Final Synthesis Project
Target Audience
The audiences for this lesson plan are students in 7th/8th grade special ed. classes at Navarre Middle School. The time of delivery of this lesson would be in the beginning of the school year when students are getting back to school and need some refreshers on Navarre Pride and School Spirit, which tend to go hand-in-hand with classroom behavior. Teachers spend the first few days of class going over classroom expectations and rules, so this lesson would tie in perfectly with the early back to school days. I chose to create this lesson for students in 7th/8th grade special ed. class, because I plan to use this lesson in the fall as an introduction to our subjects. It also helps students make a connection to home and school. Not only does this lesson provide a sense of school spirit, but it also incorporates some of the Indiana Curriculum Content Standard through math integration.
Context
This lesson is designed for a co-ed 7th/8th grade special ed. class of a public school, particularly Navarre View Middle School. Navarre View has a population of approximately 100,000 residents. It represents both rural and urban living. South Bend View School District is a Class B district which serves over 10,000 students in K-12th grade. The curriculum is aligned with the Indiana Curriculum Frameworks and Grade Level Content Standards. AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) has been made for all qualifying buildings. For this lesson a computer lab is necessary with enough computers for each student. Computers must have internet access and students must have availability to Google accounts.
Learning Objectives
From this lesson, students will be able to use Google Maps to create a map of a particular location desired based on the directions of the instructor. Students will be able to use placemarks, lines, and shapes to indicate the details of their map. Cartography is the science of mapmaking. Students in 7th/8th grade special ed. class should be able to read and design maps as cartography is an important part of subjects and education. After completion of this lesson, students should be able to create a map using Google Maps and use the tools of this application. The lesson specifically asks students to map the route from their home to school. Students must use markers to indicate the start and end points as well as high the roadways taken.
Mathematical Integration—Indiana Grade Level Content Standards
D.RE.07.01 Represent and interpret data using graphs.
A.PA.07.01 Recognize when information given in a table, graph, or formula suggests a directly proportional or linear relationship.
Detailed Description of Lesson
Explanation-The online tools that will be incorporated into this lesson plan are screencasting through Camtasia with video posts to YouTube and map making through Google Maps. Screencasting is a way to create a video from your computer screen to show students step by step what it is you want them to do (demonstration). Google Mapmaking is a way to create any map you like with a bit of personal design. There are various tools provided by Google to make your map standout and easy to interpret.
Description-As an instructor I will create a video using screencasting to lead my students into the training for this course. I will have created a webquest that would include students watching my screencasting video of mapmaking through Google Maps. The video will be a demonstration of how to use Google Maps. Students would then be expected to use Google Maps to map the route from their house to Navarre View Middle School. From here, students would print out their maps, look at the total distance from their home to school, and we would have an overall discussion as to who lives in the school district and who does not. We would relate this information to school pride.
Artifact
The artifact that I chose to use as an example for this lesson is a sample map of what a student may create for this lesson. I created a map using Google Maps that shows the route from my home to Navarre View Middle School. This is the type/quality of work that I would expect from my students.
View Larger Map
Justification
I feel as though these high-tech, technology based online tools are more effective and better options for my classroom because they are more appealing to students. For example, middle school students are always seeking ways of independence. By giving them a webquest assignment and allowing them to watch a screencast video of me, their instructor demonstrating the assignment, in a sense I am handing the reins off to them and putting them in charge of their own learning. This is more appealing to students as learners as opposed to me standing in front of a blackboard and asking students to take out their paper maps and markers to draw the route from home to school. With Google Maps, students are able to select terrain, satellite, and even traffic views. They are also able to calculate the distances from home to school and make relationships to math and science. It allows for many more choices/prospects and provides an outlet to information they may have never known existed about their world through mapmaking. Students are interested in learning more about technology and staying up to date. With these technologies, students are just a click away from a vast majority of resources. It takes less time, is neat and clear to interpret, and students also have many opportunities to personalize their work using these types of technologies.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Application Review
The first application that I looked at was Zoho Writer. It is basically just like Microsoft Word, except that it offers many online features. It allows the user to post directly to a blog and it also allows you to save to different folders. This would be great to use if several colleagues were working on a document together. One person could add a comment or make a change, and the document would be instantly updated for everyone else to see. It would also be great for teachers to use with students, or for students to use with other students if they were working on a group project. I was very impressed with what this online application does, and I would definitely recommend it to a colleague! It seems easy to use and it would be very beneficial in a school.
The second application that I looked at was Phixr. This is an online photo editing application that allows you to e-mail pictures to another person or upload photos to your account at another website (Facebook, Live Journal, flickr, etc.). The computer does not need to have a photo editing program installed; it just needs access to this web site. I can see a lot of uses for this application for personal use, but not as many uses in the classroom. You would have to be careful if allowing students to use this to make sure that inappropriate pictures were not uploaded. It could be very helpful for a teacher to use if he/she needed to share photos of something with students. Pictures could be easily uploaded and added to a website for everyone to see, even if the teacher did not have a photo editing program. So, I think it could be beneficial to use in a school, and I would recommend it to colleagues. However, I think there would be more uses in a personal setting.
The second application that I looked at was Phixr. This is an online photo editing application that allows you to e-mail pictures to another person or upload photos to your account at another website (Facebook, Live Journal, flickr, etc.). The computer does not need to have a photo editing program installed; it just needs access to this web site. I can see a lot of uses for this application for personal use, but not as many uses in the classroom. You would have to be careful if allowing students to use this to make sure that inappropriate pictures were not uploaded. It could be very helpful for a teacher to use if he/she needed to share photos of something with students. Pictures could be easily uploaded and added to a website for everyone to see, even if the teacher did not have a photo editing program. So, I think it could be beneficial to use in a school, and I would recommend it to colleagues. However, I think there would be more uses in a personal setting.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Bubble.Us
This project would be for students and for teachers to find out what students really know about science. Its a good way to break the ice to find out what all your students know about science. Science is such a broad topic, so teachers will know what they can just hit and miss on a certain topics.
Reflection
After reading about how instructional design/technology is used in businesses, P-12 schools, and higher education, I would say that a major theme between all of them is the idea of pushing yourself to always be better. In each of these areas, the authors discussed the importance of training. In a business, employees need to go through training to learn new procedures and or programs. In a P-12 school system, teachers and staff participate in professional development, continuing education, seminars, etc. As we read this week, professors in higher education are encouraged, if not required, to get their doctorate, submit articles for publication, and go through training. In all three of these areas, the idea of being complacent and unwilling to learn new things is unacceptable. With this type of attitude, a business, school, or university won’t be able to grow and change as the world around us changes. Therefore, it is important, no matter what you do, to look for ways to better yourself.
I think as teachers, we can learn a lot from both businesses and high education facilities. Businesses have put forth an effort to adapt to different cultures. This is a great example for schools to follow, especially in diverse districts. In the chapter about high education, Brenda Litchfield talked about using orientations and workshops to assist new faculty members. At the orientation and through the workshops during the year, Litchfield is able to help new faculty become acquainted with important aspects of teaching at the university. This is something that would be important to do as well in a P-12 school district. Some districts do provide new staff with assistance at the beginning of the year, but this is something that could be continued throughout the entire year (or longer), as Litchfield does.
One competency that I would like to work on is to become more involved in professional activities. As a reading interventionist, I am actually a part of the support staff, not the teaching staff. So, on professional development days, I spend my time in the classroom instead of attending trainings, meeting, etc. I think I would really benefit from being a part of these professional activities. However, I know there are many opportunities to attend conferences or workshops outside of school. I think that I need to put forth more effort to find valuable workshops that I could attend. Another way for me to work on this would be to becoming involved in other committees at school. I am currently a part of the school improvement team, but there are many other committees that I could be a part of next year.
I think as teachers, we can learn a lot from both businesses and high education facilities. Businesses have put forth an effort to adapt to different cultures. This is a great example for schools to follow, especially in diverse districts. In the chapter about high education, Brenda Litchfield talked about using orientations and workshops to assist new faculty members. At the orientation and through the workshops during the year, Litchfield is able to help new faculty become acquainted with important aspects of teaching at the university. This is something that would be important to do as well in a P-12 school district. Some districts do provide new staff with assistance at the beginning of the year, but this is something that could be continued throughout the entire year (or longer), as Litchfield does.
One competency that I would like to work on is to become more involved in professional activities. As a reading interventionist, I am actually a part of the support staff, not the teaching staff. So, on professional development days, I spend my time in the classroom instead of attending trainings, meeting, etc. I think I would really benefit from being a part of these professional activities. However, I know there are many opportunities to attend conferences or workshops outside of school. I think that I need to put forth more effort to find valuable workshops that I could attend. Another way for me to work on this would be to becoming involved in other committees at school. I am currently a part of the school improvement team, but there are many other committees that I could be a part of next year.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Reflection
A theme that I have noticed throughout the last three chapters is teamwork. Instructional Design and Technology in any setting cannot be successfully accomplished alone; it requires the work of a team. Table 18.1 in the book, on page 176, defines the roles of different team members. Last week in my reflection, I talked about how these roles carry over to the educational setting with an example of a curriculum committee. One of the main topics in Chapter 21 is that of the Step-Up-To-Excellence (SUTE) process. There is no way in the world that this process can be done alone. This process needs multiple team members that work together. Chapter 22 gives us a look into the everyday lives of five common roles in higher education. All of these faculty members share how they work together with their colleagues to make the most of their careers.
I think that all professions work as a team in their environments. This is also something that can be worked on every year. I know that my district works very well as a team, but there is always room for improvement. This is why we all attend professional development meetings throughout the year. It’s always good to have a team building meeting at least twice a year to keep everyone on track and to keep them looking at the bigger picture. Wouldn’t it be neat if all of our school districts would move towards the SUTE process?
I think that my strength is communication. I communicate very well on a daily basis with students, parents, and coworkers either in person, on the phone, or through email. I’m always giving suggestions for improvements, encouragement, and also asking for advice. If I have a concern, I like to deal with it ASAP; I’m not one to wait around for someone else to fix something! Two competencies that I’d like to develop, or more improve, would be: 1.) Stimulate and sustain learner motivation, and 2.) Use media and technology to enhance learning and performance.
I think that we are all looking to develop, or improve, our skills in media and technology to enhance learning and performance; why else would we take this class. I’ve already learned so much in the six weeks that we’ve been in this class that I hope to put to use in my own class and district. Sometimes I wish we had more time with each new piece of technology that we are learning about!
I think that all professions work as a team in their environments. This is also something that can be worked on every year. I know that my district works very well as a team, but there is always room for improvement. This is why we all attend professional development meetings throughout the year. It’s always good to have a team building meeting at least twice a year to keep everyone on track and to keep them looking at the bigger picture. Wouldn’t it be neat if all of our school districts would move towards the SUTE process?
I think that my strength is communication. I communicate very well on a daily basis with students, parents, and coworkers either in person, on the phone, or through email. I’m always giving suggestions for improvements, encouragement, and also asking for advice. If I have a concern, I like to deal with it ASAP; I’m not one to wait around for someone else to fix something! Two competencies that I’d like to develop, or more improve, would be: 1.) Stimulate and sustain learner motivation, and 2.) Use media and technology to enhance learning and performance.
I think that we are all looking to develop, or improve, our skills in media and technology to enhance learning and performance; why else would we take this class. I’ve already learned so much in the six weeks that we’ve been in this class that I hope to put to use in my own class and district. Sometimes I wish we had more time with each new piece of technology that we are learning about!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Screencasting
This video is a tutorial demonstrating for students how to access our online textbook. I point out several features such as concept mapping, audio, textbook pages and review questions, and several others. These features would help students at home with their homework. It also provides a way for students to study/do homework if they have forgotten their textbook.
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