2.2 Research-Based Learner-Centered Strategies
Candidates model and facilitate the use of research-based, learner-centered strategies addressing the diversity of all students. (PSC 2.2/ISTE 2b)
Artifact: Web Quest - Climate, Culture and Food
Reflection
This project served as an online science assignment, in the form of a Web Quest and it was a required class assignment for ITEC 7430. A lesson plan and a Wiki project site were designed and the lesson was facilitated. The lesson components were designed and evaluated for content gains. The project was an individual effort submitted in the summer of 2013. Meeting the requirements for this assignment, my skills and my understanding of the Georgia’s science content Standards and ISTE National Educational Technology Standards were used to integrate science, technology, and language learning strategies to provide students with an authentic higher learning experience. This lesson was framed using a constructive learning model with language tasks to advance reading and writing skills, along with advancing content comprehension and technology uses (digital documentation and student online publication products).
This virtual learning assignment provided students with a global learning experience in science and implemened as an exploratory Web based assignment. The assignment targeted a critical issue, climate change. The topic was student directed by allowing for the input of students' reflection on food consumption and individual cultures. The Web Quest was framed for students to associate economic values with food consumption and that of environmental/harvest needs. The best part of this assignment was the opportunity it gave students to include family members' reflections on their topics.
Designated reference materials and resources online enabled an exploratory and safe online learning experience. Students advanced in their ability to use classroom materials and online resources via a higher learning experience. The topics, plant reproduction and seasonal changes, required students to further understand food consumption and how cultural traditions can be associated with foods. Students researched and collected data for collaborative presentations with community experts on plant growth and climate. Students published digital presentations to make their findings available to others within the school. Students demonstrated an understanding of model data (such as temperatures and moisture) that enabled a higher understanding of external real world factors, such as pollination, photosynthesis, growing season, and climate change.
Oral (and listening) Language Development Strategies such as peer discussions to target prior knowledge and Read-Out-Louds provided opportunities to acquire English Language skills and science content gains by advancing vocabulary, enunciation of content terms, and content comprehension. Overall a more advance lesson, sections of this unit were designed to include Differentiated Learning Strategies applicable for lower level learners, such as pre-selected graphic items for visual recognition, and advanced learners were grouped in small-group leadership roles to provide peer-learning opportunities.
The web resources were interactive programs that students used to forecast food harvest changes, prompting their predictions produce production changes and of cultural changes associated with climate change. The group collaboration gave students of varying talents, such as language skills, technology tool skills, and presentation creativity, an opportunity to act in a leader role at appropriate times. This web based and exploratory assignment was adopted as a safe online experience for ELs - a critical factor when considering online research for a diverse student population. At a ratio of 60 to 40, EL student popultaion for the building: mostly male students, average age is 14, youngest age is 12, and the oldest age is 17 years old. Roughly 40% of the EL students are Napoli, 30% Burmese, and another 10% - Kareen and Somali. Additional student languages vary and include Amharic, Arabic, and Swahili.
From implementing this lesson, I learned that it is better to limit the number of students using computers at one time, than to allow a large group of students to work on the computers at the same time. Students learning language and technology skills need more one-on-one instruction; use of digital content can be very frustration for EL students when things that took hours to produce disappear. Student learning was assessed with using a pre-post-quiz online, and the results were positive. I learned that testing for formative evaluations helped me to better address the objectives of a topic. The online assessment indicated a 10% student average increase in content comprehension gain. This assessment mostly reflected language skills, and since reading is a barrier for English Learners I will not use this data in isolation.
Candidates model and facilitate the use of research-based, learner-centered strategies addressing the diversity of all students. (PSC 2.2/ISTE 2b)
Artifact: Web Quest - Climate, Culture and Food
Reflection
This project served as an online science assignment, in the form of a Web Quest and it was a required class assignment for ITEC 7430. A lesson plan and a Wiki project site were designed and the lesson was facilitated. The lesson components were designed and evaluated for content gains. The project was an individual effort submitted in the summer of 2013. Meeting the requirements for this assignment, my skills and my understanding of the Georgia’s science content Standards and ISTE National Educational Technology Standards were used to integrate science, technology, and language learning strategies to provide students with an authentic higher learning experience. This lesson was framed using a constructive learning model with language tasks to advance reading and writing skills, along with advancing content comprehension and technology uses (digital documentation and student online publication products).
This virtual learning assignment provided students with a global learning experience in science and implemened as an exploratory Web based assignment. The assignment targeted a critical issue, climate change. The topic was student directed by allowing for the input of students' reflection on food consumption and individual cultures. The Web Quest was framed for students to associate economic values with food consumption and that of environmental/harvest needs. The best part of this assignment was the opportunity it gave students to include family members' reflections on their topics.
Designated reference materials and resources online enabled an exploratory and safe online learning experience. Students advanced in their ability to use classroom materials and online resources via a higher learning experience. The topics, plant reproduction and seasonal changes, required students to further understand food consumption and how cultural traditions can be associated with foods. Students researched and collected data for collaborative presentations with community experts on plant growth and climate. Students published digital presentations to make their findings available to others within the school. Students demonstrated an understanding of model data (such as temperatures and moisture) that enabled a higher understanding of external real world factors, such as pollination, photosynthesis, growing season, and climate change.
Oral (and listening) Language Development Strategies such as peer discussions to target prior knowledge and Read-Out-Louds provided opportunities to acquire English Language skills and science content gains by advancing vocabulary, enunciation of content terms, and content comprehension. Overall a more advance lesson, sections of this unit were designed to include Differentiated Learning Strategies applicable for lower level learners, such as pre-selected graphic items for visual recognition, and advanced learners were grouped in small-group leadership roles to provide peer-learning opportunities.
The web resources were interactive programs that students used to forecast food harvest changes, prompting their predictions produce production changes and of cultural changes associated with climate change. The group collaboration gave students of varying talents, such as language skills, technology tool skills, and presentation creativity, an opportunity to act in a leader role at appropriate times. This web based and exploratory assignment was adopted as a safe online experience for ELs - a critical factor when considering online research for a diverse student population. At a ratio of 60 to 40, EL student popultaion for the building: mostly male students, average age is 14, youngest age is 12, and the oldest age is 17 years old. Roughly 40% of the EL students are Napoli, 30% Burmese, and another 10% - Kareen and Somali. Additional student languages vary and include Amharic, Arabic, and Swahili.
From implementing this lesson, I learned that it is better to limit the number of students using computers at one time, than to allow a large group of students to work on the computers at the same time. Students learning language and technology skills need more one-on-one instruction; use of digital content can be very frustration for EL students when things that took hours to produce disappear. Student learning was assessed with using a pre-post-quiz online, and the results were positive. I learned that testing for formative evaluations helped me to better address the objectives of a topic. The online assessment indicated a 10% student average increase in content comprehension gain. This assessment mostly reflected language skills, and since reading is a barrier for English Learners I will not use this data in isolation.