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: Engaged Learning Project - ITEC 7400
Reflection:
The artifact that best represents standard 2.4 is an Engaged Learning Project created for ITEC 7400. This project/lesson is based on the book Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown and was designed to address multiple third grade ELA, writing, and geography content standards. To extend on what the students learned from the book, this lesson incorporated the Edmodo Flat Stanley online project. Students worked in groups or as individuals to complete this project. Students started by creating and designing a Flat Stanley character. Students then used their narrative writing skills to write a profile describing their Flat Stanley and what he/she likes to do. Students connected with another class using Edmodo to arrange an exchange. The students sent their character via Edmodo to the hosting class for four weeks. Students used the information they learn from the distant classrooms to complete authentic, purposeful writing tasks to summarize and describe the adventures of their Flat Stanley character. Throughout the school year, the students had the opportunity to send their Flat Stanley character to multiple locations of their choice. At the end of the year, students designed and created a presentation to present their Flat Stanley’s adventures for the 2013-2014 school year. Students also used their journal entries, photographs, maps tracing his/her destinations, summaries and information they learned about other cultures in their presentations. All students used a word processor to publish a narrative piece of the adventures of their Flat Stanley character to include in a class book. Students also post their presentations and writing to the class website and Edmodo page for outside audiences to view.
The engaged learning project best represents this standard because throughout the lesson, students effectively used digital tools and resources, such as Edmodo, to support and enhance higher order thinking skills, processes, and mental habits of mind. The students created their very own Flat Stanley, analyzed profiles of other classes on Edmodo and decided where they wanted to send their Flat Stanley for a four week period. The students participated in higher thinking processes by deciding which class on the Edmodo Flat Stanley online project they wanted to learn about and which would offer information and experiences that would be the most interesting. Throughout this project, the students learned valuable geography skills as they located classes on maps and learned about the unique features of this environment through conversations and interaction with these classes using Edmodo. The students also built relationships with these classes over the four week period. The students often sent and received messages from the hosting class. Students had to reflect on these messages and use their metacognition skills to compose relevant responses. At the end of the year, the students used their creative thinking and writing skills to write a narrative piece and create a presentation using digital tools as MovieMaker or PowerPoint to present the adventures of their Flat Stanley project.
As a result of creating this artifact, I feel better prepared to effectively use digital tools and resources to promote higher order thinking skills and processes in my classroom. Through the planning and creating process of this project, I researched practices and tools that would provide the most beneficial learning environment and activities to increase student achievement and engagement by using high-level thinking skills. In this lesson, the students create, analyze, evaluate while using critical thinking skills to problem solve and makes decisions. The students are also required to reflect on the adventures of their Flat Stanley through the year. If I were to implement this lesson again, I would change this lesson by adding math content standards. This lesson allows the opportunity for many math standards to be embedded. The students could calculate the distance from their hometown to the hosting class. They could also create word problems using information shared from their hosting class. This activity would present real life experiences involving math, reading, writing, and geography.
This artifact affects student learning in a positive way. It provides authentic learning experiences that engage students in activities that require higher order thinking skills to master ELA, writing, and geography state standards. To assess this learning, a rubric could be used to evaluate the students’ presentations and narrative writing. The mastery of ELA, writing, and geography standards could also be assessed using CRCT results on content tests.
Reflection:
The artifact that best represents standard 2.4 is an Engaged Learning Project created for ITEC 7400. This project/lesson is based on the book Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown and was designed to address multiple third grade ELA, writing, and geography content standards. To extend on what the students learned from the book, this lesson incorporated the Edmodo Flat Stanley online project. Students worked in groups or as individuals to complete this project. Students started by creating and designing a Flat Stanley character. Students then used their narrative writing skills to write a profile describing their Flat Stanley and what he/she likes to do. Students connected with another class using Edmodo to arrange an exchange. The students sent their character via Edmodo to the hosting class for four weeks. Students used the information they learn from the distant classrooms to complete authentic, purposeful writing tasks to summarize and describe the adventures of their Flat Stanley character. Throughout the school year, the students had the opportunity to send their Flat Stanley character to multiple locations of their choice. At the end of the year, students designed and created a presentation to present their Flat Stanley’s adventures for the 2013-2014 school year. Students also used their journal entries, photographs, maps tracing his/her destinations, summaries and information they learned about other cultures in their presentations. All students used a word processor to publish a narrative piece of the adventures of their Flat Stanley character to include in a class book. Students also post their presentations and writing to the class website and Edmodo page for outside audiences to view.
The engaged learning project best represents this standard because throughout the lesson, students effectively used digital tools and resources, such as Edmodo, to support and enhance higher order thinking skills, processes, and mental habits of mind. The students created their very own Flat Stanley, analyzed profiles of other classes on Edmodo and decided where they wanted to send their Flat Stanley for a four week period. The students participated in higher thinking processes by deciding which class on the Edmodo Flat Stanley online project they wanted to learn about and which would offer information and experiences that would be the most interesting. Throughout this project, the students learned valuable geography skills as they located classes on maps and learned about the unique features of this environment through conversations and interaction with these classes using Edmodo. The students also built relationships with these classes over the four week period. The students often sent and received messages from the hosting class. Students had to reflect on these messages and use their metacognition skills to compose relevant responses. At the end of the year, the students used their creative thinking and writing skills to write a narrative piece and create a presentation using digital tools as MovieMaker or PowerPoint to present the adventures of their Flat Stanley project.
As a result of creating this artifact, I feel better prepared to effectively use digital tools and resources to promote higher order thinking skills and processes in my classroom. Through the planning and creating process of this project, I researched practices and tools that would provide the most beneficial learning environment and activities to increase student achievement and engagement by using high-level thinking skills. In this lesson, the students create, analyze, evaluate while using critical thinking skills to problem solve and makes decisions. The students are also required to reflect on the adventures of their Flat Stanley through the year. If I were to implement this lesson again, I would change this lesson by adding math content standards. This lesson allows the opportunity for many math standards to be embedded. The students could calculate the distance from their hometown to the hosting class. They could also create word problems using information shared from their hosting class. This activity would present real life experiences involving math, reading, writing, and geography.
This artifact affects student learning in a positive way. It provides authentic learning experiences that engage students in activities that require higher order thinking skills to master ELA, writing, and geography state standards. To assess this learning, a rubric could be used to evaluate the students’ presentations and narrative writing. The mastery of ELA, writing, and geography standards could also be assessed using CRCT results on content tests.