2.4 Higher Order Thinking Skills
Candidates model and facilitate the effective use of digital tools and resources to support and enhance higher order thinking skills (e.g., analyze, evaluate, and create); processes (e.g., problem-solving, decision-making); and mental habits of mind (e.g., critical thinking, creative thinking, metacognition, self-regulation, and reflection). (PSC 2.4/ISTE 2d)
Artifact: Multimedia Project
Reflection
The webquest multimedia project is the artifact that best demonstrates standard 2.4. The multimedia project allowed students to use higher order thinking skills and processes to navigate through the webquest of historical figures. I created a webquest to allow students to experience the real life situations that our historical figures lived through. The project required students to analyze and evaluate various artifacts through a multimedia platform. I think this project required the students to become independent in their project and allowed them to display higher order thinking throughout the process. I planned and created the multimedia project to use with my students. I chose standards that we were already in with my class and created a website for the students to work in and give me feedback.
I learned from this process that my students were more inquisitive than I thought because when I was initially designing this project I thought that this would be over the head of my students but it turned out to be the exact opposite. The students, who were all at different learning levels were very engaged in the project and were kind of upset that I did not have more to offer. I was test running it on them since the project came at the end of the school year.
One of the things that I would do differently only because it would be for during the school year is to make more of it and as engaging as possible because it seemed to be a great way to engage students into making history come alive. At the time of the creation of the assignment, it was the end of the year. The feedback from the students was very positive. They were upset that they could not go deeper into the project since it was near the end of the school year. I think the change really goes into starting a project like this earlier in the school year where the students could have more time to work in it. Since this was my first multimedia project I admit to being nervous to share it.
This artifacts impacts school improvement and student learning because through modern technology I brought to life the past that would engage students into learning more about other things that happened way before their time. I think if I let them create a project that could be assessed I would have seen a lot of the students’ interest level increase and present more interesting products.
Thinking about my nervousness on sharing this with my students, I thought about how this project could help faculty development. There were at a lot of teachers in my school who are interested in trying to create their projects and they admit to being nervous about creating these projects and getting over their head. With proper faculty professional development and using this project as an example to show how easily they could create a project that can engage their students like it did with my students. With faculty development and student learning both engaged, this could lead directly to school improvement. You will see creation of more authentic lessons and products from both the staff and the students.
The webquest multimedia project is the artifact that best demonstrates standard 2.4. The multimedia project allowed students to use higher order thinking skills and processes to navigate through the webquest of historical figures. I created a webquest to allow students to experience the real life situations that our historical figures lived through. The project required students to analyze and evaluate various artifacts through a multimedia platform. I think this project required the students to become independent in their project and allowed them to display higher order thinking throughout the process. I planned and created the multimedia project to use with my students. I chose standards that we were already in with my class and created a website for the students to work in and give me feedback.
I learned from this process that my students were more inquisitive than I thought because when I was initially designing this project I thought that this would be over the head of my students but it turned out to be the exact opposite. The students, who were all at different learning levels were very engaged in the project and were kind of upset that I did not have more to offer. I was test running it on them since the project came at the end of the school year.
One of the things that I would do differently only because it would be for during the school year is to make more of it and as engaging as possible because it seemed to be a great way to engage students into making history come alive. At the time of the creation of the assignment, it was the end of the year. The feedback from the students was very positive. They were upset that they could not go deeper into the project since it was near the end of the school year. I think the change really goes into starting a project like this earlier in the school year where the students could have more time to work in it. Since this was my first multimedia project I admit to being nervous to share it.
This artifacts impacts school improvement and student learning because through modern technology I brought to life the past that would engage students into learning more about other things that happened way before their time. I think if I let them create a project that could be assessed I would have seen a lot of the students’ interest level increase and present more interesting products.
Thinking about my nervousness on sharing this with my students, I thought about how this project could help faculty development. There were at a lot of teachers in my school who are interested in trying to create their projects and they admit to being nervous about creating these projects and getting over their head. With proper faculty professional development and using this project as an example to show how easily they could create a project that can engage their students like it did with my students. With faculty development and student learning both engaged, this could lead directly to school improvement. You will see creation of more authentic lessons and products from both the staff and the students.