Submitted by: Amy Nowlin
Collaborators: Ann Nash (ITRT), Margaret Marquis (Librarian)
School: Tuckahoe Middle School
Summary
You are part of the Virtual World Race Scouting Team. You have been sent to China to research travel worthy information for the bicycle crew. Your team has been assigned a specific town/city in China. Your presentation will be part of a Virtual Tour fair. Teams will walk around from table to table and view the promotional material for each city showcased on the tables. Then the class will decide which locations would be the best to stop and stay when in China.
TIPC Ratings
Developing- Student teams randomly selected a city/town in China to research. The project requirements specified details to be included as part of the project. Teams divided the tasks based first on interest and then on equitable distribution . Each group used internet resources as well as print resources where appropriate to research their topics. They worked collaboratively to compile all the information including citations for sources and images used. The students used Google Sites as the tool to synthesize the collected information into a digital display.
Approaching – The goal of this project was to allow students to create a digital display of information acquired through research. Collaborative efforts began with a distribution of roles for team work. Students used a Google document to record the role(s) for which each was responsible. They also divided specific research tasks among members of their team. Teams collaboratively compiled the research for their city and worked to create the final project. The daily reflection process/exit slip allowed students to assess their individual and team performance.
Developing – At the beginning of this project, students had to evaluate their personal strengths to decide which role each member of their group would have. Additionally, students divided the specific research tasks by first deciding who had the most interest in specific research topics, then by equitably dividing the remaining topics. Several topics required students to think critically in order to find the correct information. For instance, finding the weather information. Student often found information in ०C but needed to decide if converting the material to ०F would be better and if so, how to accurately make that change. The teacher would ask student questions to help students make decisions about their research and to guide them when needed.
Approaching – Students used pre-selected cities and topics for their research. Students were able to self select topics within the assignment parameters. This created a project that blended limited amounts of personal choice and technology. The project format was decided in advance to give students an experience with learning this particular tool. Mid-way through the project the format had to be changed due to software conflict on the student laptops. Both formats provided an opportunity for students to create meaningful, original work within the assignment parameters. The project as a whole was designed to provide students the opportunity to synthesize research and collaborate within their teams.
Student Artifact
