TPACK lesson1 LP
Your Passport to…
Lesson #1: Website Research (Days 1-5)
Lesson Description
This lesson is designed for an eighth grade class composed of 27 students (13 boys and 14 girls). There are three learning disabled (LD) students and seven English Language Learners (ELLs), one of whom has just arrived from Iraq. The newcomer has had some exposure to the United States having learned about the country in preparation for his move. The lessons will be held in the computer lab and each student has access to a computer. Furthermore, their homeroom is equipped with five computers. There is a SmartBoard as well as a projector for teacher use. The ELL and Resource Room teachers will be present to assist with push in. The class has been together for the last three months. Hence, they are aware that accommodations in terms of extended time and one-on-one instruction will be made for the two latter groups.
The class will be provided with the following scenario on the SmartBoard:
Your expertise is needed immediately! The Arabic Department is writing a grant requesting funds from QFI to take a group of students to an Arabic country. We are still undecided which country would be the best to visit for a duration of two weeks. Your class has been hired to produce ad campaigns to persuade the organization to use your country as a possible destination. The information you provide will be used to help the Arabic Department choose the best campaign to fulfill the grant requirements.
You will need to thoroughly explore your country to best inform us of what your trip will look like. You will discover similarities and differences between your country and the USA. You will also identify the religious background of its citizens and relate how it impacts their lifestyle and cultural experiences.
1. Teacher will establish Student Prior Knowledge (see below).
2. Teacher will display and review Kathy Schrock’s Critical Evaluation of a Web Site Elementary School Level.
3. On the Smartboard, the teacher will post the following website:
http://www.improb.com/airchives/paperair/volume1/v1i1/barney.htm and as a whole group, the class will evaluate the web page using the evaluation tool.
4. Students will be divided into groups by using mixed level approach (i.e. African or Asian Arabic countries). Each group will have 9 members.
5. Using the Cooperative Group Roles cards students will be assigned roles.
6. The Recorder role will be rotated during the lesson so that every member has the opportunity to work with the computer. The Floater rotates to help other members (especially the LD students and L2s) carry out their roles.
7. As a group in the computer lab or using the Surface tablets, students will use the link below to find one website to research and include in their list of resources.
http://ivyjoy.com/rayne/kidssearch.html
8. To each group, the teacher will distribute one copy of the Critical Evaluation of a Web Site Elementary School Levelworksheet to evaluate their website. Having one copy will encourage them to work interdependently.
9. The teacher will have students pick the following out of a hat in order to divide the work:
· Reasons for Visiting
· Government
· Geography/Climate
· Cultures and Traditions
· Local/Cultural Souvenirs
· Entertainment
· Home life
· Cool Facts
· Tourism
10. Each group member will conduct independent research at school and at home using the new website as well as the following:
http://www.arableagueonline.org/hello-world/#more-1
http://www.arabo.com/home.html
http://www.tolearnarabic.com/index2.html
11. Resource room and ESL teachers will work with the students with IEPs and ELLs in their rooms. Therefore, these students will have the one-on-one support they need.
12. Group members will collect information and record it using the Research Sheet. It will be further discussed and shared in Lesson #2.
Learning Objectives
· The students will be able to discover what factors determine the effectiveness and reliability of a website using the Critical Evaluation of a Web Site Elementary School Level worksheets.
· The students will be able to conduct group and independent research using the Internet.
Technology Integration
Technology in the form of researching websites on the Internet contributes to exploration because students are active, rather than passive. In the lesson, students will develop working knowledge of the Internet. In addition, by evaluating the reliability of the information found on the Internet, students will learn how to critically analyze and determine the accuracy of the available material.
Connection to Standards
a. Foreign Language Standards and Benchmarks
Goal One: Communicate in Arabic
Standard 1.1 Students engage in conversations and correspondence in Arabic to provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
Goal Two: Gain knowledge and understanding of the cultures of the Arab World.
Standard 2.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the various cultures of the Arab world
Goal Three: Use Arabic to connect with other disciplines and acquire Information.
Standard 3.2 Students acquire information and recognize the viewpoints that are only available through the Arabic language and cultures.
Goal Four: Develop insight into language and culture
Standard 4.1 Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons between Arabic and their own languages.
Standard 4.2 Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons between the cultures of the Arab world and their own.
Goal Five: Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home & in the World
Standard 5.2 Students show evidence of becoming lifelong learners by using Arabic for personal enjoyment and enrichment.
b. Technology Standards
1. Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:
a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
b. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.
2. Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:
a. plan strategies to guide inquiry.
b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
3. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:
a. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.
4. Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:
a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
b. exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.
c. demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.
d. exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.
Student Prior Knowledge
1. Using the Smartboard to display Kathy Schrock’s Critical Evaluation of a Web Page Brainstorming Sheet, students brainstorm a list of criteria which make a web page useful for research (review of an earlier discussion).
· Answers should include title, author, date of creation, date of update, source of information, contact e-mail address, layout of page, ease of use, fast to load etc.
2. The previous lessons will have covered the Arab world and its contributions to the world, also Arab Americans and their contributions.
3. The terms Arab, Arabic, Africa, Asia, Middle east etc.
Content Knowledge
It is necessary to keep in mind that the Arab world affected the lives of all the people of the world with all the contributions and inventions that were the baseline data for many of the new gadgets that the world enjoys. Finally, we must recognize how political, religious, and social institutions surfaced in the Arab world since the beginning of history and get to know and appreciate them firsthand.
Pedagogical Knowledge
The instructional methods used in this lesson reflect the individual learning needs of the students. I have attempted to incorporate the auditory, visual, kinesthetic/tactile learning styles into the unit in order to enhance student interest in the content and actively engage them in the learning process. Thus, instructional strategies such as the following will be incorporated into the lesson:
· Smartboard whole group demonstration of Kathy Schrock’s Critical Evaluation of a Web Page Brainstorming Sheet. By presenting all the students with the steps necessary to learn how to assess a website, I will give them the chance to see how to evaluate and analyze for accuracy and reliability. The resource room and ELL teachers will be providing support for their students as I explain the lesson.
· Cooperative Groups: Students will be divided up into groups. They will work together to research a website. I know that encouraging cooperative groups will allow the students to take advantage of the social aspect of learning. The groups are heterogeneous so that students of different levels, gender, ELLs and so on are accounted for. I need to encourage them to see that the success of the group will be the result of each member’s efforts and contributions. The Recorder role is rotated to form positive interdependence. Furthermore, it will allow everyone to have an equal opportunity to use the computer. The Floater rotates to help other members (especially the LD students and ELLs) carry out their roles. In this manner, all students are given the chance to practice various social, communication, and leadership skills. Finally, since smaller group sizes persuade individual students to confer with their peers, I can see them using this time to clarify and give reasons for their work.
· Independent Work: Giving students the opportunity to work independently allows the teacher to meet their individual needs. Students will be afforded the chance to research on their own so as to create unique learning experiences that will be based on their abilities and interests. Furthermore, since it will be assigned as homework it will reinforce the classroom instruction.
Technology Knowledge
I need to be able conduct effective searches of Internet resources using search engines such as Google. Moreover, I must know how to evaluate the information and use it to make appropriate decisions.
TPCK Analysis
By integrating the Internet into social studies, teachers can encourage their students to take hold of and retain their lessons. Lee, in the Handbook of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) for educators (2008) asserts that “Whether teachers and students are using web-based resources…or other technological outlets, the skills needed to negotiate these spaces are important…concerns clearly illuminate the importance of carefully preparing students to engage in the sophisticated and systematic literacy work that is part…of what it means to teach and learn social studies” (p. 133). Since it serves as a research tool and it provides resources for the students, it is absolutely critical for them to learn how to use the Internet efficiently and safely.
Assessment Plan
TheCritical Evaluation of a Web Site Elementary School Leveland Website Researchworksheets will be used to assess student learning in this lesson.
Source: AACTE Committee on Innovation and Technology. (2008). Handbook of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) for educators New York, NY: Routledge.
Supporting Resources: