Week 3

This week, I read chapter 5.  Chapter 5 is all about Knowledge and Reasoning.  In this chapter, the authors discussed the importance of prior knowledge for scaffolding and retaining new knowledge.  I chose ISTE standard 1.3.b because it is important for students to be able to think critically about the information that they are reading and not just assume that it is true.  People often fall into the trap that "because it's on the internet, it must be true."  However, we have to look at things like logic, the authors credentials and reliability, as well as how the website/supplier of the information is funded.  When connecting this chapter to the article from Gura, I thought about all the creative ways that students can demonstrate their knowledge and reasoning.  In our technology driven worlds, we have infinite ways for students to show their learning.  However, we often fall into a routine of worksheets and tests rather than dioramas, wax museums, or presentations.  Gura encourages readers to embrace creativity in all subjects, rather than just art.  Creativity is a dying trait that we need to let flourish in our students.

 

Week 2

 Part 1: Authentic Intellectual Work/Authentic Instruction & Assessment

        Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) refers to the product that is created or developed to show what a child had learned.  It differs from traditional instruction and assessment where all students are given the same math test and there are right or wrong answers and everything looks the same.  When students are creating AIW they are using the knowledge they have gained from the lessons and applying it to create a final product.  

        There are several criteria's for student work to be AIW.  For work to be AIW, it must show Construction of Knowledge, Disciplined Inquiry, and Value Beyond School.  Construction of Knowledge refers to the "organizing, interpreting, evaluating, or synthesizing prior knowledge to solve new problems" (Newmann, F., et al, 2007).  Disciplined Inquiry is when students use their prior knowledge to create an in-depth understanding of the content and then effectively communicate that knowledge into a final product.  It has been proven that when students engage their prior knowledge of a topic, they are able to see the connections between what they know and what they are learning.  This prior knowledge acts as a strong base for the new knowledge being acquired.  Next, the student must develop a deeper understanding of the content rather than a surface level understanding.  This allows the student to have the knowledge to think critically about the topic.  Finally, the students must share their work.  A student could share their work in a multitude of ways.  This includes but is not limited to essays, research articles, math proofs, and musical scores.  The last criteria discussed is Value Beyond School.  AIW must have an impact on others around them and tie into their lives.

        If I were to have my STEM students do AIW it would be on the Engineering Design Process.  I have attached a photo below that describes the process.

First, I would connect to prior knowledge by reminded the students that every time we do a STEM challenge, we are using the Engineering Design Process.  We would walk through a recent challenge and discuss how it related.  Next I would put the students in small groups and have them each create their own STEM challenge making sure that their challenge would include step.  The students would have to document their ideas through drawing and writings.  Finally, I would have the students share their idea with another team.

Part 2: 2017 National Education Technology Plan Update

        The 2017 Nation Education Technology Plan (NETP) update can connect to AIW in many ways.  Technology is everywhere, especially post pandemic.  Most districts have transitioned to one-to-one technology for their students whether that means laptops, chromebooks, iPads, etc.  One way a student could use technology to create their own picture book.  Using Canva, Google Slides, or any similar website, a student could transfer their writing about any topic (fiction or nonfiction) and add clipart to match it.  When printed, this would create a book.  Or if the teacher doesn't have the funds to print, it can be a digital book.  This would be AIW because students would be showing construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and value beyond school.  

Part 3: Triple E Framework

        There are many parallels between AIW and Triple E.  In Triple E, there is Enhancement.  In Enhancement, there is scaffolding and building upon prior knowledge just like in Disciplined Inquiry for AIW.  Another connection would be Extension in Triple E.  During Extension, students are making real-world connections by connecting to the learning and having authentic experiences.  This is just like the Value Beyond School section of AIW.

        My example from part 2 supports the enhancement section of the Triple E Framework.  One part of the enhancement section is personalization.  There is a lot of room for a student to personal on these digital books (especially if it is a fiction book).  Students are personalizing their book through their writing and also through the graphics that they choose.

Citations

Newmann, F., King, B., & Carmichael, D. (2007). Authentic Instruction and Assessment: Common Standards for Rigor and Relevance in Teaching Academic Subjects.

Week 1

 Part 1:  A Little About Me

        Hello!  My name is Chloe LaPorte.  I am from Michigan and this is my 3rd semester at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.  I am planning on getting my masters in Mathematics and I should be done in August.  I currently teach K-5 STEM/media at a local Title 1 school.  My career goals are to one day move into a math interventionist role.  Outside of school, I live with my husband, our two dogs, and one cat.  In my free time, I run agility with one of the dogs and have recently passed our certification exam for her to become a therapy dog.  My goal is for her to be working with my students as soon as possible.

Part 2: One ISTE Standard and a Matching Activity

        ISTE Standard 1.2 focuses on Digital Citizenship.  This is something that I teach every year as a part of the "media" portion of my job.  1.2b examines Online Behavior and states "Students engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology, including in social interactions online or when using networked devices."  If my students take away ONE thing from the six years they spend in my class it is how to be safe and kind online.  One activity that I do for this standard is a card sort.  I typically do this for 2nd-3rd grade but it could be tweaked around for any grade.  I print out cards that show a picture or text of things we should do online vs what we shouldn't do online.  I give the cards to the students (they typically work in groups of 4-5 students) and tell them to sort without giving much direction.  Some groups create a "good / bad" categories, "yes / no" categories, and I even had a group split it into three groups with "yes / no / maybe".  The next time I teach this lesson, I would take pictures of the groups the students made and maybe use scrap paper for them to label the groups.  With these pictures, I could project them on the screen and talk about an inconsistencies or differences that we see.  Another alternative is to have the students do a gallery walk and view the other groups work.  At the end of this lesson, I typically have the students sit at the carpet and we go over the card sort and I explain any confusion.

Part 3:  How My Lesson Supports Kolb's Triple E Framework

        Engage:  This lesson engages my students by having them work together to physically sort cards.  I have some colleagues who have done this lesson but with digital cards on a Google Slides.  Being able to physically sort the cards with your hands engages the students and helps the kinesthetic learners.  The students are moving from passive learner to active social learner by working with their classmates and discussing how and where to sort the cards.

        Enhance:  This lesson enhances student learning by providing choice and allowing the students to take ownership over the task.  This is a lesson where I act as the facilitator rather than the teacher.  I am not guiding them step by step.  Instead, I give the cards and tell them to sort.  I intervene when groups are arguing or if they aren't being productive (i.e. fighting over who gets to hold the cards) but other than that, I let them guide their learning for this activity.  These cards can be used as scaffolding because students are tapping into prior knowledge.  I typically do this card sort activity the day after I do a more formal, sit down lesson.  On day 1, I do most of the talking.  On day 2, the students do most of the talking.

        Extend:  This activity creates a bridge between the students school day and their everyday life experiences because the internet is all around us.  Our students are living in a very technology focused age and that makes it important that they know how to properly behave online.  This is a real skill that will make students success inside and outside of the classroom.