Technology for Instruction

Final Instructional Unit Project Proposal

I have yet to actually step into a classroom or prepare my very first real lesson plan, so I find this week’s assignment very daunting. Thankfully, I have been surrounded by fabulous educators with years of experience and assignments that have built up to this final project proposal. I hope to one day teach high school or junior high school social studies, shop or business, so with a wide selection of classes to choose from I think I will use a junior high school social studies class as the basis of this assignment. Since I grew up in New Jersey where we don’t have a state pledge nor did they specifically teach the history of New Jersey, I am fascinated by the seventh grade Texas History requirement in my adopted home state of Texas.

I plan to use Glogster as the main Web 2.0 Technology Tool for this class project about Texas History. I see this as a multi week and multi dimensional creative assignment full of formative grading opportunities and a final summative grade. The lesson will begin with an introduction to Glogster and getting each student set up with a Glogster account. Then I will divide the class into teams of two or three depending on the class availability of computers. I will do my best to make teams that bring both a low and high rated student together. Once everyone has had a chance to get familiar with Glogster I will post on the class Protopage a list of acceptable web sites for research and links to helpful YouTube videos about integrating other technologies with Glogster. Each team will be assigned a portion of Texas History based on the following TEKS and epochs of the Texas past;

  • 113.19. Social Studies, Grade 7, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.

(a)  Introduction.

(1)  In Grade 7, students study the history of Texas from early times to the present. Content is presented with more depth and breadth than in Grade 4. Students examine the full scope of Texas history, including Natural Texas and its People; Age of Contact; Spanish Colonial; Mexican National; Revolution and Republic; Early Statehood; Texas in the Civil War and Reconstruction; Cotton, Cattle, and Railroads; Age of Oil; Texas in the Great Depression and World War II; Civil Rights and Conservatism; and Contemporary Texas eras. The focus in each era is on key individuals, events, and issues and their impact. Students identify regions of Texas and the distribution of population within and among the regions and explain the factors that caused Texas to change from an agrarian to an urban society. Students describe the structure and functions of municipal, county, and state governments, explain the influence of the U.S. Constitution on the Texas Constitution, and examine the rights and responsibilities of Texas citizens. Students use primary and secondary sources to examine the rich and diverse cultural background of Texas as they identify the different racial and ethnic groups that settled in Texas to build a republic and then a state. Students analyze the impact of scientific discoveries and technological innovations on the development of Texas in various industries such as agricultural, energy, medical, computer, and aerospace. Students use primary and secondary sources to acquire information about Texas.

(2)  To support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills, the use of a variety of rich primary and secondary source material such as biographies, autobiographies, novels, speeches, letters, diaries, poetry, songs, and images is encouraged. Motivating resources are available from museums, historical sites, presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies.

 

Each group will be given a list of prompts, Important people, events, and such that they should include on their Glogster page.

I see this as a project that will take several weeks with part of each class talking and learning about Texas History and part of the class creating Glogs. Of course we will cover all of the appropriate TEKS for history and probable several for English and technology as well.

I have included right from my recent group project the rubric and evaluations of the two most used technology tools, Glogster and YouTube, in this lesson plan.

 

Criteria 4

Exceptional Standard

3

Acceptable Standard

2

Marginal Standard

1

Poor Standard

Integration of Content
Learning effectiveness Students display mastery of learning objectives on a formal assessment. Students display mastery of learning objectives on an informal assessment. Students display some mastery of the learning objectives. Students display little or no mastery of the learning objectives.
Engagement Technology is engaging and therefore motivates students to spend more time on learning task. Technology is moderately engaging and students interest in learning task. Technology is fairly engaging and students spend some time on learning task. Technology does not engage the students quickly lose interest in learning task.
Easy to use Technology is intuitive and does not require more than 5-10 minutes of teacher instruction to allow student successful use; little to no frustration for use Technology requires 10-15 minutes of teacher instruction to allow student use; minimal student frustration for use Technology requires 15-20 minutes of teacher instruction to allow for student use; students experience frequent frustration and the need to start over on projects. Technology requires greater than 20 minutes of teacher instruction to allow for student use; students experience frustration regularly and often quit prior to project completion.
Creativity and Collaboration Technology enables student to collaborate with others and create an original product, along with an internal ability to share product through web and social media. Technology enables student to collaborate with others and create an original product. Student must use other methods to share product. Technology enables student to create an original product. Collaboration or sharing product is difficult or impossible. Technology does not enable student to create an original product.
Critical Thinking Student will use a substantial amount of problem solving skills to complete the assignment. Student will use an average amount of problem solving skills to complete the assignment. Student will use minimal problem solving skills to complete the assignment. Student will use little to no problem solving skills to complete the assignment.

 

 

Web 2.0 Tool 2:  Glogster

 

Description: Glogster is a virtual poster board. It allows you to make interactive online posters that can include text, videos, images, audio, and graphics. Glogster gives the user the opportunity to individualize their background, text boxes, image frames, and text style. It also allows the user to add hyperlinks to other sites. The end result of the glog can be shared with others as a presentation piece. This could be used by teachers/presenters and also as a project for an assignment. This could be used by students of all ages, although younger students grades pre-k through 2nd grade may need more assistance at first, but will catch on quickly once instructed!

 

Rubric:

 

Learning Effectiveness: 4 Students display mastery of learning objectives on a formal assessment.

Engagement: 4 Technology is engaging and therefore motivates students to spend more time on learning task.

Easy to Use: 3 Technology requires 10-15 minutes of teacher instruction to allow student use; minimal student frustration for use

Creativity and Collaboration: 4 Technology enables student to collaborate with others and create an original product, along with an internal ability to share product through web and social media.

Critical Thinking: 3 Student will use an average amount of problem solving skills to complete the assignment.

 

Glogster Demonstration

 

Internet Safety

 

Instructional Activity:

Assign students to do a character analysis over a character read in a novel or short story. This could also be done for several characters, or a group of characters. Another activity would be to do a book report using the elements of literature (exposition, problem/conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution.)

 

Web 2.0 Tool 4: YouTube

Description: YouTube allows users to post and view videos on just about any subject matter by typing requests into a search bar. From there they can filter through hundreds of videos related to their search. YouTube runs the gamut of possibilities to view and post. YouTube is used by professional artists and also by average 10 year olds! It is a way to share information, give individuals a voice, learn or present a new skill, persuade others, entertain others, or just give commentary about something! YouTube can be accessed by anyone, but to post videos or comment you need an email address and a username. Making videos and posting them is a unique way for students to share projects and view others projects. This is a highly engaging web 2.0 tool and a favorite among all ages. Students in middle and high school would most likely have the ability to post videos, though with teacher assistance younger students would be able to use this web tool also.

 

Rubric:

Learning Effectiveness: 4 Students display mastery of learning objectives on a formal assessment.

Engagement: 4 Technology is engaging and therefore motivates students to spend more time on learning task.

Easy to Use: 4 Technology is intuitive and does not require more than 5-10 minutes of teacher instruction to allow student successful

Creativity and Collaboration: 4 Technology enables student to collaborate with others and create an original product, along with an internal ability to share product through web and social media.

Critical Thinking: 4 Student will use a substantial amount of problem solving skills to complete the assignment.

 

YouTube Demonstration

https://youtu.be/NLNuv7jAIhg

 

Instructional Activity:

Assign students to make a news story, commercial, interview, or reality type show to show their comprehension and creativity for a novel read or a historical event you’re studying. The script should be based on events that happened in the novel or time period.

I have not yet decided what multimedia tool to use for my final presentation, but I promise to make it fun.

See ya in class,

Joseph Percevecz