Before designing opportunities for students to learn, educators need to consider five pieces of the design puzzle: Foundations, Actions, Contents, Tools and Systems of assessments.
Foundations: We need varied opportunities to gain certain skills for success: knowledge, problem solving, literacy, information using and community awareness and participation.
Activities: Educators must use real-world resources, create concept-based activities, witness observable performances of understanding and allow knowledge sharing.
Contents: The "something" of education is based on a national standard but the content can come from particular interests, current news/issues or the prescribed curriculum.
Tools: Learning opportunities must correlate with the correct learning tool, such as telecommunications for communicating beyond the classroom to hypermedia to cross the linear with nonlinear.
System of Assessment: When students learn given a wide array of tools, educators need to assess outcomes with numerous tools, such as rubrics, peer critiques and exhibitions.
Monday, April 6, 2009
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What are your thoughts about being a "designer" of learning opportunities? How does this differ with your understanding of lesson planning or planning activities for various groups?
ReplyDeleteI think if I become a teacher in some way or another, I will definitely be a "designer". When I have helped out with educational activities at the zoo I always felt that I did things just a bit "differently". I always wanted to get the learners interested by doing. For me, bring the visitor back into a holding area to discuss animal issues was always more interesting than just standing out in front of an audience and talking. Get them involved on their level and you will see the interest peek. I once let a boy, who had autism, feed the pelican. His mother couldn't believe his reaction. He was talking to me, whereas, he usually didn't really make much eye contact with anyone but his mother.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it differs from lesson planning, in that, you can just incorporate the design into the lesson. When plannning an event, you always want to engage the audience, no matter who that happens to be. You want them engaged and interested in what you have to tell them.
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