Assignments That Matter

Presentation by:

Jamie WieltAllison Sherritz

Stephanie McSparinAmy Fuhs

Caitlin Creasey

Characteristics of Engaged & Worthwhile Learning

• Students play the role of the teacher

• Students build on prior knowledge

• Students work collaboratively; learning from their peers

• Students can relate to the lesson

• Students ask questions to improve their learning

• Teachers are facilitators, guides, and co-learners

• Teachers are constantly interacting with the students

Characteristics cont.

• Lessons are created to be challenging, but fun

• Lessons are created to offer choices

• Technology is integrated to keep students engaged

• Assessments are based on performance and participation

An Example of AssignmentsThat Matter

Monster Swap

– Each student creates a monster from their imagination. After the students’ finish drawing their monsters, they write a descriptive paragraph about their creation. The paragraphs are swapped between the partners through e-mail. By reading the paragraph, the partners try to duplicate each others creation. The results are then scanned and swapped, and the students get to see just how powerful their language can be.

Technology Integration

• Using e-mail, the students swap their paragraphs

• After the results are illustrated, they are scanned and swapped

• Each student creates a multimedia slideshow to show off their work

• Audio tapes are provided to accompany the drawings

Tech Integration FromDifferent Perspectives

• Educational Theorist• Educational Psychologist• Curriculum Specialist• Pedagogy Specialist• Instructional Designer

Educational Theorist• Study how people learn• Theories

– Behaviorism• The learner starts with starts off with a blank slate and it is then shaped by

positive and negative reinforcement– Constructivism

• Learning is acquired through personal experiences and through our environment

• Past experiences and cultural factors play a significant role in learning– Cognitivism

• Focuses on the internal, active, and creative processes• These mental processes include: memory, thinking, knowing, and problem

solving– Humanism

• Study the person as a whole • Believe that people act with intentionality and values

How the Educational Theorist relates to Monster Swap

• Constructivism– Work in groups

– Use hands-on activities

– The teacher acts as a guide

– Students are active participants

– Understanding that knowledge is constructed

Educational Psychologist• Studies the environment that the students are to be

learning in• Studies how the students learn

– Right brained students • prefer to work in groups, do art projects rather than write papers

– Left brained students• prefer to work alone, read independently, favor quiet classroom

• Studies how the teachers teach– Right brained teachers

• prefer to use hand on activities, more art, and group projects– Left brained teacher

• prefer to lecture, use the board and overheads, give writing assignments

Educational Psychologist• Teachers must know how each of their students learn and

they must adapt to their students– Concrete perceivers

• absorb information through direct experience, by doing, acting, sensing, and feeling.

– Abstract perceivers• take information in through analysis, observation, and thinking

– Active processors• make sense of an experience by immediately using the new

information– Reflective processors

• make sense of an experience by reflecting on and thinking about it

How the Educational Psychologist relates to Monster Swap

– In the Monster Swap unit it gives examples of Differentiated Instruction. It is the Educational Psychologist’s job to know about these different types of instruction and make sure that the teacher is aware of them as well. In this unit it gives examples of:

• Resource Student– Make modifications according to the IEP– Present written and oral instructions– Work with an aide

• Gifted Student– Provide more advanced instructions

• English Language Leaner– Give support from another student– Give extra time– Give visuals

Curriculum Specialist

How the Curriculum Specialistrelates to Monster Swap

Pedagogy Specialist• Works to select the best and most appropriate

strategies for instruction

• Strategies Engaged Learning- Students develop their own goals and evaluate their

own progress

Technology Integration- Regular use of technology resources in the classroom (computers, software, internet, cameras, etc)

Inquiry Learning- The focus is on the learner’s questions more than the teacher’s lessons. This tends to be more motivating to the students

Pedagogy Specialist• Strategies cont.

Collaborative Learning- Involves groups of students working together to solve a problem or complete a task

Outcome-Base Education- Students determine where they are and where they want to be, then make a plan on how to get there

Teachers & students share responsibilities Objectives must be clearly defined Students must have many choices and options

Socratic Learning- Gets learners to think more about what they are asking and/or thinking

Teachers respond to questions with a further question Teachers treat assertions as a connecting thought Teachers treat all thoughts and questions as “in need of development”

How the Pedagogy Specialistrelates to Monster Swap

• Technology Integration– Students will use technology such as computers, internet, cameras,

and scanners

• Collaborative Learning– Students work with other students by presenting their monster and

exchanging pictures and ideas

• Outcome-based Education– Students determine what they want their monster to look like and what

it will take to develop their monster. With endless options, the student then develops a plan on how to successfully create their monster.

Instructional Designer• Teaching for Understanding

– Educational Theories – Educational Psychology

• Using Design/Backward design• Developing Effective Goals and Objectives

– Using Bloom’s Taxonomy and knowing the steps of higher learning.

• Knowledge• Comprehension• Application• Analysis• Synthesis • Evaluation

       

Instructional Designer• Technology Integration

– Standards, Assessment, Accessibility

• Literacy’s – Information Power – Information Literacy’s

• Differentiating Instruction – It gives lesson plans, worksheets, etc. for the classroom

How the Instructional Designerrelates to Monster Swap

• It is the teacher’s role before the student’s start the activity.• The teacher needs to:

– Read the book– Then discuss with the class– Work on adjectives with the students

• This prepares the students to be able to describe their monster in a writing format.

• Student's need to have background knowledge, readiness, and language for the project.

• The teacher must understand that it is only how the students use the technology, is how the student will learn.

• It is key for the teacher to give good directions to students.

Evaluation• Standards/Learning - 5

– Appropriate curriculum and learning objectives– Good use of technology

• Curriculum Linking - 3– Good use of technology, but unit could have been done

without it

• Cognitive Tasks – 3– Unit requires analysis of information– Information combined from several different sources

Evaluation Cont.• Assessment Practice – 3

– Students were assessed on writing skills– Students were not assessed on their use of technology

• Preparation for Learning Tasks - 3– Adequate preparation was needed

• Overall Focus of Technology Use – 3– Technology was integrated into the unit– Technology did not transform the unit

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Strengths– Cyber pals draw picture from written description only– Class discussion over the end results– Student’s critique their own work– Differentiated instruction provided for students who

need assistance

• Weaknesses– Students were not assessed on their use of technology