Your vote:

Average: 4 (1 vote)

Write any/all ideas you come up with under the questions.

I (Ed) have started this out-- these are just starter ideas--add to them, edit them, delete them as you all see fit.

Subject Area Focus, Grade Level, Unit of Time, Goal

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Leslie

* Technology
* 8th grade
* 1 school year
* Students will have basic understanding of use of internet-related technology and be able to build on that understanding going into high school
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LD

I'd go with technology for the subject area focus especially since our culminating projects are in technology.

GOAL FOR STUDENTS: Students will demonstrate computer literacy by creating
content area unit exit projects in power point, blogs, pod casts, video streaming and a website.
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Explanation of Framework

(It describes the principles underpinning the curriculum. It sets out the overarching outcomes to which all learning areas contribute. It outlines the scope of the curriculum and teaching, learning and assessment strategies which help to ensure that students achieve the outcomes--http://www.curriculum.wa.edu.au/pages/framework/framework03.htm)

Barring any other info, I think the above may a good way to approach setting a framework.

The principles underpinning this curriculum are...

UbD?

Curr. Webs?

Curr. mapping?

Combination?

Others?

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Leslie

* Five Units over one school year
* Each unit is eight weeks
* Each unit covers different aspect of computer software and internet as a learning and self-assessment tool for students
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LD

I looked at the site Ed referenced and it's pretty good and explanitory. I also think it meets what White is talking about in her email comments to us. (I posted them as a comment on the overview page) I think if we cite it as a reference we can then identify our framework to be that of our "GOAL FOR STUDENTS" as listed above.

From the website Ed found, I think the following three statements are good and we should incorporate them in some way. If we decide to include them, the statements themselves could be our headers a la Prof. Shipps. 1)[Curricula] framework reflects contemporary thinkg about what students need to learn in order to lead successful and rewarding lives in the 21st Century. (I thought this could be where we pull in the books from this semester) 2)[Curricula] framework provides teachers, staff, parents [etc.] with a statement of what students are expected to achieve as a result of the [curriculum]. Under this heading, I thought we could include something like: The students are expected to achieve technology skills which are appliciable to academia/education, work and life.

Overarching Goal for implementation

Is this the "What the students get" part? And how is it different than the below "What is taught?"

So far our goal is meet 8th grade standards and prepare students for promotion. We wish to instill in students the ability to apply concepts across the curriculum, and to gain an understanding of the big ideas.

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Leslie

* Student will build on their understanding of technology and be able use as a learning tool for other disciplines
* Teacher professional development
* Update curriculum year to year to keep current with technology

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LD

I think this is the goal from above. I think if we include it above we can avoid confusion, like Ed picked out, between goal and What's being taught. If we all agree to that, maybe instead of listing GOAL we should state it as OVERARCHING GOAL FOR IMPLEMENTATION. (Check out White's comments and see if this makes sense.)

Support needed for implementation. As a teacher what would I need?

P.D.

Mentor

The teachers would need both moral, professional and material support.The administration needs to back the teachers and follow through with plans and promises. The teachers will need professional development as well as all the technological materials to successfully implement the plan.

One aspect of teacher support would be a system of mentors. Teachers that are more comfortable with the technology would be trained to implement the curriculum. They in turn would lead professional development workshops and afterwards act as mentors for other staff members. These second generation staff members would mentor a third generation of staff membors. The idea is to have continuing training by members of the staff who are always onsite.

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Leslie

* Principal support for professional development
* Teachers in agreement with cross-disciplinary learning for students
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LD

Should we include this section with the section started with the What is needed in terms of teacher development for successful implementation question? This part would just be a list, right? I think we need to clarify PD and mentor. It might be better to list PD in the use of PP, blogging, etc. and then list PD in writing lessons on how to teach those to students. How about adding an administration that is patient with learning curves and acknowledges this is a work in process. With regard to mentors, this is where we would mention our staff "turnkeying"--teachers experienced in one of the above programs leading PDs and one on one follow ups with the inexperienced staff? (I wrote these ideas before White sent her comments. See if you think they agree with what she said.)

What is needed in terms of teacher development for successful implementation?

Leslie

* Adequate funding for computer hardware and software
* On-site Technology specialist available
* Professional development workshops and activity-based learning for teachers

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LD

I think we can include this question with the question about support needed for implementation.

 

What is your instructional Vision?

My vision of the school is one where technology is used to link cross curricular learning. The students are active particpants in authentic learning experiences that involve math, science, ELA, social studies and art. Students, by acquiring knowledge, skills and concepts, are able to apply understanding academically and in the real world, becoming citizens who can approach issues and problems from multiple angles.

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LD

Should we include one or two examples from the books discussed this semester?

Assessment strategies

Assessment strategies:
NYS 8th grade is a requirement
I'd like to suggest a digital portfolio. Students collect and organize their work digitally. Informal assessment takes place daily via teacher interaction. At intervals during the week, the students post status reports and examples of what they have worked on. At regular intervals during the semester, students complete projects that are designed to enhance the student's learning while acting as an assessment tool. Projects vary according to what goals are sought. For example, some projects might assess student knowledge by asking for facts about historical events, and these facts would be presented using the technology theme of that unit. These tools will be building blocks for future assessments that ask students to take the next step toward understanding concepts. The form of the assessments would include whichever technological tool students are working with during the unit. For example, students would create a basic web site to compare civil wars throughout history. Since the assessments throughout the unit are often digital, collecting the work throughout the semester to be presented in a portfolio follows naturally.

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LD--I like it! Great idea. Thanks

Who are the students being served?

These students have been identified as 8th graders at-risk through assessments, evaluations, and anecdotes in regards to not performing academically on grade level, immature in social development, low income and progressing English language learners.

What are their needs?

Intensive languages arts and math improvement.

Meet science and social studies standards.

Improved technological skills

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LD

White made some comments about this section/question. We should try to incorporate them as best as we can.

AIS (academic intervention services) as a Tier 2 (pull out) intervention

after school tutoring, lunch and early morning tutoring, Saturday school for just our middle school, maybe computer programs with audio in Spanish or whatever language serves the majority of our ELL students, ESL teacher, study skills, keyboarding, computer lab, wireless laptops to take home? (Otherwise how do we address that this population may not have computer access at home?)

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Along with the need to develop technical skills, the students need intensive math and ELA attention. Toward this end we will incorporate AIS services as a Tier 2 (pull out) intervention. We will implement after school, lunch time, and/or early morning tutoring. Software and audio equipment that allow texts to be read to the students will be available. An attempt will be made to secure funding for laptop computers to be loaned to individual students. However, if that is not successful, we will provide students with computer access while they are in the building.

What is taught? How? Why?

Using established and emerging technologies--powerpoint, blogging, web sites, streaming media, pod casts--the school will provide students with the knowledge necessary to meet standards in ELA, math, science, social studies, art and technology. Students will build on knowledge to achieve an understanding of key concepts in individual curriculum areas, and the students will apply that understanding across the curriculum.

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Leslie

Basic concepts of technology in the use of internet and computer software as a tool for:

* research for self-learning
* self-assessment
* presentation of information
* student collaboration
* student/teacher communication
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LD

I think we should identify this answer as our synopsis and point the reader/teacher to Nate's chart as a full explanation of what's being taught,etc.

What resources are available?

Fully networked school--wireless/wired/internet

Tech. Coord.

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Leslie

* Web design and graphic design software
* Data and information lists
* Citations
* Directories and Search Engines
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LD

I like Leslie's ideas about teacher/student communication. I thought of that as well and maybe creating a similar "blackboard" per class for the students. I thought of our curriculum audits and how White wanted traditional and nontraditional resources so I included both. Here are some thoughts I had: LCD projectors for each room, content area teachers who are computer literate, computer lab with internet, business executives for presentations to kids regarding how they use pp, video streaming, etc in their businesses, open source site like Andrew's but for students to use during group work

Connections to the Books discussed in class:

 

 

(Will we use any ideas from UBD or the Book Talk in our plan)
Test by Nate
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LD

I'm wondering if we can do that in answer to our goal question and as part of our chart? Or maybe interwoven throughout these questions like, Ed added assessments and we could use the book talk on differentiated learning or curriculum maps in support needed for implementation because if each content area teacher is having their students create an end of unit project on the same technology skill (pp, pod cast, etc) then the teachers need to have a time line for instruction, right? Would the overall plan of the curriculm webs help with that? I'm not sure how to make that point.