 |
S T A N D A R D S |
|
| |
N E T S F O R T E A C H E R S |
| |
II.
|
PLANNING AND DESIGNING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND EXPERIENCES - Teachers plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology. Teachers:
A. design developmentally appropriate learning opportunities that apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies to support the diverse needs of learners.
D. plan for the management of technology resources within the context of learning activities. |
|
S O C I A L S T U D I E S |
|
III.
|
PEOPLE, PLACES, AND ENVIRONMENTS - Social studies program should include experiences that provide for the study of people, places, and environments, so that the learner can:
A. construct and use mental maps of locales, regions, and the world that demonstrate understanding of relative location, direction, size, and shape.
B. interpret, use, and distinguish various representations of the earth such as maps, globes, and photographs.
C. use appropriate resources, data sources, and geographic tools such as atlases, databases, grid systems, charts, graphs, and maps to generate, manipulate, and interpret information. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Remind teacher candidates to review the information on developing scoring rubrics as they will participate in developing one for this lesson. A shell is provided at the end of this lesson.
Have candidates locate information about problem-based learning.
Point candidates to the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Web site to review the targeted standards for the lesson: III. People, Places, and Environments, with possible connections to I. Culture and II. Time, Continuity, and Change.
Select a school in the area to use for the model lesson. Have a group of candidates take digital pictures of landmarks in the school area.
|
|
| Review information on developing scoring rubrics. Examine the rubric shell to become familiar with the expectations for this lesson.
Locate information about problem-based learning. Read the information and be ready to share what you have learned in class.
Visit the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Web site to review strands I, II, and III.
Participate in taking a series of digital pictures of landmarks in the vicinity of a preselected area school.
|
|
Pointing candidates to professional standards on Web sites and focusing their attention on the objective for the activity ahead of time models
• the use of the Internet as a resource and
• teaching to the standards and clearly stated objectives.
This lesson allows the integration of technology and technology supported lessons into the typical learning environment.
|
|
|
 |
| Provide a time at which preservice teachers develop a rationale for problem-based learning based on an authentic K–1 lesson problem: “Where Do I Live?”
Place the candidates in small groups. Use Inspiration software to brainstorm (use the Rapid Fire mode) and record answers to the question “Where Do I Live?”
Introduce the social studies standards and performance expectations as the guide for core content knowledge to be developed in this lesson.
Have candidates label the elements of the resulting Inspiration/Kidspiration diagram with the social studies standards.
Have them make a list of performance expectations.
|
|
| Form small groups to discuss the elements of problem-based learning and how they relate to an authentic K–1 lesson problem: “Where Do I Live?”
Develop a rationale for the value of problem-based learning in early childhood education.
Work in small groups to review the Early Grades Student Performance Expectations of the NCSS strands I (Culture) and II (Time, Continuity, and Change), but especially focusing on strand III (People, Places, and Environments).
In small groups, brainstorm and record in Inspiration (Rapid Fire mode) answers to the question “Where Do I Live?”
Label the elements of the resulting Inspiration/Kidspiration diagram with the social studies standards.
Use a word processor or change to outline view in Inspiration/Kidspiration to make a list of all Early Grades Student Performance Expectations that can be addressed as students construct knowledge to the lesson problem “Where Do I Live?”
|
|
| Problem-based learning information is available on several Web sites noted in Tools and Resources.
This introductory investigation can be done prior to class. Consider bringing the Web site up live in class to model how to locate targeted information on a Web site.
Encourage candidates to “discover” that the standards are written in such a way that related content knowledge is disseminated throughout various strands. For example, the problem “Where Do I Live?” can be addressed through the Performance Expectations in strands I, II, and III.
|
|
|
 |
| Model the development of a holistic rubric as a tool for planning and assessing student performance in response to the lesson standards.
Present a primary globe and a digital image of a physical map of the earth, from an electronic world atlas or the MapQuest Web site. Using the two models, set the scene for an inquiry lesson surrounding the question “Where Do I Live?” Use questions such as
• How is the globe the same as the physical map?
• How is the globe different from the physical map?
• Which map is “real” and which one is a model?
Have candidates log on to the MapQuest Web site: www.MapQuest.com. Model the use of the MapQuest site to “zoom in” on a particular state, city, street, and street address.
Divide candidates into cooperative groups. Assign groups to create “maps” of the neighborhood—moving from a concrete physical map (floor map) to a picture map (bulletin board) to an electronic template (Neighborhood Map Machine). Pass out materials. Have candidates begin the construction of the three types of maps.
Suspend the group work after enough time has passed for them to understand the issues in developing the type of map assigned to their group. (This usually takes 30–45 minutes.)
Have candidates create a rubric for students.
Assign individuals or pairs the task of creating a lesson plan for K–1 students that focuses on one of the three types of maps.
Group the candidate pairs or individuals into threes such that all three types of lessons will eventually be developed to work in concert with one another. Using Inspiration or other concept-mapping software, brainstorm the important elements in the lesson plan.
Have candidates compile Web sites that contain satellite images of Earth.
|
|
| Participate in the discussion of refining the holistic rubric designed to guide instruction and assess the lesson.
Participate in a discussion on the similarities and differences between the maps, images, and models presented.
Log on to an electronic location finder such as MapQuest. Examine the site in terms of use by young children.
Use the MapQuest site to “zoom in” on the exact neighborhood of a school used for field placement. Print the neighborhood map.
Independently or in a small group, create a K–1 lesson that will encourage small groups of young children to collaborate on the construction of models of their neighborhood. The student groups will be given the task of developing
• a floor map (plastic table cloth, blocks, and labels),
• a bulletin board (using icons developed from the digital images from the area surrounding the school, which have been stored for use in this lesson), and
• an electronic map (Neighborhood Map Machine).
As part of the lesson development, create a student rubric by embedding a table in a word processing document. The rubric should define the criteria that will be measured to assess the student learning outcomes.
Construct data collection sheets to be used by K–1 students. The data collection sheets must be designed to engage the K–1 student in actively processing the information in response to teacher-guided questions. The data collection sheet must cause students to make observations and construct knowledge needed to meet the performance expectations.
For your own reference, create a list of browser bookmark sites containing current satellite images of the Earth.
|
|
| Depending on how much prior experience candidates have had with the development of rubrics, it may be necessary to set aside time to discuss the relationship among the development of assessment rubrics, teaching to standards, and meeting student technology standards.
It may be necessary to provide a variety of student recording sheets that have been designed to assist teachers in collecting data to meet lesson standards.
Stress the importance of allowing the young child to construct knowledge in authentic, concrete ways. Technology can assist students in establishing a “connection” between the concrete, physical objects and a symbolic representation of the real, physical world.
The instructor may need to demonstrate Internet search strategies that query for specific images. Example: Use Alta Vista, image: earth. The query will index images only.
The lesson plan that is developed could be taught in candidates’ field placement and assessed by peers, the classroom teacher, and/or the university supervisor using the candidate-developed rubric.
|
|
|
 |
| Lead a discussion on the value of technology in creating learning environments in which young children can develop conceptual understandings of maps and globes.
List the candidate responses in a large-screen word processing document (24-point size) to allow for a synthesis of the observations.
|
|
| Contribute to a list of ways technology enhanced the process of “map making” and assisting young children in responding to the lesson problem “Where Do I Live?” |
|
| Consider posting the images from the area surrounding the school on a Web site so that the schools can use them for other purposes. Apple’s online iTools (apple.org) will allow that posting. |
|