Keos Classroom:

Bridging the Mathematical Gap Between

Generations
Jordan Chai
Oct. 19, 2015

Executive Summary

There is a problem in elementary schools. New mathematical concepts are being taught to
students, but parents dont understand them. This leads to an educational gap where parents want
to help and talk to their students about math, but cant find the resources to teach them. This
project, Keos Classroom, will solve that.

Keos Classroom will be a collection of online resources that teach parents and students
mathematical concepts exactly how they are taught in school. For this project specifically I will
create 12 fun, instructional video guides on common multiplication concepts and corresponding
review sheets. This project will address three problematic multiplication models: area model,
partial products, and traditional multiplication. Each section of four videos will discuss how
each model applies to 1-by-2digit multiplication, 1-by-3digit multiplication, 1-by-4digit
multiplication, and 2-by-2digit multiplication. Each video will also contain the topics of
relevant vocabulary, demonstration problems, and practice problems.

Each video will also have three unique review sheets and their answer keysbeginner,
intermediate, and advancedto answer during and after watching the video. The sheets will
contain sections for filling in vocabulary, solving problems with the video while watching the
video, and solving two do-it-yourself problems after watching the video.

Each mathematical model will be researched thoroughly through the use of existing
math guides, resources, and teachers. The videos will be created using three programs: Keynote,
to create slides and animations; Explain Everything, to add handwritten text and drawn sections;
and Quicktime, to record the video script. The worksheets and answer lets will be created using
Adobe InDesign. The three different levels will be created such that the beginner level requires
only fill-in-the-blank answers and basic math, while the advanced sheet will require complete
student completion, with only minor guides and models.

I am uniquely qualified to solve this problem since Keos Classroom is the culmination of
my life knowledge. In elementary school, I loved math and numbers and learned all I could, and
I excelled at everything math related. When I went to college I decided to pursue psychology
and communications. Combined, my educational experiences taught me both the mathematical
models and the best methods for communicating those practices. My personal experiences as a
student in a gifted classroom has shown me the power of this targeted learning and instilled in
me the desire to reach others in the same manner. Surrounded by hordes of teachers in my family,
I have been instilled with the passion to help others learn. I also have previous knowledge and
experience in all of the software I will use.

This project will require the help of two experts in their respective fields: Ru Wood, field
project academic advisor, a Westminster professor with expertise in instructional communication,
video creation, and rhetoric; and Alley Chai, field project supervisor, a fourth grade teacher who
uses technology daily in her classroom.

Overall this project will have no additional costs, as all of the materials and software
needed for this project has been previously obtained. This project will span the six months from
November 2015 to May 2016. During the first one-and-a-half month I will conduct all of the
research and compile the necessary definitions, problems, and math models required to effectively
teach all the listed mathematical concepts. For the following four-and-a-half months I will create
all the necessary components for each sectionfour instructional videos, one answer key, and
three differentiated review sheetsroughly every month.

The proposed culmination of well-written, professional-quality videos on mathematical

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topics and three different worksheets for each video that I propose has never before been
attempted. This is what I want to do through Keos Classroom: not only offer students more
chances to learn and succeed, but to provide a way for parents and students to sit down and learn
together again, in the digital age.

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Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Deliverables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Instructional Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Review Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Instructional Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Review Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Qualifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Introduction

I remember coming home from almost every day at elementary school and asking my
parents for some help with homework. My parents and I would sit down together and work
through the problems. It was here that my relationship with my parents was built. Today, I never
hesitate to ask my parents for help on anything, from college homework to gardening. I know,
that no matter what, my parents will do whatever they can to sit down with me and solve the
problem; however, things are changing quickly in the world of education, and parents arent
always able to help their children in the same way anymore.

New mathematical methods, concepts, and models have emerged, radically changing
how math is taught today. When students go home and ask their parents for math help they find
only more confusion. Parents, taught with older ideas, do not understand the new concepts that
students are learning in elementary classrooms today: Modern math models like the area model
are foreign to parents, who dont stand a chance of explaining them to their students.

Parents are not longer able to offer any help on math homework. Of the parents I have
talked to, all of them wish they understood new math concepts in order to help their students in
the same manner that the students are taught. Even when parents search for resources online to
help their student, they will find no great resources. Khan Academy, a leading online educational
source, and other sources do not prove helpful for specific math concepts. All the video resources
I have found drone on in a lecturing voice, suffer from incredibly poor quality, and dont provide
additional learning resources, such as a worksheet.

In order to bridge the gap of mathematical understanding between student and parent,
I will create a single resource that can provide the information students and parents seek, Keos
Classroom. Keos Classroom will be a collection of instructional videos and review sheets created
to inform students and parents about specific mathematical concepts in a fun, educational way.
This project will allow parents and students to once again sit down and solve math problems
together. Just like I was able to do with my late father, Henry Keo Chai II.

Deliverables

The first thing I remember that my father taught me about learning is that learning
should be fun, and if learning isnt fun, make it fun; therefore, the resources I will create for Keos
Classroom will not only educate students, but entertain them as well. With this lesson in my
mind I will create and design my deliverablesinstructional videos and review sheetsto be fun,
exciting, and educational.

Instructional Videos

The idea of making a math instructional video being fun may sound crazy, but just like
my father taught me, I will make it fun. These instructional videos will contain many elements to
make them entertaining: bright, engaging colors; fun, quirky clipart; creative, attention-grabbing
fonts. In addition to a fun video style, the content will be a combination of slideshow animations
and digital handwritten text, through the use of the software Explain Everything, an iPad
presentation-recording software, and Keynote, an Apple slideshow presentation program. These
videos will also be scripted and recorded in a light-hearted, entertaining way, including jokes and
fun facts. Another way to increase enjoyment, and learning, is to limit the length of my videos to
approximately 510 minutes. If the videos are too much longer, viewers begin losing interest and
attention: a shorter video increases overall attention for the duration of the video.

The videos in Keos Classroom will follow the popular, research-driven teaching method

of, I do, we do, you do, also known as the gradual release of responsibility. This means that first
the instructor will demonstrate the problem, I do; next, the students and instructor will work
together to solve a problem, we do; and last the student, alone, will complete the individual
problems on the worksheet, you do. Each video will follow the same outline and section layout in
a specific order:
Discussion of what mathematical concept this video is about
Links to corresponding review sheets
Review of previous concepts, with links to other Keos Classroom videos, if possible, pertinent
to the current concept
Definition of mathematical terms related to the current concept
Two demonstration problems of the current mathematical concept, I do
Two practice problems, done by student concurrently with video, we do
Student challenge to enhance learning, you do
In total there will be 12 instructional videos covering three main sections on multiplication: area
model, partial products, and traditional multiplication. Each section will contain four videos
discussing the application of the unique concept as it relates to 1-by-2-digit multiplication, 1-by3-digit multiplication, 1-by-4-digit multiplication, and 2-by-2-digit multiplication.

Review Sheets

However, a student simply having fun and watching a video wont ensure that he or she
is learning. This is where the next lesson my father taught me comes in: learning isnt passive its
active. Just like the final part of gradual release of responsibility, you do, there needs to be a
section allowing parents and students to do it for themselves. In order to ensure active learning,
I will create three review sheets for every one of the 12 instructional vides. These review sheets
will be differentiatedthe idea that students learn at different levels while accommodating these
levels into learninginto three skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced. In total 36 review
sheets12 pages in lengthwill be created.

All levels will include the same sections in order to review the concept: vocabulary, a
guided-example problem solved in the video, two practice problems to be done concurrently with
the video, and two do-it-yourself problems to be completed after the video. The main differences
will be in how the information is presented. The beginner level will have most of the information
already on the sheet. This beginner level will only require fill-in-the-blank vocabulary questions,
and example problems will have a guided structure and mathematical models. On the
intermediate level, the vocabulary section will contain fewer fill-in-the-blank questions and more
write-it-out answers, and example problems will contain fewer models and guides. The advanced
level will only have the vocabulary words, no help, and example problems will have no guided
structure or models, leaving it up to students to complete the problem in its entirety. A single
answer key will also be provided for all three review sheets. In order to accomplish my goals,
stating that I will create the instructional videos and review sheets isnt enough. I must detail the
process that each deliverable will require, not just what it will contain.

Methodology

Before the instructional videos and review sheets can be created, there is a preliminary
step. A Google account for Keos Classroom will need to be created for access to storage on
Google Drive and YouTube. After this the review sheets and instructional videos will be created.
The most efficient way to create these is to break them apart into the three multiplication
sectionsarea model, partial product, and traditional multiplicationand construct the four
videos and corresponding review sheets simultaneously for each section. Each section will

contain four videos1-by-2, 1-by-3, 1-by-4, and 2-by-2digit multiplicationwith each

video having three leveled-review sheetsbeginner, intermediate, and advanced. Each section
will follow the same methodology.

Instructional Videos

The first step is to conduct research about the mathematical concept for the section. The
research will be conducted through two different methods: existing educational resources and
conversations with Alley Chai. The existing resources will consistently come from Go Math, a
recent, popular math program, and online resources resources, Learnzillion, Khan Academy,
etc. Alley Chai, my wife, a fourth-grade teacher at Upland Terrace Elementary and recipient of
UEAs 2015 Teacher of the Year Award will offer her assistance by guiding research of the current
mathematical concept through examples of how she teaches the mathematical concept in her
classroom, resources she likes for her students, and research recommendations.

After the research for each section has been conducted, I will decide on the style of
teaching I will use, on the basis of recommendations and research. Any pertinent definitions
and information about previous concepts will be composed at this time. I will then create six
example problemstwo demonstration problems, two practice problems, and two do-it-yourself
probemsfor each of the four videos in each math section, for a total of 24 problems. Consulting
with Alley Chai, I will decide the possible directions while all prior research is reviewed and
discussed. This consultation will help solidify my knowledge and research on the current topic,
as well as correct any errors found in my research and chosen direction; in addition, vocabulary
and example problems will be reviewed to ensure correct information and proper representation
of the mathematical concept. At the conclusion of this meeting, we will decide on the finalized
teaching style to be used.

With teaching style, definitions, and example problems completed, four rough-draft
storyboards will be created in Keynote for each of the four videos in the section. The slides will
be organized in the order discussed in the deliverables section. The tentative script will also be
added to the notes of each slide: this script will include animations and handwritten text to be
used on the slide. At this time I will review storyboards and scripts with Ru Wood. Changes will
be discussed and made until a final script for each of the four videos can be created. After this
meeting, four finalized storyboards will be created by adding color, animations, etc.

At this point recording of each of the scripts will occur, using a voice recording software,
such as Quicktime. The slideshows will be transferred into Explain Everything, where the slides
will be recorded and handwritten text will be added. The voice track will be combined with the
presentation using a video editing software, Adobe Premier. The final drafts will be reviewed with
Ru Wood and Alley Chai, and any problems found will be corrected. Upon a final review and
approval from Ru Wood and Alley Chai videos will be uploaded to the Keos Classroom YouTube
account.

Review Sheets

Concurrently with the creation of the instructional videos, the review sheets will also
be created. Each group of three leveled-review worksheets and their matching answer key will
correspond to one video on the mathematical concept in Adobe InDesign. Each review worksheet
will follow the same methodology for creation.

First, the answer key will be created. The sections will be in the same order as the
videos: vocabulary, demonstration problem, practice problems, and do-it-yourself problems.
The vocabulary section will be filled in with all the definitions from the instructional video.
The demonstration problem on the review sheet will by the first demonstration problem in the
instructional video. The practice problems will be presented on the review sheet in the same order

they appear in the instructional video. The answers will be bolded and/or colored in order to
ensure clarity between problems and answers.

The next step is to create the review sheets. The review sheets will be constructed in this
order: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Each higher level of the review sheet is created by
removing information from the previous level; therefore, working from the answer key, I will only
have to delete information to create the higher level of review sheet. This process will also ensure
that all review sheets are consistent.

In order to create the beginner review sheet, I will first duplicate the answer key and
unbold and/or uncolor all answers. In the vocabulary section, I will delete key words or phrases
and create a fill-in-the-blank question. The demonstration problem will have no further changes.
The practice problems and do-it-yourself problems will have some numbers deleted but formulas
and models, if applicable, will remain: each problem will have progressively less information
present to increase difficulty slightly.

The intermediate-level review sheet will begin with a duplicated version of the beginner
review sheet. The vocabulary section will have the answers deleted, creating a fill-in-the-blank
answer. The demonstration problem will remain almost solved. The practice problem and doit-yourself sections will now only contain models, if applicable, and other minor guides: these
problems will also get progressively harder.

Lastly, the advance-level review sheet will begin with a duplicate of the intermediate
review sheet. At this level, the vocabulary section will contain only vocabulary words, a short
answer question. The demonstration problems will remain unchanged. The practice problem and
do-it-yourself problems will only contain the question, no models or formulas.

After the completion of the three leveled review sheets and answer keys, I will review
them with Alley Chai and Ru Wood. With Alley Chai I will ensure that each level is an accurate
representation and there is enough change between levels. Any alterations between levels will
be made at this time. Ru Wood and I will discuss the general layout and style to ensure that the
review sheets enhance learning by being consistent and understandable. After receiving the
okay from Ru Wood and Alley Chai, the review sheets, exported to PDF, will be uploaded onto
Keo Academys Google Drive into a folder representing the mathematical concept being taught.
However, even a great. well-put-together product, like what I propose, can be meaningless if
the person behind it isnt credible, so why would parents and students believe I am capable of
delivering a good math instructional video?

Qualifications

I believe the reasons I am qualified for this project also come back to the lessons my
father taught me throughout his life. These lessons have told me not only how to learn myself, but
how to teach others. Because of these lessons, my entire life has been building up to this project
through my education, experiences, and outside knowledge and skills.

Starting before college I learned that I loved math, and I took as many math classes
as possible at my science and math charter school. In college, I turned around and decided
to learn about people and got my Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology, with a focus in
counseling. It was here that I learned how different everyone is and that everyone needs unique
help, represented in differentiated worksheets. These experiences culminated in my Masters of
Professional Communication degree, which has taught me the power of focused, effective, and
targeted instruction and communication. Even my life has taught me the importance of the
concepts I learn in school. My education has shaped a man, who loves math, with the necessary
skills to reach those who need help.

It was in elementary school that I gained firsthand experience on the power of

differentiated learning. While I didnt have a teacher who provided me with three options of
worksheets, I was placed in a gifted classroom in which all of the students were at the same level.
Learning at my own level, I was able to excel at everything and love learning.

I have also learned so much about education because I have surrounded myself with those
who love education as much as I do. In my family, six individuals have chosen to teach elementary
school; in addition, two of my brothers have taught at a collegial level, and one brother spent
years teaching students what they needed to learn in order to pass several graduate-level career
tests. Because of my family, who love to learn and teach, I often find myself sitting in the middle
of a discussion on education: what they are implementing in classrooms, what is working, what
isnt working, and how they can incorporate each others teaching styles into their own. I talk
with my wife weekly on what she is doing in her classroom, how her teaching styles are working.
Sometimes we even sit down and discuss better teaching methods and what current research tells
us about these strategies.

Not only do I have a family who loves learning, but I also have all of the necessary skills
required to actually make this project a reality. This project needs experience with creating videos,
using recording software, creating worksheets, and working with teachers to create something
educational. These are all things I do, and continue to do, regularly throughout my Masters
of Professional Communication Program. I have created several videos, worked with lots of
recording software. I continue to help Alley Chai to create educational experiences with the use of
the programs Adobe Illustrator and InDesign, as well as learn about education through my family
of teachers.

Everything in my life has resulted in all the necessary skills and motivations needed to
actually create this project. While obtaining these qualifications for this project I have also been
able to build a vast library of resources that are available for this project. Not only do I have
access to many of the programs that are required, but I have developed a network of people with
different areas of expertise that I can ask for help at anytime.

Resources

Throughout this project, I will be working closely with two individuals: Ru Wood, field
project academic advisor, and Alley Chai, field project supervisor. Ru Wood, Westminster College
professor, will help me fill in the technical, communication, and rhetorical issues within the
project. His experience with new media, instructional design, film production, and visual rhetoric
will be invaluable moving forward. Proving himself time and time again, Ru Wood has shown a
deep understanding of new medias and the application of these medias to fit a need. His expertise
in design will help create powerful, strong imagery as well as fun, exciting video styles.

Alley Chai has proven herself as one of the best teachers over and over again. Since she
began teaching fourth grade, a little over 3 years ago, she has quickly risen from the best fourth
grade teacher to one of the best teachers in the school. Not only that, Alley Chai continues
to strive in the use of technology in her teaching. She currently is enrolled in a technology
endorsement in which she was given a full classroom set of Google Chromebooks. She has also
written several grants to receive seven iPads. Considering the goals and deliverables of this
project, I think that Alley Chai is the perfect fit for this project, she considered a great teacher,
and she strives to use technology effectively in education, just like this project does.

In addition to my field project advisors, there are several more resources that will
be needed. The first is a computer with access to the software Quicktime, iMovie, Keynote,
and Adobe InDesign and Illustrator. Secondly, an iPad and stylus with the software Explain
Everything and cables to connect it to the computer will be required for recording handwritten
text. These devices must both have internet access regularly. The last resource that will be needed

is Go Maths teacher books on multiplication to help explain mathematical concepts. These

resources are expensive, and the price would add up quickly, which is why I have a clever way of
funding this project.

Budget

Because I have worked so hard in my educational career to understand and use this
software, I have been able to purchase all of the necessary resources previously, and I have
unrestricted access to them all; therefore, this project has no projected expenses. I own a
computer and an iPad with all the necessary software and requirements, and I have constant
internet access. Alley Chai will be able to provide access to the Go Math books regularly and
on demand. The Keo Academy Google Account will be free and require no expenses. The only
other expenses for this project will be the printing costs for the final product. I will need three
total copies, which are expected to cost less than $100 total for printing fees. With the product,
resources, and money all figured out, the last thing left to plan is when it will all happen.

Timeline

This project will take place over a period of several months. If approved, I will start initial
research and development in November. The project is expected to be completed by the beginning
of May at the latest. For a more detailed calendar of scheduled events please see Table 1.
Table 1 - Project Schedule
Math
Event
Dates
Section(s)
Research all mathematical concepts (12 All
11/1 total)
11/28/2015
Review all mathematical concepts (12 All
11/29 total)
12/6/2015
Create rough draft of script, storyboard, Area Model
12/7 and review sheets
12/13/2015
Create rough draft of script, storyboard, Partial Products 12/14 and review sheets
12/20/2015
Christmas Break
N/A
12/21 1/2/2016
Create rough draft of script, storyboard, Traditional
1/3 and review sheets
Multiplication
1/10/2016
Review rough draft of script, storyArea Model
1/11 board, and review sheets
1/17/2016
Finalize and record instructional video Area Model
1/18 1/31/2016
Finalize review sheets
Area Model
2/1 2/7/2016
Review final versions of instructional
Area Model
2/8 video and review sheets
2/14/2016
Correct finalized instructional video
Area Model
2/15 and review sheets
2/21/2016
*JC: Jordan Chai; AC: Alley Chai; RW: Ru Wood

Estimated
Total Time
4 weeks

Parties
involved*
JC, AC

1 week

JC, AC

1 week

JC

1 week

JC

3 weeks

N/A

1 week

JC

1 week

JC, RW

2 weeks

JC

1 week

JC

1 week

JC, RW, AC

1 week

JC

Table 1 - Project Schedule

Math
Event
Dates
Section(s)
Review rough draft of script, storyPartial Products 2/15 board, and review sheets
2/19/2016
Create final version of instructional
Partial Products 2/22 video
3/6/2016
Create final version of review sheets
Partial Products 3/7 3/13/2016
Review finalized instructional video
Partial Products 3/14 and review sheets
3/18/2016
Correct finalized instructional video
Partial Products 3/21 and review sheets
3/27/2016
Review rough draft of script, storyTraditional
3/21 board, and review sheets
Multiplication
3/25/2016
Finalize and record instructional video Traditional
3/26 Multiplication
4/10/2016
Finalize review sheets
Traditional
4/11 Multiplication
4/17/2016
Review finalized instructional video
Traditional
4/18 and review sheets
Multiplication
4/22/2016
Correct finalized instructional video
Traditional
4/25 and review sheets
Multiplication
5/1/2016
*JC: Jordan Chai; AC: Alley Chai; RW: Ru Wood

Estimated
Total Time
1 week

Parties
involved*
JC, RW

2 weeks

JC

1 week

JC

1 week

JC, RW, AC

1 week

JC

1 week

JC, RW

2 weeks

JC

1 week

JC

1 week

JC, RW, AC

1 week

JC

Conclusion

Never before has an online resource tried what Keos Classroom is going to do: building
relationships with parents and students through making math fun and educational. Parents and
students will again be able to sit down and discuss math concepts as students today are taught.
Spending ten minutes together, parents and students will be able to learn and review math; in
addition, students get to learn at their unique level and have fun doing it. Parents and students
will be able sit down and learn together, just like I did as I grew up. Those memories are some
of my favorites and have shaped my life more than I could have ever known. The proposed
collection of mathematical resources, Keos Classroom, will allow parents and students to love
learning, build relationships, and understand math like they never have before.

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