Deliverables

Digital assignments:

Assignment#1

Wiki class “editaton” for Social Studies Induction Residents

Purpose: To broaden the scope of teacher assignments and curriculum creation to include technology as an alternative space and alternate modality. To introduce the concept of Wikipedia as a viable and open source of knowledge/content creation tool for social studies teachers.

Materials: Laptops, projector and screen.

Time line: 3 days to introduece, edit and create the project lesson plan.

Background: Teachers are frequently taught that wikipedia is not a viable source of research information and that it is not to be taken seriously. Moreover, although teachers stress the notion that Wikipages can be edited by anyone therefore rendering it suspect, they do not know the seriousness with which wiki editors approach the wiki page and that they themselves can be part of the administrative maintenance that keeps wiki a viable resource.

The solution to this issue is to teach a wiki information session in which teachers learn to create their own wiki pages  if they do not currently have one and have them work with each other in the ‘Sandbox’.

Assignment: (Step 1) Working in pairs, choose from one of the historical educational theorists and work together with your partner to research and edit their wiki page.  Use the Sandbox to communicate with each other. Post results on my talk page.

(Step 2) Write a lesson plan outlining how you might structure an assignment such as this one for high school students grades 9-12. Be prepared to link the assignment to the Common Core Standards.  Include materials and check points for the project in the plan.

 

Assignment #2

Exploring game creation as curriculum using game cards by Joe Bisz, ‘Whats Your Game Plan?’

Purpose: To add the the modality of technology use to both the classroom and to curriculum design through game creation by students. 

Materials: Computer, laptops, projector

Timeline: 4 weeks from initial lesson and scaffolding, to finished project.

Back ground: Teachers are under pressure to hit the benchmarks of testing while designing differentiated lesson plans and assessments for students. New teachers are also taxed with thinking about hiting the benchmarks for STEM-based technology in their curriculum design. This project allows Teachers to explore first hand the world of game creation for students and aids in the planning of projects that will enhance students’ technological skills while taking them through the problem solving and decision making skills embedded in game creation.

Example websites for creating games: 

  1. http://www.classtools.net/QR/  
  2. http://www.classtools.net/3D/
  3. https://code.org/starwars
  4. http://www.robozzle.com/
  5. https://rpgmaker.net/engines/
  6. http://www.classtools.net/SMS/

Assignment: (Day 1) Exploring  game creation and code writing sites for students. Induction residents will be separated into groups of four and will be introduced to an overview of game generator/coding websites to explore for project design.  Induction residents will then be allowed to explore these websites for the remainder of the class, choosing possible websites to move forward with for assignment.

(Day 2) Induction residents will be introduced to Joe Bisz’s ‘What’s Your Game Plan’ cards.  After choosing a card for: Game, lesson, action and mechanic, the groups will begin crafting the game and then lesson plan for their project creation. Each group will create both a lesson plan and then a game artifact that they will build out, demonstrate and discuss with the class.

Subsequent wkshp/check in dates will happen in the latter half of the class for three weeks subsequent to initial class. End goal is a write up and presentation of all work.

 

Assignment #3

Social Reading for close analysis and understanding

Purpose: To promote the use of collaborative reading using the digital platform as an extended space for learning, analysis and discussion.

Materials: Lap top, projector screen.

Timeline: Several times throughout the semester as homework assignments.

Background: Assigned reading loads can be difficult to manage at every level of education. Both in terms of managing the amount of reading and the analysis and discussion of readings for classroom purposes, social reading can aid the process and make it more interactive.  Reading both online and in a social format also extends the classroom space, leaving room for the development of discussions that might be otherwise discouraged by the constraints of classroom meeting time. 

Examples of social reading platforms:

  1. http://theopenutopia.org/social-book/(open source)  
  2. https://paper.dropbox.com/doc/-Get-Started-with-Dropbox-Paper-ItMTeE2xJpy71WnlysrUq
  3. https://www.google.com/docs/about/

Assignments:

Four of the assigned readings in the semester will call for students to work in groups on a social reading platform. The initial lesson will cover the benefits of social reading as well as open source and closed source platforms. Class will be divided into small groups and social reading will take place for the four readings that are designated on the syllabus. Those social readings will be due for presentation on given weeks. For each group tht presents, the professor will check in to the interactive dialogue on the platform site. The platform and papers will be upoaded by the professor to the site. We will use the open source site for the Open Utopia. Students will assign themselves to the groups and choose dates for presentation.

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