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: Internet Lesson Plan
Reflection:
The artifact “Internet Lesson Plan” was created in ITEC 7430 Internet Tools in the Classroom. This artifact was a four week lesson plan for use in an Economics classroom on international trade and personal finance. The lesson was developed with a twelfth grade class in mind and incorporated elements including PowerPoints, design of a project encompassing elements of international trade, and finally an online course on personal finance literacy in the computer lab.
The element of Higher Order Thinking Skills under the Standard of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment was mastered with this artifact in several different ways. First, this artifact clearly demonstrates me modeling and facilitating the effective use of digital tools and resources to support and enhance higher order thinking skills. Students were actively involved in analyzing, evaluating, and creating throughout the international trade project. Although they were given resources to use, they were tasked with finding additional resources and then creating their own presentation demonstrating their understanding, analysis, and evaluation of international trade information. Second, this project supports and enhances processes as well. Students were involved in problem-solving and decision-making throughout the international trade project and the EverFi personal finance literacy course. Decision-making was utilized with the international trade project as they were tasked with coming up with their own projects. Additionally, problem-solving was utilized in the EverFi personal finance literacy course as students were able to work through the program at their own pace, through the modules in any order, and repeat any modules that had lower scores. Finally, this project supports and enhances mental habits of mind. Students utilize critical thinking throughout the EverFi personal finance literacy course to navigate the modules and make real-life decisions. Further, Creative thinking was utilized in the international trade project as students came up with their own presentations.
While completing this artifact, I learned a great deal about designing and implementing an internet lesson plan. When actually implementing this in the classroom, I found that I had to push my students to use something other than PowerPoint. A few students utilized Prezis, but that was about the extent of the technological savviness present. For this artifact, I would change the requirements for the international trade portion of the unit. Too often, students and teachers alike stick to what we know and are comfortable using when doing projects, such as the use of PowerPoint in this one. I will be incorporating a mini-unit utilizing various web tools as soon as spring 2015 into my courses such that students will have exposure to other technology tools that they may use in various classes.
The work that went into creating this artifact will impact student learning as students will have the opportunity to utilize a variety of technology tools in order to complete the project. By giving students a choice on how to do their international trade presentation, students are able to tailor the assignment to better fit their needs. The impact can be and has been assessed by the impact on Economics EOCT scores. The domain of personal finance experienced an increase in scores both semesters that the EverFi personal finance literacy course was utilized.
The artifact “Internet Lesson Plan” was created in ITEC 7430 Internet Tools in the Classroom. This artifact was a four week lesson plan for use in an Economics classroom on international trade and personal finance. The lesson was developed with a twelfth grade class in mind and incorporated elements including PowerPoints, design of a project encompassing elements of international trade, and finally an online course on personal finance literacy in the computer lab.
The element of Higher Order Thinking Skills under the Standard of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment was mastered with this artifact in several different ways. First, this artifact clearly demonstrates me modeling and facilitating the effective use of digital tools and resources to support and enhance higher order thinking skills. Students were actively involved in analyzing, evaluating, and creating throughout the international trade project. Although they were given resources to use, they were tasked with finding additional resources and then creating their own presentation demonstrating their understanding, analysis, and evaluation of international trade information. Second, this project supports and enhances processes as well. Students were involved in problem-solving and decision-making throughout the international trade project and the EverFi personal finance literacy course. Decision-making was utilized with the international trade project as they were tasked with coming up with their own projects. Additionally, problem-solving was utilized in the EverFi personal finance literacy course as students were able to work through the program at their own pace, through the modules in any order, and repeat any modules that had lower scores. Finally, this project supports and enhances mental habits of mind. Students utilize critical thinking throughout the EverFi personal finance literacy course to navigate the modules and make real-life decisions. Further, Creative thinking was utilized in the international trade project as students came up with their own presentations.
While completing this artifact, I learned a great deal about designing and implementing an internet lesson plan. When actually implementing this in the classroom, I found that I had to push my students to use something other than PowerPoint. A few students utilized Prezis, but that was about the extent of the technological savviness present. For this artifact, I would change the requirements for the international trade portion of the unit. Too often, students and teachers alike stick to what we know and are comfortable using when doing projects, such as the use of PowerPoint in this one. I will be incorporating a mini-unit utilizing various web tools as soon as spring 2015 into my courses such that students will have exposure to other technology tools that they may use in various classes.
The work that went into creating this artifact will impact student learning as students will have the opportunity to utilize a variety of technology tools in order to complete the project. By giving students a choice on how to do their international trade presentation, students are able to tailor the assignment to better fit their needs. The impact can be and has been assessed by the impact on Economics EOCT scores. The domain of personal finance experienced an increase in scores both semesters that the EverFi personal finance literacy course was utilized.