Elementary Mathematics for Washington

Task 1: Context for Learning Information

TASK 1: CONTEXT FOR LEARNING INFORMATION

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 3 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within the
brackets following each prompt. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Pages exceeding the maximum will not be scored.

About the School Where You Are Teaching

1. In what type of school do you teach? (Type an X next to the appropriate description.)
Urban: _____
Suburban: _____
Rural: __X___
2. What grade levels are at your school site (e.g., K6)?
[The grade levels are 1st-8th grade.]
3. List any special features of your school or classroom setting (e.g., charter, co-teaching,
themed magnet, classroom aide, bilingual, team taught with a special education teacher)
that will affect your teaching in this learning segment.
[The school is a one-teacher school out in the country. The school building is large and
contains many rooms. The teacher decided to have the students move between two
classrooms. The first classroom is the main room that they all first meet in. Throughout the
day they rotate what room they will be in depending on the subject. A man volunteers to be
the music teacher every Wednesday. There are no other teachers in the school. In the first
room the students are in groups of three. The second room has the students in individual
areas. They have computers in each room and a library in between the classrooms. There
are whiteboards in each of the classrooms. There is a TV in the first room that is on the wall
for any clips or videos that are shown. There is a stereo that the teacher uses to play soft
music while the children work.]
4. Describe any district, school, or cooperating teacher requirements or expectations that might
affect your planning or delivery of instruction, such as required curricula, pacing plan, use of
specific instructional strategies, or standardized tests.
[I am teaching in a one-teacher Christian school. They work on integrating religion
throughout their day. The teacher follows the Love and Logic outline in her classroom. The
teacher does not believe in sending home homework. There are exceptions for projects or if the
student is falling behind. Teachers are required to dress in professional and modest clothes.
The students wear uniforms but the teachers are not required to follow the student uniform. The
school gives the IOWA Test of Basic Skills about a couple months into the school year. My
lessons will not interfere with the testing. The curriculum is based off of the Common Core
State Standards and the North American Division Key Learning.]

About the Class Featured in This Assessment

1. How much time is devoted each day to mathematics instruction in your classroom?
[The class spends an hour a day in math. The starting time is 12:40 pm and
ends at 1:40. They have math five days a week. The students are allowed to advance
in their math lesson if they completed the first lesson correctly. There are due dates for
the tests but the actual practice work is done on their time in the classroom. ]

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Elementary Mathematics for Washington

Task 1: Context for Learning Information

2. Is there any ability grouping or tracking in mathematics? If so, please describe how it affects
your class.
[The students are divided by their grade. The teacher works with each grade
individually. If there is a project that grades could combine on the teacher will let the students
work together. The students are use to doing their own work and moving on to the next lesson
when they are completed.]
3. Identify any textbook or instructional program you primarily use for mathematics instruction.
If a textbook, please provide the title, publisher, and date of publication.
[The teacher uses Saxon Math books for the students math. The six grader uses the
math book: Hake, Stephen. Saxon Math Course 1. Orlando, FL: Saxon, 2007. The seventh
grader uses the math book: Hake, Stephen. Saxon Math Course 2. Orlando, FL: Saxon,
2007. The eighth graders use the math book: Hake, Stephen. Saxon math Course 3.
Orlando, FL: Saxon, 2007. ]
4. List other resources (e.g., electronic whiteboard, manipulatives, online resources) you use
for mathematics instruction in this class.
[There is a white marker board that I am able to use. I have computers at the back of
the room enough for each student so the students would be able to practice math online.
There are calculators, rulers, and small white marker boards for each individual student to
practice their math. Each student has a math journal that they will be writing the notes and
assessments in. The teacher has different objects in the classroom for the students to use
for counting or other activities in their math class. ]

About the Students in the Class Featured in This

Assessment
1. Grade-level(s): [6th grade-8th grade ]
2. Number of

students in the class: _4____

males: ___2__ females: __2___
3. Complete the chart below to summarize required or needed supports, accommodations, or
modifications for your students that will affect your instruction in this learning segment. As
needed, consult with your cooperating teacher to complete the chart. Some rows have been
completed in italics as examples. Use as many rows as you need.
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/supports
or accommodations/modifications to instruction or assessment (e.g., English language
learners, gifted students needing greater support or challenge, students with Individualized
Education Programs [IEPs] or 504 plans, struggling readers, underperforming students or
those with gaps in academic knowledge).

Students with Specific Learning Needs

IEP/504 Plans:
Classifications/Needs
Example: Visual processing

Number of
Students
2

There is no IEP students

Supports, Accommodations,
Modifications, Pertinent IEP Goals
Close monitoring, graph paper for 3-digit
numbers
N/A

Copyright 2014 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.

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The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.

Elementary Mathematics for Washington

Task 1: Context for Learning Information

There is no 504 plan

students

N/A

There is no ELL students

N/A

Other Learning Needs

Number of
Students
5

Supports, Accommodations,
Modifications
Provide oral explanations for directions
and simplified text for word problems
There will be a journal for the student to
write all the procedures down that are
being taught. The teacher will wait until
the student has completely written
everything down before erasing. This way
the student will be able to look back and
understand the procedure of solving the
equation. The teacher will write all
procedures steps on the board or hand
out a typed version. There will be
mathematical problems that will be done
multiple times.
The student will speed through the work
and not try to remember what the process
is. There will be times where the student
will need to complete a problem and write
the description of what was done to solve
the problem. The students will have to
continually write about what they have
observed/solved for a timed portion of the
lesson. This will cause the student to
think about what the problem means and
retain some of the process of solving it.
I will be using fifth grade CCSS to teach
them the process of solving fractions.
They will then proceed to create their own
problems and real-life mathematical
problems. They will have the chance to
ask a group member or the teacher if a
concept is still unclear. They will be
describing what they are doing and why
when performing the fraction problems.

Example: Struggling readers

Not Retaining knowledge
(The student will be told
repeatedly information and
will not be able to retain
much information)

Speed working
(This student gets most of
the work right but speeds
through it and does not try to
remember the process for
the next day)

Struggling with Fractions

****The 7th grader was sick all the days the edTPA lessons were taught. Because I
needed 4 students I brought a 4th grader up to learn the lessons with the other
students. The school is a one-teacher school and I knew what the students prior
knowledge consisted of. I went to the student right after explaining the lesson and
work with him one-on-one.****

Copyright 2014 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.

3 of 3 | 3 pages maximum
All rights reserved.
V3_0914
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.