Florence+Oni

=Florence Oni Unit Plan=

** Digital Story Telling ** Digital story telling is a technological strategy that can be used in the classroom to present new content, open a discussion session, and engage student in reflection or to help the student demonstrate learning and skills in content area (Laureate Educational Inc., 2009). It has the advantage of engaging students in active participation in learning as well as practice in multiple literacy skills of visual, written and content area. As Students engage in writing digital storytelling, they improve reading and writing skills, critical thinking, organization skills, creativity and technological skills. Digital Story telling offers an opportunity to support struggling readers. The access to different digital content resources and collaboration allows students to have a choice in learning content at their comfort level and from one another. It also offers differentiated instruction because students get to express themselves in their own language and experiences (Royer & Richards, 2008). ** Learning Outcomes ** o Student will be able to reflect on learning o Student will demonstrate learning o Student will demonstrate technological skills in use of technological tools o Student will demonstrate collaborative skills ** Steps of the lesson ** (Laureate Educational Inc., 2009) · Student will brainstorm on topic of the digital story in groups · Students will brainstorm parts of the topic of the topic and organize their ideas with a concept map · Sequence the ideas and write a script of the story · Student will read out script in class for class critique and review. · Students will find images for the story · Make the script on PowerPoint or Inspiration · Use audacity to add narration to the presentation · Present the story to class for input and revision · Publish finished product on the school web site ** Monitoring ** Student will use rubric to reflect on learning, Teacher will observe and question concept map as it develop and give feedback. Student will engage in peer review of the group work. Teacher and the information technology specialist will provide students with support in the use of technology tools and skills when needed. ** Assessment ** Student work will be graded for content knowledge and use of technology using the rubric. In conclusion, teacher can design lesson that can engage student in authentic learning when technology is used to support the learning process. Teacher need to be creative and resourceful in ensuring that technology ties to content, is available and is one that student can be supported to use. Collaboration can engage student in learning from one another and from students from other land as well as expert online. Designing lessons enriched with technology does not always have to be from the scratch as several free online resources are available and can be modified with permission from the author. The challenge of time constraint can be overcome by using technology that can extend class time as student continue to collaborate after school like the wiki and the blog. Technology also can be used to engage student in practice of twenty first century skills like collaboration and literacy skills in addition to learning content Strategy like digital story telling engage students in practice of multiple skills like writing, reading, interpretation analyzing and data and problem solving skills.  References Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). //Spotlight on Technology: Problem-Based Learning//, Part 1. Baltimore: Author. Royer, R., & Richards, P. (2008, November). //Digital storytelling//. Learning & Leading with Technology, 36(3), 29–31.

ONLINE COLLABORATION LESSON PLAN

Online collaboration is a web based technological tool that can be used to engage students for more effectiveness of the learning activities. Collaboration offers students help in managing and achieving their learning goals as well as assess their own progress (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009). The design of a lesson that incorporates online collaboration starts with the setting of goals for the student learning. This will be followed by providing the learning experiences, resources and strategies that will allow the students to learn the content. The lesson progress also needs to be monitored using a variety of methods to assess how far the goals and skills incorporated are being met. Teacher also monitors to be able to determine need for modification and intervention of the process. Evaluation of the process can be done using technological tools in the form of an electronic rubric. Rubric will help student guide their learning, reflect on learning, and teacher evaluate the learning. Rubric will evaluate the collaborating process, skills demonstrated as well as the content (Laureate Educational Inc., 2009). Collaboration is enhanced using small group which will reduce the chances of having conflict within the group and engage all members in active participation. Selection of collaborative group members should aim at having groups that can depend on each other positively, responsibly and accountably (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009). This is to produce an environment where information is freely shared without competition and students can learn from each other skills and support one another. Teachers should clarify that collaboration means helping, listening, participating, persuading, questioning, respecting and sharing resources, information and learning. Students should participate with teacher to draw up guide rules that will monitor and manage learning during group works. Students will learn content in groups using wiki as an online collaborative technology tool. The content knowledge so learned will be used to solve a problem by the group pooling their resources, questioning, sharing, and supporting one another. Students will learn content on types and factors affecting the ecosystem. They also will learn interdependence within the ecosystem. Student will use creative thinking and problem solving skills to proffer a solution to the problem given. ** Content standard ** ( Biology beginning, 2010-2011). The student knows that interdependence and interactions occur within an environmental system. The student is expected to interpret relationships, including predation, parasitism, commensalism, mutualism, and competition among organisms (Biology beginning, 2010-2011). **ISTE NETS-S** (ISTE, 2008) · Problem solving/ critical thinking & decision making · Creativity · Communication and collaboration ** Learning Outcomes ** · Describe ecosystems · Illustrate different types of ecosystem · Components of ecosystem · Factors affecting ecosystem · Describe with examples the interactions that occurs in the ecosystem ** Action ** · Share into groups, determine role of each member and determine job together with students. · Draw up rules that will guide collaboration with students contribution. · Set up wiki and ask students to join. · Rules and ethics of participation are established together with students. · Explain learning outcomes. · Assign resources. · Make rubric together with students || KWHL chart
 * Grade Level: High School Biology **
 * Lesson description **

Record thoughts about the video, Group discusses thoughts, questioning, contributing and learning from one another. || Internet Discovery channel Quick write (word processor) Class discussion on video Learning log || [] [] ||
 * Generate Chart on the web using spreadsheet ||
 * Watch a short video,
 * Review KWHL chart || Student makes the chart with Spreadsheet ||
 * Interact with given resources, Create a wiki page and post findings || Internet Access, Wiki, []
 * Collaborate on learning by listening, sharing, questioning, supporting and making decision and problem solving || Learning Journal, Word processor ||

Monitoring
**Formative assessment**: · Students use teacher and student generated rubric to guide and reflect on learning. · Teacher monitor, model, questions and guide student work Student use learning journal to reflect on learning.

**Evaluative Assessment**: - · Using the rubric, teacher grade each student participation in collaboration

References Ancient Lights. (2003). Biology: The Science of Life: Ecology: Organisms in Their Environment [Full Video]. Available from [] Biology, Beginning with School Year 2010-2011 (8) //Texas essential knowledge and skills//. (2007-2010). Retrieved from [] Carlton, R. (1999). //Biomes ecosystems & habitats//. Retrieved from [] Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National educational technology standards and performance indicators for students. Retrieved from: [] Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). //Spotlight on Technology: Problem-Based Learning//, Part 1. Baltimore: Author. Levine, J, & Miller, K. (2004). //Biology//. Pearson Education Inc.. Stewart, S. (2003). //Virtual ecosystems//. Retrieved from []

Technology incorporated into the instructional process serves several purposes which include giving students access to information, promote context, and stimulate interest, understanding and relationship of learning to their life. Technology also can be used to communicate, acquire, interpret data, organize and analyze data (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009). Technology can be needed to be supportive. One way of introducing technology into the instructional process is to use Problem based learning instructional strategy. This strategy engages students in self directed learning to grapple, understand and reconnect solution to real-life problem in other to learn content (Laureate Educational Inc., 2009). It can be used to differentiate instruction so that the different needs of students can be met. The problem based learning engages students in interdisciplinary active learning as they collaborate, use language and tool of discipline (Laureate Educational Inc., 2009). The teacher in this strategy assumes the sole of a facilitator of learner giving the student freedom to direct their learning (Laureate Educational Inc., 2009). This strategy promotes creative thinking, problem solving skills (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009). Technology is used to support the problem based learning when adapting technology in the problem based learning, this learning task and the cognitive level of the instructional outcome must be considered (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009). Technology tools can be used in learning of facts and rules which are at lower cognitive level or learning concepts, patterns and using knowledge creatively or for problem solving which are at higher cognitive level. A problem based learning strategy of instruction starts with the writing of a problem statement that is meaningful, involving subject content, fit curriculum standard, authentic and enables group work. The students are given an introduction of the goals of the problem. Students are allowed to interact with content to clarify and refine the problem, collect and analyze and present solution. Each stage of the process can be supported by technology tools or software like searching for information on the web, collaborating with wiki or blog, keeping e-journal, problem logs or designing journal. Teacher guide the process by helping students to reflect on learning, evaluating the learning formally and informally. Rubrics are also used to both communicate the lesson expectations and grading.
 * Problem-Based Learning in the Content Areas - Application **

· The student knows that interdependence and interactions occur within an environmental system. · The student is expected to interpret relationships, including predation, parasitism, commensalism, mutualism, and competition among organisms
 * Science concepts** (Biology beginning, 2010-2011)..

**ISTE NETS-S** Creativity (ISTE, 2008) Students will self direct the learning of interaction and interdependence among living things using the web as source of information and make a presentation using technology. Student will interact with content information from the web, analyze and synthesize such and use it to solve the problem posed. Content to be learned will include d escription of the ecosystem and types, illustration of the different types and components of the ecosystem, description with example of the different interaction that occur in environmental system to include predation, parasitism, commensalism, mutualism and competition among organism. Student will also present research using technology tool of choice as well as proffer a solution to the problem posed. Problem posed An immigrant from the Atlantis just recently settled in your neighborhood. About a month later, it was discovered that is pet an unnamed animal has been missing. It was also reported that there is a decrease in the number of butterfly. It was also found out that the yield of some food crop fell. Determine the possibility of a relationship between the disappeared animal, reduced population of insects and food crops. Send your findings to the mayor as your contribution to resolving the problem in the neighborhood. ** Action ** [] [] []
 * Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making
 * Communication and collaboration **⁭**
 * Digital citizenship
 * Research and information fluency
 * Technology operations and concepts
 * Grade level – 9 **
 * Subject – biology **
 * Lesson description **
 * 1) Students will be briefed on the lesson; rubric and students groups will be generated by teacher choosing the leader based on leadership skills. The leader will choose two other members of the group. Student together with teacher will form a rubric using a modified template obtained from internet (rubistar)
 * 2) Student will watch a short video on discovery education on ecology (discovery).
 * 3) Students in groups will use a KWHL chart to generate what they know, what they will want to know and how to learn content relating to the problem. The chart will be generated using the spreadsheet on the computer so that writing and editing will be easier.
 * 4) Students will search information from the web using the given resources to proffer a solution to problem in their group. Collaboration will be done by blog postings.Students will subscribe to group blog that will be created by teacher . Problem statement will be posted on blog and student will post their thoughts on possible solution. Personal learning log will be kept by each student for reflection.
 * 5) Resources
 * (Hi Florence...I would go into more detail about your Action. Also, how will you monitor and evaluate the lesson? I notice some mention, but it is unclear. Could you explain more? Sorry to be picky, but I'd rather it be me than after this is turned in) -- James**

I wish I could go back and take science again. I think I might enjoy it knowing that there are teachers out there working outside of the norm! :) I'm going to side with James, how will you go about evaluating your lesson? I'm thinking of having my students blog as well so any ideas you come up with might also help me out! Great work so far, Florence! - Val

References Ancient Lights. (2003). Biology: The Science of Life: Ecology: Organisms in Their Environment [Full Video]. Available from [] Biology, Beginning with School Year 2010-2011 (8) //Texas essential knowledge and skills//. (2007-2010). Retrieved from [] Carlton, R. (1999). //Biomes ecosystems & habitats//. Retrieved from [] Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National educational technology standards and performance indicators for students. Retrieved from: [] Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). //Spotlight on Technology: Problem-Based Learning//, Part 1. Baltimore: Author. Levine, J, & Miller, K. (2004). //Biology//. Pearson Education Inc.. Stewart, S. (2003). //Virtual ecosystems//. Retrieved from []