Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits
Introduction
Technology is only a tool. It is not the educational objective. As teachers, our role is to guide students to effectively use resources, including technology, to solve problems, analyze information from many sources and create new knowledge. In this academy, we will use the WebQuest format to explore an essential question and expand a thematic unit from the curriculum to incorporate higher-order thinking skills and inquiry-based learning.
Information Literacy is the process of accessing, processing and transforming existing information, producing new knowledge, and evaluating the process and product. In this academy, we will incorporate the following information literacy tools into the curriculum: essential (guiding) questions and enduring understandings, concept and idea mapping, the Big 6 process model for authentic learning, problem-solving and research, performance based assessment, and online resource hotlists.
OUR ESSENTIAL (GUIDING) QUESTION
How are higher-order thinking skills and inquiry-based learning infused into the curriculum?
http://www.kyrene.org/schools/brisas/sunda/litpack/bloom_handout.htm
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The Task
Together we will explore five topics:
Developing Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings
Developing Learning Objectives and Assessment Rubrics
Using Inspiration software to create concept and thematic maps
Creating inquiry-based projects using the Big 6 or Super 3 model
Creating online hotlists of learning resources
You will apply these techniques to a thematic unit from your curriculum to be used in the fall to guide student learning. The enduring understandings which follow are what you will know at the end of this academy. The learning objectives are what you will have learned how to do during the academy.
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS
At the end of this academy, participants will understand:
- Inquiry-based instruction can infuse higher-order thinking into the curriculum.
- Process models, such as the Big 6, can help students learn how to learn and use information.
- Clearly defined objectives and assessment rubrics can help students engage in authentic learning.
- Essential questions and enduring understandings can guide learning to the conceptual level.
- Resource hotlists can guide and limit student use of the Internet.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this academy, participants will have developed:
- An inquiry- or problem-based project integrated into a thematic unit from the curriculum
- One or more essential (guiding) questions aligned with a thematic unit in the curriculum
- Enduring understandings and learning objectives for the unit
- An Inspiration concept-map of the thematic unit or an Inspiration template for student use during the unit, or both
- A Big 6 or Super 3 problem-based learning project designed to help students collaboratively develop essential understandings related to the guiding question
- Performance objectives and an assessment rubric for the problem-based learning project
- Print and Internet resources to support student learning, produced in Word or using web page design software, to be integrated into the Bristol Schools Intranet web of resource links, accessible to students during project implementation
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The Process
To accomplish this task, you will work independently to integrate information technology tools into a thematic unit from your curriculum to be implemented in your classroom in the fall. We will meet as a group and with critical friends to provide support and share ideas.
You will develop an essential question and related enduring understandings.
RESOURCES:
What is concept-based curriculum?
http://www.d118.s-cook.k12.il.us/central/curriculum/what.html
Examples of concept-based curricula
http://www.asd.k12.ak.us/Depts/science/elementary/intunits.htm
How is a concept-based unit of study implemented?
http://www.d118.s-cook.k12.il.us/central/curriculum/how.html
What is really important to know?
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/educators/workshop/design01/esl.pdf
What is an Essential Question?
http://www.myprojectpages.com/support/ess_questpopup.htm
http://www.ecarter.k12.mo.us/dept/elementary/fourthgrade/ccrites/essentialquestions.html
Examples of Essential Questions
http://wwwgen.bham.wednet.edu/essenque.htm
What is an Enduring Understanding?
http://pdonline.ascd.org/pd_online/ubd_backward/mctighe99chapter4.html
At the end of this academy, participants will understand:
Inquiry-based instruction can infuse higher-order thinking and authentic learning into the curriculum.
You can locate additional information about this topic by searching keywords such as: "concept-based curriculum", "H. Lynn Erickson", "essential questions", "enduring understandings". You can choose an Internet directory or search engine to guide your Internet exploration at:
http://searchengineshowdown.com/features/
http://searchenginewatch.com
You will construct a thematic map and/or concept map of your unit using Inspiration software.
RESOURCES
What is Inspiration?
http://www.inspiration.com/inspclass.html
Why use Inspiration software?
http://www.strategictransitions.com/whyuseinspiration.htm
What is concept mapping?
http://users.edte.utwente.nl/lanzing/cm_home.htm
You can locate additional information about this topic by searching keywords such as: "concept mapping", "Inspiration software", "graphic organizers", "idea webbing", etc. You can choose an Internet directory or search engine to guide your Internet exploration at:
http://searchengineshowdown.com/features/
http://searchenginewatch.com
You will develop authentic learning objectives for your thematic unit and an assessment rubric to evaluate student performance in the learning project.
RESOURCES
http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
http://myt4l.com/index.php?v=pl&page_ac=view&type=tools&tool=rubricmaker
You will use the Big 6 or Super 3 model to develop an inquiry-based authentic learning performance task for your thematic unit.
RESOURCES
What are Performance Tasks?
http://www.pgcps.pg.k12.md.us/~elc/developingtasks.html
What is the Big 6?
http://www.big6.com
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/big6/overview.html
What are the steps in the Big 6 process?
http://www.big6.com/kids/3-6.htm
How do I use the Big 6?
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/big6/
Big 6 Resources and Examples
http://www.big6.com/showcategory.php?cid=7
The K-3 Super 3
http://www.big6.com/showarticle.php?id=109
http://academic.wsc.edu/redl/classes/Tami/super3.html
You can locate additional information about this topic by searching keywords such as: "concept-based curriculum", "Big 6", "Super 3", "Mike Eisenberg", "Robert Berkowitz" You can choose an Internet directory or search engine to guide your Internet exploration at:
http://searchengineshowdown.com/features/
http://searchenginewatch.com
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Evaluation
ASSESSMENT RUBRIC
This is an example of an assessment rubric for authentic learning. It was developed to evaluate performance in this WebQuest. It can be used for self-evaluation and to guide further independent exploration of inquiry-based authentic learning.
Learning Objective | Beginning 1 | Developing 2 | Accomplished 3 | Exemplary 4
| Score |
| Develop the essential guiding question, enduring understandings and learning objectives for a thematic unit within the curriculum | Develop an essential question and learning objectives
| Develop the essential question, enduring understandings and learning objectives for the thematic unit
| Develop a fully integrated thematic unit with essential questions, enduring understandings, learning objectives, articulated content and skills | Model development of essential questions and enduring understandings for other teachers
|
|
| Develop an Inspiration Concept or Idea Map | Develop a simple Inspiration graphic organizer with assistance | Develop a basic Inspiration graphic organizer incorporating the essential question and thematic material
| Develop Inspiration templates for teacher and student use within the unit | Model the use of Inspiration for graphical organization for other teachers |
|
| Develop performance objectives and assessment rubric(s) | Develop performance objectives | Develop performance objectives and an assessment rubric for this thematic unit | Develop general performance objectives and an assessment rubric for your curriculum | Model development and application of assessment rubrics for other teachers | |
| Develop a Big 6 or Super 3 problem-based project to develop essential understandings of the thematic unit guiding question
| Develop a simple Super 3 project, with assistance | Develop a Big 6 project independently, using resources provided
| Develop a Big 6 problem-based collaborative student project to develop essential understandings related to the guiding question of the thematic unit | Demonstrate the ability to transfer knowledge by drafting ideas for other Big 6 problem-based projects |
|
| Develop a resource hotlist to guide student exploration of the thematic unit
| Produce a print list of resources for students | Develop a hotlist of resources to guide student exploration of the thematic unit and essential question
| Develop age-appropriate hotlists of resources to support your curriculum | Share your hotlists with teachers and students on the Intra- or Internet and model their development for other teachers |
|
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Conclusion
Congratulations! You have learned how to integrate new teaching strategies into the curriculum.
You have converted a traditional thematic unit from the curriculum into an inquiry-based learning activity guided by an essential question. You have infused both information technology and information literacy into a higher-order thinking process that will familiarize your students with new learning tools and processes while guiding their exploration of factual information from the curriculum with conceptual questions that lead to enduring understandings.
You have learned new techniques to expand your teaching practice. You are able to use new software: Inspiration. You are able to apply and teach an information literacy model: the Big 6 or Super 3. You are able to formulate essential questions and enduring understandings to guide exploration of thematic units. You are able to develop performance based assessment tools to evaluate student learning: performance rubrics.
The Bristol Information Technology Team hopes that you will enjoy applying your new knowledge to other areas of the curriculum. You can be a model for instructional transformation in your school by sharing these techniques with other teachers. We welcome you to share your inquiry-based learning units on the Bristol Schools Intranet for others to use and modify.
REFLECTION QUESTION
How can we improve student learning by sharing and increasing our teaching repertoires?
TIPS TO MAKE THINGS EASIER:
Lynn's KISS Guide
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Credits & References
Thank you to the following expert sources for their learning models and training:
Bernie Dodge and Tom March, developers of the WebQuest model
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquest.html
Mike Eisenberg and Robert Berkowitz, developers of the Big 6 model
http://www.big6.com
H. Lynn Erickson, developer of the concept-based curriculum model
Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction: Teaching Beyond the Facts
Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) for training and advice
http://www.crec.org
http://www.edgate.com/d.pl?url=http://www.crecportal.edgate.org
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Lynn M. Schowalter, May 2001
