make sure to read through the homepage
thoroughly and carefully, as it contained the specific directions and assignments for the lesson, and to
take the quiz when they felt comfortable. I noticed immediately, that some students did drift from the
lesson and access the trivia links that I provided. This made me nervous that this would end up
Running Head: SQUARE SPACE LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
11
Square Space Lesson
distracting them from the important details, but in the end it did keep them interested in the topic. If
students did this, they quickly got back on track with the About Pi section of the material. It did not deter
the learning process, in fact, it seemed to keep the engagement level up, and I noticed them referring the
trivia section to others to share in the facts. As I observed, students definitely were working at their own
pace, which kept them more entertained and gave them a sense of control for their own learning. Some
would move more quickly through the readings, and most enjoyed and even re-watched the pi
video/song. I was happy that they could watch the video individually because some had to enlarge the
screen and listen to the sound louder than others.
When students began to hit the point in the lesson where they wanted to take the Pi Day Quiz, we
hit a slight speed bump. I did not predict that in switching to my teacher login, the computers would no
longer recognize the computer lab printer. Therefore, I had to manually ‘add printer’ to each student
computer. Luckily, this class is small and did not take too long, but it was still a setback. Students were
told to take the quiz at a vacant computer, or to turn off their screen. Many took this quiz quickly, but I
think the pressure got to some. Once they handed it in, I was surprised to see so many eager to get back
to the site to watch the extra Pi Day videos and play the games. In the end, it was easy to observe that
Square Space certainly took the interest and engagement of the students to a heightened level. They
were learning while having fun, and it certainly got them talking about pi and the trivia facts. The
quizzes gave a stronger and better assessment of the material learned throughout the lesson, and were
more appropriate to the content and level of the learners. The quiz grades gave a more true reflection of
student participation and attainment of information. Some grades were lower than I predicted, but based
on my observation these were more in connection with students that were not following directions. I
would definitely use this lesson again, and based on the thank you’s I got after class, I would say the
students agree.