Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. a. Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources c. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes d. Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments
The "Measuring Ourselves" group project is an excellent example of how students can engage in real-world issues and authentic situations while also utilizing online collaboration tools, like Google Docs, to complete the assignment. In the project, students worked in pairs to measure each other's height, wingspan, and foot size. Then, they combined their data into a table and, eventually, a graph using a Google Docs so that they could be working on it at the same time. This not only allowed students with the opportunity to collaborate with one another but also involve them very directly in the learning process. This evidence satisfies 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d.
One of the Technology Integration Practice I had to create as a part of my W200 class was an online book, or Ebook. The point was to go through this process as if we were one of our future students. For mine, I used mystorybook.com because it was not only easy to navigate and create on, but also very age-appropriate for especially younger elementary students. This resource is a great example of how students can use a digital tool to showcase their creativity as well as their conceptual understanding of the content. This tool satisfies 1a and 1c.
In the problem-based learning lesson plan my friend Lauryn and I created for our W200 class, we focused on the issue of rights v. responsibilities. The point of our lesson was to have the students learn the difference between the 2 and then spend time reflecting over which rights and responsibilities are important in general and which are relevant and important to have in our classroom. We introduced the topic by having the students watch a BrainPOP Jr. video. This video was meant to help make the concept understandable as well as engaging because BrainPOP Jr. videos are short and include characters that the students become familiar with. We then used the information the students learned in the video to inspire their creation of them as "super citizens" and what rights and responsibilities they think are important. This evidence satisfies 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d.