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How will this project benefit me and my students?

Throughout this semester, I have had the opportunity to create a novel study that can be used with my own students this upcoming school year. From the beginning, I wanted to create something that would be meaningful and useful in my teaching career. During this semester, I have had opportunities to create and design. I leave this semester with a fully functioning slide deck that can be assigned to my students in Google Classroom. Students will immerse themselves in a blended learning environment as they critically think, communicate and work on developing digital skills. With each student being given their own digital copy, they are granted access to constructed response questions, drag-and-drop interactive elements, and clickable links.

As mentioned in my overview video, my assessments vary across the course of the novel study. Students will be practicing communication skills, independent learning, flexibility, critical thinking, problem solving, creative thinking and digital skills.

Traditional Goals (Next Generation ELA Learning Standards)

4R2:  Determine a theme or central idea of text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize a text. (RI&RL): Constructed Response #1

4R3:  In literary texts, describe a character, setting, or event, drawing on specific details in the text. (RL) Constructed Response #2

4R4:  Determine the meaning of words, phrases, figurative language, academic, and content-specific words. (RI&RL) Vocabulary Activities

4R8:  Explain how claims in a text are supported by relevant reasons and evidence. (RI&RL) Constructed Responses using RACCE

4W1: Write an argument to support claim(s), using clear reasons and relevant evidence. Constructed Responses using RACCE

"Effective assessments of student learning are aligned with course goals and learning objectives" (Linder, 2016, p.45). Sharing rubrics with students can serve as a roadmap for student success "Rubrics provided ahead of time can also be utilized for peer and self assessment purposes and for rough drafts before a final is submitted" (Linder, 2016, p.36). For the constructed response questions, students used RACCE (Restate the question, answer the question, cite a detail, cite a detail, and explain the answer). This protocol is used in my district with these types of questions. Prior to this in the school year, students have practice using RACCE, and at this point have also familiarized themselves with the New York State Testing Program (NYSTP) 2-Point Response Rubric (Pictured above).

Aside from the constructed response questions, student comprehension will also be assessed through short ten-question Google Form quizzes. These quizzes are set to "Locked Mode," ensuring that students do not venture off to seek for answers in other tabs. With the mentor texts included in this novel study as well, students have the opportunity to take additional comprehension quizzes using Accelerated reader.

Students (throughout the novel study) will be assessed informally as well though observation and questioning by the teacher. Participation in whole-group and team discussion will also be taken into consideration as well.

I have attached a link at the bottom of this blog post if you are interested in taking a look at my final project. Again, I enjoyed creating this semester! I am looking forward to using this resource in my 4th grade classroom in January!

4th Grade Number the Stars Novel Study

References
Linder, K. E. (2016). The blended course design workbook : A practical guide. Stylus Publishing, LLC.

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How do I make my project fit the needs of my students?

For starters, this week, the readings focused on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This was also highlighted in the Accessibility MOOC (see attached link).  UDL focuses on providing equity for students through engagement, representation and action/expression (CAST, 2018). No two people are alike. The same goes for their strengths and learning styles. Much like a dress or suit, learning needs to be tailored to fit the needs of the student.

All students that enter the classroom have varied strengths and abilities, and in order to promote student success, it is important that we play to students strengths and challenge them. UDL allows teachers to strategically think about how goals are reached (a great plug for backwards design here).

The Accessibility MOOC features under this week's design module highlights why accessibility matters. Students with disabilities face many barriers to success. After viewing the videos from Week 1 of the course, one of my over-arching goals for my project was to ensure accessibility to a wide range of students. The more accessible something is made from the start, the fewer accommodations I will need to make for students throughout the project. The accommodations I include in the project must also be effective, or students will not be successful.

I was very moved by the video of Haben Girma (TedTalk). She spends time during her talk explaining the importance of being a pioneer for a community, and shares her personal experiences with deaf-blindness. Being a pioneer, and advocating for herself and others, she was able to build strong advocacy skills (TedxTalks, 2014).

Furthermore, I also felt the assistive technology interview (Jon & Claudette) was very resourceful. Much like Haben Girma, they are shared personal stories- on both ends of the education system. It was interesting to get a glimpse of how assistive technology is used from a student's standpoint, as well as a teacher's. There are positives and negatives (cost, learning curve, etc.) to assistive technology, but what is most important is that educators are making the accommodations to fit the needs of their students. With assistive technology it is important as educators to find our what people really NEED, rather than ASSUME what they need to be successful.

For my project:

I want my reading unit to be student-centered. I want students to be able to make choices, collaborate, and be creative while practicing essential ELA skills.

In my previous progress update, I listed the ELA standards I wish to cover across the Google Slides-based reading unit plan. Using backwards design, I am able to match activities, assessments and conversations to those standards. These standards are all standards that are incorporated in the 4th grade NYS ELA Exam each year

The slides is full of various media and activities for students to engage and interact with. Students will be able to find Youtube Read-aloud videos, VR experiences, Google Jamboard links, Padlet responses, drag and drop activities, and Comprehension quizzes to name a few. Why Google Slides? I am nowhere near perfect when it comes to accommodations, but one key accommodations many of my students receive include the use of talk-to-text. My student's chromebooks, as well as Google Slides is equipped with the talk to text feature. After looking through this MOOC, I am excited to include more assistive technology to my project.

How am I providing opportunities for students to be successful? Aside from assistive technology, and as mentioned before, students will be given choice. "The nature of the students’ activity is what affects whether or not they succeed in learning, and what they actually learn. Outcomes are dependent on activity. Different
kinds of knowledge are acquired in different ways" (Goodyear & Dimitriadis, 2013, p.5).  Content needs to be student-centered- more so activity centered. I as the teacher do not want to hold control in this unit sequence. With my project, I see myself providing students with the goals, and also giving student the freedom to create and use the tools they feel most comfortable with.

Check out my project by clicking this link!

References:

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http: //udlguidelines.cast.or

Goodyear, P., & Dimitriadis, Y. (2013). In medias res: reframing design for learning. Research in learning technology, 21, 1–13. https://doiorg.library.esc.edu/10.3402/rlt.v21i0.19909

Tedx Talks. (2014, Feb. 28). TEDxBaltimore - Haben Girma - Why I work to remove access barriers for students with disabilities [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvoj-ku8zk0

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

Reenvisioning the UDL Guidelines

Because the UDL Guidelines are meant to be informed by feedback from the field as well as new research, they have been updated several times in the past. We are in the process of updating the Guidelines once again.

This update will focus specifically on addressing systemic barriers that result in inequitable learning opportunities and outcomes. CAST aims to develop a transparent, inclusive, and community-driven process. If you are interested in collaborating and staying updated on our progress, we invite you to complete a brief survey.

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

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M3: Methods

I spent the last week outlining some "musts" for my project. I chose to develop the project using Google Slides. The use of Slides allows me as the teacher to assign a copy of the deck to each student (I think I have mentioned this prior). That way, I can assess students informally throughout the deck by checking on their individual progress. It is also an easy application to maneuver- my students (audience) are familiar with this type of technology, and know how to access it both in and out of the classroom. One big goal for my development here is that I did not want my slide deck to be dry, monotonous or boring for my students. There will be embedded videos, drag and drop elements, and typing required in spaces throughout the deck.

I do not want this project to be lecture-based. With the help of the slide deck, I will be able to provide more opportunities for students to discuss elements of the shared read, Number the Stars, together. "Research studies have shown that in order to understand, analyze, apply and commit information to long-term memory, the learner must actively engage with the material" (Bates, 2015, p.86).

Some of my learning outcomes (assignments/activities) are as follows:
-Understanding grad-level vocabulary from the text (using examples, non-examples, imagery, synonyms and antonyms, and writing the word in a sentence)
-Answering constructive response questions about the text (Main idea, characterization, theme, point of view) using text evidence (RACCE: Restate, Answer, Cite a Detail, Cite a Detail & Explain)
-Writing a persuasive paragraph about whether or not there are times when it is acceptable to lie (opinion wiring unit). This also ties in nicely with the theme of the text.
-Drawing Choice Board (illustrating scenes, a new cover for the novel, designing a movie poster)
-Writing Choice Board (fact & opinion, historical fiction, diary entries, vocabulary)
-Mentor texts (provide students with an idea of what is going on in the world during the WWII time period- comprehension checks using Accelerated Reader)
-Comprehension Checks (using Google Forms every two chapters)

This seems very dense from afar- however I feel as though these elements will allow students to develop understanding of important fourth grade skills. The NYS test for English Language Arts asks students about theme, characterization, point of view, plot and vocabulary. The activities I have purposely included (or intend to include) will solidify those understandings as they read a historical fiction text. The variety of activities and the choice boards will also allow students to play to their strengths and choose projects that they are passionate about to demonstrate their acquired knowledge.

The activities I have begun to create were developed with the following New York State Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards in mind:

Reading:
Key Ideas and Details

4R1:  Locate and refer to relevant details and evidence when explaining what a text says explicitly/implicitly and make logical inferences. (RI&RL)

4R2:  Determine a theme or central idea of text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize a text. (RI&RL)

4R3:  In literary texts, describe a character, setting, or event, drawing on specific details in the text. (RL)

Craft & Structure:

4R4:  Determine the meaning of words, phrases, figurative language, academic, and content-specific words. (RI&RL)

4R6:  In literary texts, compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations. (RL)

Integration of Knowledge & Ideas:

4R8:  Explain how claims in a text are supported by relevant reasons and evidence. (RI&RL)

Writing:
Text Types & Purposes:

4W1: Write an argument to support claim(s), using clear reasons and relevant evidence.

This continues to be a work in progress, so stay tuned for more updates! For now, you can check out my current progress on my Google Slides here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1b9sQtlX5yTmWmEWYW9je1Wp3E-TeG5uegwDX1Em5tLw/edit?usp=sharing

References:

Bates, T. (2015). Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for Designing Teaching and Learning. SFU Document Solutions, Simon Fraser University.

Next Get Learning Standards Link: http://www.nysed.gov/common/nysed/files/programs/curriculum-instruction/nys-next-generation-ela-standards.pdf

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What teaching and learning theories am I most committed to supporting?

Connectivism, cognitivism and constructivism were three learning theories I felt my project/idea could connect to fairly well. For starters, cognitivism asks students to really think about how they are understanding specific material; this theory is supported through Bloom's Taxonomy objectives. "Bloom and his colleagues claimed that there are three important domains of learning: cognitive (thinking), affective (feeling) and psycho-motor (doing). (Bates, 2015, p.54). Constructivism is focusing on building on the prior knowledge/thoughts of students. "Constructivists argue that individuals consciously strive for meaning to make sense of their environment in terms of past experiences and their present state" (Bates, 2015, p.61). Connectivism is a little more tricky and seems to be constantly changing-Essentially, making connections is essential in order to continue learning. It also highlights that with learning comes a wide variety of opinions and thoughts. Connectivism is large on the technology component too. Coming up in the days ahead, I will really need to consider what forms of technology to use in the project- they must have meaning and benefit my students.

Where am I at right now?

For my project, I decided to create material in the form of an interactive Google Slides deck that is supplemental to our shared read, "Number the Stars." As far as Bloom's Taxonomy, I can envision my students diving deep into categories like applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating more often than just simply remembering.  For example, constructivism will allow students to build upon their knowledge through discussions with their peers. I can envision students creating a Padlet summarizing chapters, or sharing their thoughts, or even using story jumper to animate part of the story. The options are limitless- again, it comes down to choosing the technology I see fit! Stay tuned!

Reference:
Bates, A.W. (2015). Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning for a digital age. Open.bccampus.cahttps://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/

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Project Overview:
For this project, I am looking into creating a virtual novel study on a shared read in my fourth grade classroom. This novel study would most likely be created through an interactive Google Slides I create and further upload to Google Classroom (that way students are able to receive their own copy to manipulate over the course of the novel study). Up to this point, our traditional classroom shared read is very bland, and could use some pizzaz. I certainly do not want students to loath reading, but instead want this experience to be interactive and meaningful. Having a reusable resource with videos, links, collaborative opportunities, charts and reflective opportunities emphasis the idea that more media is better than one. The more I can incorporate here, I feel the better. I will be able to reach more students and their strengths, and can personalize learning (Banks, 2015). I want something that will challenge my higher students, and also support my struggling readers. "Faculty and instructional staff will need to continue to discover innovations supported by technology and pedagogical design to provide instruction that is socially and emotionally supportive and flexible enough to adapt to a wide range of student needs" (Pelletier, Brown ,Brooks, McCormack & Reeves, 2021, p.7).

Audience:
My audience for this project will be my fourth grade students (ages 9-10). This will be implemented during my reading block.

Audience Needs:
Why this project? Anytime I choose new media or a new tech tool to implement, it has to beneficial to my students. No busy work. No replacing me as a teacher. Banks (2015) even mentions that computers are not to be seen as a substitute for learning. The NYS Fourth grade curriculum heavily covers compression skills. Can students describe what is happening in the story and why? Can they understand why characters might act and feel the way they do? Can they complete characterization charts on characters they are reading about? Can they identify main idea and theme? Can they explain the significance of the setting, and how it might impact the characters? These are all huge concepts fourth graders struggle with. It's not to say all of them do, but they are all skills any fourth grader could certainly practice.

Contextual Factors:
Access to a computer is not an issue for my students. My school is lucky enough to be 1:1 with devices; each student in my classroom is assigned a Chromebook for a year. Students this age are very much so digital natives- navigating a Chromebook is something I am confident they could do in their sleep. I would be looking to rather provide a more communicative environment with this project. My vision is to facilitate discussion and provide students with feedback, but also encourage students to work with their peers, and provide one another with constructive feedback. Learning how to work with a team (even if one of the members is your mortal enemy) is a great life skill that will 100% be used in a student's adult life. Learning how to give criticism and feedback, and learning how to take it is another skill I find just as important. I have instilled a peer-feedback protocol with my students this year in writing, and it proved to be quite successful. I only hope to do the same with my reading block. This project is not a xMOOC or cMOOC -just more of a blended project (accompanied by both synchronous and asynchronous activities). From the readings this week, I have found some inspiration from, both types. I think that having a good blend and giving students the opportunities to work with one another, reflect, and critique will allow me to avoid student cognitive overload and get a better understand of my students ZPD as well (Banks, 2015).

References:
Bates, T. (2015). Teaching in a digital Age: guidelines for designing teaching and learning. SFU Document Solutions, Simon Fraser University.

Pelletier, K., Brown , M. D., Brooks , C., McCormack , M., & Reeves , J. (2021). 2021 Educause Horizon Report. Teaching and Learning Edition. EDUCAUSE .