Module 6

How can I help my students become self-directed learners?

I can help my students become self-directed learners throughout the unit in various ways. For example, providing my students with Due Dates for different assignments will allow my students to know what to expect and allow them the opportunity to work at their own pace. Students who have the desire and ability to work more quickly will have the opportunity to work ahead of the class. I plan on posting the rubrics, checklists, and due dates on my teacher website so that students can work from home if they would like to. This will also allow parents to provide students with extra support at home. I am a little worried however, that some parents may be too involved and do the work for their children in order to improve their child's grades. In order to prevent this from happening, I might consider having the students and parents sign an honesty oath of some sort. Just an idea I'm tossing around. I would like to stress with the parents that I want the students learn better as they go through the process of creating their end product.

I would also like to include some sort of extension menu for students to choose from if they finish their project earlier than the rest of the class. Perhaps they could add more to their webpage, research an additional hero, try to contact a hero they've read about online, etc. The higher level questioning will be built into the unit for all students to respond to but perhaps an extension would be for students to start their own blogs asking and responding to student created higher level questions. They could then add the blog link to their webpages. (Sorry that this blog is turning into more of a brainstorming session than just a response!)

How can I support the diverse needs of learners?

The learners in my class have many needs. I have students who are ELL, Resource, one with a significant hearing and speech impairment, and a large group of higher students. For my ELL and resource students, I would like to simplify their assignment requirements and provide graphic organizers. As mentioned above, I would like to provide extension menus for my early finishers so they have something to work on after they complete the unit assignments.

Module 5

How do I assess student learning?
Student learning can be assessed in many ways from checklists, rubrics, formative assessments, teacher observations, etc. I feel very comfortable using rubrics and formative assessments because of their specific feedback. I am going to strive to use checklists more often to expand my teaching "toolkit."

How do I involve students in the assessment process?
Allow students to become involved in creating rubrics, checklists, test questions, etc. Students can also self-assess and peer assess to expand their involvement.

Module 4

How can the creation of a student sample help me clarify my unit expectations and improve my instructional design?

Creating a students sample helps me get a hands on experience of what my students will go through. It also allows me to plan ahead for the little pieces that students may have difficulty with. I will have a better understanding of why my class may struggle as they complete a portion of the unit. It also helps me decide how much time my students really need to complete an assignment.


How can I ensure students will achieve the learning objectives when creating their student projects?

I need to make sure to meet with my students regularly to review their progress and help them problem solve. Students will also be provided with a checklist so they can self monitor their progress and make sure they are on track to finish on time. I also want to provide assessments as the unit progress to make sure they understanding the content as the unit progresses.

Module 3

This module has helped me think about the impact of the Internet on my students’ learning in the following ways….

It made me expand my thinking in how to incorporate technology use in my classroom but it also makes me nervous about giving so much freedom of internet access to my students. I'm used to providing my students with a list of websites they are allowed to visit and then requiring them to remain on these sites. There's so much out there on the internet that it makes me nervous that the students will stumble upon something inappropriate. Letting go of some of that control is one of my teaching goals this year.

Module 2

This Module has helped me think about using standards, CFQs, or formative assessment in the following ways:

Now that I have begun the process of planning a unit really from the end result first, I am able to see the bigger picture more clearly. The focus of my unit is clarified and more useful in planning my everyday lessons. I'm feel more focused on what I want my students to be able to achieve overall rather than step by step which can seem cumbersome and honestly a little pointless at times. I feel that not only will the purpose of the unit and day to day activities be more engaging and understandable to me as a teacher, but also will flow into my students' perception of their school experience.

Module 1

•How can projects help my students meet standards and develop 21st century skills?
Projects can help my students meet standards by allowing them to work on several standards at the same time. Therefore, it allows students to focus on the broader picture rather than narrowing their focus to one standard at a time. 21st century skills will be developed by allowing students the chance to be problem solvers and use technology in their own ways.

•How can I use projects to enhance student learning?
Projects can enhance student learning by allowing them to become more creative and really show what they know in a different way than pencil and paper assignments. Students will be able to use their mulitple intelligences to apply new learning skills in real world situations.

This module has made me think about my role as an instructional designer in the following ways...
It made me think outside the box. Instead of using the traditional linear way of teaching and designing lessons/units, I now feel comfortable exploring different designs that increase student motivation and achievement. I'm just as excited about being creative in planning the unit as I am in allowing the students to be creative during the unit.