2.1: Content Standards & Student Technology Standards
Candidates model and facilitate the design and implementation of technology-enhanced learning experiences aligned with student content standards and student technology standards. (PSC 2.1/ISTE 2a)
Artifact: ITEC 7481 - Online Learning Experience (OLE)
Reflection
This artifact is the online learning experience summary for a Unit of Inquiry planned with a view to delivery as an online course for an International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) Year 3 (8th Grade) class. This was the culminating task in the second of a three-part ITEC course for an endorsement in online teaching and learning that discerned and aligned course design. https://sites.google.com/a/aischool.org/myp/
This artifact demonstrates my ability to design a unit of inquiry in MYP that meets the student content standards (in this case, the published assessment criteria for an MYP Unit of Inquiry looking at forced international migration). The unit instructs all the content standards that a student might be expected to reach in this kind of course duration (a four week unit of 20 hours instruction) and in this kind of course content for Individuals and Societies in the MYP including formative and summative assessment. The technology standards to be reached in this MYP Unit of Inquiry include deployment of Learning Management System (LMS) for both students and teacher using Google Sites and Classroom as the combined LMS with all learning experiences being online, including all formative and summative learning outcomes for students, which they show using their own Google Site portfolios.
This artifact helped me to design an online unit that would have otherwise been delivered as a fully face-to-face Unit of Inquiry to 8th Grade (Year 3) of the MYP Programme. However, as the design and reflection of the learning experience rolled out, I realized that a full, online course for these students would not be possible. Their schedule in 8th Grade (Year 3) has instruction in nine subjects, which lends to a heavy homework load already. Adding a fully online course into this would simply not be feasible or supported by the parents or students in terms of engagement. I reflected, “As I would see the students every other day, the advantage was held that it might be a better-blended environment over the Unit of Inquiry period of four weeks.” (p. 4).
Therefore, I learned the importance of consistent reflection and application to the real context of teaching and learning while developing online tools. This certainly changed this resource as an artifact, as it would require a rethink for the pacing of the online course in a blended environment. The activities now reflect that the students will see me in class at least three times a week and, while the online synchronous session will remain, it will not be a mandatory part of passing the course. It will become a place were students can drop in if they are struggling with content or want to discuss their work individually outside the class setting.
Therefore, given the rather unique schedule of Atlanta International School, this online offering development will best facilitate student learning for those students who will be participating in the course in the Spring Trimester of 2015. This kind of learning has not really been tried before at this school, so it is considered to be bleeding edge so it has been difficult to persuade faculty to be “risk-takers” and work with me on this as the technology integrationist. However, the English Second Language (ESL) teacher has signed up to help deploy this in late March to early April 2015. The impact can only be assessed at the conclusion of the teaching of this Unit of Inquiry with her current ESL class, when both teacher reflection and student evaluations are completed and information synthesized to really assess the impact for teaching and learning.
This artifact is the online learning experience summary for a Unit of Inquiry planned with a view to delivery as an online course for an International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) Year 3 (8th Grade) class. This was the culminating task in the second of a three-part ITEC course for an endorsement in online teaching and learning that discerned and aligned course design. https://sites.google.com/a/aischool.org/myp/
This artifact demonstrates my ability to design a unit of inquiry in MYP that meets the student content standards (in this case, the published assessment criteria for an MYP Unit of Inquiry looking at forced international migration). The unit instructs all the content standards that a student might be expected to reach in this kind of course duration (a four week unit of 20 hours instruction) and in this kind of course content for Individuals and Societies in the MYP including formative and summative assessment. The technology standards to be reached in this MYP Unit of Inquiry include deployment of Learning Management System (LMS) for both students and teacher using Google Sites and Classroom as the combined LMS with all learning experiences being online, including all formative and summative learning outcomes for students, which they show using their own Google Site portfolios.
This artifact helped me to design an online unit that would have otherwise been delivered as a fully face-to-face Unit of Inquiry to 8th Grade (Year 3) of the MYP Programme. However, as the design and reflection of the learning experience rolled out, I realized that a full, online course for these students would not be possible. Their schedule in 8th Grade (Year 3) has instruction in nine subjects, which lends to a heavy homework load already. Adding a fully online course into this would simply not be feasible or supported by the parents or students in terms of engagement. I reflected, “As I would see the students every other day, the advantage was held that it might be a better-blended environment over the Unit of Inquiry period of four weeks.” (p. 4).
Therefore, I learned the importance of consistent reflection and application to the real context of teaching and learning while developing online tools. This certainly changed this resource as an artifact, as it would require a rethink for the pacing of the online course in a blended environment. The activities now reflect that the students will see me in class at least three times a week and, while the online synchronous session will remain, it will not be a mandatory part of passing the course. It will become a place were students can drop in if they are struggling with content or want to discuss their work individually outside the class setting.
Therefore, given the rather unique schedule of Atlanta International School, this online offering development will best facilitate student learning for those students who will be participating in the course in the Spring Trimester of 2015. This kind of learning has not really been tried before at this school, so it is considered to be bleeding edge so it has been difficult to persuade faculty to be “risk-takers” and work with me on this as the technology integrationist. However, the English Second Language (ESL) teacher has signed up to help deploy this in late March to early April 2015. The impact can only be assessed at the conclusion of the teaching of this Unit of Inquiry with her current ESL class, when both teacher reflection and student evaluations are completed and information synthesized to really assess the impact for teaching and learning.