Unit Of Practice I: Teacher Centered Learning vs. Unit of Practice II: Student Centered Learning

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California Content Standard 6th grade Science
6.5 Focus on Earth Science
Organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment

6.7 Investigation and Experimentation
Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations

National Educational Technology Standards For Teachers
1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

National Educational Technology Standards For Students
1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge,a and develop innovative products and process using technology

Understanding Goal
Students will learn how to navigate the Internet in order to obtain several resources (video, images, data, charts, games, interactive lessons, etc..) regarding biomes and the ecosystem. They will utilize their resources in a student-generated power point on biomes and ecosystems in order to master the California Content Standard 6th grade Science 6.5 Focus on Earth Science: Organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment.

Technology Management
In the computer lab each student will follow the instructor as s(he) explores various websites on biomes according to an evaluation sheet that each student will possess. Before visiting the computer lab, students will obtain specific instruction on appropriate computer use and the consequences of not following them. Students are also required to sign a computer release form before they can use a computer on campus.

Unit of Practice I: Teacher Centered Learning
Description:
Students received an internet-based presentation on biomes and the ecosystem by their Math/Science teacher. The same day they received a presentation on how to create a powerpoint presentation by their Language Arts teacher. As students are introduced to internet-based research information they will evaluate the sites ability to assist them in effectively communicating the details (based on a rubric) of their selected biome. Students will also evaluate the assignments current implementation plan and make suggestions for improvements.

Reflection:

1. How did you have to adjust what you had planned?
Students were not very interested in just sitting and watching me do an internet-based presentation, so I tried to make it more interactive by allowing them to walk up to the Smart board and select some answers from the following interactive websites (that cover biomes and ecosystems): http://www.gould.edu.au/foodwebs/kids_web.htm, http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_reaction/index.cfm, http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/food/food_menu.html, and http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/living_things.shtml

2. Did students meet your understanding goal?
Yes, my students were able to navigate the internet, obtain resources regarding their selected biome, and create a biome powerpoint presentation. But according to their student evaluations that consisted of the following questions regarding UOP I:
1. Did your teacher's presentation on biomes help you understand biomes? No=36%, Yes=64%
2. Did your teacher's presentation on biomes help you use the computer? No=57%, Yes=43%

3. Did the technology help students achieve the goal? (your opinion and theirs)
I believe that without the use of technology the above percentages would indicate a lower understanding of biomes. But I believe the presentation would have been more beneficial to students if they were presenting the material rather than listening to a presentation. According to the learning pyramid students retain 90% of what they teach to others and only 20% of what is presented to them.

4. Did they use higher order skills?
I tried to encourage higher order thinking skills with the following questions that they had to answer while viewing the internet-based presentation:
1. Rate the biomes from 1 to 10. 1 being your 1st choice and 10 being your last choice for the biome that you want to present in a powerpoint presentation.
2. Grade the sample biome powerpoint presentation according to the biome powerpoint rubric. Give each individual slide a number grade from 1 to 5, 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest.
3. Place a check next to each teacher presented website that you feel will be useful in helping you to create your biome powerpoint presentation.

5. Did their tech skills improve?
According to their student evaluation: No=57%, Yes=43%. I believe that the 57% represent the already computer savvy, and the 43% represent students that learned something new about the resources that the world wide web provides. Majority of my students raised their hands when I asked them "have you created a powerpoint presentation before". Even though they could have improved their tech skills by watching me utilize technology I don't think it was very helpful in improving their own tech skills.

6. What did you like about the project? What did your students like?
I like the opportunity to provide a simplified instrument to help students master content. My students like the opportunity to interact with the internet.

7. What could have gone smoother?
I think as far as teacher centered instruction, the presentation was successful. My students would have preferred me to place all the resources that they needed to view on a site that they could manipulate themselves.

Unit of Practice II: Student Centered Learning
Description:
Students conducted research and created a powerpoint presentation about their selected Biome and ecosystem. Students presented and evaluated each individual powerpoint presentation based on a quality and quantity rubric

Reflection:
1. How did you have to adjust what you had planned?
The assignment was suppose to be a collaboration between 2 Science teachers and 2 Language Arts teachers, but unfortunately my partner Language Arts teacher was unable to present a presentation on how to create a powerpoint presentation and did not provide our students with a rubric detailing the basic structure for an effective power point presentation. Fortunately I found a video on how to create a powerpoint presentation at http://www.expertvillage.com/video/43516_powerpoint-beginners-presentation.htm

2. Did students meet your understanding goal?
Again my students were able to create biome powerpoint presentations, but according to their student evaluation questions regarding UOP II:
1. Did your biome powerpoint presentation help you understand biomes? Yes=50%, No=50%
2. Did your biome powerpoint presentation help you use the computer? Yes=43%, No=57%

3. Did the technology help students achieve the goal? (your opinion and theirs)
Again as in UOP I, I believe that without the use of technology the above percentages would indicate a lower understanding of biomes.

4. Did they use higher order skills?
Students used higher order skills in navigating through the internet, selecting biome related resources, and arranging them in a presentation according to a rubric.

5. Did their tech skills improve?
Again as in UOP, I believe that the 57% represent the already computer savvy, and the 43% represent students that learned something new about the resources that the world wide web provides.

6. What did you like about the project? What did your students like?
I liked the fact that my students were focused on creating something regarding a topic they are supposed to learn in school. My students liked the ability to creatively use the internet.

7. What could have gone smoother?
My students would have been a lot more successful in completing this assignment, if they had more opportunities to use the web to master content.

I am in the process of creating some blogs that my students will utilize to master their content. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for improvements: http://www.msnettlesleadershipclass.blogspot.com/, http://www.msnettlesmathclass.blogspot.com/, http://www.msnettlesscienceclass.blogspot.com/, and http://www.msnettleshistoryclass.blogspot.com/. My ultimate goal is for my students to utilize laptops in the classroom to individually watch content specific videos and play content specific games that will allow them to understand and practice skills that they are currently performing low in. I also want them to create individual blogs that will celebrate their past, present, future, and demonstrate their mastery of the intended content.

Please visit the above blogs and post any suggestions for improvements. Thank you.