Doug Mannell

Standards Implementation Assignment Description

EDU 707
Summer 2015

When am I ever going to use this in real life? This was a question that I would ask while
sitting in geometry class as a high school freshman. In just six years that question was answered
when I became an apprentice floor layer. Now, 35 years later, I am the coordinator and instructor
for the Floor Layer Apprenticeship program in Kansas City, Missouri and I work with students
who shared that very same question. The Apprenticeship is a four year postsecondary,
standalone program that is affiliated with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. The program is
funded through the union contractors who hire these apprentices to work strictly in the floor
laying industry. The curriculum these apprentices follow is based solely on manufacturer and
industry standards. A very important skill floor layers must possess is the ability to balance out
the dimensions in rooms where they are to install flooring products. Chalk boxes are used to
place lines, referred to as layout lines, on the substrate to assist the floor layer in maintaining a
balanced installation. An entire unit of the floor layer curriculum has been developed to teach
apprentices the proper methods required to properly layout rooms. The procedures used are
based on geometric theories such as the Pythagorean Theorem.
Mathematics, specifically geometry assists the floor layer apprentice with procedures for the
installation of multiple flooring products. In reflecting on the Common Core Standards
associated with mathematics there are three key ideas that I reference in the curriculum for floor
layer layout. The three key ideas for mathematics that I use are making sense of problems and
persevering in solving them, modeling with mathematics, and use appropriate tools
strategically, (Dunkle, 2012, p.40).
The first, making sense of problems and persevering in solving them, requires the student to
make sense of the procedures needed in building a right angle. The student must understand that

establishing a control line first, with a midpoint will be the first step in the procedures that will
lead to building a perpendicular line, also known as establishing a right angle. Modeling with
mathematics reflects on the job or real world situations where students will need to understand
procedures required for the installation of flooring materials. Finally, students learning the
procedures for layout need to recognize the attention to detail required for a successful
installation. Students use appropriate tools strategically to assist them with understanding the
procedures for building the right angle needed for layout. The tools that they will utilize in the
classroom will be pencil, plain paper, graph paper, a ruler, and a compass. Students will move to
the lab and perform the hands-on layout project, using a pencil, trammel tool, and a chalk box for
establishing the necessary lines on the substrate.
There are many skills needed when it comes to understanding and implementing the procedures
required to perform layout for the installation of flooring materials. A skill that needs to be
nurtured with students when working in the area of layout is that of critical thinking. Instructors
will need to develop curriculum that implement projects and assignments that will require
students to use critical thinking. Real world layout projects require critical thinking because
there are no two jobsites that are alike. With each project installers are given different
dimensions for the areas that require flooring materials. Installers need to be able to adapt to the
different situations they will face and critical thinking will give them the ability to do so.
Setting objectives and providing feedback are the instructional activities that Dean et al. use in
their text that work the best with my students. Objectives work in the same way as a to do list.
The list/objectives place an order of importance on the tasks to be completed. In the classroom
the objectives give the student the knowledge of what will be required from them. This will

assist them in making the connection to what they are doing in class and what they are supposed
to learn (Dean et al. 2012).
Feedback in the working environment for floor layers is, for the most part negatively based.
That makes it critical that the classroom setting is structured to make feedback a major part of
the learning environment. For the student the information they are given is brand new, just as the
requirements for the hands on project will be. As the instructor it is my job to observe the
student as he or she performs their hands on project, and this gives me the opportunity to assist
them when they are struggling. Praise is also given when I observe the student using what they
learned (Dean, et al. 2012). To nurture their growth in the classroom and the working
environment I evaluate each project they work on. On Friday they are given an evaluation sheet
with test scores for everything they did for that week. Most importantly there is written feedback
for them to read and we review it together. This is done individually so the student is not
uncomfortable in front of his or her peers. I then evaluate what issues were repeated with each
student. That leads me to know I failed to cover the subject matter thoroughly.
The use of objectives and feedback not only work in the assessment of the student, but they also
assist me in knowing how well I performed my duties in educating my students. The greatest
tool for me to use in evaluating the students I have is in learning who they are and what their
strengths and weaknesses are. If I know my students, it is much easier for me to recognize when
they are struggling. Another key factor in the success of my students is their trust in me and their
knowledge that I am 100% committed to helping them to be successful. With the familiarity I
have with my students I am better equipped to know if I have done my job properly. The use of
tests and quizzes help in assessing the knowledge the student has gained from the reading and

discussion. Many of my students do not perform well on written tests, but will do amazing when
it comes to their performance of hands-on projects.
The apprentice floor layer will begin the layout class by reading the text from the curriculum.
Classroom discussion along with examples performed on the white board with assist students
with their understanding of the development of a right angle. This gives me the opportunity to
observe the reactions and facial expressions of my students to see if they are gaining confidence
with the information. The next step will be the act of students working with pencil and paper in
drawing out the right angles using the information from the text. Following their success in the
classroom the students will move to the lab area to work on laying out flooring materials using
the geometric equations they have learned in the classroom. These tasks give me the opportunity
to assess the students and to monitor their progress. Should the student struggle, I am right there
to discuss with them what they have learned and help them find solutions to their struggles.
I have always felt that when grading or evaluating a student I need to first look in the mirror. I
am very familiar with the material that I use in my classroom, but that does not always mean I
taught it correctly. At the end of the week I evaluate the curriculum that was used to see if there
needs to be improvements made to fill in any gaps that might have occurred during the week.
Bondi and Wiles discuss the role of technology in the area of mathematics (2011, p. 145). The
internet can direct students and instructors to free learning sites. These sites offer lesson plans
for multiple grade levels, worksheets, math puzzles, and materials that will prepare students for
tests (Bondi & Wiles, 2011, p. 145). The ability to access materials from multiple grade levels is
very beneficial to the apprenticeship program since many of the students are at different skill

levels. These sites help to develop an individualized program for students who may need a
different grade level to better understand the information being presented.
For the general layout class the students objectives are establishing control lines, laying out
common and unique angles, laying out circles and arcs using various methods, and laying out
common geometric shapes. Each objective is broken down to make it easier for the student to
understand. Projects are developed around each objective so the student will put into practice
what they have read and discussed in class.
Students will begin the unit by reading the text, followed by a class discussion. During this
portion of the lesson students will be assessed on their comprehensive skills. Discussion will
assist the students in expressing their knowledge or any issues they might have about the reading
material. Following the discussion, a demonstration will be performed on the white board to
show the students the procedures they will need to implement for proper layout. The next step
will involve the students creating right angles on a piece of graph paper using a ruler and
compass. The graph paper will give the students a visual that will show them if they are staying
straight with their layout lines. Once the students have shown proficiency in the classroom the
students will then move to the lab area to perform hands-on projects. The hands-on projects are
designed to mimic an actual jobsite which will build confidence in the student.
The use of standards for mathematics will assist the floor layer apprenticeship in developing their
skills for layout. Dunkle states that the establishment of common standards and their alignment
with a common curriculum will have a major effect on the success of students and the schools
where they attend (2012, p. 55). This is the ultimate goal of the floor layer apprenticeship
program.

REFERENCES:
Bondi, J. C., & Wiles, J. W. (2011). Curriculum development a guide to practice (8th ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Dean, C.B., Hubbell, E.R., Pitler, H & Stone, B. (2012). Classroom Instruction That Works
Reasearch Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement (2nd ed.), Alexandria,
VA: ASCD and Denver, Co: Mid-continent Research For Education and Learning.
Dunkle, C. A. (2012). Leading the common core state standards. From common sense to
common practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.