Artifact+8+Factor+Box+Instruction+Sheet

= Artifact 8: Factor Box Instruction Sheet (Field) =



Program Standards: 2, 5, 6 Program Goals: 3

During my student teaching year, one of my fellow interns showed how to factor using a “box” to organize the information. When I began teaching at my current school, I used this method as one way to teach my students. As other teachers encountered these students using this method, they were curious as to how it works. When teachers at the other school in the district also started asking about it, I created this document as a way to instruct people in the use of the factor box. As I created the document, I had to be aware of what audience I was communicating with (standard 5). I was originally going to share this just with other teachers but knew that since this was a novel way to organize factoring, I would have to be relatively basic in explaining how it worked. Since I was going to making it straightforward, I decided that I would make sure that it was appropriate to pass out to the students as well. In order to make sure that it was understandable for both teacher and student, I had to have a good understanding of the concept I was teaching (standard 2). I picked examples that best illustrated the way the factor box worked and the benefit it provides. This required knowledge of what common errors are made. The reason that I created the document shows that my school and district is beginning to function as a learning community (standard 6, goal 3). We were able to share tools and methods that helped students learn. In addition, this gave me a way to be a leader even though I was a new teacher. I was able to use my expertise on a subject to help develop the knowledge of our entire department and therefore our entire student body. This was a powerful experience at the time. It made me feel extremely valued as an educator. It has helped springboard me into a leadership position in my department. It also helped me see how even something as simple as having a different organizational pattern can make a big difference in student success. Furthermore, this has helped me develop my knowledge of the relation between factoring and multiplying binomials. As this was my contribution to the common knowledge, I have spent a lot of time since the creation of this artifact thinking on the factor box, why it works, and what makes it so effective for students. I have discovered things about it and ways to explain it that I did not know when I first introduced it. By strengthening my own knowledge of the process, I am better able to help students understand the reason behind the representation rather than just how to use it.

Table of Contents

Artifact 7. Artifact Summary and Evidence