3.1 Classroom Management & Collaborative Learning
Candidates model and facilitate effective classroom management and collaborative learning strategies to maximize teacher and student use of digital tools and resources. (PSC 3.1/ISTE 3a)
Artifact:
itec_7400__el_final_drake.doc | |
File Size: | 39 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Reflection:
The Engaged Learning Project for ITEC 7400 is the primary artifact for Standard 3.1. The assignment involved creating an authentic collaborative learning experience to engage my students. I researched and developed a problem-solving experience, the Mexican Business Proposal, for my students in a virtual middle school. In this project students would research an area in Mexico. Based on the region’s resources, the students will create a business proposal. This business must address one of the previously researched problems in the region. To culminate the learning experience the students work collaboratively to present top three proposals to an expert on the Latin American business community.
Standard 3.1: Classroom Management & Collaborative Learning, established the expectations for artifact alignment with the ability to model and facilitate effective classroom management strategies and collaborative learning strategies. The Mexican Business Proposal is a technologically enhanced and content standards-based learning experience that addresses the collaborative learning strategies component of Standard 3.1. Students participate in a real-life scenario by taking on the role of an international industrialist. Students activate their prior knowledge of Mexico and enact a complex set of problem-solving strategies by researching the resources in the region. They then summarized and analyzed the resources and problems in Mexico. Based on the information they learned from their research, they then, using critical and creative thinking skills, created a business proposal that capitalizes off of the available resources while working to address one of the region’s problems. I also modeled how students could connect to an in-field expert by communicating and collaborating with a representative from the Mexican Chamber of Commerce who provided information and answered student generated questions. During this collaborative learning strategy enhanced experience, I modeled and facilitated effective classroom management skills while students use the digital tools and resource such as Edmodo, where students can share and respectfully comment on each other’s work. I also modeled and facilitated effective classroom management skills during synchronous and asynchronous sessions in Adobe Connect by moderating student comments and modeling constructive student commentary to peers when evaluating peer presentations. The students’ business proposals varied greatly and so did their presentations. The students shared their presentations with each other via Edmodo. They then evaluated their peers’ presentations. They then collaborated provided reflective feedback for the top three selected presentations and these proposals were collaboratively revised for presentation to the Mexican Chamber of Commerce.
During the creation of the authentic-learning experience, I learned that my school’s LMS created difficulties to make this experience as collaborative as I would like. Since the students work at their own pace and the LMS does not permit students to communicate directly with each other for projects I had to research use of another digital technology tool, Edmodo. I also learned there was a Latin Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta. This was information that I was able to use to collaborate and have my students collaborate with an in-field expert for their Mexican Business Proposal. I learned that feedback from your peers is the best way to reflect on your assignment and make improvements to it. To improve the quality of this learning experience I would have the students post their presentations to Padlet. I learned about Padlet after developing this learning experience. Padlet would allow more students, educators, parents, etc. to collaborate, evaluate and reflect on the students’ proposals while still providing privacy and safety.
The work that went into creating the artifact impacted student learning. The Mexican Business Proposal impacted student learning by providing an alternate means for students to display mastery of content, show creativity, increase their problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and enhance their collaborative skills. The impact on student learning can be assessed by a teacher created rubric, assessments in the LMS, and standards-based benchmarks.
Standard 3.1: Classroom Management & Collaborative Learning, established the expectations for artifact alignment with the ability to model and facilitate effective classroom management strategies and collaborative learning strategies. The Mexican Business Proposal is a technologically enhanced and content standards-based learning experience that addresses the collaborative learning strategies component of Standard 3.1. Students participate in a real-life scenario by taking on the role of an international industrialist. Students activate their prior knowledge of Mexico and enact a complex set of problem-solving strategies by researching the resources in the region. They then summarized and analyzed the resources and problems in Mexico. Based on the information they learned from their research, they then, using critical and creative thinking skills, created a business proposal that capitalizes off of the available resources while working to address one of the region’s problems. I also modeled how students could connect to an in-field expert by communicating and collaborating with a representative from the Mexican Chamber of Commerce who provided information and answered student generated questions. During this collaborative learning strategy enhanced experience, I modeled and facilitated effective classroom management skills while students use the digital tools and resource such as Edmodo, where students can share and respectfully comment on each other’s work. I also modeled and facilitated effective classroom management skills during synchronous and asynchronous sessions in Adobe Connect by moderating student comments and modeling constructive student commentary to peers when evaluating peer presentations. The students’ business proposals varied greatly and so did their presentations. The students shared their presentations with each other via Edmodo. They then evaluated their peers’ presentations. They then collaborated provided reflective feedback for the top three selected presentations and these proposals were collaboratively revised for presentation to the Mexican Chamber of Commerce.
During the creation of the authentic-learning experience, I learned that my school’s LMS created difficulties to make this experience as collaborative as I would like. Since the students work at their own pace and the LMS does not permit students to communicate directly with each other for projects I had to research use of another digital technology tool, Edmodo. I also learned there was a Latin Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta. This was information that I was able to use to collaborate and have my students collaborate with an in-field expert for their Mexican Business Proposal. I learned that feedback from your peers is the best way to reflect on your assignment and make improvements to it. To improve the quality of this learning experience I would have the students post their presentations to Padlet. I learned about Padlet after developing this learning experience. Padlet would allow more students, educators, parents, etc. to collaborate, evaluate and reflect on the students’ proposals while still providing privacy and safety.
The work that went into creating the artifact impacted student learning. The Mexican Business Proposal impacted student learning by providing an alternate means for students to display mastery of content, show creativity, increase their problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and enhance their collaborative skills. The impact on student learning can be assessed by a teacher created rubric, assessments in the LMS, and standards-based benchmarks.