Lesson+Planning

Active Discussion Board This page has an active discussion board for you to discuss the different strategies outlined below, and how they may be used in your own classrooms.

toc =Lesson Planning =

1) Design-Down Curriculum Planning
Wiggins and McTighe's Design Down Model (from their 1998 book [|Understanding by Design] ) is considered to be one of the most effective ways to design lessons or unit plans. Simply, teachers: So, planning a unit means thinking about the assessment first, then designing the lessons to meet the assessment goals.
 * 1) identify the desired results
 * 2) determining acceptable evidence
 * 3) planning the learning experiences and instruction last.

When thinking "with the end in mind," Wiggins and McTighe encourage teachers to consider Big Ideas in curriculum documents: "Big Ideas go beyond discrete facts or skills to focus on larger concepts, principles, or processes" (1998). (The Revised [|Science] Ontario Curriculum documents (2008) are designed with these Big Ideas in mind.) Simply, these are the concepts/skills/habits of mind that we would like our students to retain, long after they are done the unit or course of study.

The [|introduction] to this excellent book contains many examples of units, both before and after the Design Down process. There are also helpful templates, and even a Frequently Asked Questions section which are all worthwhile.

2. Principles of Good Practice:
In their article, //Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as a Lever,// Chickering and Erman (1997) outline how designing learning environments with technology can help teachers better meet seven key principles of good teaching practice. The authors argue that technology:
 * a) creates greater connection between teachers which enhances their practice**.
 * b) ensures increased connection between student and teacher which increases student motivation** and **connectivity to a learning community.**
 * c) increases opportunities for asynchonous collaboration** between students which which supports
 * d) better supports differentiated learning styles and approaches**.
 * e) develops more active learning techniques"** by requiring students to construct and share their understanding, often in more public places, which in turn
 * f) increases time on task behaviour.**

The recognition of these principles and the presence of technology to impact them has resulted in a shift in lesson design, particularly in post-secondary institutions.

3) Building 21st Century Skills:
Students will be expected to collaborate in nearly all fields of work in the 21st century (Scardamalia, 2003; Jukes, 2009; Tapscott, 2009). In their own lives, they collaborate regularly, at times unsure of how to do this productively. Lesson Design should incorporate teaching about how to communicate effectively with others, how to comment productively and thoughtfully about the work of others and the artifacts they are jointly working with. Roschelle and Teasley (1995) note the difference between cooperation and collaboartion. "Cooperation is accomplished by the division of labor among participants, as an activity where each person is responsible for a portion of the problem solving..."while collaborative learning involves the "mutual participation of participants in a coordinated effort to solve the problem together." (in Resta & LaFerriere, 2007). Teachers should build in real collaboration in their lesson planning and course design, using scaffolding and modelling practices, to allow students to practice and hone these skills.
 * Incoporate Productive and Guided Collaboration, not just Cooperation: **

Ian Jukes (2009) argues that digital age students feel like they have "taken a tranquilzer" when they enter most classrooms today. Jukes challenges teachers to use native tools such as gaming, twitter, mobile technolgies, social networking sites and constructivist programs such as video creation and image manipulation in classrooms. For more, see Jukes' handouts.
 * Using Native Tools in the Classroom **

Focus on Problem Solving ** Students will need to be able to solve complex problems that have no clear solution. Lesson design to support the development of this skill requires students to be given messy and ill-defined problems, rather than problems with already realized solutions. In his paper, Teaching for Tomorrow, Jukes argues, using specific examples, that teachers can support students in learning this skill while still having them master content. Lesson design and planning in the 21st century should focus on teaching students critical thinking skills to help them navigate the overload of information and misinformation they have access to. All research projects, for example, should involve analysis of the validity of resources, with cross-referencing of material to multiple areas. These are skills students need to be taught and that need to be reinforced until they achieve mastery.
 * Teach Students to Navigate the InfoWhelm **

**4) Setting up a Wikispace **
Setting up a wikispace can be an incredibly valuable teaching and learning tool in your classroom. It is a central space where you can provide course materials, resource, instruction, a calendar of iportant dates (done through google calendar, lesson notes and most importantly, an interactive and secure space where your community of learners can share their understanding, ask questions and build on each otehrs' insights. Students can be involved in collaboartive knowledge construction in editable pages on a wiki or through exchanges on the discussion board. Teachers can easily scaffold learning on a wiki, allowing students to be guided and partciipate actively at different paces. Further, as a teacher you can monitor your students' engagement, understanding and spot areas for improvement in a single space. Students who use wikis to collaborate and construct knowledge can connect to their learning community from anywhere with an internet conenction, even using some mobile technologies.
 * The Wikispace website itself has a fantastic section for helping K-12 teachers set up an "plus" account (which has no advertising), and start. There are links to [|video tutorials], manuals, links to sample pages made by other teachers, and even PowerPoint presentations suitable for conferences.
 * This is an excellent [|manual] on basic tips for setting up a Wikispace from scratch. Inside, you will find clear descriptions, links to "how-to" videos, and useful tips.
 * This is a good [|article] from a intermediate-level music teacher, who explains how he set up his Wikispace, how he uses it to teach the "MySpace" generation (including use of the discussion boards with his students), and the impact he has been able to make on his own students. He also shows examples of his own Wikispaces.

5) Using Tablet PC's
We've created a special section specifically for Tablet PC users. Please follow this link.

References:
Chickering, A & Ehrmann, S. (1996). //Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as Lever// AAHE Bulletin, October. pp 3-6. Accessed at []

 McTighe J., Wiggins G.   // The Understanding by Design Handbook. //   Alexandra, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development; 1999.

Puzziferro, M. & Shelton, K (2009). Supporting online faculty- Revisiting the Seven Principles. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Vol. XII, University of West Georgia.

Resta, P & LaFerriere, T. (2007). //Technology in Support of Collaborative Learning,// Educational Psychology Review, 19:65–83. 


