HONORS EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROJECT PROPOSAL FORM

Basic Information
Full Name: Lindsay Sumner
UC Email: sumnerln@mail.uc.edu
College: College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Resources
Major: Secondary Education- Mathematics
Title of Project: Supplemental Review Session Lesson Planning
Thematic Area: Leadership
Expected Project Start Date: May 1, 2015
Expected Project End Date: December 4, 2015
Project Information
1. Provide a detailed abstract of your proposed honors experiential learning project.
This semester I was hired by the UCs Learning Assistance Center, specifically the
Math & Science Support Center to be a Supplemental Review Session (SRS) Leader for
MATH1060. The position requires me to lead calculus review sessions for about 10
students. We meet twice a week for an hour and a half during each session. I was
given lesson plans from my supervisor to follow during my review sessions. The plans
were posted on blackboard in advance so that I could prepare for each session. During
the course of the semester I received a great deal of feedback from my students.
They didnt feel that a lot of the worksheets and activities that we were doing in class
were beneficial to their success in the course. They felt that some of the assignments
were really just busy work and either too easy for or not related to what they were
learning in their actual calculus class. I began to notice this more and more as the
semester went on. I decided to talk to my supervisor about it, and he did make some
quick changes for this year, but then he later proposed that I modify the existing
lesson plans for this coming fall.
I already knew that Id be leading SRS sessions again in the fall, but now my boss
has given me the opportunity to help plan exactly what will be covered. He knows
that I am a Secondary Education-Mathematics major, so who better to ask to modify
lesson plans for a calculus class? This project will let me experience lesson planning
and the execution of those lesson plans. I will learn how to stay organized when
planning for an entire semester. The learning needs of my students will be a huge
factor in how I decide to go about this project, so I will need to study different
strategies to reach them in the classroom.
I will use this summer to modify the lesson plans that weve used this year. This
will require me to go through the materials that we already have, take out what isnt
necessary and add assignments that I feel will be beneficial to the students learning.
I will have to spend approximately 10 hours per week from the beginning of May until
the end of July improving the structure of the course. Once fall semester starts, I will
be using the improved lesson plans during my calculus review sessions, which are the
equivalent of a 3 credit-hour class. Continuous feedback from my boss, students and
other SRS leaders will be beneficial to me when reflecting on this experience. Their
feedback along with my own observations and experiences will help me learn what
works and what doesnt in the classroom. This experience will set me up for a greater
success for my student teaching during my 4th year at UC and my career.

Clearly and thoroughly address how each of the following elements will be
exhibited in your work:
2. Connection to Learning Outcomes within the Honors Thematic Area (identified
above)

Identifies the various characteristics of a leader in a given situation/role

Throughout this experience, I will be leading a group of UC students through

calculus review sessions. I will have to make sure that I encourage them to stay on task
and focused. I will also need to develop a relationship with the students so that they will
cooperate with me (and each other) in class. Through my past experiences this semester,
the class is much more successful when the students feel that their instructor or leader
cares about their general well being. They work even better when they feel that they can
relate to me somehow. I know that when I had an SRS leader, I felt more comfortable if I
could relate to them on some level. It made me happier to come to class and more willing
to work/cooperate with the leader during class. Developing a relationship to where my
students feel comfortable with me is going to be an ongoing process throughout the entire
semester. It is important that Im constantly reflecting on what my students are telling me
because their thoughts, feelings, and participation will affect the relationship and trust
that I have with each one of them.

Has the ability to relate, communicate and work effectively with peers

The students that I will be leading are college students. Theyre not babies and they
shouldnt be treated as such. Ive learned this year that when I treat my students like
adults, they respond with participation in class. I was in their position one year ago. I know
that being treated like a child when Im a college student is going to make me not want to
work. However, it is still important that they know that Im still their SRS leader and they
need to listen to me and be respectful during class. Its a delicate balance that I will learn
how to achieve with more and more experience. Since this is something I will be learning
as I continue throughout the semester, I will need to be reflecting on what is and what isnt
working.
Aside from leading my individual students, I will be helping lead all of the other SRS
leaders. I am the one developing the lesson plans for this semester. That means that when
other SRS leaders or my supervisor have questions about something Ive decided to
implement, I need to be able to answer to them. Ill also need to make sure that I keep
others opinions in mind when making modifications. One of the most important qualities
in a good leader is listening to and taking into account how the rest of the group feels. A
good leader is not the same thing as a dictator. This is imperative to keep in mind if one
wants the group their leading to work with them, not against them. By the end of the
semester, the other leaders can give me feedback on what worked well for them and what
didnt. This will help me for any future lesson planning.

Develops a vision of the future and acknowledges the impact of decisions (as
applicable to the individual and affiliated organizations)

This project is going to be a lot of planning for the future. Ill need to have the lesson
plans made up before the semester even starts. That being said, I will need to have a
vision of the changes I want to make (basing off of this year) in order to really have an
impact. The goal for me modifying this semesters lesson plans is to really improve them. I
want to make sure that the students get as much as they can out of these review sessions.
After all, thats what theyre designed for. Ive already been making mental notes of whats
been successful this year and what hasnt, but thats only the beginning. I need to
physically document what changes I want to make. Having a written plan will keep me
organized throughout this process and in turn make it much more of a success.

3. Connection to Goals and Academic Theories (include reference list, as appropriate)

This project is going to be a great learning experience to prepare me for my future
career as an educator. I will get to practice being able to create lesson plans for
calculus review sessions. I will also be leading some of the sections of the review
sessions in the fall, so I will get to understand how well the lessons work throughout
the semester. I will learn how to create/modify lessons and implement them. I will be
doing that constantly as a teacher, so this will be great practice. I will have a better
idea of planning techniques and activities that work and that dont before I actually
start my career. Another key factor throughout this experience will be organization
and time management. I learn how to stay organized when planning lessons. I will
also gain a better knowledge of how long different kinds of activities take in the
classroom.
One key to great lesson planning is planning to the students needs. The LAC has
established a tutoring philosophy that entails the students really help teach each
other in these review sessions. I will read about the most innovative ways to guide the
students in the classroom, but not just give them the answers. I will study how
motivate the students to be active participants in the classroom. I have learned by
doing these review sessions this past year, that the more the students participate, the
more successful the session is. This year it has been a challenge to engage the
students, so I want to learn about new ideas to try to engage them.
A. One resource that could be very beneficial to me is the National Center on
Universal Design for Learnings website. The website explains what UDL is and
what the philosophy behind it is. It includes examples of how to include multiple
representations (one of the key ideas in UDL) in the classroom. It is up to date
on the latest teaching strategies to meet state standards. This resource will not
only be helpful for my review session lesson plans, but also for when I start
student teaching and my first teaching job.
o http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl
B. A second resource that will be helpful for my project and my career is a website
that explains what constructivism as and how it is used in the classroom. It
explains how people learn best when they create their own knowledge. The
tutoring philosophy at the LAC goes right along with this constructivist
viewpoint. I will read about exactly what this means and how to actually bring it
into my lessons.
o http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index.html
C. A third resource that will be beneficial to the success of my lessons will be the
Teacher Network blog on the top 10 resources to help teachers manage their
time. Learning how to manage time in the classroom is of the upmost
importance. The articles on this website will help me learn how to use my time
wisely and effectively. This will help me for this project and my future career.
o http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacherblog/2013/oct/12/time-management-worklife-balance-teachers
4. Initiative, Independence, and/or Creativity
This project will include my own ideas of what is important in the
MATH1060/MATH1061 course. I will get to decide what I think is important enough in
the course to cover in the Supplemental Review Sessions. I will use my own
experience from this course to help me do this. I will also take into account the

feedback that Ive gotten form my SRS students this semester. My organizational skills
are going to be very important throughout this process. Staying organized is going to
make planning for the entire semester much easier and the process go much
smoother. It will not only help me, but also my supervisor. He will need to be able to
review my plans and approve them. Staying organized will definitely make his job
much easier. My communication skills are also going to come in handy when
proposing my new ideas to my supervisor and when executing the actual lessons this
fall. This practice communicating with students is going to be a great learning
experience for my own future career. I have already improved my communication
skills after coaching gymnastics and tutoring this year, but theyre something that I
can constantly be improving.
5. Reflection
Throughout lesson planning for my Supplemental Review Sessions, I will
continually be reflecting on what parts of the lesson plans worked well for the
students this year, and what didnt. I will ask for feedback from my current students
about what they liked and disliked. Their opinions will help me decide what to
incorporate into the lessons for next year. Reflection will not only be taking place in
my mind, but also written in journals and written on the existing lesson plans. I will
need to keep track of what assignments and activities worked well and the ones that
didnt. I will also need to consult with my supervisor to document, which assignments
he wants included no matter what the students have said, or what I may think about
the assignment.
This experience is going to be something very new for me. It will definitely be
preparing me for my future career as an educator. I will need to keep a journal of what
works well when lesson planning and what doesnt. Ill want to document the best
ways to stay organized when planning for an entire semester and what activities are
the most beneficial to the students learning. My goal is to learn as much as I can
about successful techniques for lesson planning. I want to make sure that the
students get the most out of the review sessions that they can.
After Ive planned out the lessons for the entire semester, I will actually be
implementing them in my own calculus review sessions. This will allow me to compare
my lessons to the ones that were used this year. Having the other SRS leaders provide
feedback on the lessons will also help me see where I can improve for the future. I will
keep journals to document how much improvement I see in the students interest in
the course and their knowledge of the course displayed in class.
6. Dissemination
Part of my dissemination will be sharing my lesson plans with the other SRS
leaders. We will all be using these lesson plans throughout the fall semester. The
other part of my dissemination will be sharing my experiences with the future
employees of the LAC. I plan to type a summary of the project and post it to the LACs
website under the Supplemental Review Sessions tab. I will also be able to talk to
other students about my experience when they come to learn about working for the
LAC.
7. Project Advisor
Noel DeJarnette, PhD

Assistant Director
Math & Science Support Center
University of Cincinnati
dejarnnl@ucmail.uc.edu