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
Reflection:
In ITEC 7445, Multimedia and Web Design, I created a Multimedia Design Project. The platform I chose was Weebly. I added the videos by embedding them on Weebly. I chose YouTube so I offered scaffolding support using Closed Captioning. The task has the students develop a model to teach others how the organelles work together. The last couple days of the WebQuest students used each other's models and complete the rubric to give constructive feedback to a peer. At the end of the unit there will be a Test. I constantly probed students formatively as they worked by asking questions like "What does the Nucleus do? How does the Chloroplast and Mitochondria work together? How does the Lysosomes and Golgi work together?" This will not only assess as they go but give them guiding questions to think through to bring them to higher thinking levels.
I chose Weebly to design my project. I wanted this to be a model to my PLC of how to use a website creating tool to facilitate learning in our classes. I added the videos by embedding them, but they are from YouTube so will support Closed Captioning. I chose to embed the videos on Weebly so when facilitating the lesson with my students the videos would work. Students are blocked from YouTube itself but can view embedded videos on other sites. The Quizlet and Articles are Hyperlinks so the students can easily access them.
The documents were uploaded to Weebly and will download when their hyperlinks are clicked. A student can then open in Office365 for Immersive Reader or Google Docs. The site itself can be translated by the browser and in my school, we have Microsoft Translator for ELL Students who can't read English and will work on my site. I checked on Chrome, Safari, and Edge. These are the 3 most popular browsers across schools so if shared should work anywhere. By having all things easily downloadable and the page translatable each student has the support needed for higher order thinking skills, process and mental habits of the mind to evolve. Students used information to apply and create a product that would teach others. Students also evaluated other students' projects. Students moved up Bloom's Taxonomy as they progressed through the project reaching the top 3 levels supporting higher order thinking skills, process and mental habits of the mind
The instructional design was good I think for the basic classes. I worry about it if it is an accelerated advanced class. They may move through this easier as they tend to have more background knowledge. I think I would add more research to gain information and therefore would provide a path for higher vocabulary and more complex topics brought in. In 7th grade it is tough because the research tends to be much higher than 7th grade for cells. What I did put I wanted to be varied and engaging. I feel the student freedom to choose the project allowed for individuality and creativeness. This did reaffirm my technology skills and leadership. As I was doing mine many of my peers reached out for different aspects. I recommended many things to my peers for their video, audio and even testing browsers. I need to become a better scheduler. I tend to take on too much at once.
When I presented this in PLC the other teacher wanted to try using it. Three of the teachers tried with me. The only one that didn't was worried about the students working independently on a project like this. The Multimedia Design Project has had a huge impact. Since doing it, my PLC has created a few online WebQuest similar to this and they all include higher level task to increase students' level of thinking according to Bloom's Taxonomy.
In ITEC 7445, Multimedia and Web Design, I created a Multimedia Design Project. The platform I chose was Weebly. I added the videos by embedding them on Weebly. I chose YouTube so I offered scaffolding support using Closed Captioning. The task has the students develop a model to teach others how the organelles work together. The last couple days of the WebQuest students used each other's models and complete the rubric to give constructive feedback to a peer. At the end of the unit there will be a Test. I constantly probed students formatively as they worked by asking questions like "What does the Nucleus do? How does the Chloroplast and Mitochondria work together? How does the Lysosomes and Golgi work together?" This will not only assess as they go but give them guiding questions to think through to bring them to higher thinking levels.
I chose Weebly to design my project. I wanted this to be a model to my PLC of how to use a website creating tool to facilitate learning in our classes. I added the videos by embedding them, but they are from YouTube so will support Closed Captioning. I chose to embed the videos on Weebly so when facilitating the lesson with my students the videos would work. Students are blocked from YouTube itself but can view embedded videos on other sites. The Quizlet and Articles are Hyperlinks so the students can easily access them.
The documents were uploaded to Weebly and will download when their hyperlinks are clicked. A student can then open in Office365 for Immersive Reader or Google Docs. The site itself can be translated by the browser and in my school, we have Microsoft Translator for ELL Students who can't read English and will work on my site. I checked on Chrome, Safari, and Edge. These are the 3 most popular browsers across schools so if shared should work anywhere. By having all things easily downloadable and the page translatable each student has the support needed for higher order thinking skills, process and mental habits of the mind to evolve. Students used information to apply and create a product that would teach others. Students also evaluated other students' projects. Students moved up Bloom's Taxonomy as they progressed through the project reaching the top 3 levels supporting higher order thinking skills, process and mental habits of the mind
The instructional design was good I think for the basic classes. I worry about it if it is an accelerated advanced class. They may move through this easier as they tend to have more background knowledge. I think I would add more research to gain information and therefore would provide a path for higher vocabulary and more complex topics brought in. In 7th grade it is tough because the research tends to be much higher than 7th grade for cells. What I did put I wanted to be varied and engaging. I feel the student freedom to choose the project allowed for individuality and creativeness. This did reaffirm my technology skills and leadership. As I was doing mine many of my peers reached out for different aspects. I recommended many things to my peers for their video, audio and even testing browsers. I need to become a better scheduler. I tend to take on too much at once.
When I presented this in PLC the other teacher wanted to try using it. Three of the teachers tried with me. The only one that didn't was worried about the students working independently on a project like this. The Multimedia Design Project has had a huge impact. Since doing it, my PLC has created a few online WebQuest similar to this and they all include higher level task to increase students' level of thinking according to Bloom's Taxonomy.