Exit Interview

Content:

1) What is your essential question and answers?  What is your best answer and why?

     My essential question is "What is the best way for a middle school math teacher to maximize a female student's score on the California State Test?". My first answer is building strong relationshiops by learning about their culture. My second answer is creating personalized curricula that meets the student's needs. My final answer is incorporating real world applications to the lessons to keep them interested in the subject. My best answer is using real world applications in lessons because I found various articles and studies, such as the Keeping Science and Math Alive in Middle School article, that supports this claim.

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

      I tried to compare which one of my answers had the most valid research that could support my argument. I looked at some author's opinions and research conducted by educational organizations and found that most agree that real world applications are vital when learning math. I also saw that this technique was widely used at my mentorship. 

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

     Some of the problems that I faced where that recently my mentor Mr. Rainville and the other 6th grade teachers decided to switch the subjects they taught because they were about to begin testing and they needed to review many things with their students. When I would go to his classroom he would be reviewing Language Arts instead of Math. Fortunately, the other teacher who helped me complete my component, Ms. De la Peña, helped me. Whenever she would be teaching math I would have to walk around helping students who were falling behind. I also helped her design a STEM project where te students will apply what they have learned. 

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

    One of my most significant sources was my mentor, Mr. Rainville, who during my 4th interview reassured me that the answers I had thought about were right. He explained the importance of each and how he applies them in his classroom. Another importan source was a study done by Microsoft Corporation. This research study helped me decide what my first answer was going to be. 

Independent Component 2

Content:
 LITERAL
      (a) I, Isabel Vazquez, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
      (b) The two persons who helped me complete my independent component were Valeria de la Peña and Peter Rainville.
      (c) Digital spreadsheet
      (d) During my volunteering at Cortez Magnet I helped the teachers in various ways. In Mr. Rainville's classroom I would help the students when they had classwork and I would walk around the classroom asking if they needed help or whenever they had to work in groups I would sit at one of the tables and participate in their conversations and give them feedback on their work. In Ms. De la Peña's class I did more work. I graded student's tests and quizzes, organized her books by reading level, put the students' work in their folders, and helped the students who were behind with their work. I also helped her transfer some files on to each of the student's computers that they were going to use to create a history powerpoint. Additionally, I helped her create a new STEM project for the students in which they were given a list of materials that they can use in order to create a parachute and they have to try to keep the parachute up in the air for the longest possible time at a given distance.

 INTERPRETIVE
  In order to show proof of my 30 hours of work I took a picture of a log that I keep in the office at Cortez which I use to sign in and out everyday I go. I also took a few pictures of the books that I organized and of the easter egg hunt that we did in the classroom.

APPLIED
   This component helped me answer my essential question because I was able to see the students' math skills and designed a project that was not hard to do and which would entertain the students. They were all eager to do the project and were sharing with other students what materials they were going to use so that their parachute was the best.