Multi-Faceted Unit Design

1. Multi-Faceted Unit Design What I learned about unit design, so far… By Inge Coates ingec@shaw.ca inge.coates@ei.educ.ab.ca

2. How did the design process I am about to share with you come about?

3. What does ‘do it all’ mean in terms of unit design? • Know your materials • Know your program of studies • Consider how you will assess progress • Understand the importance of group work • Integrate technology • Include choices for students • Look for cross-curricular links • Incorporate opportunities for inquiry

4. 1 - Know your materials • Read school-owned anthologies, from cover to cover • Read the novels prescribed for your grade level http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k%5F12/curriculum/bySubject/english/elares.asp Location:Alberta Government Home>Education Home>Kindergarten to Grade 12>Curriculum>Curriculum By Subject • Check for related media • At your school (storage rooms and library too!) • Available from your LRDC, NFB, viewing rights… • Bookmark interactive learning sites

5. Read with pen in hand • Use post-it notes • Write pencil notes to yourself in the margins • Have paper on hand to jot down ideas that occur to you as you read regarding • Content (Rd,Wr,Ls,Vw,Sp,Rp & Met) • Lessons (activities, etc.) • Links to other material -> Thematic base

6. 2. Know your program of studies

7. Why is it important to make our units outcomes-based? • Our mandate is to teach using the ELA Program of Studies guidelines • The program of studies outcomes should be used as a focus • For ourselves, to focus our lessons and assessments • For our students, to focus their learning • Allows us to speak confidently regarding grade level of achievement assessment • To parents • To all stakeholders

8. What does the application of this process look like, so far?9H Outline of Outcomes.doc

9. 3. Consider how you will assess student progress • Connect assessment to the program of studies • Make sure assessment is useful, fair and valid

10. Consider how you will assess student progress “Begin with the end in mind” (Steven Covey, 1989) Connect your assessment to the program of studies outcomes - then plan the instruction and activities.

11. How To Develop and Use Performance Assessments in the Classroom (AAC) • Step 1 Identify Learner Outcomes • Step 2 Determine Acceptable Evidence (Criteria) • Step 3 Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction • Step 4 Plan Assessment and Evaluation Strategies • Step 5 - Reflection

12. 9H Novels Unit.doc

13. Fair and Valid Assessment How to Grade for Learning by Ken O’Connor (2002) • Linking grades • Using performance standards • Grading individual achievement • Sampling student performance • Changing grades • Crunching numbers

14. 4. Understand the importance of group work

15. Designing productive group work assignments • The importance of teaching students how to work in groups • Constructivism (Jonassen, 1993) • Communities of Practice (Wenger, 1998) • Pedagogic Creed (Dewey,1897) • Organizations’ Needs (Senge, 1999)

16. More about group work • The role of trust • In real-life, students will need to be able to work in groups • Evaluation • Tied to ELA outcomes • Evaluation of group-work skills used as feedback, not for marks • Group product evaluated for individual contributions

17. 5. Integrate technology

18. Coming to terms with the nature of technology Marshal McLuhan’s principles that apply to our understanding when integrating technology: • The more things change, the more they are the same • Technology magnifies what already exists • Technology influences the way we see the world - as a ‘global village’

19. Problem-solving computer-related issues • Technology is fickle - you can’t always count on it. • Compatibility issues / complexity & newness • Access / availability issues • Students know more than we do • Students may be off-task and into things that they shouldn’t be

20. Ways in which technology can be integrated Tools for publishing: • Word processing • Presentation platforms (like ppt, quicktime…)

21. Samples of student work - • Theme posters for The Wild Children • Students first, individually, created statements of theme for this novel. • They then searched for images that could be metaphors for their statements of theme.

22. More ways in which technology can be integrated… • Student research • How to research http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/reference/services/tutorials/DoingResearch.shtml# • Where to research • Search engines • On-line library catalogues and periodicals … • Skill building • http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ • Interactive learning sites • http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/games/allies_aliens/kids.cfm

23. Even more ways in which technology can be integrated… • Collaboration • Share folders • Pick up and drop folders • Video conferencing • Accessing • Virtual speakers (http://ted.com/tedtalks/) • Virtual museums (http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/English/index_flash.html) • Virtual field trips (http://www.theteachersguide.com/virtualtours.html)

24. Other technologies • Audio versions of stories • Film studies • Visiting past technologies • Recorded radio plays • Long-play records • Charlie Chaplin movies! And more!

25. 6. Include choices for students

26. First set a basic structure for the work that students have to do, including: Outline of what is ahead Expectations ELA outcomes to be learned Evaluation criteria Then give choices Materials (ex. choice of novels) Topics (if certain topics have to be covered, allow students to decide when to cover each) Treatment (allow students to decide when to apply which treatment) Harnessing the Power of Choice

27. 7. Look for cross-curricular connections

28. Cross-curricular connections • Build such connections into student choices (materials, topics, treatment) • Focus on outcomes - what is it that they must demonstrate - and allow students to apply these outcomes in other subject areas • Find out, from other subject teachers, if you might be able to support their area in your classroom. Dialogue with these professionals will enrich practice in both classrooms - and the students benefit!

29. Incorporate opportunities for inquiry

30. Inquiry • A process of learning that encourages • Curiosity • Problem-solving or problem acknowledgement • Use of a variety of research strategies • Higher-level thinking and critical thinking • Independent thinking and group reflection • Evaluation http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/bySubject/ http://www.inquiry.uiuc.edu/php/units.php

31. Multi-faceted Unit Design • Know your materials • Know your program of studies • Consider how you will assess student progress • Understand the importance of group work • Integrate technology • Include choices for students • Look for cross-curricular connections • Incorporate opportunities for inquiry

32. Works Cited (Page 1 of 2) Alberta Assessment Consortium (2003). How to develop and use performance assessments in the classroom. Edmonton, AB. Alberta Learning (2000). Program of Studies for English Language Arts K-9. Edmonton, AB: Curriculum Standards Branch. Beebe, S.A. & Masterson, J.T.(2000). Communicating in Small Groups. New York; Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. Covey, S. (1989). The seven habits of highly effective people. New York: Simon & Schuster. Creech, S. (1994). Walk Two Moons. Toronto: Harpercollins. Dewy, J. (1897). My pedagogic creed. The School Journal,LIV(3). 77-80.Retrieved August 21, 2003 from http://www.infed.org/archieves/e-texts/e-dew-pc.htm.

33. Works Cited (Page 2 of 2) Holman, F. (1985). The Wild Children. New York: Penguin. Jonassen, David H. (1993). Objectivism versus constructivism: Do we need a new philosophical paradigm? Educational Technology Research & Development, 29(3), 5 - 14. McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding media: Extensions of man (2nd ed.). New York: Signet. O’Connor, K. (2002). How to grade for learning. Thousand Oaks, C: A Corwin Press. Senge, Peter. (1999). It’s the learning: The real lesson of the quality movement. Journal for Quality and Participation, 22(6). Retrieved May 22, 2003 from Academic Search Premier database.