Michigan Merit Curriculum Guidelines
Online Experience

In elementary, technology information classes I will help prepare my fifth grade students for the Michigan Merit 20 hour minimum online experience for 6th - 12th grades.

My fifth grade students will use Moodle to become familiar with using an online management system for class assignments.  One important online learning experience I will use with my students is developing life-long learning skills.

I will give my students experiences in conducting research using the Internet and search engines. I will provide student practice in evaluating information from various online resources. Students will learn about bias and accuracy of web sites. In Moodle students will experience threaded discussions and blogs when sharing their research findings.

Students will learn about network etiquette and practice network etiquette when given examples of different social situations. The students will post in Moodle how they would handle a specific etiquette situation. Using the discussion thread students will be required to respond to each other on how they think the situation should be handled.

In teaching research skills I will have students go to bogus sites and to official sites. I will have students post to a blog, writing about how they can tell if a site is official and what things to look for when evaluating a site for accuracy. I will have the students compare bogus to factual web sites. I will have them tell how the sites are similar. How the sites are different. After posting their answers to a blog. Each student will comment on at least two of the blog postings.

I will have a difficult time teaching my students how to use different technology tools. In the elementary technology department I have access to a lab at each school with desktop computers, access to the Internet, Microsoft Office Products and free online tools. I don't have MP3 players, camcorders, microphones, digital cameras, cell phones, video cameras or other multimedia devices.
I would like to incorporate more multimedia projects into my curriculum. Students thrive on creating their own products. I will request the equipment for next school year. This is the first year we've had a technology teacher at the elementary buildings.

At the Corunna High School Wikipedia Page I added a heading Media Center.  I wrote: The media center has a collection of fiction and nonfiction books available for circulation. The information system used to locate and circulate books is Symphony. The media center has a small bank of computers available within the media center and also a classroom computer lab.

The media center is staffed with a full time media center paraprofessional. The district has a K-12 certified media specialist. Here is a screen shot of the information I added.




I created a wiki at:
http://tpackcep811.pbworks.com/w/page/52759846/TPACK%20811%20Group%20Project
The PB Works wiki called tpackcep811 is for collaboration with my TPaCK group members. I thought it would be helpful in case we wanted to share our written comments about the activities before we discussed the items in the conference discussion on Sunday.

The lesson used in the UDL checklist is from a lesson I submitted to Merlot. In the checklist I indicated which items were features available in the lesson and which items were barriers in the lesson. In the barrier items I included items that could enhance the lesson. 

 The lesson is about bullying in person and bullying online. The students learn about the roles and can describe characteristics of a bullied person, a bully, a bystander, and an upstander. The students research the assigned roles; they record their information in a Power Point. They write a script. The students record their skit in a video format. The students use Movie Maker to edit their video and to present the video to an audience of students. The lesson is by Tami Basso and is available for download through Merlot at the web site listed below. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=641764

UDL Guidelines - Educator Checklist
I. Provide Multiple Means of Representation	Your notes
1. Provide options for perception
1.1 Customize the display of information	Barrier: When researching articles most of the information is available in text.
1.2 Provide alternatives for auditory information
1.3 Provide alternatives for visual information	Feature: The option of watching videos is provided for students to gain information about the topic.
2. Provide options for language and symbols
2.1 Define vocabulary and symbols	Barrier: A glossary within the text isn’t provided.
2.2 Clarify syntax and structure
2.3 Decode text or mathematical notation
2.4 Promote cross-linguistic understanding
2.5 Illustrate key concepts non-linguistically	Barrier: Most of the research findings are presented linguistically. The students will need to have reading skills and decoding skills.
3. Provide options for comprehension
3.1 Provide or activate background knowledge	Feature: To start off the unit students will watch a video demonstrating bullying and provide tips on how to prevent bullying. Students will discuss personal experiences they have encountered with bullying situations.
3.2 Highlight critical features, big ideas, and relationships
3.3 Guide information processing	Feature: Students will be provided specific web sites that will help them locate the information they need for their role.
3.4 Support memory and transfer	Feature: In creating a script students will take the information they learned while researching and transfer the information into a script. The script will be written in their own words.

II. Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression	Your notes
4. Provide options for physical action
4.1 Provide varied ways to respond
4.2 Provide varied ways to interact with materials
4.3 Integrate assistive technologies	Barrier: The text doesn’t include a text-to-read feature in the research articles.
5. Provide options for expressive skills and fluency
5.1 Allow choices of media for communication	Barrier: The assignment could include an alternative option of recording using Audacity and creating an MP3 format using voice for the presentation.
5.2 Provide appropriate tools for composition and problem solving
5.3 Provide ways to scaffold practice and performance
6. Provide options for executive functions
6.1 Guide effective goal setting	Barrier: A blog space could be provided for students to share their information they found in their research. The group could discuss the details they want to include in their presentation.
6.2 Support planning and strategy development
6.3 Facilitate managing information and resources
6.4 Enhance capacity for monitoring progress	Barrier: An electronic checklist could be provided including the steps that need to be completed for the assignment. Students could check off each step when it is finished. This would help some students with staying organized.

III. Provide Multiple Means of Engagement	Your notes
7. Provide options for recruiting interest
7.1 Increase individual choice and autonomy
7.2 Enhance relevance, value and authenticity	Feature: Students view the CMS Bullying video. The students see students they know and a familiar setting within the school district. The students feel a connection with the people and the setting. The students have an emotional reaction to seeing the video because they can relate to students they know.
7.3 Reduce threats and distractions
8. Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence
8.1 Heighten salience of goals and objectives
8.2 Vary levels of challenge and support
8.3 Foster collaboration and communication	Feature:  Students collaborate concerning the information they will include in their script. The students communicate by discussing the information they will include in the presentation.
8.4 Increase mastery-oriented feedback
9. Provide options for self-regulation
9.1 Guide personal goal-setting and expectations	Barrier: Before starting the assignment students should review the rubric that will be used to grade the project. Students need to set individual goals and expectations for themselves and see how the goals the rest of the group has.
9.2 Scaffold coping skills and strategies
9.3 Develop self-assessment and reflection