2.2 Research-Based Learner-Centered Strategies
Candidates model and facilitate the use of research-based, learner-centered strategies addressing the diversity of all students.
ISTE Lesson Plan
The ISTE Lesson Plan was created in the Internet Tools in the Classroom course. The purpose of this artifact was to develop and implement a lesson using an Internet Tool of my own choice. For this lesson plan, I decided to implement the digital tool Voicethread. Voicethread allows individuals to have discussions using audio, text, or drawing based on slides or images that are uploaded to the site. I used this digital tool because I thought it would be a meaningful experience for my students to get to records themselves and have a discussion where every student would get a chance to share their comments and thinking uninterrupted. I implemented Voicethread in a reading lesson that focused on the book Wonder Horse: The True Story of the World's Smartest Horseby Emily Arnold McCully. To complete the lesson plan, I used a NETS-S template. The template required not only content standards, but also the NETS-S standards to be listed. The lesson plan includes an overview, essential questions, assessment, resources, an instructional plan, management, differentiation, and reflection. The artifact also includes all graphic organizers and handouts used for the lesson.
The ISTE Lesson Plan demonstrates mastery of Standard 2.2 because the lesson plan facilitated the use of multiple strategies to meet the needs of all my students in my diverse classroom. These strategies included reading strategies such as making predictions and making connections as well as implementing technology to engage students. By implementing the lesson with my own students, I was able to model the use of researched-based, learner-centered strategies for other teachers.
While completing the ISTE Lesson Plan, I was able to apply a technology that I had never used with students before to a content-based lesson. I only had one headset available to allow my students to record their comments so I had to find a creative way to manage my students as they took turns recording or typing their comments for the Voicethread discussion. Classroom management is often the trickiest part of technology use in the classroom. I learned that students also need time to learn how to use a digital tool before it can be implemented with a specific content standard. I found that some students figured out how to use Voicethread with very little support and other students needed in-depth help. I think that is to be expected with the implementation of technology in the classroom. To improve the quality of this assignment, I would have used a different method for recording comments on Voicethread. For the lesson, I used a computer and a headset, but, next time, I would use an iPad. After learning a little bit more about Voicethread, I have discovered that using an iPad is a really quick and easy way to record audio for a Voicethread discussion. I think my students might have enjoyed this too.
The work that went into developing the ISTE Lesson Plan impacted student learning. I was able to take a relatively mundane skill (making predictions and connections), and make it much more exciting for my students. I found that they all really enjoyed using Voicethread. At the closure of the lesson, all of the students got the opportunity to hear the full discussion that our class had developed and I could tell by their reactions that the whole experience was meaningful for them. To gain a formal assessment of this impact, I used a rubric to assess each student's journal entry and comment. From this assessment, I could determine how the activity impact student learning. I also assessed each student's comprehension of the story by completing a "comprehension check" of the story Wonder Horse. Ultimately, after my positive experience with Voicethread, I would like to see more teachers use this technology to impact their learning environments in their classrooms.
The ISTE Lesson Plan demonstrates mastery of Standard 2.2 because the lesson plan facilitated the use of multiple strategies to meet the needs of all my students in my diverse classroom. These strategies included reading strategies such as making predictions and making connections as well as implementing technology to engage students. By implementing the lesson with my own students, I was able to model the use of researched-based, learner-centered strategies for other teachers.
While completing the ISTE Lesson Plan, I was able to apply a technology that I had never used with students before to a content-based lesson. I only had one headset available to allow my students to record their comments so I had to find a creative way to manage my students as they took turns recording or typing their comments for the Voicethread discussion. Classroom management is often the trickiest part of technology use in the classroom. I learned that students also need time to learn how to use a digital tool before it can be implemented with a specific content standard. I found that some students figured out how to use Voicethread with very little support and other students needed in-depth help. I think that is to be expected with the implementation of technology in the classroom. To improve the quality of this assignment, I would have used a different method for recording comments on Voicethread. For the lesson, I used a computer and a headset, but, next time, I would use an iPad. After learning a little bit more about Voicethread, I have discovered that using an iPad is a really quick and easy way to record audio for a Voicethread discussion. I think my students might have enjoyed this too.
The work that went into developing the ISTE Lesson Plan impacted student learning. I was able to take a relatively mundane skill (making predictions and connections), and make it much more exciting for my students. I found that they all really enjoyed using Voicethread. At the closure of the lesson, all of the students got the opportunity to hear the full discussion that our class had developed and I could tell by their reactions that the whole experience was meaningful for them. To gain a formal assessment of this impact, I used a rubric to assess each student's journal entry and comment. From this assessment, I could determine how the activity impact student learning. I also assessed each student's comprehension of the story by completing a "comprehension check" of the story Wonder Horse. Ultimately, after my positive experience with Voicethread, I would like to see more teachers use this technology to impact their learning environments in their classrooms.