2.3 Authentic Learning
Candidates model and facilitate the use of digital tools and resources to engage students in authentic learning experiences. (PSC 2.3/ISTE 2c)
Artifact: Engaged Learning Project
Reflection
I created the lesson plan project called “I Am History Too.” In this project, I showed the students through modeling and facilitating how to use educational digital tools and resources to create a project that celebrated their life, creating a connection to how they are just as important as the historical figures they would be studying later in the year.
The Engaged Learning Project with the “I am History too” was a way for the students to be engaged in not just the technology but an authentic learning experience because I was asking them to become inquirers about their family and their life. This project is an update to the project that usually starts all elementary school year project, all about them. The students would learn that they are a part of history and that their lives are so different and vibrant. I especially like the project with the students who I work with in the low socioeconomic communities where I have taught. The students have heard so many negative things about their neighborhood and school that this would be a way to use digital tools to give students a chance to show who they really are besides a product of their parents’ lifestyles. Throughout the school year, I modeled and facilitated the use of digital tools with great success. I created the beginning of the project to show how students can use digital tools to learn their learning objectives. The assignment was created and the students had a chance to look through the project to see if it was kid friendly enough of a project for them to use. It also showed the students how I trusted them with using technology positivity with those authentic learning experiences.
I learned that when you tell students that they are going to learn about themselves that it will be very engaging from the beginning. I needed to learn and would improve the parameters of what the student wants to show. You will probably have students who want to share everything and a few who may not want to share anything so you want to make sure that you set the project up so everyone is successful and engaged throughout the entire project. If I could do anything differently, I would have incorporated some more digital tools that the students could use. There are students who could have used iPads to create videos of do interviews with family members to add to their project. I think that incorporating various tools would highlight some students’ talent at working with various digital tools.
This project impacted student learning because once you start a project in the beginning of the year where students are being asked to create these authentic projects that you are leading to a school year filled with other project based learning experiences using technology. Impact can be assessed by observing student improvement in in creating more projects through digital tools to show their understanding of what they have learned. By modeling the safe practice and being a facilitator not only does the student learn, but the faculty and other stakeholders understand the importance of the technology in the school and that we are not putting technology in for technology's sake.
This artifact also impacted student achievement because there would be students who would expand their thinking and find various ways to express themselves. I think this artifact also impacted faculty development because it demonstrated the ways they can engage students with projects with technology. I think that this also can impact faculty development because you can show the faculty how they can use these digital tools and resources to engage students. They can learn how it is easily to model and facilitate these digital tools and not feel overwhelmed. When the faculty learns that it is not difficult to facilitate these lessons, they will feel empowered to create their own projects and assignment.
I created the lesson plan project called “I Am History Too.” In this project, I showed the students through modeling and facilitating how to use educational digital tools and resources to create a project that celebrated their life, creating a connection to how they are just as important as the historical figures they would be studying later in the year.
The Engaged Learning Project with the “I am History too” was a way for the students to be engaged in not just the technology but an authentic learning experience because I was asking them to become inquirers about their family and their life. This project is an update to the project that usually starts all elementary school year project, all about them. The students would learn that they are a part of history and that their lives are so different and vibrant. I especially like the project with the students who I work with in the low socioeconomic communities where I have taught. The students have heard so many negative things about their neighborhood and school that this would be a way to use digital tools to give students a chance to show who they really are besides a product of their parents’ lifestyles. Throughout the school year, I modeled and facilitated the use of digital tools with great success. I created the beginning of the project to show how students can use digital tools to learn their learning objectives. The assignment was created and the students had a chance to look through the project to see if it was kid friendly enough of a project for them to use. It also showed the students how I trusted them with using technology positivity with those authentic learning experiences.
I learned that when you tell students that they are going to learn about themselves that it will be very engaging from the beginning. I needed to learn and would improve the parameters of what the student wants to show. You will probably have students who want to share everything and a few who may not want to share anything so you want to make sure that you set the project up so everyone is successful and engaged throughout the entire project. If I could do anything differently, I would have incorporated some more digital tools that the students could use. There are students who could have used iPads to create videos of do interviews with family members to add to their project. I think that incorporating various tools would highlight some students’ talent at working with various digital tools.
This project impacted student learning because once you start a project in the beginning of the year where students are being asked to create these authentic projects that you are leading to a school year filled with other project based learning experiences using technology. Impact can be assessed by observing student improvement in in creating more projects through digital tools to show their understanding of what they have learned. By modeling the safe practice and being a facilitator not only does the student learn, but the faculty and other stakeholders understand the importance of the technology in the school and that we are not putting technology in for technology's sake.
This artifact also impacted student achievement because there would be students who would expand their thinking and find various ways to express themselves. I think this artifact also impacted faculty development because it demonstrated the ways they can engage students with projects with technology. I think that this also can impact faculty development because you can show the faculty how they can use these digital tools and resources to engage students. They can learn how it is easily to model and facilitate these digital tools and not feel overwhelmed. When the faculty learns that it is not difficult to facilitate these lessons, they will feel empowered to create their own projects and assignment.