Rachel+Odland

**Content-Area Unit Plan Overview : Problem-Based Learning ** The most difficult part is having the courage to start. Beginning problem-based-learning requires this kind of courage. When beginning my first problem-based learning activity, I will need to start small. As Ertmer (2009) mentioned in the video, I want to extend a successful unit I have previously taught (Laureate Education, Inc, 2009). Or as Ertmer & Simons (2006) stated, I would implement a “posthole” or “mini-PBL unit” (p. 43). This would allow me to focus on the process of PBL, instead of multiple variables involved in teaching a brand new topic. As this lesson evolves, and I become more courageous, I will be able to add to the complexity of this problem-based learning experience. The unit we are currently studying in Read 180 with my eighth graders is entitled //Eyes on the Graduation Prize.// It includes biographies of students that have beaten the odds, despite the alarming drop-out rates taking over our nation. The learning outcomes for this unit include students identifying the main idea, details, as well as cause and effect relationships. Students will also learn how to provide quality feedback to their peers in an online discussion format. Students will also reflect and think critically about how they plan to make an impact on our nation’s educational crisis. After students have completed reading all three excerpts in the r-book, as a group, we will brainstorm how what we learned could impact our school community. Using a KWHL chart, students will record their insights. After sharing as a group, students use [|www.kidblog.org] to collaborate with their peers. The focus of their blog is to answer the question: How can we inform community members and/or students, of the drop-out epidemic? Students post their ideas and respond to their peers ideas. Through this process, students are collaborating and thinking critically (Laureate Education Inc, 2009). After brainstorming, students will listen to a podcast downloaded from Apple U-tunes, “High School Dropouts: Durham Y.E.S. (Youth Employed and Succeeding).” This federally funded program links drop-outs to opportunities and resources in the community. The personal stories of Daren and Jessica feature the reasons, consequences, and obstacles of dropping out of school. Students reflect and consider their original ideas. On their second blog post, students provide additional insight into what important information should be included when informing others. Students give feedback to each other on the blog and build an outline of what information should be included. Students have the option to use paper or electronic graphic organizers to create their outline. To assess, blog posts will serve as evidence of students’ progression of understanding. I will provide feedback to students in all three posts, and assess their understanding accordingly. For an initial “posthole” PBL, I would begin to conclude this activity. In the final blog post, students’ summarize what they learned from others based on their outline, and decide on the most effective way to address the drop-out problem. Students’ ideas could be posted on my teacher website for the public to view, or included in the monthly Eagle’s Call parent newsletter. This eventually may lead to other projects or events in our school community. In the future, if I wanted to dive deeper into the problem-based learning format, I would extend it in the following ways. Groups will locate resources, using their text and the internet, with a great deal of “soft” and “hard” scaffolding (Ertmer & Simons, 2006, p. 45). Each group will look at possible agencies or programs in our area that help dropouts. Students look at the following websites: [], [|http://www.all4ed.org/files/archive/publications/highschool, http://www.muninetguide.com/articles/when-student-and teacher-drop-out rate-ontersect-358.php], []. Students will use an abbreviated version of the QUEST approach, along with graphic organizers, to further pursue answers to our question. Students also are given the option of using an iPod touch to organize their ideas, or take notes while researching, using Simple Mind X organizer. Students post another blog summarizing what they learned from their research. The goal at the end of the big problem-based- learning project is for students to be spokesmen to inform either key members of the community, educators, or students about the consequences of dropping out of school and how to keep students hooked in to school. This serves dual purposes. The population of students I serve are “at-risk” and are in a sense, preaching to themselves. Finally, students have a deeper understanding the content and are able to transfer it in a meaningful, authentic context. Hopefully, I walk away with the courage to start a problem-based- learning activity again.

References Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Ertmer, P. & Simons, K. (2006). Jumping the PBL implementation hurdle: Supporting the efforts for k-12 teachers. The interdisciplinary journal of problem-based learning, Vol. 1:1. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program 4. Problem Based Learning: Part 1 and Part 2. [Video recording]. // Introduction to educational research. // Baltimore, MD. **Rachel Odland’s **
 * Daily Lesson GAME Plan **

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Grade Level/Course: __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Eighth Grade Read 180 __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Unit: __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Eyes on the Graduation Prize: Nation’s Drop-out Epidemic ||
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Lesson Title: __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Up Close and Personal: Nation’s Drop-out Epidemic Interviews

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Content Standards: __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 11.5pt;">4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes. 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources to gather and synthesize information to create and communicate knowledge. __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Addressed ISTE-NETS-S __ ü <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Communication and Collaboration ü <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Research and Information fluency ü <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making ü <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Technology operations and concepts __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Instructional Objectives: __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 11.5pt;">-Students will be able to identify characteristics of a quality interview and recording. -Students will be able to formulate clear interview questions to fit their intended audience. -Students will be able to effectively use a video recorder to capture their interviews. -Students will select a visual diagram to organize the interview information. -Students will be able to synthesize the interview responses in a blog summary. ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">GOALS **

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">ACTION **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 4pt;">Check-out flip cameras, and charge, to use for interview recordings. Borrow a high quality and low quality student interview recording from the seventh grade English teacher in the building. Create an example sheet of poor quality and high quality interview questions and interview summaries. Create different formats of electronic templates to organize interview questions. ||
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Before- Class Preparation: __

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">During Class **


 * <span style="display: block; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt; text-align: center;">**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Time ** || <span style="display: block; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt; text-align: center;">**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Instructional Activities ** || <span style="display: block; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt; text-align: center;">**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Materials & Resources ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">25-30 minutes || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">To begin the lesson, students view the two student interview videos. They compare the videos, using a Venn diagram, determining criteria for high and low quality interviews. Students share their ideas on the Venn diagram located on the Smart board. A wireless mouse and keyboard are passed amongst students to add to their ideas to the class Venn diagram. We quickly transfer this criteria using rubistar software; students help create a rubric for this assignment. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">Student Interview Videos, LCD projector, speakers, journals, pencils, interactive smart board, wireless keyboard and mouse, internet access, [|www.rubistar.com] ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">15 minutes

20 minutes || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">On the smart board, students take turns using the wireless mouse to slide quality and poor interview questions into the correct category. Students openly discuss why they agree or disagree with their peers’ selections. Students are given a teacher created graphic organizer with good-open-ended questions, and poor-close-ended questions. Using the graphic organizer as a model, in groups, students develop one good and one poor interview question related to drop-out rates on a note card. Students may refer to their textbook as needed. A quick game is played among groups. In Family Feud style, two students compete at a time to determine whether the question read is high or low quality. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">interactive smart board, wireless keyboard and mouse, internet access

Graphic organizer Note cards/pencils Group assignments Text-books || Each group uses the teacher created interview question example sheet, interview question template, their previous blog posts, text-book information, previous QUEST research information, and rubric, to create interview questions appropriate to the audience they will interview. Students are reminded of the problem they addressed in previous lessons: What can we do about the national drop-out epidemic? || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">-Overhead slide with audience assignment for each group -Teacher created interview example sheet, access to previous blog posts/computers/internet, text-book, past QUEST research, rubric -Interview question template || Media Specialist Journals/ Pencils || -Phone or email -Completed interview question templates -Pencils/erasers -computer /internet access || -Interview question template/recording sheet -Writing utensil || Notes template Inspiration software || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">Computer access Read and Write Gold Software Summary Criteria/Example ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">30 minutes || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">Groups are given an authentic audience to interview: teachers, principal, deans, superintendent, community education coordinators, coaches, school board members, parents, and students.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">15-20 minutes || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">A quick demonstration of how to use flip cameras is presented by the media specialist in the building. Students are given time to practice using the cameras and ask questions to the media specialist. Students record in their journals what they need to remember while using the flip cameras. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">Flip cameras
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">30 minutes || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">Students contact their audience to set-up an interview. Students practice and rehearse roles during the interview: recorder, interviewer, note-taker, and technical support/time manager. Students reflect on their rehearsal using a blog entry. Students give and receive feedback from the teacher and their classmates using the rubric. Students revise accordingly. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">-Flip cameras
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">30 minutes || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">Student groups conduct and record interview with their intended audience. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">-Flip cameras
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">30 minutes || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 11.5pt;">After watching their interview and taking notes on template, students select a visual diagram, such as inspiration, to organize the interview information for their summary. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">Flip-camera software/computers/audio
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">30 minutes || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 11.5pt;">Students will use their graphic organizers, teacher criteria/example, and Read and Write Gold Software, as desired, to synthesize the interview responses in a group blog summary. Students respond to at least two other group blog summaries. Students reflect in a final blog about what they learned from others’ interview and this entire process. They contemplate where we go from here and how can this information be used. || <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt;">[|www.kidblog.org]

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Monitor **

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Accommodations and Extensions: __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Students are given the option of using Inspiration and Read and Write Gold Software. Roles amongst group members are designed for each student to pursue their area of strength. Students may want to practice using flip cameras and interviews with other groups before interviewing their intended audience. __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Back-up Plan: __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> If previous student interviews are not available from my colleague, examples will be located from Flat Classroom or a similar social network. ||
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On-going Assessment: __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Students’ progress will be monitored through discussions, questions, blog entries, journal entries, teacher observation of group work, graphic organizers, interview template questions, interview notes, interview summary, and blog reflection.

<span style="display: block; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 173.0pt; tabstops: 173.0pt; text-align: center;">**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Evaluation **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 4.7pt;">This unit may propose a challenge for students for a variety of reasons. The first is communication skills. Students may need explicit instruction and practice speaking formally, making eye contact, and using active listening skills. More training may be needed on body language while being recorded in a formal setting. Cultural barriers also must be addressed. English Language Learners may need further one-on-one consultation on communicating clearlyand time to clarify any confusion due to language used by person being interviewed (figurative language, phrases, and cultural references). ||
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Lesson Reflection and Notes: __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Students will be evaluated on their blog entries, journal entries, teacher observation of group work, graphic organizers, interview template questions, interview notes, interview recording, summary, feedback to their peers, and final blog reflection. The student-teacher created rubric will be used to assess the above criteria.

References

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth,Cengage Learning. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hargis, J., & Wilcox, S. M. (2008, October). Ubiquitous, free, and efficient online collaboration tools for teaching and learning. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 9(4), 9–17.Hargis, J., & Wilcox, S. M. (2008, October). Ubiquitous, free, and efficient online collaboration tools for teaching and learning. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 9(4), 9–17. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program 5. "Spotlight on Technology: Social Networking and Online Collaboration, Part 1 and Two.” [Video recording]. // Introduction to educational research. // Baltimore, MD.