I. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and creativity
Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter,
teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate
experiences that advance student learning,
creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face
and virtual environments.
a. Promote, support, and model creative
and innovative thinking and inventiveness
b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues
and solving authentic problems using digital
tools and resources
c. Promote student reflection using collaborative
tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual
understanding and thinking, planning, and
creative processes
d. Model collaborative knowledge construction by
engaging in learning with students, colleagues,
and others in face-to-face and virtual environments
teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate
experiences that advance student learning,
creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face
and virtual environments.
a. Promote, support, and model creative
and innovative thinking and inventiveness
b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues
and solving authentic problems using digital
tools and resources
c. Promote student reflection using collaborative
tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual
understanding and thinking, planning, and
creative processes
d. Model collaborative knowledge construction by
engaging in learning with students, colleagues,
and others in face-to-face and virtual environments
To connect with our students as teachers, it is important to ensure that we know them as individual persons as well as through online environments. We will only be able to inspire our students if we can draw them into learning for the love of learning - if we can teach them a respect for our subjects, and a joy in being able to grow in knowledge of the subject.
We first need to be able to exemplify our own love of learning. If we have it, it will be expressed in our own creativity and work in our subject area. What we teach will relate to other subjects, to daily life, and to our genuine awe at the world around us. Each of us is inspired by people who can do something, be something, or love something greater than themselves. Students are no different. Our humility in the face of the immensity of learning, combined with our constant work to critically understand and share what we have learned will draw students into even the subjects they might find dry.
This semester, I worked to put together a short video that I might use, for example, if I decided to "flip" my classroom for a day (have students watch an instructional video for homework, and then work independently or in groups in class). This video asked students to consider how twentieth century innovations affected the culture of the day - particularly the music and poetry. In only five minutes, the students learned what they needed to research, how they were to present their research, and were given a short example presentation.
We first need to be able to exemplify our own love of learning. If we have it, it will be expressed in our own creativity and work in our subject area. What we teach will relate to other subjects, to daily life, and to our genuine awe at the world around us. Each of us is inspired by people who can do something, be something, or love something greater than themselves. Students are no different. Our humility in the face of the immensity of learning, combined with our constant work to critically understand and share what we have learned will draw students into even the subjects they might find dry.
This semester, I worked to put together a short video that I might use, for example, if I decided to "flip" my classroom for a day (have students watch an instructional video for homework, and then work independently or in groups in class). This video asked students to consider how twentieth century innovations affected the culture of the day - particularly the music and poetry. In only five minutes, the students learned what they needed to research, how they were to present their research, and were given a short example presentation.
In this video, I first modeled for students a creative way to combine my main subject - the modern history of scientific innovations - with the culture around us. Culture, of course, can be studied historically, but most students are not going to think of rock 'n roll as a historical trope. By supporting their interest in the culture around them, I helped students see that they could use their own innovation to think up more ways in which history and daily life collide and are affected by each other.
The student project described in this video also promotes student collaboration both virtually and in face-to-face environments. Ideally, students would work together in person (perhaps in class or a library period) to come up with a scientific innovation that affected the culture. This might even require them to ask questions of their parents or teachers to learn about twentieth century pop music or popular artists. In this way, students are collaborating both by gaining personal knowledge from their peers and teachers and by constructing knowledge regarding a scientific innovation through their other research. A student group, having completed the project, would then be able to place it online on the class website or show it to their class. A virtual collaboration would then take place, as students comment on others' videos, share classmates' videos of interest, or even start texting each other links to old music or art that they found in their research.
Another project I completed that helped me learn how to facilitate and inspire student learning was a website, found here, which, similarly to the video, I used to help students understand the rise of nationalism in combination with culture. I wanted students to be able to use a wide variety of resources to be able to plan and solve a problem: did individual music composers and artists in the 1800s express nationalism, and how is nationalism usually expressed?
Through a simple website, I gave students three tasks: research up a composer and listen to his music, research other compositions by that composer, and then look at some art from the same period. I then asked the students to write about where they saw nationalism in the music and art, and how it was expressed - what makes nationalism obvious?
The student project described in this video also promotes student collaboration both virtually and in face-to-face environments. Ideally, students would work together in person (perhaps in class or a library period) to come up with a scientific innovation that affected the culture. This might even require them to ask questions of their parents or teachers to learn about twentieth century pop music or popular artists. In this way, students are collaborating both by gaining personal knowledge from their peers and teachers and by constructing knowledge regarding a scientific innovation through their other research. A student group, having completed the project, would then be able to place it online on the class website or show it to their class. A virtual collaboration would then take place, as students comment on others' videos, share classmates' videos of interest, or even start texting each other links to old music or art that they found in their research.
Another project I completed that helped me learn how to facilitate and inspire student learning was a website, found here, which, similarly to the video, I used to help students understand the rise of nationalism in combination with culture. I wanted students to be able to use a wide variety of resources to be able to plan and solve a problem: did individual music composers and artists in the 1800s express nationalism, and how is nationalism usually expressed?
Through a simple website, I gave students three tasks: research up a composer and listen to his music, research other compositions by that composer, and then look at some art from the same period. I then asked the students to write about where they saw nationalism in the music and art, and how it was expressed - what makes nationalism obvious?
This website would probably be used as a homework project after an in-class lesson on nationalism. By allowing the students to come up with their own conception of what nationalism looks like and sounds like, the students will creatively come to their own conceptual understanding of the historical definition of nationalism. This approach could, of course, be modified to fit a wide variety of topics, and allow for a variety of collaborative activities, as well. Students are also hereby introduced to the digital resources available to research art, music, history, and, theoretically, many other topics. The problem-solving and research skills that they learn here will be applied to their other coursework as well as their daily lives.
II. Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments
dispatch.com
Teachers design, develop, and evaluate
authentic learning experiences and assessments
incorporating contemporary tools and resources
to maximize content learning in context and
to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes
identified in the Standards.
a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences
that incorporate digital tools and resources to
promote student learning and creativity
b. Develop technology-enriched learning
environments that enable all students to pursue
their individual curiosities and become active
participants in setting their own educational
goals, managing their own learning, and
assessing their own progress
c. Customize and personalize learning activities
to address students’ diverse learning styles,
working strategies, and abilities using digital
tools and resources
d. Provide students with multiple and varied
formative and summative assessments aligned
with content and technology standards, and use
resulting data to inform learning and teaching
authentic learning experiences and assessments
incorporating contemporary tools and resources
to maximize content learning in context and
to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes
identified in the Standards.
a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences
that incorporate digital tools and resources to
promote student learning and creativity
b. Develop technology-enriched learning
environments that enable all students to pursue
their individual curiosities and become active
participants in setting their own educational
goals, managing their own learning, and
assessing their own progress
c. Customize and personalize learning activities
to address students’ diverse learning styles,
working strategies, and abilities using digital
tools and resources
d. Provide students with multiple and varied
formative and summative assessments aligned
with content and technology standards, and use
resulting data to inform learning and teaching
Perhaps my favorite project to design and develop learning opportunities for my students was the webquest. This webquest was created to teach students about the Black Plague in a way in which they could not only use digital tools and resources in order to research what they found interesting about the Black Plague, but they were also given the opportunity to learn and present in the style that best fit their own learning styles and working abilities. The students learned primarily about the HSCE World History and Geography Standard 4.2.3, which asks that students know the history of the plague as well as being able to analyze its causes and effects.
The webquest opened by setting the student in a scene - the medieval figure of Death is visiting, and the student must complete the webquest tasks in order to live through the Black Plague. Students were given three options to complete: research and map the route of the plague to England, research and chart the best places to live and work during the plague, or research and make a comic or short story about the symptoms and remedies of the plague. After completing one of the options, students used their technological skills to create a short video, in whatever format they liked, to explain what they learned and show off their project.
The webquest opened by setting the student in a scene - the medieval figure of Death is visiting, and the student must complete the webquest tasks in order to live through the Black Plague. Students were given three options to complete: research and map the route of the plague to England, research and chart the best places to live and work during the plague, or research and make a comic or short story about the symptoms and remedies of the plague. After completing one of the options, students used their technological skills to create a short video, in whatever format they liked, to explain what they learned and show off their project.
The webquest ended by giving the students an assessment rubric to guide them in completing their work, and asking them to think about contemporary connections - particularly apt since this webquest was created during the 2014 outbreak of the ebola virus in Africa. This webquest used a wide variety of digital resources and tools, including videos, primary sources, and interactive media that allowed students to choose how they could best find and learn the material. All of the students learned the basics of the effects of the Black Plagues, but each was able to personalize the activity to suit his needs and abilities. This allows the teacher to assess what each student actually learned, since each is able to learn without being hampered by an unsuitable topic, style, or working strategy. It also allows the teacher to give the students a variety of formative and summative assessments (the check on research completion, the check on the creative project, and ultimately the completed video) in order to keep up with the students as they work and after they have finished.
Various portions of the Moodle project also allowed for me to get experience in designing learning projects and assessments that allowed students to pick options which they found interesting. Since my Moodle was based around the history of the Soviet gulags, which can be found in the modern world history standards during WWII and the Cold War Era (HSCE WHG 7.1.1 and 7.2.3), I gave students the opportunity to study victims of the gulags through an online database. Students were to pick three gulag prisoners based on backgrounds, hometowns, or famous gulags that they found interesting based on prior instructional material or simply prior knowledge.
Various portions of the Moodle project also allowed for me to get experience in designing learning projects and assessments that allowed students to pick options which they found interesting. Since my Moodle was based around the history of the Soviet gulags, which can be found in the modern world history standards during WWII and the Cold War Era (HSCE WHG 7.1.1 and 7.2.3), I gave students the opportunity to study victims of the gulags through an online database. Students were to pick three gulag prisoners based on backgrounds, hometowns, or famous gulags that they found interesting based on prior instructional material or simply prior knowledge.
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Giving students the opportunity to choose the gulag prisoners they found interesting helped boost student interest in the projects following, which allowed them to write historical fiction about their prisoner as well as map the prisoners' homes and gulags so that they could see the length of the journey on which the prisoners suffered.
The method of instruction through the Moodle also assessed and aided students' growth in working with online technology. Since the entire course is web-based, students were required to use their tech skills to navigate, engage with material, and turn in homework. They also had opportunities to use interactive programs such as the "Virtual Gulag" as well as to interact with videos which included real footage of the gulags, and primary sources such as Fr. Walter Ciszek's account of twenty years in a variety of gulag camps and Soviet prisons. The wide variety of content, types of content, and assessments (maps, collaborative wikis, and quizzes) allowed students to show their learning in ways that allowed me as the teacher to understand what they had learned and where they might be struggling.
Both the Moodle and the webquest offered opportunities for both students and teacher to assess student learning while the learning is taking place, rather than at the end of the course. This allows students to monitor their own progress and have a chance to improve during the course, as well as giving me, the teacher, the opportunity to check in with students who may be struggling, or notice a student who is really thriving through how he is choosing to learn.
The method of instruction through the Moodle also assessed and aided students' growth in working with online technology. Since the entire course is web-based, students were required to use their tech skills to navigate, engage with material, and turn in homework. They also had opportunities to use interactive programs such as the "Virtual Gulag" as well as to interact with videos which included real footage of the gulags, and primary sources such as Fr. Walter Ciszek's account of twenty years in a variety of gulag camps and Soviet prisons. The wide variety of content, types of content, and assessments (maps, collaborative wikis, and quizzes) allowed students to show their learning in ways that allowed me as the teacher to understand what they had learned and where they might be struggling.
Both the Moodle and the webquest offered opportunities for both students and teacher to assess student learning while the learning is taking place, rather than at the end of the course. This allows students to monitor their own progress and have a chance to improve during the course, as well as giving me, the teacher, the opportunity to check in with students who may be struggling, or notice a student who is really thriving through how he is choosing to learn.
