Kari KniselyCase Study 1- EDTC 6343 9/19/10
SCENARIO
Mr. Haddad is a sixth-grade science teacher who is preparing a lesson on matter and energy for 22 students; one of which has a hearing impairment. He plans to have the students work in pairs to build a simple outdoor solar greenhouse from a shoe box and other materials. Students will measure temperature over time, collect the temperature data, prepare a report and present their findings to the class. His goal is to expand their understanding of observation, recording, analysis, and communication in science through the interaction of matter and energy in this lesson. Mr. Haddad is asking for suggestions for the students to work collaboratively as effectively as possible while fully utilizing available technology for this lesson.
TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE
Appropriate drivers, plug-ins, interfaces, Web browsers and operating software for available hardware are correctly installed on all classroom computers. 30 wireless notebooks with internet are available for check out and he has access to a computer lab which also has internet access and is connected to networked printers.
HARDWARE AVAILABLE
2 networked scanners, Interactive whiteboard, 4 wireless microphones, 2 digital video cameras, 2 digital cameras, Projection device, 4 Webcams, 26 graphing calculators, 12 temperature probes that interface with the graphing calculators, Document camera, Braille printer, Switch with scanning capability, 12 microphone headsets, 12 portable media players, 2 handheld Global Positioning Units, Portable audience response system for 30 students
SOFTWARE AVAILABLE
Video editing, Web page authoring, Presentation, Database, Concept mapping, Spreadsheet, Word processing, Optical character recognition, Graphics/photo editing, DVD/CD writing software, Digital storytelling software, Audio editing software, Web 2.0 technology, Screen reader software, Variety of collaborative online applications.
APPROPRIATENESS OF TECHNOLOGY
In order for Mr. Haddad to effectively introduce the lesson on the interaction of matter and energy, Mr. Haddad should open his lesson with a hook to engage the kids. Students try harder, are more engaged, and learn better when they are exposed to a real life situation hook to grab their attention. Mr. Haddad can search for and find a video online to show the students how important it is to understand and learn the interaction of matter and energy as well as a “cool” interaction caught on video of matter and energy. In order to accomplish this task, Mr. Haddad would use his internet access on his laptop and projector to show this video on the interactive whiteboard. Mr. Haddad would make sure to print out the lyrics/words of the movie with the Braille printer for the child with the hearing impairment.
After showing the video to grab their attention, the class would brainstorm multiple ways where matter and energy interact in the real world and create a concept map with their Concept mapping software collaboratively online with their laptops. Concept mapping allows the students to see the connection from a topic to the real world and into other disciplines which will make it more memorable and meaningful. In addition, concept mapping and connection of concepts is proven to better allow the brain for more effective storage hence better recall when needed. The student with the hearing impairment would be able to participate as well as he sees all the changes and collaboration without the need for speaking/sound since collaboration will be done online from each student’s laptop visually.
Mr. Haddad would then use the projector, laptop, and interactive whiteboard in order to allow the kids to explore with a pre-created notebook lesson on the whiteboard. The overview of the lesson on matter and energy would be given to the students where they would take Cornell notes and create a foldable on their findings. This would allow the students to better recall the introduction of what matter and energy really are anyways and would provide help needed when working with the greenhouses if needed. The student with the hearing impairment would be able to as well participate since this will be providing the visuals and text needed for comprehension with or without hearing ability.
Mr. Haddad would then introduce the project and instructions for their greenhouse projects. Mr. Haddad would have the partners of students use the temperature probes (1 per pair) daily to go outside to the simple greenhouse of shoe boxes and measure the temperature at different times throughout the day. Mr. Haddad would also have the students take photographs (taking turns with the 2 digital cameras) each time they measured the temperature in order to observe the physical changes over time. Each time they measured the temperature they would then download their findings from the calculator to an excel spreadsheet which was a running collection of the data of their recordings. These directions would be printed in braille for the hearing impaired student or they would simply appear in PowerPoint format on their laptop so that they could as well comprehend what was going on. The above technology uses allow the students to “do” what the experts do. It allows them to be engaged and see the importance of the lesson. Students learn and connect the more “doing” they are able to do.
Throughout the collection of data, Mr. Haddad would use the remote response systems in order to quiz and check for understanding. This would allow him to assess their comprehension and understanding in order to clarify or re-teach a certain topic on the interaction of matter and energy if needed. Response pads are keeping the students away from strictly multiple choice paper and pencil tests. This tends to be more engaging to a student and keeps them moving kinesthetically for the kinesthetic learners. Response systems will give students and teacher immediate feedback for re-teaching if needed so that there is no lag time in grading and feedback. The sooner a student knows the feedback, the more they can learn from their mistakes and less likely to make the same mistake again.
Students would do research online with their laptops with internet access, in order to think of other projects that Mr. Haddad could do in future years to display the same concept but with something other than greenhouses. This will give the students the opportunity to research online and take ownership in the class for future students. This will promote better classroom morale and hence learning and self-fulfillment.
Student pairs would have a presentation date and time at the close of the project where they are allowed to invite their family to view the presentation. Students would create graphs and tables from excel to show and display their results. Students would then make a video, with their partner, out of the photographs to show the gradual physical changes over time. Students would create a PowerPoint presentation, with their partner, which summed up their findings and the other forms of presentation are supplementary in addition to the PowerPoint. Allowing students to create a presentation will allow them to put more effort into their work. The skills of using PowerPoint and Excel would as well be preparing them for future uses in the real world with such software applications and providing them with valuable 21st century skills.
PLANNING
In order to plan for this project/lesson, I would have meetings with Mr. Haddad as early as possible in the semester prior to the start date of the project. I would want to clarify his goals and objectives for his project. I would want clarification on the standards/TEKS he needs to meet. We would discuss how he plans to assesss their knowledge after the project in order to measure the effectiveness of the project. I would verify how he wants them to work together and how many students per group. We would want to have a preparation session to verify what he does and does not feel comfortable doing from the recommendations for the technology uses and lesson plan. I would plan to help Mr. Haddad get a checklist together of all the supplies and resources needed prior to beginning. I would recommend that we take a trial run of some of the items ahead of time just to verify understanding and to see if there would be any possible complications to plan for in advance.
In order to meet the needs of all students, I would recommend that Mr. Haddad verify that the recommendations would be suitable for the student with the hearing impairment. I would recommend that Mr. Haddad check with the nurse to see if any of the students have any allergies to grass, soil, etc or other substances that students may be exposed to.
IMPLEMENTATION
Planned regular meetings will be held to support and guide Mr. Haddad through the implementation of the integration of technology into the lesson. I would have a survey for each technology item that he uses in order to get feedback from him of any complications he had or things he would have wished that I would have done differently.
INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE
I would make sure Mr. Haddad knew how to contact me in case of an emergency at any time. I would make plans to meet with or stop by and speak with him on a regular basis, possibly at least once per week (depending on length of project), to get any feedback and answer questions he may have at the time, I would verify that he has my email address handy so he can email me at any time. I would create an outline and checklist for each technology being used that he was not familiar with operating already at that point.
After the lesson is over, I would request feedback in the form of a survey so I know what to do differently next time and ask for Mr. Haddads recommendations of things that I could have done differently. In addition, I would request that Mr. Haddad give a survey to the students. This would not be for me to check up on him, but to get their feedback to better myself for the next recommendation, etc. If Mr. Haddad would prefer, I would create a survey for him to give to them, and then he can relay the pertinent information to me from their responses.
ADAPTATION OF TECHNOLOGY
All the above technologies are able to easily be used in other lessons. Using excel in any class in Social Studies, Science, ELA, Math, or an elective in order to track funds, documentation, etc is a great skill. PowerPoint can be used to make presentations in any subject as well or to create 3D animations and games for any other subject such as Jeopardy review. Interactive whiteboard has multiple interactive icons and lesson plans available online for download, pre-created lessons by Smartboard and by individual teachers and can be tracked by state standard or by grade level or topic. Graphing calculators can be used for graphing and collecting data such as social studies data over a period of time and creation of a table or graph. Laptops and internet access are great for each student to have in every class for fast, immediate, and collaborative feedback and research of real life situations in all subject matters. Digital camera’s can be used to document changes over time, or even different phases in completing a math problem and turning it into a video with free software online. Concept mapping software can be used in personal life as well as in any other subject to connect the items of a certain lesson, month, year, timeline, interdisciplinary, and much more.
1