Name: Tamela Anderson

Name: Tamela Anderson

Lesson Plan Title: Romeo and Juliet Background Information WebQuest

Subject Area(s)- English 9 LD

Grade Level(s)- grade 9

Objectives/IndicatorsWhat are the Ohio Content Standards for this lesson—indicator level.

9th grade Language Arts

Prior Knowledge/Prerequisites

Before being able to successfully complete this lesson, students must have a variety of skills previously developed. These skills include: computer access, the ability to logon a computer, the ability to surf the Internet, compile several resources, create a presentation, and work cooperatively in a group.

Identify and Discuss Pedagogical Decisions

Assessment

Pre-Assessment-I will not preassess. Based on Copley’s curriculum sequence, the students have not been taught any works in their entirety by William Shakespeare prior to 9th grade.Therefore, the students would be expected to have accumulated very little background knowledge. The purpose of this lesson is to provide the initial exposure to the author’s background, the time period/setting, and the drama of the day.

Formative and Summative Assessments

How will you evaluate the students?At the end of each workday within the classroom setting, the students will informally give a verbal report on what their group has accomplished for the day. Later, the students will be graded more formally on their group work participation, the produced visual, and their presentation.

Why have you chosen these methods? The information was place in an online WebQuest for a very specific reason. This year this assignment coincided with the band/choir trip to NY. Several of my students would be missing school to attend this field trip. This trip was connected to our annual spring break. I needed a way to allow the students attending the trip to access the material they would be missing in school as well as the rest of the students during the break. Since most of the students have access to computers at home, this seemed a reasonable method. My students are also familiar with locating and using information found on my school website.

Is technology used for or included in the evaluation process? The students have been given an option of using any kind of technology they would like to produce a visual for the class. For some of the groups, technology will be part of the evaluation process, for others it will not.

How will you share data with students/others and why? Data will be shared in the classroom, via the computer, SmartBoard, WebQuest, and email.

Models of Instruction/Instructional Strategies

This lesson is developed around the constructivist ideas. The students are given parameters and expectations for the research, visuals, and presentations. Yet, other than the topic, the students have the freedom to include any information they deem valuable, and create a visual using a medium of their choosing. I encourage creativity and for them to venture outside of their comfort zone. The students will work in groups of three that I have chosen. At the end of each workday within the classroom, the students verbally report what they have accomplished during the given classtime. Within the classroom, I am available to support them. Outside of the classroom, they may ask each other questions or email me.

Procedures/Activities

What activities have you planned?

Introduction to locating the WebQuest- reading through each of the six pages with the class, answering questions about the assignment.

Facilitating during the research phase (3 days), group work, and the development of the visual aide (3 days)

Daily progress reports- students share what they have accomplished.

Group presentations

Evaluating the presentations.

Identify and Discuss Technological Decisions

Resources

What resources do you need to support the activities? A computer with internet access, and visual aide resources (different for each group.)

How do the resources help students achieve the objectives? Using the internet the students hone their research skills, compile research about their topic, read and discriminate the most important pieces of information to include in their presentation, work as a group to design a visual aide, share information with the class.

Technology Resources

List technology resources and describe specifically why they were chosen, how the resources help students achieve the objectives and how the use will be evaluated.

Technology resources: computer, internet, PowerPoint, other resources determined by individual groups of students. Computer and internet activities were chosen to accommodate the students who would miss classroom instruction due to an out of state field trip prior to spring break. Another reason it was chosen was so that the students could collaborate through Google Apps or work independently on the projects over spring break via the internet.

Achieved objectives: This format allows the students to achieve the “research” and “communication: oral and visual” Ohio state standards mentioned above by incorporating a combination of these skills. Online research from various sites promotes the research skills while the development of the visual aide and oral presentation meet the other objectives. The use of a group allows each student to practice these skills individually, as well as learn from fellow students when needed. Another dynamic not mentioned in the State standards is the development of social skills needed to work cooperatively in a group.

Evaluation: Some of the visuals will be computer programs such as PowerPoints.

Lesson Reflection

Discuss your thought process in the development of this lesson. After learning about TPACK how has this knowledge influenced the way you developed this lesson?

When initially designing this lesson, I had to figure out a convenient way for all of my students, especially those missing classroom instruction, to access the assignment from outside of school.I considered creating a PowerPoint or simply a worksheet. The online WebQuest just made more sense this time.

As far as an end product, I know that I want the students to develop a visual that will help all of the students learn the same material that the expert group has. By allowing them to choose their specific method of delivery, this allows each group to capitalize on their strengths during the development and design phase of this project. I highly encouraged the use of technology, but did not give an ultimatum because I did not want to stifle creativity. Thankfully the students leaned toward using technology for two major reasons: 1) they have access to Google Apps where they can collaboratively work from home any time, and 2) they enjoy creating professional looking presentations with PowerPoint, etc.

Ultimately, the content required that the students have background to provide a deeper understanding of the Elizabethan era in order to understand what Romeo and Juliet may have experienced. This type of lesson encourages students to discover the important information for themselves instead of depending upon the teacher to provide all of it. Allowing creativity encourages students to work together utilizing each one’s areas of strength. There are so many different skills required that the students must divide and conquer this project as a cohesive group in order to be successful. TPACK caused me to focus more on the variety of avenues the students could achieve the same goal. Each class has the same options yet each visual aide ends up being different showing the various personalities of the student to shine through. In the past, I have had the students complete this assignment solely as a research project without any technology in the final presentations. This year things changed by adding the online WebQuest and the use of technology for the visual aides.

How is the development of your planning with the use of technology changed in terms of how you integrate technology into your classroom?

I used to just use whatever technology was available with very little prethought. Or I would design a lesson because I wanted to utilize the new technology. Now, I think more about the learning outcomes and the assessment before deciding what kind and if, I will include any technology into my lessons. I plan to use whatever technology will “best achieve” my teaching goals, not just “achieve” my teaching goals. The impact on the students is more important now. I guess I was more technocentric.

How do you measure the impact that technology has on your student learning?

Technology has had a huge impact on my learning. Between my two master’s degrees, I have taken many fully online classes and blended classes. I have communicated with instructors and students through Springboard, Google docs, email, phones, and Elluminate. All of the assignments have incorporated one or more forms of technology during creation or submission. I truly don’t know how to measure the impact because it has been so significant. Nothing I have learned or taught would be possible without some form of technology. This has followed me into the classroom as well. I use some form of technology every day in almost every interaction: lesson, assessments, record keeping, communication, etc.