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

Merlot Peer Evaluation
by Tami Basso

Creating an Active Digital Footprint
http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id+60447


QUALITY OF CONTENT

Does it Present Valid Concepts, Models and Skills?

Valid Concepts
The lesson Creating an Active Digital Footprint is a StAIR design using a Power Point Kiosk presentation. Valid concepts are presented in the lesson. Students are presented information about the topic of how to leave a positive digital footprint. The concept of leaving a digital footprint is defined. The topic of social media is addressed. The definition and examples of active footprints are provided. As a teacher of technology I would use this with my students as a quick quiz to see how familiar they are with this topic.

Models
In the Social Media Area a list of social media sites are provided. The sites include a button defining what happens in at the social media site. The use of the social media tools can help promote a positive image of a person.

Skills
Students are asked questions concerning their knowledge of what a positive digital footprint is and why it is important to leave a digital footprint.  The students are quizzed over their knowledge of social media and given ways to positively promote themselves through social media. Students are asked questions and expected to click the correct answer. If an incorrect answer is selected the student will be told why the answer was incorrect and will return to the original question. When answers are correct there is positive feedback provided.

Does the Software Present Educationally Significant Concepts, Models, and Skills for the Discipline?

Educational Significance Content
The content is simple. The content supplies important information for students to know.

Core Curriculum
The interactive tutorial meets the NETS Standards 5:  Digital Citizenship: Students exhibit a positive attitude towards using technology that supports collaboration, learning and productivity. Students exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.

Content is Difficult to Teach & Learn
The content isn’t difficult to teach or learn. The difficult part is for students to think before the post information. Students need to train themselves to post only positive information on the Internet. The content isn’t difficult to teach. The content is very straight forward and common sense.

Content is a prerequisite for understanding more advanced material in the discipline.
This content is very important for students to understand. If students don’t have a positive digital footprint it can impact their entire life. Student’s chances to be hired, to get into colleges, and peer  interactions can be impacted by the digital footprint a student leaves behind.

POTENTIAL EFFECTIVENESS AS A TEACHING-LEARNING TOOL

Potential effectiveness
The activity is likely to improve learning. If students aren’t familiar with the concepts of digital footprints and social media it is a nice introduction. If students have just finished studying the topic it can be used as a review.

Purpose of the learning tool/Contextualize
The StAIR design can be used as an introduction to the activity or as a review. The teacher can use this to evaluate the knowledge students have of the topic at the end of the unit or before the unit starts.

Pedagogical Context Defined

The information can be used as an introduction to familiarize the students with the topic.

a.  Students need to be able to define what a positive digital footprint looks like.


b.  The activity provides statistical information about what you text does matter.
     Colleges and employers check applications activities at social media sites.
     Courts can use social media content as evidence.

c.  Practice using the curriculum/analysis of the outcomes from solving the problems

d.  The students are given scenarios they can select from to see how those students can
     develop a positive and active digital footprint.

2. The learning objective is to teach students how to create a positive digital footprint
    while interacting with social media.

     The NETS standard 5, Digital Citizenship: Students exhibit a positive attitude towards
     using technology that supports collaboration, learning and productivity. Students
     exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.

     The activity meets the objectives of the lesson.

3. Students will learn how to create an active and positive digital footprint. It will help
    them as they use the Internet.

Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool

1.  Students enjoy participating in interactive activities on the computer. It gives them the
     feeling they are playing a game. They are learning on their own and they don’t have
     to listen to an adult speaking.

2.  The use of technology fits in perfectly with the subject matter because the subject
      matter is using technology.

3.  The software can be used as an introduction, as a check of what the students know on
      the topic, this can be use in the middle of a digital technology  safety lesson before
      moving to the next unit, this could also be used at the end of the unit to check how
      well they learned the information.

4.  The teaching and learning goals are very easily identified.

5.  Good learning assignments using technology are time consuming to create if you’re
      making an interactive activity.

EASE OF USE
This software is very easy for teachers and students to use even if it is their first time using this software.

1.  The buttons are in consistent spots. The buttons are easily found. The user can click
      on a button to answer a question or on an arrow that works like a button to move
      to the next slide.

2.  No the reader doesn’t get trapped in the materials. All the buttons works and lead you
     so the correct spot.

3.  You can’t get lost in the material. You either answer the question by clicking on the
      correct answer and you’re congratulated. If you click the wrong answer it tells you it
      is incorrect and give you the opportunity to keep answering until you get the correct
      answer.  The arrow takes you to the next slide.

4.  The program provides information about if you answer is correct or not. The feedback
     is positive and helpful.

5.  There really isn’t a lot of flexibility in the use of the program. It is straight forward
      and you mainly move ahead to the next unit.

6.  The program doesn’t require documentation or technical support. Anybody that
     can click on a forward button or click on a button to answer a question can use
     this software.

7.  Students are very familiar with the format that the material is presented because it
     is in the format of a Power Point. Most students are experienced at producing
     Power Points so they can move around in a Power Point very easily.

8.  The material is colorful and interactive. Students will find the responses by the
      computer amusing. The applause and the sound effects for right and wrong answers.