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 Design Project/ Weather Webquest
Reflection:
While taking the course, ITEC 7455 Multimedia & Web Design, I created a student-centered learning experience for my first grade students. I created a WebQuest that focused on reading, writing, speaking and listening standards in combination with science standards. The development of the WebQuest required me to create an engaging website for the followed Universal Design. The purpose of this assignment was to develop, design, and test a developmentally appropriate technology-enhanced experience for students. It focused on addressing both content standards and technology standards. The WebQuest focused on the first grade standard dealing with weather and students were expected to complete a variety of tasks leading to a culminating project. Students were required to prepare for an “interview” for the position of a weather reporter for the school’s news crew. In order for them to report the weather, they were required to use the WebQuest to become experts on the weather in different seasons. Students actively engaged in research using appropriate means with partners, synthesizing information, forming and justifying opinions, and creating a presentation regardless of their ability level.
This artifact demonstrates mastery of Standard 2.4 because students were able to use digital tools and resources to support and enhance higher order thinking skills. In this WebQuest, students used different means to achieve the same end result and master the grade level standards. In order to ensure I created a learning activity where students were reaching levels of thinking and depth of knowledge, it was important that I found a way for students to go beyond recalling information about weather. The final element of the project was added to ensure students would reach extended levels of thinking. I gave students the opportunity to choose how they wanted to demonstrate their knowledge, by analyzing and synthesizing information from multiple sources in order to create a final product on a related topic. This application piece truly promoted the necessary processes like problem solving and decision-making to allow for student learning. The digital tools and resources made available to students helped structure student learning experiences. It promoted students to be on task and focused. They were able to use tools to guide their own learning and use the tools to best suit their needs as learners. Not only did students need to evaluate information to make a conclusion by self-regulating knowledge, but use the information to effectively facilitate learning and mental habits of mind.
I learned a great deal through the creation of this artifact. The Multimedia and Web Design course allowed me to incorporate Universal Design and web design elements into the WebQuest. It helped me conclude that technology use in the classroom promotes student engagement and provides authentic learning experiences to students. Additionally, I learned to evaluate my effectiveness as an instructor through properly facilitating and designing learning experiences for students. If I were to create the artifact again, I would have restructured elements to increase the ease of its use for students. Now that I have more experience and practice using Weebly, I would have made each assignment for the project on a different page. This would allow for students to not be confused as they navigated the website. Similarly, I would have found a way to have students access the WebQuest other than by typing URL into a browser’s address bar. For example, instead of going to the computer lab to facilitate the lesson, I could have had students complete it on iPads and use Quick Response (QR) codes to access the website.
This was a powerful learning experience for the students in my class as well as for myself as a technology leader. School improvement was a direct result of the implementation of this artifact. It allowed me to effectively facilitate technology within my classroom and allowed me to demonstrate leadership to teachers in my grade level as I shared the project with them. The product of this experiment positively affected students in my class, but the learning of the students that used the resources that I created and shared. Teachers received quality lessons to use with their students, and students were able to drive their own learning by using technology. Impact can be assessed with the overall progress and mastery of standards that addressed in the resources that I created.
While taking the course, ITEC 7455 Multimedia & Web Design, I created a student-centered learning experience for my first grade students. I created a WebQuest that focused on reading, writing, speaking and listening standards in combination with science standards. The development of the WebQuest required me to create an engaging website for the followed Universal Design. The purpose of this assignment was to develop, design, and test a developmentally appropriate technology-enhanced experience for students. It focused on addressing both content standards and technology standards. The WebQuest focused on the first grade standard dealing with weather and students were expected to complete a variety of tasks leading to a culminating project. Students were required to prepare for an “interview” for the position of a weather reporter for the school’s news crew. In order for them to report the weather, they were required to use the WebQuest to become experts on the weather in different seasons. Students actively engaged in research using appropriate means with partners, synthesizing information, forming and justifying opinions, and creating a presentation regardless of their ability level.
This artifact demonstrates mastery of Standard 2.4 because students were able to use digital tools and resources to support and enhance higher order thinking skills. In this WebQuest, students used different means to achieve the same end result and master the grade level standards. In order to ensure I created a learning activity where students were reaching levels of thinking and depth of knowledge, it was important that I found a way for students to go beyond recalling information about weather. The final element of the project was added to ensure students would reach extended levels of thinking. I gave students the opportunity to choose how they wanted to demonstrate their knowledge, by analyzing and synthesizing information from multiple sources in order to create a final product on a related topic. This application piece truly promoted the necessary processes like problem solving and decision-making to allow for student learning. The digital tools and resources made available to students helped structure student learning experiences. It promoted students to be on task and focused. They were able to use tools to guide their own learning and use the tools to best suit their needs as learners. Not only did students need to evaluate information to make a conclusion by self-regulating knowledge, but use the information to effectively facilitate learning and mental habits of mind.
I learned a great deal through the creation of this artifact. The Multimedia and Web Design course allowed me to incorporate Universal Design and web design elements into the WebQuest. It helped me conclude that technology use in the classroom promotes student engagement and provides authentic learning experiences to students. Additionally, I learned to evaluate my effectiveness as an instructor through properly facilitating and designing learning experiences for students. If I were to create the artifact again, I would have restructured elements to increase the ease of its use for students. Now that I have more experience and practice using Weebly, I would have made each assignment for the project on a different page. This would allow for students to not be confused as they navigated the website. Similarly, I would have found a way to have students access the WebQuest other than by typing URL into a browser’s address bar. For example, instead of going to the computer lab to facilitate the lesson, I could have had students complete it on iPads and use Quick Response (QR) codes to access the website.
This was a powerful learning experience for the students in my class as well as for myself as a technology leader. School improvement was a direct result of the implementation of this artifact. It allowed me to effectively facilitate technology within my classroom and allowed me to demonstrate leadership to teachers in my grade level as I shared the project with them. The product of this experiment positively affected students in my class, but the learning of the students that used the resources that I created and shared. Teachers received quality lessons to use with their students, and students were able to drive their own learning by using technology. Impact can be assessed with the overall progress and mastery of standards that addressed in the resources that I created.