Ideal Classroom Scenario

My group and I selected the topic of high school geometry for our ideal classroom project. We mainly selected this topic because we really enjoy geometry, and with this topic we could focus specifically on triangles and 3D figures. Also, after looking at a few videos, we decided that we would like our students to apply their geometry knowledge after learning about those two topics in an architecture unit. We really felt that it would be motivating to the students, as it would be a lot more interesting than taking a test, and it would also be a way to include summative assessment as well.

In order to collaborate with my group members, we uploaded our document to Google Docs. That way, everyone could just add to the paper as necessary, and we wouldn’t have to keep sending a bunch of emails back and forth. We used Google Docs in order to make the spreadsheet as well. Also, in order to create the classroom layout (below), we decided to use the Classroom Architect website that Katie had shown everyone in class.

The most difficult part of completing this project was trying to figure out what topic of math to choose and what we would like to have the students do for the specific units. We had a lot of different ideas, but we really wanted to find units that were somewhat related to one another. In the end, the topics of triangles and 3D figures went together perfectly with the architecture unit, in order to build and expand on the students’ knowledge from one unit to the next.

In that case, by doing this project, I have begun to realize how it would be really fun to use projects, similar to the architecture project, in order to assess my future students. After viewing the video about another teacher actually implementing this unit, I saw how much the students seemed to enjoy it. Also, thinking back to my high school geometry days, I would have much rather made blueprints and building designs that a one hundred point test.