Kara Lambert

http://klamberts-class.weebly.com/
EDU-225
October 18, 2015

Raft Task Card

ROLE (student)
Math teacher

AUDIENCE
Students

FORMAT
Math lesson

TOPIC
To teach a lesson

Create balance

on exponents
Balancing an

equation using

equation

other students
Create number line

Understanding

in a word

inequalities

Row 1
An equal sign

Numbers

Row 2
Greater than, less
Row 3

Number line

than, or equal to

document

RAFT Row 1
Objective: To make sure the student understands exponents
OK STATE STANDARD: High School: Standard 1: Number Sense and Algebraic Operations 1. Equations and Formulas- Solve two-step and three-step problems using concepts such as
rules of exponents, rate, distance, ratio and proportion, and percent.
ISTE STANDARDS- 4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making (c)
Student Role: Math teacher
Audience: Students
Format: Math lesson
Topic: To teach a lesson on exponents

Directions:
1)
2)
3)
4)

Look over the material given on Khan Academys website.

Come up with two examples to present to the class.
After working on the two examples, show it to the teacher.
Present two examples to the class.

Resources:
Khan Academy
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/pre-algebra/exponents-radicals/World-ofexponents/v/introduction-to-exponents
Purple Math
http://www.purplemath.com/modules/exponent.htm
Assessment:
Prepare two examples 2-4 minutes long total to prepare to the class.
Graded on accuracy and presentation: 50 points total

RAFT Row 2
Objective: To make sure student understands and knows how to balance equations
OK STATE STANDARDS: High School 1: Number Sense and Algebraic Operations - The
student will use expressions and equations to model number relationships: 2. Expressions:
a. Simplify and evaluate linear, absolute value, rational and radical expressions.
ISTE STANDARDS: 4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making (b)
Student Role: An equal sign

Audience: Numbers
Format: Create balanced equation using other students
Topic: Balancing an equation

Directions:
1)
2)
3)
4)

Label a student a variable.

Label the second student a variable plus or minus a number.
Solve the equation with a third student as the answer.
Explain to the class how you got the answer.

Resources:
Math is Fun
http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/add-subtract-balance.html
Assessment:
Create two different problems with the three students and each participant will receive a grade
out of 50 points. Students will be graded on accuracy and presentation.

RAFT Row 3
Objective: To make sure student understands inequalities
OK STATE STANDARD: High School 1: Number Sense and Algebraic Operations - The student
will use expressions and equations to model number relationships: 1. Equations and Formulas- b.
Solve literal equations involving several variables for one variable in terms of the others.
ISTE STANDARD: 2. Communication and collaboration (b)

4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making (a)

Student Role: Greater than, less than, or equal to
Audience: Number line
Format: Create number line in a document
Topic: Understanding inequalities

Directions:
1)
2)
3)
4)

Create 3 equations that can be solved on a number line.

Solve the equations and then graph them.
Create a graph on the computer.
Show the class each equation and graph.

Resources:
Math is Fun
http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/inequality-solving.html
Assessment:
Create a graph on a number line and present it from the computer to the class.
Will be graded on accuracy and presentation. Worth 75 points

Section Four: Differentiating Instruction through Technology

Having technology a part of our education system today will help our students to succeed
pass their potential. It is important that technology is a part of my classroom plan so that students
could benefit from the technology in order to progress in their education. The two websites that
will be beneficial to the lesson plans are Khan Academy, Purple Math, and Math is Fun.
Differentiating instruction through technology will not only help teachers to make lessons more
informative but also help students in their education and future.
Technology to Differentiate Instruction
Name of Technology Tool: Khan Academy
Khan Academy will help math students to progress if they are behind, practice if they are
right with the lesson, or push them if they are ahead. Khan Academy helps in all subject areas but
the important thing is that it is free. When it comes to math, students struggle with it
tremendously. It helps that there are websites like Khan Academy to help students in their
education. This tool is student centered so that students can help themselves if they are falling
behind. Khan Academy connects with ISTE standards by having examples so students can think
through problems on their own. The ISTE standard that Khan Academy connects with is Critical
thinking, problem solving, and decision making: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and
conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using
appropriate digital tools and resources (ISTE, 2015). Teaching a math lesson on exponents with
the help of technology will not only benefit me as an educator but will also benefit the students
with their education.
Name of Technology Tool: Purple Math

Purple Math is good for students to use when it comes to reviewing notes that the student
may not have taken right in class. It gives examples that students can use to help them if they are
struggling. One thing with math is not to do a lot of reading, unless there are word problems.
Other than that, I would like to stay away from the words, after taking notes. The more words
there are, the more it distracts the student. If a student has missed class and has looked on the
class website to get their information, Purple Math will be very helpful so that students do not
fall behind due to an absence. Purple Math connects to ISTE standard to help students do
research. Research and information fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and
use information: d) Process data and reports (ISTE, 2015). It helps that there are websites that
students can use that are interactive and things that teachers can print off for their use. In one
section of the site, Elmo visits NASA (Figure 1); there are coloring sheets that a teacher can print
and distribute to students in the classroom. There is also an interactive game where students can
determine what types of foods would be most appropriate to take into space on a mission
(Lazaros, 2013). Although it does not pertain to math, the principle is still there, technology is
there to benefit the teacher as well as the student.
Name of Technology Tool: Math is Fun
Math is Fun is interactive for students. It will benefit students when it comes to them
learning the lesson and needing practice afterwards. Students can achieve a lot with this tool
because there are interactive examples and helpful notes that will grasp the lesson that was
taught. The ISTE standard that can be associated with Math is Fun is Critical thinking, problem
solving, and decision making: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research,
manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools

and resources (ISTE, 2015). Math is Fun helps not only with the lesson that it was intended for
but for other lessons to push students as well.
Pros and Cons
There are pros and cons when it comes to teaching with technology in the classroom and
integrating it with lessons that teachers are planning. The good thing about technology is that
Technology improves student performance when the application directly supports the
curriculum objectives being assessed (Smith and Throne, 2007). As educators, we are here to do
what we can to help students succeed and if that means to incorporate technology with the lesson
then it should happen. The downside of using technology to differentiate instruction would be if
the students see ads that are appealing and get taken away from the lesson. It is easy to click on
something that is not school related when you have been looking at school work all day. It is in
the interest of us as educators to help students the best we can. If it means eliminating some
websites that produce ads that would be distracting from students then we should.
Concluding Paragraph
Times are changing and it is almost essential that technology be a part of life as a student
and life as an educator. As educators, we are here to benefit the student and to help them succeed
in any and every way that they can. It helps that students are starting to familiarize themselves
with technology so it is almost second nature to them. Using technology to differentiate
instruction in the long run benefits students and their education.

References:
ISTE Standards for Students. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/istestandards/standards-for-students
Lazaros, E. e. (2013). Promoting the study of social studies by using Internet resources in the
technology and engineering classroom. Children's Technology & Engineering, 17(4), 1013.
Smith, Grace E., Throne, S. (2007). ISTE Differentiating instruction with technology for K-5
classrooms. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/images/excerpts/DIFFK5-excerpt.pdf