EDPC 605 Week 7 Assignment 2 Science Lesson Plan

Link to my Lesson Plan >>>>>EDPC605 Science Lesson Plan

EDPC 603 Week 7 Trivia Crack and Motivation

TRIVIA CRACK

Growing up I have always loved any type of Trivia game, my daughter is the same way. The game I chose is both for entertainment and learning-Trivia Crack. This game is currently an app on the Android and iOS platform.  I currently play this game and now my 8 year old daughter has an addiction to it as well. The wheel has seven categories: art, science, sports, entertainment, geography, and history. There is also a special category called “the crown”. You can play against your friends, or random players. When it’s your turn, you spin the wheel to land on a category, then you are asked a question from that category. The goal is to answer questions from all 6 categories before your opponent does. Each category is represented by a character. Your turn continues until you get an answer incorrect. If you land on the special crown, or get 3 answers correct in a row, you get to choose what category you want to answer or you can challenge your opponent for one of their characters.

Sample Question

 Sample categories and wheel

Choose your strongest category

    

         Trivia Crack uses the 6 C’s of motivation to get adults and children motivated to play the game.  One motivator is Choice. The game gives players several opportunities to make a choice. The player can choose if they want to play with a random opponent or a friend. The player can also choose to challenge their friend for a character. The player can choose which category they are most knowledgeable about and want to answer when they land on the crown space.  Challenge is another motivator.  The questions get harder as you answer them correctly. The questions are usually not too easy or difficult.  Another motivator is control, the player can choose who they want to play with. The game also allows a player to suggest their own questions for the game so the player is now involved in part of the decision making of the game.  Another motivating factor is collaboration.  The game allows for chat during the game, so you can chat with other players. My daughter also plays the game with me and her younger cousin. She asks me for help during the game with questions she doesn’t know and she is also teaching her younger cousin subjects when she is playing with her. Trivia Crack uses constructing meaning because some of the topics in the game are what she is learning in school. She especially likes the science and geography categories when it relates to a topic she is currently learning about. I can’t believe how many times she yells, “I’m learning about this in science!” and gets the answer correct.  Another motivator in the game is consequences.  The game has messages such as “good job” or “nice try” when you get an answer correct or incorrect. The game also shows how you rank among friends and your best categories. This gives the player a sense of achievement and the motivation to do better and beat their own and others’ scores.

 Players can suggest questions for the game

Players can see which categories they perform best in

           Players can see their own progress and ranking among others

 

I think all motivators from this game can be applied to the classroom. Some of the main motivators of this game are choice, control and consequences. Giving students a choice increases their motivation to learn. When students can choose tasks they are interested in, they spend more effort learning and understanding the material. Control allows students to be involved in the decision making and they will be responsible in their learning. Consequences allow students to have their achievements recognized so that they feel a sense of accomplishment.  I would use my own version of this game in my classroom. The game involves all of the 6 C’s and would be a great addition to the classroom for learning and educational fun. 

EDPC 603 Bullying Intervention-Zachary's Story

Link to paper on dropbox: Zachary Jamison Bully Intervention 

EDPC 605 Week 6 Learning Task and Assignment #2 (Writing)

ELA Writing

Activity-based lesson adjusted to Common Core.

Lesson topic: Grade level: 2^nd grade

AIM questions:

1.     What learning objectives/main ideas do students need to know (maximum of 3)?

·       State an opinion

·       Introduction of a topic

·       Answer questions based on reading

2.     What common core skills will be introduced or reinforced during the lesson?

·       CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.1
Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g.,because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.

·       CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.2
Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.

·       CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.8
Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

3.     What academic and content specific vocabulary is introduced in this lesson?

·       Informative, explanatory, concluding, opinion, introduction, linking words

4.     What materials (e.g. Map, Song, and Activity Sheet) will I present to students?

·       Read the book “Stop that pickle.”

·       Worksheets on facts and opinions

·       Fact and opinion song

5.     How will I open the lesson (motivation) and capture student interest?

·       Discuss the difference between fact and opinion. Show youtube song video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAKprpl7aPo

·       Students do apples fact and opinion worksheet

6.     What additional individual/team/full class activities will I use to help students discover what they need to learn (suggest three)? If these are group activities, how will student groups be organized?

·       Students will Introduce a dessert and state 2 reasons why it is the best or the worst dessert.

·       Food/Dish research report. Students will make a report on any food they choose. Student must do research on food and create a diagram, sculpture, costume, poem, poster or song about the food. Written report of at least a paragraph must be included.

·       Fact and Opinion Game. Every student will receive a set of cards with different statements that are facts and opinions, Students will walk around the room sticking the cards that are a fact on the “fact board” and opinions on the “opinion board”

7.     How will I differentiate instruction with multiple entry points for diverse learners?

·       Use of music video about facts and opinions

·       Students walk around posting their facts and opinions

·       Students choice for research report

8.     What H.O.T. (Higher Order Thinking) questions will I ask to engage students in analysis and discussion?

·       What was your favorite part of the book and why?

·       Why is an introduction important?

9.     How will I assess student mastery of the skills, concepts and content taught in this lesson?

·       Students will complete their own fact and opinion worksheet

·       Homework-Book review (Book review template attached)

10.  How will I bring lesson to closure (summary questions)?

·       Discuss why introductions are important in a book. Read the book without the introduction and students can discuss the importance of needing an introduction.

11.  How will I reinforce and extend student learning?

·       Students read book at home and discuss the book the next day with their peers in groups

12.  What topics come next? Tomorrow? Day after?  

·       Discuss and create a class newspaper. Each student will write a short newspaper article about different topics seen in the newspaper.  (Sports, advice, current event, favorite cartoon etc.) Will put the newspaper together in class.

·       After newspaper is complete encourage students to review the newspaper with their family and discuss what they like about the newspaper.

13.  How do I evaluate this lesson?

·       Strengths-variety of activities for different learners

·       Weaknesses-more ideas for assessment

Link to Dropbox with Learning Tasks and Activiites

EDPC 605 Week 6 Learning Task and Assignment #2 (Reading)

ELA Reading

Activity-based lesson adjusted to Common Core.

Lesson topic: Animals speaking in stories, Read Billy Goats Gruff

Grade level: 2^nd grade

AIM questions:

1.     What learning objectives/main ideas do students need to know (maximum of 3)?

·       How to understand the authors point of view

·       Determine word meaning from the story

·       Understand authors point of view

2.     What common core skills will be introduced or reinforced during the lesson?

·       CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5
Describe the overall structure of a story, describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.

·       CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.6
Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.

·       CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7
Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

·       CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.9
Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story by different authors or from different cultures.

3.     Which content area standards are addressed in this lesson?

·       Structure of the story

·       Understanding different point of views

·       Use different forms of  media

4.     What academic and content specific vocabulary is introduced in this lesson?

·       Point of view, digital media

5.     What materials (e.g. Map, Song, and Activity Sheet) will I present to students?

·       Word search of different animals

·       Word search of words in the story

·       Read along with CD

6.     How will I open the lesson (motivation) and capture student interest?

·       Watch the Billy Goats Gruff short film

7.     What additional individual/team/full class activities will I use to help students discover what they need to learn (suggest three)? If these are group activities, how will student groups be organized?

·       Create a short story using an animal as the narrator, make sure the story has a beginning, middle and end

·       Read another version of Three Billy Goats Gruff (Three Billy Goats Fluff ) Discuss how the stories are the same or different with a Venn diagram. Use whiteboard students can write in their answers.

·       Read another version of  Three Billy Goats Gruff (Three Cabritos) and students create a three story clock

8.     How will I differentiate instruction with multiple entry points for diverse learners?

·       Musical story

·       Draw a picture relating to the story

·       Writing your own version of the story or working in groups to create a story

·       Create hand puppets in class for the story. Students can act out story with teacher with their puppets

9.     What H.O.T. (Higher Order Thinking) questions will I ask to engage students in analysis and discussion?

·       Ask students about the lesson in the story

·       Ask the students what would you do if you were the troll and why?

10.  How will I assess student mastery of the skills, concepts and content taught in this lesson?

·       Vocabulary test

·       Homework using vocabulary words from the story

·       Writing of their own  version of the story

·       Create a basket of words with the beginning event, middle events, end events, title, and author. Students must create a book using all cards. 

11.  How will I bring lesson to closure (summary questions)?

·       Students will create their own beginning, middle or end to the story Three Billy Goats Gruff and tell which part of the story they are recreating (beginning, middle or end)

12.  How will I reinforce and extend student learning?

·       Class takes turn reading a sentence from the story in the character voice

13.  What topics come next? Tomorrow? Day after?  

·       Make a mural of the story. Students can make a goat, mask, troll, bridge, grass, anything related to the story for our mural.

14.  How do I evaluate this lesson?

·       Strengths-variety of activities

·       Weaknesses-more ideas for assessment

·       Areas to work on-extending the topic past the next day

Link to Dropbox with Learning Task and Activities

EDPC 605 Week # 5 Stage 3 Learning Activies

This is the link to my Screencast for Stage 3 Learning Activities

Stage 3 UBD Learning

EDPC 605 Week # 4 Assignment 2 Backward Design Stage 2

Click here for Screencast for Backward Design Stage 2

EDPC 605 Week 4 Assignment 1 Reader Response (Theory)

Explain how you identify the desired results, how you come up with essential questions and determine what understandings are desired.

Explain how you determine what knowledge and skills students should acquire as a result of learning (Connecting to college and workforce readiness)

My desired results were based on what the common core standards were. They were also based on what I wanted the students to understand from the lesson.  I wanted students to know what they should be able to do on their own and if they meet the standards. I came up with the essential questions by thinking what students would need to answer to get those results. I wanted the questions to guide inquiry into the big ideas.

I also used the common core to determine what knowledge and skills the student should acquire. They were what I wanted the students to be able to do with what they have learned.

EDPC 603 Waiting For Superman Review

Here is my review on the film "Waiting For Superman" by Davis Guggenheim

Natasha Holder

EDPC 603

Waiting for Superman is a documentary outlining the problems within the educational system in the United States. The film examines charter school success, failing public schools, teacher tenure and teacher union issues. It also follows the grim story of several families on their journey to attend charter schools based on the lottery system. The film is filled with scary facts such as public high school students at a second grade reading levels, 68% of inmates are high school dropouts and the savings of prison vs. private schools being $24,000 per year. The film shows the American public education system as a failed enterprise. Waiting for Superman is both correct and mistaken in their reasoning as to why the system is failing. The film wants you to believe that all you need for education reform are more charter schools, removal of bad teachers and the unions that protect them and increased testing standards.  I believe the main issue in our educational system is the bureaucracy. Charter schools are great, but they are not the solution to the educational problems in the US as the film wants you to believe. The film fails to realize that there are good and bad charter schools just like there are good and bad public schools. It also fails to realize that there are other factors such as poverty, language barriers, and unstable homes to take into consideration as to why schools are failing.

One factor the film suggests that lack of funding in public schools is a problem. Charter schools receive millions of dollars in funding from private sources. If a public school received such funding, couldn’t it be just as successful? Guggenheim says that “failing neighborhoods cause failing schools” not the other way around.  What about the charter schools that are failing or are on comparable levels in reading and math levels as their neighboring public schools? One other factor that I don’t agree with is the fact that competition improves training. Instead, I believe it encourages cheating, hiding information and curriculum strategies. The film gives a one sided view of teachers unions. I do not completely agree with the film that teacher unions are the problem. Yes, unions need to be improved and more accountable. The majority of Finland’s and other developed countries with thriving schools are unionized. Why is that? There must be something that they are doing correctly that we can learn from. I would have also liked to see more interviews from teachers in the film. The film claims that good teachers make a difference, but I can only recall one brief interview of a teacher and not much teachers during classroom time was shown.

I do agree with some points such as using merit based systems, allowing innovation practices, and building stronger programs from preschool to development. We need to start rewarding the good teachers and stop making excuses for the bad ones that do not care and are only there for the paycheck, salary differentials and summers off. One positive approach that I have seen in a charter school are that students and teachers can be removed. This policy encourages parents and teachers to work harder to make sure children are doing their best.

To improve schools we need higher teacher salaries, better screening of teacher candidates, support and mentoring systems, better working conditions and to make surrounding neighborhoods better (afterschool programs or centers for students continued learning). You also need parents that care, students that want to learn, administration that allows you to explore and think outside the box, and afterschool programs. Children should be learning outside of the classroom.  One of the changes I support are to extend school days while allowing modification of the curriculum to allow teachers more freedom in methods of instruction. A typical school day of 6 hours is long when your day primarily consists of lecture. We need to allow teachers the autonomy of teaching using different approaches- neighborhood trips, technology lessons, dramas, plays as part of classroom instruction. We need to really examine what are we (USA) is doing wrong? Finnish teacher Pasi Sahlberg states, “We prepare children how to learn, not how to take a test.” Growing up, I was taught how to take a test and for the most part the same method exist. There are a variety of SAT and other prep books to teach you how to be a better test taker. The key is to teach students how to learn and understand the material. One issue is that no one is in support to change the system- innovative educators are met with resistance as seen by Michelle Rhee's efforts in Washington DC. We need this innovation to see what works and what doesn’t work. We should always be looking at ways to improve.

I appreciate the movie for enlightening us on the failing educational system. Although, I did not agree with all of its factors, Guggenheim has made some valid points. The film willingly or not, definitely made me feel angry and heartbroken for these families that are trying to give their children the best education but cannot. Parents and children that genuinely want to be better are forced to rely on a lottery system to get into a better school because of the neighborhood they live in. Slowly counting down the lottery spaces, while watching the fate of teary eyed parents and children really plays on our sympathy to support the “charter school movement.”  For me, this was a wake up call on the importance of not just being a good teacher but to also fight for change in administration and polices within the NYC educational system.

REFERENCES

Barr, Sam (2010). Review of “Waiting for Superman”. Retrieved from:      

            http://harvardpolitics.com/online/hprgument-blog/review-of-waiting-for-superman/

Hancock, LynNell (2011). Why are Finland’s Schools Successful? Smithsonian.com Retrieved

from: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-are-finlands-schools-successful-49859555/

Harvard Educational Review. (2010) Waiting for Superman. Retrieved from:   

http://hepg.org/her-home/issues/harvard-educational-review-volume-80-number-4/herbooknote/waiting-for-superman%E2%80%9D_360

Heilemann, John (2010). Schools: The Disaster Movie. Retrieved from:

            http://nymag.com/news/features/67966/

Kipley, Amanda (2010). Waiting for Superman: A Call to Action for Our Schools. TIME, Retrieved from:

http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2019663_2020590_2020592,00.html

Critical Reflection PDF Dropbox- Waiting For Superman

EDPC 603 Video Intro

Video Intro Link

EDPC 603 Would you consider integrative medicine?

Integrative Medicine combines alternative medicine and evidence based medicine. It focuses on treating the whole person, not just the disease.

Click to answer