Monday, December 9, 2013

Keystone Curriculum and Instruction WK 13

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ajg98ppwke6z3nk/Curriculum%20and%20Instruction%20keystone-605.docx

Lesson Link to Keystone:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/aop1fs7grc0w4tu/Mini%20Lesson-605.docx

WK 13 Putting Together


1)      Thick back to your many experiences with well-designed learning, both in and out of school. What was the most-well-designed learning experience you ever encountered as a learner? What features of the design-not the teacher’s style or your interests-made the learning so engaging and effective? (Design elements include challenges posed, sequences of activities, resources provided, assignments, assessments, grouping, and site and teachers role.) Briefly describe the sign.

Wow- this was a while ago, reflecting back on a well-designed lesson that I ever encountered-It was in college during developmental biology class-what made this interesting was a hands-on-minds on experience where I had to rely on my own critical thinking skills to accomplish a task. Also, it was critical for students to work in groups to pool ideas to successfully accomplish the task and apply ideas. The resources provided were extensive, which include dissection tools, cat cadavers and a how to video clip of how to use the dissection tools-we had to find three bones encased in cadaver cat’s eye ball. With the use of computer/lap tops for additional research. Needless to say this was new to all the students in the class.  The challenges we faced as a team was figuring out who will actually do the deed of dissection while the other takes notes or create diagrams. As a group we decided to discovery one cat eye bone each and help each other if necessary. Decisions and group organizations was left up to student groups; the prof-had nothing to do with group organization or decisions. Also, each group was given plenty of time to make discovers.  The assessments of this activity was formative were each group had the opportunity to discuss finding from collaborated written reports. The prof. role was to offer feedback and make necessary correction.

2)      In sharing your recollection and analyses with your peers, build a list of generalizations that follow from the accounts. What do well-designed learning experience have in common?  In other words, what must be built in by design for any learning experience to be maximally effective and engaging for students?

Student must get involved in their own learning process and become active participants, real world problem solving that is of interest to the students, plenty of opportunities to critically thick through task and make adjustments to ideas, apply ideas, time to work in collaborated groups to reflect on others ideas and your own, and plenty of opportunities to use technology to support ideas.

3)      Where in your school or the school that you are observing are the best characteristics of best design most likely to be seen in action? In what programs and subject areas would we most expect to see these characteristics, compared with other programs or subjects? Are there any patterns, if so why?

I have observed these characteristics in science, math, art and graphics design technology classes. Where students had to use their critical thinking skills to solve a task Students are afforded many different entry point for self-reflection and application of what is learned.  Also, students are able to use technology to aid in the development of critical thinking skills, research, and design with computer graphics. There is a pattern in the above subjects where it is necessary for students to get involved in their own learning process for it to be meaningful and engaging.

 

4)      After a study of sample units, and one of your own designs, edit or amend your list of characteristics of the best design, as appropriate.

Identify desired student results-standards

Determine acceptable evidences of task accomplishments

Prior knowledge, real world connections

Students’ intellectual motivators

Differential instruction-many entry points

Plenty of time for critical thinking

Hands on activity-student practice

Peer sharing-reflection

Collaborative group organization

Technology integration-problem solving, and critical thinking

Assessments rubrics, ongoing informal/formal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, November 25, 2013

WK11-Social Studies intergration-Google Earth and Google Maps


Google Earth Lesson Plan: The best battle route of the Spanish Armada

v  Grade: 6th

v  Subject Social Studies

Standards: ISTE

 a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes

c. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues

 2. Communication and Collaboration

a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media

b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats

5. Digital Citizenship

a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology

b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity

d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship

 6. Technology Operations and Concepts

a. Understand and use technology systems

b. Select and use applications effectively and productively

d. Transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies

 Learning Objectives:

v  Develop operations to investigate past historical events using multimedia tools to aid in critical thinking and predictions.

v  Critically think to evaluate evidence to plot the best route for the Spanish Armada.

Essential Questions:

v  What is the best route of the Spanish Armada land or sea?

v  Describe how we can use technology to plot the best routes for the Spanish Armada?

v  Explain why England was so difficult to concur in 1588?

v  What was so unique about England compared to other European countries?

v  Predict why the control of the English Channel was so important to the King Philip of Spain?

Materials:

v  Smart Board, Google Earth, Google Maps, Google images, Word processing/printer, 5 Lap tops/computer.
            https://www.google.com/earth/ 
Lesson Activity:

v  Student will be introduced to the battle of the Elisabeth I Queen of England in 1588 against the Spanish Armada-King of Philip of Spain. Student will be asked to predict the best route the Spanish Armada took to invade England. Ask students why was it so difficult to invade England in 1588? Is England assessable by Land? Give students plenty of time to grapple with the questions.

v  Introduce the fleet of the Spanish Armada using pictures from Google images. Students will be guided using the smart board with the operations of Google Earth and shown land and sea routes from Spain to England. Students will then be given time to predict which route will be the best route for the Spanish Armada, land or sea.
 
v  Introduce student to Google earth-remind the students of safe and legal practices of the inter-net safety use and to act responsibly when using informational technology.

v  Provide organized student groups with computers-let the students highlight and annotate were the battle took place and navigate the journey of the Armada and possible places where it could have hit rough seas-

v  Let student navigate satellite images of England and Spain. Students can use satellite images to answer question on Activity sheet: what made Britain so unique and hard to concur in 1588? What makes Britain so unique compared to other European countries? Predict why the control of the English Channel was so important to the King Philip of Spain?  

v  Students can then produce a map (using Google My Maps) showing the route of the Armada and marking key events as place marks on the relevant locations e.g. July 30 – were Armada enters the English Channel-Students will be required to print their maps, with longitude and latitude markers.
v  Student groups can share out their maps and Google earth annotate notes for the best route for King Philip of Spain-Spanish Armada.
Assessments:
Peer assessment of shared out plotted map journeys of the Spanish Fleet and Google Earth annotative notes. Student’s activities questions and discussion based standards of the lesson.