Ashley Lawson

Technology Classroom Observation Assignment

Map of the Classroom

(Looking at back right corner of classroom) (Looking at left side of classroom)

Projector
Screen

(Teacher desks right side) (Looking at the front of the classroom)

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Lesson Plan Description

I had the pleasure of observing an AP Statistics course using statistics on October 16th.

Though the teacher did not provide exact standards, using the College Board AP Statistics

Course Description, I determined that the lesson was geared towards these concepts:

Discrete random variables and their probability distributions, including binomial and

geometric.

Simulation of random behavior and probability distributions

Mean (expected value) and standard deviation of a random variable, and linear

transformation of a random variable.

The lesson focused specifically on the binomial distribution. They looked at simulated random

behavior of the binomial distribution. They also learned the expected value and standard

deviation for the binomial distribution.

The teacher informed me that the entire math department uses OneNote for student note-

taking. The teachers share a worksheet each morning if they are using the program that

contains something like a scenario, some guided questions, and any links they may need during

class. The students were familiar with daily procedures for their technology, understanding that

they needed to come in, turn on their laptops, and pull up OneNote. It took students a little over

five minutes to settle in and pull up the sheet.

Additionally, there were several technology issues throughout the class. Even though the

teacher sent out the worksheet via OneNote before class, the students did not receive it until 20

minutes into the class. After checking for a few minutes and resending the worksheet, the teacher

improvised and handed out the quizzes while waiting for the program to load. The teacher spent

about 5 minutes going over the quiz and answering any questions.
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After reviewing the quiz and realizing that the students still had not received the OneNote

sheets, the teacher had the students read the scenario on the board. The lesson began with a

description of a set of experiments to test ESP at the Duke Parapsychology Lab. The powers of

the mind had shown significant progress over time and they were determining whether or not

someone had ESP by comparing the probability of guessing a certain number of Zener cards

correctly. These cards had 5 sets of 5 different symbols.

Using a program on teacherled.com, students simulated the experiment. They were asked

to run 10 trials and guess which of the 5 cards they expected to be the mystery card. The

technology counted the frequency of correct and incorrect guesses. Once they completed the

activity they were asked to find the probability of guessing 0, 1, 2, and 3 cards correctly using

their data. They were then asked if they could see a patter in the calculations. This tool helped

the students to derive the formula for the binomial theorem using their experimental data.

After finding the probability distribution, they completed the probability mass function

table using the formula. The teacher explained the 4 conditions that a binomial random variable

meets, and then students applied these 4 conditions to several problems to determine if they were

binomial. This lasted about 25 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of class, the teacher explained

binomial notation, the formula for the expected value, and the formula for the standard deviation.

Students were assigned the rest of the worksheet as homework.

Even though there were several technology issues such as the worksheet not loading and

the Internet going out, the teacher improvised, and the technology improved this lesson

immensely, moving the binomial probability from a set formula to a student discovery of a

pattern.
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Five Observations & Evidence

1) Instances where students were to develop their own interpretations, generalizations, or

definitions and to verify them in small groups or in a whole class discussion

Throughout the lesson, students were expected to define everything themselves with some

structured assistance from the teacher. For example, when one student asked what leger de main

meant in the scenario reading, the teacher turned it back to the students and asked those that were

taking French to explain the meaning. I thought that was a really cool use of student knowledge.

However, for all math terms, the teacher also asked the students to define them and then they

would discuss as a small group or whole group. Students were asked to interpret their results

from the ESP cards to derive the binomial probability distribution themselves. They were asked

to use the knowledge they learned about discrete random variables and generalize that

knowledge to the binomial distribution.

2) Instances where the students are the primary technology users

Throughout the lesson, students were the primary technology users. The only times where the

teacher was the primary technology user was when the teacher was explaining the scenario and

when the teacher showed a video from a popular movie to set up the scenario further. The

students were the ones working on OneNote, using the ESP card tool to guess the cards and tally

their frequencies for incorrect and correct answers, and using their calculators to determine the

probabilities for each number of correct guesses.

3) Instances where technology was used to make mathematical connections

The ESP card tool allowed students the opportunity to derive the binomial distribution.

Typically, teachers must just show students the formula, but the teacher planned the lesson
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accordingly to find that the probability of guessing the correct ESP card out of 5 was 0.2. The

teacher asked students further questions to get them thinking about the probability that person

guessed 0, 1, 2, and 3 correctly. Then they were asked to identify if they saw a pattern. This was

the question that students struggled with most. The teacher did not walk around that this point to

support the struggle, but the teacher let me walk around and help throughout the lesson. When

students seemed unsure of the pattern, I asked what the probability would be if they guessed 5

correctly and how they would solve it. When they were able to do that I would ask if they saw a

pattern and if they did not, I would ask them what would the probability be that they guessed k

correctly. Then students were able to create the general probability mass function.

4) Evidence that the students have used this technology in the past

It was clear that the students used OneNote on a daily basis. They knew the procedures to come

in and turn on their laptops and pull up OneNote. Since they had not received the worksheet for

the day, many students pulled up a blank page or the worksheet from the previous day. Students

clearly knew how to handle the software. It was also clear that they used their laptops frequently

because they knew how to use the laptop to best fit their needs. Some students typed into

OneNote and others folded the laptops into a tablet to write on it like a normal piece of paper or

notebook. The teacher also explained, that the entire math department uses OneNote for students

because they can send out the worksheets each day, students do not lose their notes, and the

teachers have access to see everything that the student does on OneNote. So, if a student has a

question, they can write it on the collaboration sheet and the teacher can respond to the students

question. The teacher can see each students worksheet to check their homework or to verify that

they were on task.

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5) Instances where technology was used for sharing/collaboration

Originally, this task was meant to be more individual. Students would experiment with the ESP

cards on their own and then work in pairs or with their table to answer the remaining questions

on the worksheet. However, when the technology began to fail, more collaboration began.

Students worked in pairs or as a team to complete the entire activity. One team found a pattern in

the software which was interesting to watch them guess the card. Students shared their screens

with one another and the work they completed to talk about ideas and to explain further. When

they came back as a whole group, the teacher used the technology on the screen to support

students in their explanation. However, the teacher also explained, that the technology has a

collaboration mode. The students have the option to use it to work together and ask one another

questions. The teacher explained that the students primarily used it to ask the teacher questions,

but that some students did use it. This feature could definitely be fantastic in a classroom.
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Reflection

Overall, this was a great lesson plan that provided benefits for the students and teacher.

The teacher could turn most of the control over to the students and the students could take

control over their learning. Students could use their laptops as they preferred which allowed for

better student note-taking for their needs. Without the ESP card tool, students would not have

been able to derive the binomial distribution. The teacher would have had to teach the probability

mass function rather than students experiencing it, deriving it, and then giving it a name. The

teacher could have had students flip coins, but this was a chance to use a different probability

than 0.5 and to save time. Students were able to make connections between their prior learning

for discrete random variables and derive the probability mass function for the binomial

distribution.

I do wish the teacher had students attempt more than 10 trials. We could see that with an

increase in the number of trials, the probability of guessing correctly would tend towards 0.2 and

the probability of guessing incorrectly would tend toward 0.8. Rather than using the data, some

students used their prior knowledge about discrete random variables about the probability of

being correct. However, when calculating the probability of guessing 0, 1, 2, or 3 correctly,

many of the students used the frequencies that they found. There was a great opportunity for

discussion that was missed about the Law of Large Numbers. I would have each student compare

the frequencies they received to what they would expect to happen each time. Then we could

discuss the Law of Large Numbers without giving it a name. We could explain that as trials

increase, we tend towards the theoretical probabilities.

Furthermore, the use of OneNote improved student note-taking, saved paper, and allowed

students to work on their laptops instead of using a physical worksheet. I do think that several

opportunities for collaboration were missed though. The teacher could have pulled up student
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work to show on the board using OneNote. The teacher also could have prepared group

worksheets instead of individual worksheets so that students would collaborate more with one

another on solving the various probabilities.

Additionally, the teacher gave the students the 4 conditions for a binomial distribution,

but instead I might ask students to describe features of the experiment they created. I might list

some things that are binomial distributions and others that are not, so that students could find

these properties on their own. They seemed to struggle to relate the 4 conditions at times, so it

could be beneficial for them to find the conditions themselves in their own words.

I wish the teacher gave more opportunities for small group and whole group discussion

that delved deeper into the statistics and the why. It tended to stay on the surface and the teacher

imparted a lot of knowledge to them after the task was completed. I wish the teacher fully

committed to the students doing most of the discovery beyond the task itself. I would make those

adaptations so students have a chance of owning the derivations and the conditions. The

binomial distribution is cool because it is so well-defined and many of the other distributions are

not. The excitement for named distributions was lost a little in this activity when the teacher

began just relaying information on the binomial distribution.

However, the lesson plan was very good given the time condition of 50 minutes. The

technology usage was crucial for student growth, understanding, and connection making. The

only adaptations I would make would impart more work on the students to build their

knowledge. This would take more time though and I would have to carefully consider if that time

was available.