Saturday, April 17, 2010

ASCALessonPlan1


Lesson 1 - Personal Styles of Learning

ASCA Domain 1: Academic Development
Standard A: Students will acquire the attitudes, knowledge and skills that contribute to effective learning in school and across the life span.
Competency 2: Acquire Skills for Improving Learning

Indicator 4: Apply knowledge and learning styles to positively influence school performance.
We will engage in some group discussion, some private reflection, and some peer review to evaluate the overall experience.

Think • Do • Reflect

Think...

Johnson and Aragon (2003) argue that strategies that promote collaboration and social negotiation, multiple perspectives, exploration, and self-directed learning provide the strongest support for constructivist learning.

However, assessing the quality of learning that occurs in such environments can be a challenge. How does one assess self-reflective evaluations? Some argue that peer evaluations are moot since students are not qualified to evaluate fellow students on subject matters both are in the process of learning.

And what about learning styles, multiple intelligences theory, and cultural differences that limit personal frameworks of understanding to a unique and individual perspective? How can I objectively assess from my point of view, the performance of another based on their own framework of understanding?

These are some of the challenges we want to explore in this lesson.

Do...

Step 1:
Look at the four sign boards at this link and choose the one that best describes the ideal learning environment in which you would most enjoy teaching. Click on that sign board to be taken to the discussion forum. Click on the discussion thread with the title of the perspective you chose and reply with no more than 3 sentences explaining why you believe such a learning environment is ideal for the next generation of learners. Read at least two other posts while you are there.

Step 2:
Now click on the discussion thread of the perspective that you believe is the least ideal (read the titles carefully to be sure and choose the correct thread to reply to) and post an explanation as to why you believe it is less than ideal for the next generation of learners. Read at least two other posts while you are there.

Step 3:
Examine the Self and Peer evaluation Rubric at this link. As an instructor, what do you see as the benefits and challenges of such assessment? Consider how you would instruct students to evaluate their peers based on the discussion forum activity just completed.

Reflect...

Reflection is considered by constructivist learning experts to be a great way to build knowledge on existing frameworks of understanding.

Read the posts of another who believes the opposite way you do. Blog about your experience – what you discovered about yourself, your preferred learning and teaching style, and the challenges of constructivist evaluation strategies. Use your Moodle profile blog tab to accomplish this task.

Now, please complete this brief Post-Survey.

Thank you for participating. I trust you enjoyed the experience and found it valuable to your own learning.

Let me know any additional comments or questions by emailing me at dallasm12@gmail.com

Resources
Johnson, S., & Aragon, S. (2003) An instructional strategy framework for online learning environments. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, (100), 31-43. http://libproxy.nau.edu:3854

ASCALessonPlan2

Lesson 2 - Past Predictions (Top 30 Failed Technology Predictions)

ASCA Domain 2: Career Development

Standard A: Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work
in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

Competency 1: Develop Career Awareness

Indicator 7: Understand the importance of planning.

Indicator 8: Understand how changing economic and societal needs influence employment
trends and future training.

Standard C: Students will understand the relationship between
per- sonal qualities, education, training and the world of work.

Competency 1: Acquire Knowledge to Achieve Career Goals

Indicator 1: Understand the relationship between educational achievement and career
success.

Indicator 4: Understand that the changing workplace requires lifelong learning
and acquiring new skills.

Objective:

Students will review past technological innovations and how the public
reacted to these new ideas when first introduced in order to understand
how such changes affect society and career goals and plans.

Summary:

Students explore the history of technology and use what they know
about the past and the present to make predictions about their future.

IMPLEMENTATION

Lesson Integration:

Multicultural society requires people be open minded and drop their
bias, prejudice and overcome ignorance.

Many people find new ideas difficult to accept at first. Technological
innovations are no exception.

Consider some of the greatest inventions of the past century. Many
educated and famous people did not believe these inventions were useful
or able to endure time.

What kinds of things have you heard about that you didn't believe
at first? Are you open minded? Do you encourage others to dream about
future possibilities or do you scoff at new ideas?

Procedure:

Students will be introduced to an overview of this week's lessons.

* Have students complete the Technology Predictions from the Past
work sheet and discuss the correct answers.

* Use a projector (or use a handout) to show class the webpage: http://listverse.com/history/top-30-failed-technology-predictions/

* Discuss the reactions of students to the failed predictions.

* Form the class into groups of 3-5 each and give them a 3x5 card
on which to write a name for their group and hand it in.

Differentiated Instruction:

Special attention must be paid to vocabulary.

Futurology
Technology
Innovation
Invention
Bias
Prejudice
Ignorance

Groups will look up definitions and write them on their 3x5 cards.

Collaboration:

Students will work collaboratively. 
Students will work in groups of 5.
Time Allotment: 1 class period. 1 Hr per class.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Instructional Materials:

Technology Predictions from the Past work sheet.

An Illustrated Speculative Timeline of Technology and Social Change
for the Next One Thousand Years (Online at:
http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/History_n2/a.html)

Futurists: Technology wonders ahead other print and online resources
on the future of technology (Online at:
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/01/01/predictions/)

Resources:

* Technology resources: Internet Explorer, PowerPoint, http://docs.google.com
* Students Familiarity with Software Tool: Must know how to navigate
the web.
* Enough computers for each group to share one is minimum requirement.

ASSESSMENT

Technology Predictions from the Past Pre- and Post-Test

Directions: Read the technology predictions from the past. Choose the correct
word below to complete each sentence.

Computers
Motion Picture
Radio
Telephone
Television
World Wide Web

1. "There is no reason people would want
________________________ in their homes."

2. "A student body that once said 'I want
my MTV' is about to be succeeded by one that demands 'I want my ____________________.'
"

3. "This ____________________________ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as
a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."

4. "I believe that the ______________________ is destined to
revolutionize our educational system and that in a few years it will
supplant largely, if not entirely, the use of textbooks."

5. "In five years, you will not be able to buy a _____________________
that is not Internet-enabled."

6. "I think there is a world market for maybe five ____________________."

7. "The _________________________ has no imaginable commercial
value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?"

8. "There won't be schools in the future. The whole system is
based on a set of structural concepts that are incompatible with the
presence of __________________________."

© 2000 by Education World®. Education World grants users permission
to reproduce this page for educational purposes.


Answers to Technology Predictions from the Past:

1. computers (Ken Olson, president, chairman, and founder of Digital
Equipment Corp., 1977); 2. World Wide Web; 3. telephone (Western Union
internal memo, 1876); 4. motion picture (Thomas Edison, 1922); 5. television
(Alan Mckeon, CEO ViewCall, September, 1996); 6. computers (Thomas Watson,
chairman of IBM, 1943); 7. radio (David Sarnoff's associates in response
to his urging for investment in the radio in the 1920s); 8. computers
(Seymour Papert, 1984).



Grade Level: Easily adapted for all grades K-20 including PD.
Subject(s): History, Information Literacy, Technology, Futurology

Notes:

The technologies covered in this lesson are recognized world-wide
and across all cultures so there should be no challenges in this regard.
Those with hearing or sight impairments may need accommodation with
regard to equipment but the technologies studied are general enough
that modifications in this regard are already understood.

These lessons use websites as resources for study so if internet connection
is questionable, it would be best to print the information ahead of
time. Traditional paper and pencil methods can work just as well as
computer-based instruction. The lesson uses the research of historic
events, plus group discussion and analysis, followed by future predictions,
with said predictions presented to the class during the last session.

Web Links:









ASCALessonPlan3

 

Lesson 3 - Travel the World with Virtual Field Trips

 

ASCA Domain 3: Personal/Social Development
Standard A: Students will acquire the knowledge, attitudes and inter- personal skills to help them understand and respect self and others.

Competency 1: Acquire Self-knowledge

Indicator 9: Demonstrate cooperative behavior in groups.

Competency 2: Acquire Interpersonal Skills

Indicator 2: Respect alternative points of view.

Standard B: Students will make decisions, set goals and take neces- sary action to achieve goals.

Competency 1: Self-knowledge Application

Indicator 7: Demonstrate a respect and appreciation for individual and cultural differences.

This week we will take a field trip together and suggest some additional trips to take on your own or in groups whenever you like.

 

Some popular destinations in Second Life include...

1. The Holocaust Museum

2. Catal Hoyuk Archeological reproduction of 20,000 year old civilization

3. The Middle Passage Slave Trading experience

4. Scuba Diving School

5. Nasa's Discovery Island

6. NOAA's atmospheric interactive

7. American Chemical Society Museum

8. University of Innsbruck's Green Ideation Quest

9. Mi Casa Spanish language immersion experience

Can you find some others to add to the list?

 

REMEMBER! If you get lost in World, you can always return to the classroom by clicking your Home button on the world map...

 

Think • Do • Reflect

Think...

 

The NETs for teachers, standard #1 requires "technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face to face and virtual environments."

 

Field trips have often been used to facilitate such learning objectives. Virtual field trips are becoming another popular way to engage learners. What benefits do you believe a virtual fieldtrip can offer that even a live one cannot? (Time/Space/Identity)

 

Do...

 

Try your best to follow the 4 steps below then complete the Reflection exercise and the brief survey at the end...

 

1. Form groups of 2s or 3s and choose a destination from the list above or from SecondLife.com's Showcase here: http://secondlife.com/whatis/destinationguide/
Everyone will be given Linden dollars to afford the uploading of snapshots from your trip.

2. Offer friendship to each other in the group so you can easily find one another if any should get lost (Make sure everyone in your group knows how to locate friends and offer a teleport. Ask for help if you don't know).

3. Take 30 minutes to visit your chosen destination. Blog your experiences using either the Sloodle HUD or recording on a notecard. Take snapshots of your group in front of something interesting that you can show the class upon your return.

Think about...
• unique features of your destination for learning
• advantages of a virtual site over the real thing
• key benefits for teachers and learners

4. Return to class to report your findings and earn as many points as you are able according to the following Rubric scale:

• 50 Pts: Give a verbal explanation.

and...

• 100 Pts: Rezz a cube and resize it to become a presentation object with 6 surfaces. Place your photo/s on it as textures to show us.

and...

• 250 Pts: Place a notecard inside to be given when touched.

 

Reflect...

 

Please use your Moodle blog to comment on the following research-based observation from Chronicle Research Services reporting on what the College of 2020 will look like:

 

"Students’ convenience is the future. More students will attend classes online, study part time, take courses from multiple universities, and jump in and out of colleges. Students will demand more options for taking courses to make it easier for them to do what they want when they want to do it. And they will make those demands for economic reasons, too. The full-time residential model of higher education is getting too expensive for a larger share of the American population. More and more students are looking for lower-cost alternatives to attending college. The trend toward low-cost options also will open doors for more inexpensive online options."

 

http://research.chronicle.com/asset/TheCollegeof2020ExecutiveSummary.pdf

 

When you finish with this lesson, please complete the brief Constructivist Online Environment survey: http://www.uniques.com/nau/mod/survey/view.php?id=51

 

==================

Optional Extras...

==================

 

* Visit the links below for more Field Trip destinations in SL that would appeal to educators...

 

http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/BD750762-9F85-4C8C-ABC8-84300A417293/

http://ccsl.wetpaint.com/page/Showing+Off+Sites

 

References: http://delicious.com/dallasm12/secondlife