Module 6 - What I've learned

I have learned many things from this class.  The first thing is I'm more fluent in technology and can better use it in the classroom.  I can help teachers with blogs, and different searches based on some of the links posted and suggested to me by classmates.  I also learned more about service learning projects.  I don't think I was as prepared to take the project as far as I needed, but this class really made me pick the project apart and totally develop it.  Also, the book I read, 21st Century Learning Rethinking How Students Learn, truly opened my eyes to 21st century learning and teaching.  There are so many things we need to do to get our students where they need to be to compete with the rest of the world.  However, this class has encouraged many of those with focusing on incorporating technology and service learning.  Thank you for the opportunity and feedback I've received.  I have truly  learned a lot this summer.

Class Module 5-Instructional Plan

Title:  The Area of the Outdoor Classroom
Description of Students Plan is for:  This is for 6th grade students at Tichenor Middle School.  Our 7th grade classes are completing a service learning project (Module 3).  This unit will tie into that project and allow the two grade levels to work together to not only educate them on their math skills but also on problem solving.  Barell states in 21st Century Skills: Rethinking How Students Learn, "In math and science, students work on individual problems, often with answers in the back of the book.  On a larger instructional scale, students soemtimes contend with "problems" that call for them to find solutions, such as how to improve the school playground or the water quality of the neighborhood pond or stream (pg 177, 2010).
Highlights of the Instructional Plan:  Students will learn about area and perimeter of different types of figures.  They will use different technologies to manipulate figures so they can see how the area and perimeter changes as they change the shape.  Students will collaborate with 7th grade classes to measure the area and perimeter of the courtyard and designated spaces (flower beds, etc).  Finally, they will help the 7th grade class space, plant and mulch the flowers to decorate and complete the outdoor classroom.
Learner Outcomes:  Students will be able to apply area and perimeter to the real world.  They will learn to mathematically compute area and perimeter, but will also see how it applies to the real-world and use it effectively.
Measure of Success:  Students will complete an assessment to check their skills.  Students will complete an Embedded Assessment to determine if they can apply what they have learned to the real-world.

Module Four - Co-teaching

1.  Andrea Dee, horticulturalist from Kenton County Extension Office.  Her contact information is andrea.dee@uky.edu and phone number is 356-3155. 
     Tyler Teke, 6th and 7th grade mathematics teacher at Tichenor Middle School.  His contact information is tyler.teke@erlanger.kyschools.us and phone is 727-2255.
     Asha Clark, 6th grade language arts teacher at Tichenor Middle School.  Her contact information is asha.clark@erlanger.kyschools.us and phone is 727-2255.
     Jennifer Clark, 6th grade mathematics teacher/math department head at Tichenor Middle School.  Her contact information is jennifer.clark2@erlanger.kyschools.us and phone is 727-2255.

2.  I am building off of my service learning project in Module 3.  The plan is to develop our courtyard back into an outdoor classroom.  It has become over run with weeds and has not been kept up, so we want to have the students design blueprints, learn about the ecosystems of the courtyard and plants that can be planted, and then put everything in place and create it.  I believe the students need the background information about the plants, courtyard, and systems in the courtyard before they create their blueprints.  I would like Andrea to come in, look at our courtyard and discuss with our students the problems with our courtyard presently, what we need to do to get it ready for our classroom, and then the plant life that will be successful in the courtyard.  As a horticulturalist, she can educate our students to the plants that are native to the area and how they will survive and interact and which plants would thrive in our ecosystem.  She can contribute information that goes beyond our curriculum to help the students make connections as well. 

     Some technologies we could use are emailing or skyping companies about donating plants or questions they have throughout the process.  Also, the students will be researching plants they want to use and information about the plant life.  One last technology tool the students can use in the math classes is an online landscaping software.  Some possibilities are Better Homes and Garden or Smart Draw. 

3.  The Standards addressed are:
Science - SC-07-4.6.4 and SC-07-4.7.1
Math - 7.G.1, 7.G.4, 7.G.6, 7.EE.3, 7.RP.2A
Language Arts - W.7.4

4.  Assessment for this project will occur within different content areas inolved with the project.  For example, in language arts, students will be assessed on their letter writing (writing business letters or thank you letters to different companies who helped with the project); science, they will be assessed on if they chose and planted plants that would survive in the courtyard; math, if the scale drawing is to scale and used properly in the design.  We also discussed having the group (everyone involved in project - students, teachers, businesses, etc) develop a rubric so everyone knows what is expected in each part of the project.  Finally, the finished project.

Service Learning Project

     My Service Learning Map        

Name: Elaine Stappenbeck_________________________________

Grade:7th___________  Number of Students Participating 100 total

PREPARATION: Goals/Objectives

¨      What topic/content area/s do I want to address?

Scale Models, Measurement, Ratio and proportions, Geometry, and Botany

¨      What do I want my students to learn from this project?

How to draw, model and use proportions to complete a blueprint of the courtyard

Discuss the ecosystem and plants native to KY

Measure to the nearest ¼ inch and convert the measures to different units of measure

¨      Who will we serve?

Students and faculty of Tichenor Middle School current and future

¨      What is the service that we will provide?

To convert the outdoor facility into an outdoor classroom where students and community members can learn with hands-on experiences and real-life situations

Now it’s time to plan:

¨      How long do I want this project to take?

Start Date:_April 9th________  End Date:_April 27^th______________

¨      How will classroom learning and activities be connected to the service?

Taking knowledge of ratios, proportions and measurement to complete and actual scale model

Ecosystems, biomes, and plants indigenous to the area to create a welcoming environment, one conducive to learning

¨      How will I engage the students in the planning process?

Students will create an outdoor classroom applying skills which were taught in math and science class

By involving students in the development of the lesson, there will be more of a buy-in into the activity because of their involvement in the planning process, which entails their own version of the classroom

Students will decide which model they want to use and create (voting on one student’s model), that is most beneficial for learning and the environment

ACTION

¨      What action steps will the students take to perform the service?

Students first have to learn background information in the classroom to set-up the activity (proportions, measurement, biomes, etc)

Students have to draw a scale model and decide what plants they want to use; then decide which classmate produced the best model to use as the classroom to build

Students will clean-up the facility (weed, mow, mulch, etc)

Students will create the outdoor classroom (design, plant, etc)

Let’s REFLECT…

¨      List three reflection activities in which students will participate during this project. (Remember the multiple intelligences).

1. Students will self-assess their model/blueprint to the actual mode
2. Reflect on which model is best to use as the outdoor classroom and why
3. After the classroom is complete, what measures need to be taken to maintain the classroom so it doesn’t go back to the way it was when the project began

CELEBRATION/DEMONSTRATION

¨      List at least three ways you could celebrate/demonstrate the students’
work.

1._Provide before and after pictures so students can see their accomplishments 

2._Create stations in different areas of the outdoor classroom and have an education day/night where the student body and community/parents can come see the classroom and have students explain what they did, how they did it and why they did it.

3._Contact local media sources to explain what the students learned and measures Tichenor Middle School is taking towards 21^st Century Learning

What can my service learning coordinator do for me?

¨      What resources or outside assistance will I need for my project?

_Contact landscaping or businesses that would be willing to help the students learn the proper way to design, tear-down, plant, etc

Help supply tools and supplies

Find community members that are willing to come in as guest speakers to talk about the importance of what the students are learning in their math and science classes and how it applies to their own career daily

Additional Notes or Comments:

_Math and science teachers need to reflect on lesson (enough time, how things went, etc)

Maintenance – this isn’t a lesson that will be done every year but they can definitely talk about the same things and work on maintenance of the classroom

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The website I chose was www.thinkfinity.org.  This site gives students and teachers opportunities to aid in learning.  Students can get on the site and use it to further their understanding of a concept and teachers can use the lesson plans, videos, tutorials, etc as supplemental materials to their lessons.

Hello everyone!  My name is Elaine Stappenbeck and I have been in the Erlanger/Elsmere School District for all 11 years of my education career.  I am not originally from KY, but thought it would be a great place to start my career, not too close to mom, but not too far either!  I taught 7th grade math for 8 years and then became the Assistant Principal.  I have just completed my 3rd year as the assistant.  I am currently finishing up my Rank 1.  I am taking this class and completing my Superintendent Certification.  I am really excited about the different things we are going to learn in this class, especially with the use of technology.  This is my first blogging experience so here goes!

I have chosen the book 21st Century Skills:  Rethinking How Students Learn.  I believe this book will help guide us in the proper thinking for 21st Learning.  I haven't read very far, but I have already learned so much of what steps I want to take as an administrator and the steps I want my teachers to start taking so we prepare our students for the business world.  One thing I have learned from this book on engaging learners is we need to look at our grading.  Linda Darling-Hammond is being interviewed by one of the authors, James Bellanca.  They are talking about how the US is starting to fall behind the other countries.  Darling-Hammond says this is because we are not giving authentic assessments.  He asks her, "Why do you call this kind of assessment "authentic"?"  Darling-Hammond tells him, "This type of assessment is like the development of expertise in the real world-or authentic-world by real workers."  She goes on to say that in the business world people don't just sit and do.  Sometimes things take time or revisions.  For example, a writer doesn't just sit and write an article or book.  There are many drafts and revisions before there is a final product.  We must take that into account when we are assessing students.  They are not engaged when they are taking meaningless multiple choice tests.  We need to provide them with an authentic assessment that means something to them and their education.

Secondly, Robin Fogarty and Brian Pete talk about the concept of Teach Less, Learn More.  They say, "Teach Less, Learn More speaks to lifelong, life-fulfilling, and life-sustaining learning."  Teach Less, Learn More is student centered.  Students learn by doing and take more responsibility in their own learning.  Teachers are teaching less, less teacher talk, sit and get, etc.  Students need more hands-on, collaborative engagements, and multimodal learning in the classroom.  The teacher needs to be more of a facilitator.  Students have to be engaged and taking ownership!

Lastly, two iniatives our district is adding to our curriculum is LDC and MDC models.  Literacy Design Collaborative is way to engage learners and focus is more towards 21st Century Learning.  We have completed our first year with LDC with our language arts department.  They saw huge gains in students' writing.  We are now going to take this to other disciplines and incorporate the LDC model into their class writings.  This is more of an application piece of what the students have learned.  We are also attending MDC training this year.  From what I have been told this incorporates FALs.  We are really excited about these models and are looking forward to the progress of our student body.