About a week ago I filled out the lesson plan template for our technology enhanced lesson plan project. At that time I was required to look up the technology standards for 7th graders that were incorporated into the lesson. I found the Michigan Educational Technology Standards easy to read and navigate. As I scanned through the 6-8 grade standards, I was surprised at, for lack of a better word, “newness” of the standards. Some of these standards included tasks that I myself am working on mastering. For example: 6-8.CC.1. Use digital resources (e.g., discussion groups, blogs, podcasts, videoconferences, Moodle, Blackboard) to collaborate with peers, experts, and other audiences.
However, I do not find this a bad quality of the standards; I actually find it refreshing that at least Michigan is on the cutting edge of something (sorry for the frustration). I am also excited that for my technology enhanced lesson plan I will be teaching this same goal (using digital resources to collaborate with peers). My students will be creating glogs. A glog is a “blog like communication tool” but only cooler for middle schoolers with pictures and cool graphics. They will be creating glogs to communicate the findings and results of their scientific investigations on M&Ms instead of doing a traditional typed up lab report. I am really excited to see how it goes and my students seem to share this excited also.
The MET-S that are included in my technology enhanced lesson plan are as follows:
· 6-8.CI.1. Apply common software features (e.g., spellchecker, thesaurus, formulas, charts, graphics, sounds) to enhance communication with an audience and to support creativity
· 6-8.CT.1. Use databases or spreadsheets to make predictions, develop strategies, and evaluate decisions to assist with solving a problem
· 6-8.CT.2. Evaluate available digital resources and select the most appropriate application to accomplish a specific task (e, g., word processor, table, outline, spreadsheet, presentation program)
· 6-8.CC.1. Use digital resources (e.g., discussion groups, blogs, podcasts, videoconferences, Moodle, Blackboard) to collaborate with peers, experts, and other audiences
MET-S that are prerequisites to this lesson are as follows:
· 3-5.CC.1. Use digital communication tools (e.g., e-mail, wikis, blogs, IM, chat rooms, videoconferencing, Moodle, Blackboard) and online resources for group learning projects
· 3-5.TC.1. Use basic input and output devices (e.g., printers, scanners, digital cameras, video recorders, projectors)
I included the prerequisites because even though students should already be competent in these areas, I assume I will have to do some teaching for these since the MET-S are fairly new and students may not have been exposed to these standards yet.
Check back in about two weeks for my You Tube presentations on the outcome of this lesson. Wish me luck!
Works Cited
Michigan State Board of Education. (2009). 2009 Michgan Educational Technology Standards for Students: Grades 6-8. Lansing: State of Michigan.
Your post is really a breath of fresh air, Brandy. I'm glad I took the time to check out your blog and read this one in particular. I agree with you, it's great to see such current requirements and while it will challenge educators, it is right where we should be, challenging ourselves to better challenge and therefore prepare our students. The M&M glog project sounds like a lot of good fun with a lot of learning for the students. If I understand you correctly, that it is the lesson you intend to extract the technology from, I hope it is still beneficial to your students. Best of luck!
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