ID+Plans

Tafessework’s ID Plan For my Instructional Design Plan I am going to cover sorting/grouping/ classifying for kindergarten students. Sorting/grouping/ classifying is an important skill for students to grasp. It is also one of the math standards that has to be covered in this kindergarten level. Therefore I will have a unit plan that will last 5 days. Students will engage in a learning process that involves a lot of activity. Students will create a podcast and video recoding of themselves performing the activity. They can make a voki. I am also thinking about Kid Pix/Kidspiration- Using both or one of the programs students can use the stamp feature to create a diagram. This could be something that can be shared with parents. Any recommendation is truly appreciated. Tafessework

I like your ideas, but just want to point out that the technology should directly relate to the project, and not just be there just to be there. Does that make sense? How would you use a voki or a podcast to show sorting/grouping? I think your last idea with Kid Pix is great and definitely do-able in a kindergarten classroom. I would just think about the other elements and figure out how it all comes together. Jillian

I think that if you use the video recording and have the students explain why they are sorting the way they are, that would be beneficial not only for the students doing the explaining, but also for those who will be watching. Many students do things without being able to vocalize why; this is an excellent way to get them to think out loud through their thought processes. This is also something that could be shared with parents through your own classroom website. I'm not familiar with Kid Pix/Kidspiration or how you would use the stamp feature to create a diagram, but it sounds interesting! ~Angela~

Tafessework, I think your ideas are good too. I love the idea of using Kidspirtation with this skill, and I think it's always beneficial to keep parents as involved and connected as possible. Perhaps your Voki idea could be as an introduction to a "how to" screencast for using Kidspiration to sort/create patterns. Karen Thank you ladies, this will help a lot!!!!

KAREN'S THOUGHTS FOR HER ID PLAN:

So, I have been thinking and thinking about my ID plan….guess that’s appropriate for a member of the “Thinking Wagon,” LOL!!! I’m not set on any ideas…but I’m brainstorming…I am a 7th grade math teacher, so my topics are limited. What I’m leaning toward is something to do with my Intervention classes. These are “Math Seminar” classes for students who are struggling with their regular math classes. These seminars give the students a second math class three-four times a week. One thing that students really struggle with in these intervention classes is the “building block skills” that most 7th One of those skills has to do with decimals. In particular these students have a great deal of difficulty comparing and ordering decimals. For example: recognizing that 0.48 is smaller than 0.5 graders have already mastered. So, I was thinking of creating a Webquest for the students to explore decimals. I want the Webquest to work them through seeing decimals in a variety of different ways: as if they are money….even if you see 0.5…think of it as money … 0.50 …. If you see 0.48952…round it to 0.49 OR as if they are on a number line… I would have them order decimals as they work their way through the Webquest. I would also like the students to use scientific calculators as they are working through the Webquest. Then I will have the students think about what way works best for them when ordering and comparing decimals. I will post a topic on our class blog about “How Do You Order Decimals?” I will ask each student to respond about how they order decimals….what way makes it easiest for them to understand. How they think it through. Do they make a real-world example in their head? Do they draw a picture? Do they use a number line? Do they round and think of money? …..and explain their thought processes in the blog. Then, as a culminating activity, I would have the students complete a Google Doc quiz, checking for their understanding of the concept of ordering and comparing decimals. Karen I sounds like you've got a great starting point. I love Webquests and I'm sure you'll be able to find many good sites to help you create yours. My only suggestion is perhaps instead of having the students type their responses on the blog it might be fun to have them record them and then embed them into the blog. ~Cindy Cindy, I love that idea. I could offer them the opportunity to create an mp3 file and embed it, a Voki and embed that, or simply type it. This would give them a number of different options, and they could choose based on their interest level at the time. As the lessons go on, I could require them to respond in another format different from the one they chose first. Can any of you think of any additional options for how to post their ideas on the Class Blog? Thanks!!!

Karen, When I think of decimals I think of grocery price list. May be you can ask your students to create a grocery list on Google doc with price and someone going shopping with a set amount to spend. I think it is easier to think of decimals if you think of coins and dollars but that is if they know what a penny, dime nickel or a quarter is worth. Tafessework Karen, I think you def are on the right track here. Webquests are great and I'm also confident you will be able to find information to help you with that. I was thinking for your blog, that you could have your students write how they (or their families) use/see fractions and decimals in their everyday lives. There really are a lot of possibilities with that, and they can build off of eachother's ideas easily. Jillian

I'm not sure how you would incorporate a scientific calculator into a WebQuest, but I'm sure you'll figure something out. I like the idea of using decimals to compare money. I once had a teacher tell us that if we couldn't figure out decimals, he knew a crooked accountant who would gladly take our money from us. As an additional challenge, why not try to have students think a bit more globally and compare American dollars with another currency, such as British Pounds Sterling, using a made-up exchange rate. For example, $1.50 American = 1 pound Sterling. If a person has $10.00 USD, how many pounds will that convert to? ~Angela~ Thanks for your comments, Angela. I would have them use the calculator as they were solving/calculating the work required in the Web Quest. However, I've thought through my plan a little more, and have attached a document on my "Karen" page. If you would like to take a look at that and give me some more feedback, that would be fantastic. Thanks. Karen ​ From Angela : I will be having grade four students use different technology to complete one component of a DoDEA Social Studies unit:

Standard: 4SS4: Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, and social structures in the Middle Western region of the United States.

Components: 4SS4.a: Explain the major geographic features of the Mid-West and discuss the physical settings that supported permanent settlement in this region.

Using Google Earth, groups of students will: research the major geographic features of the Mid-West

Using a Wiki, groups of students will: enter their findings from Google Earth to share with their group for future compilation into one presentation

Using PowerPoint, groups of students will: create a presentation demonstrating their knowledge of the major geographic features of the Mid-West, and discuss the physical settings that supported permanent settlement in this region

I'd like to add in something else but am a bit stuck. Any ideas? Angela

I think you've got a great topic! What about having the students create a 60 second travel commercial about the geographic features their group studied. They can use Audacity and create Vokis on why people should visit that part of the mid-west. Just an idea...use if you like. ~Cindy _ Angela, I like your plan, it will turn out nice, Cindy's suggested a good one. I am also thinking Audacity, students reading the states in the Mid. Western region and then create an activity using SMARTboard. Tafessework Angela, I think you have some great ideas. I also like the ideas that have been proposed to you. Be careful, though...Vokis were blocked in my county, Howard County. I might also suggest the use of Voice Threads - having the students include pics and recorded bits about each pic. This can be something other students can record comments about as well....try voicethread.com - it's pretty cool.

Karen

Angela, I definitely think you have some solid ideas. The SMART technology could possibly be very useful for you (particularly Notebook), and its easy to use. I really like the incorporation of Google Earth and would also suggest considering the possibilities with Audacity. Jillian

Thanks so much for the ideas, girls! I will see how I can incorporate these into my plan. ~Angela~

Jillian: __ * Hi Everyone! I just posted my final draft of my ID Plan on my personal page. Please take a look if you have time and let me know what you think! Thanks! __

I have just begun to really think about what I would like to do for my ID Plan, so my ideas are still very preliminary. I currently am a Special Education teacher, however my passion and interest is really with Health, and when I return back stateside I my goal is to become a middle school Health teacher. I am still deciding on whether I want to have drug use or fitness as a main central topic (I am leaning towards drugs), and or my ID Plan activities, I have been considering a number of different possibilities including:

a Notebook presentation with Audacity in the form of a 'What is it?' interactive quiz an Introductory PowerPoint presentation to the topic of drug use a PowerPoint visually showing the effects of drug use Incorporation of various online websites

I have also decided to go with your suggestions and combine my ideas into a Webquest. I also love the idea about bringing in a guest speaker via Skype--great!! I also made one additional element to my plan, having students write letters to themselves about their experiences and thoughts about drug use/abuse (emails actually) and then submit them to the Future Me website to have them emailed back to them at a later date. For this project I would say maybe one year later, so they can see how their thoughts have grown, developed, and changed.

I too like the drug use topic. We are supposed to create a 3-5 lesson unit so what about using several of the ideas you have posted. You could combine them together to create a WebQuest and then have the interactive quiz at the end. Again just an idea...use what you'd like. ~Cindy

Jillian, great topic, end result will look good. As Cindy said this lesson is a week long plan so how about bringing a speaker or talk to some professional using skype. Just a suggestion. Tafessework

Jillian, I think your topic is an important one. I agree with Cindy's idea...a WebQuest would be fantastic....follow the path of learning and activities and then complete an interactive quiz. I have used yolasite to create one in the past...but I'm sure weebly would be fine too. I think Google docs would be a great way to create the quiz. Karen

CINDY'S I have two different ideas and I’m not sure which one to pursue. I too have not read the sample plans yet so I hope I'm on the right track. Perhaps you can help me decide.

1) For use with my home school friends. We have talked about how difficult it is to do book reports in a home study environment because they report to one person (usually Mom) and there is really no public speaking skills learned. It's almost silly to make kids stand in from of their parent and give a 5 minute prepared book report. I was thinking of creating a unit that can be used with many different age home school children throughout the school year. It includes:
 * A blog where the topic post would be a title of a book and students comment on their enjoyment of the book
 * A wiki where character sketches and plot summaries are created for numerous books. Students can add and edit this throughout the year
 * Audio podcasts or video recordings of book reports similar to Reading Rainbow

2) When I was teaching high school math I always did the Miss Quadrilateral Pageant with my Geometry students. (They are each assigned a quadrilateral in groups and must present traits and characteristics about that quad in a pageant like setting...the kids love it!) I was thinking I could incorporate technology into this unit.
 * Using Geometer's Sketchpad they could create their quad's image
 * They could upload these images into a classroom wiki where each group has a page of the wiki with information on their quadrilateral
 * The students could use Myna or Audacity to record their introductory pageant statement and their talent competition (what makes their quad unique)
 * The students could use digital cameras and Google Presenter to create a slideshow of their quad in the real world. They could use Myna to mix music for their presentation.

Cindy, both great ideas but i think i like the geometry one because it has a beginning and also an end, although you can continue with the topic if you use wiki. Students can create a song on the geo shapes record it with Audacity and post on Myna. The first i am not sure how you would set up the lesson plan. I think I was not a very good help. Tafessework

Cindy, I also love both ideas...but I'm always partial to MATH...it's my fav. I particularly like the idea of using Geometer's Sketchpad. I was just introduced to that this year. Their design matching their "pageant" description - recorded on Myna with some "pageant-ish" background music would be hilarious!!! And....always bringing it back to the real world...I have had my students use FLIP cameras in the past to record actual pictures of real-world shapes. I think it could make a FANTASTIC project.

Karen Thanks everyone! I'm going to go ahead with the Geometry lesson. I really like how easy it is to combine different audio clips with Myna but it's not as user friendly as Audacity. Which would you recommend for high school students? ~Cindy Yes Cindy although I liked the creativity part in Myna it was a bit confusing to me. Use Audacity they will still have fun with it. Tafessework Cindy- Both are great ideas, but the Geometry one is awesome! Im glad you decided to go with that. I also struggled with Myna big time, so I'm sorry I cant be much help there. I was thinking, you could make a podcast to introduce your contestants (shapes) and give a little bit of background. you know like how they do in real pageants. I was thinking something along the lines of "first up is group three, with... the rectangle! Rectangles are blah blah blah...... Each group could make their own little thing and you could put them all together. I dont know, just an idea. Jillian

I also preferred Audacity over Myna....so, personally, I would go with that. Karen

CINDY...I didn't know if it was "appropriate" to edit your actual "Cindy" page...so I'm leaving a comment here. I also left you a note in our study group area the other day. My laptop cannot convert .docx files. If you could save your file as .doc, I will be able to open it and give you some feedback. I would LOVE some on mine as well.

Thanks, Karen

Hi Cindy! I looked over your plan and think it came together wonderfully!! I think its very thorough and you really did a great job. I only have a few suggestions: can you make your Appendix B and C charts a little bigger if possible? It was a little hard to read. If you cant make it bigger, you may want to consider adding a page break and changing the layout so that it can be a landscape and read horizontally. Also, you mentioned different standards in your Learning Objectives section, so I would site those at the very end of your document. Under Evaluation Strategies, you have an extra ~ after #2. Under Instructional Strategies, you may want to change 'good' to 'positive' when talking about collaboration. Its a matter of preference really, but I think it makes the whole paragraph sound better. Also, with the digital cameras, will you need some type of memory card to put the images online? I was unsure if they were going to be putting the images on to the Wiki, but if they are you may want to add that to your Technical Requirements section. Finally, on your group evaluation, the very last question, deserve is spelled wrong. These are all very minor things, and really everything else looks perfect to me! You did a great job! Jillian