Understanding 21stMP

21stMP: An Overview of the 21st Century Math Project

This project will engage millions of students on one website in a customized student-centered high school math curriculum (Algebra 1 through Multivariable Calculus). Classrooms will become student-driven work environments. While students will have traditional classmates and teachers, they will also have virtual classmates from across the globe. These virtual classmates will be “circled” dynamically in groups by similar progress and position in the course. This allows students to always be connected with like-skilled peers. This connectivity will enrich and deepen the scope of learning projects.

The project will be delivered online, free of cost. Similar to Khan Academy, but built by teachers, this program will provide numerous videos with differentiated teaching approaches for each lesson to meet students’ varied learning styles. The program will choose the “teacher” for each individual student that works best for them. The program will utilize Web 2.0 networking to provide students with a global learning community.

Please see my video, Changing the Learning Environment, for an overview of the paradigm shift in learning. This video suggests how a single classroom might shift from teacher-driven to student-driven. It also raises the importance of mastery-based learning. However, for disruptive change to occur, as Christensen writes in Disrupting Class, a product must be cheap and it must be easily accessible. Christensen corroborates the fundamental ideas behind this project: the shift in education must be technology-driven creating a student-centric environment.


Wednesday, February 15, 2012

What Next

The first part of the project requires curriculum development. This means: developing a curriculum map, creating proficiency assessments, and developing videos. Below is the ambitious goal.

Curriculum Development (Summer Plans)
1. Curriculum Map: Divide the high school math curriculum (Algebra 1-Multivariable) into short, proficiency based lessons. (Short = a 15-45 minute video lesson) Curriculum meets Common Core State Standards.

-Four teachers, one week (June)


2. Proficiency development: Create multiple proficiency tests for each lesson. Also include cumulative proficiency assessments every 10-20 lessons. (These will be multiple-choice and answer fill. They will eventually be uploaded into the course software.)

- Four teachers, one week (June )


3. Video creation: Develop rubric for teachers to describe their delivery. Create separate student rubric to evaluate the videos and the teaching style. Create up to 10 videos for each lesson, in which each video instructor employs a unique teaching style to create differentiated instruction.

-Twenty-four teachers, July


4. Problem Set and projects development: Practice problems (similar to text book problems) are problems that student take before the proficiency test. The projects are suggested application projects that can be done in groups to extend the learning into other disciplines.

-Twenty teachers, July

1 comment:

  1. Great ideas here - Not sure where your at but I am truly interested in a project like this. Already posted to my feeder and would love to discuss your success with this type of a program.

    ReplyDelete