Summary
Students were put into groups of three and assigned a topic related to the American elections process. Students were to research their assigned topic, then create a video podcast that would explain their topic to their peers. In addition, students had to create audio podcasts explaining difficult topics or concepts, and create a “script” for hearing impaired students. All of this was constructed with the goal of having a digital “course” on elections.
TIPC Ratings
This lesson falls in-between Approaching and Target for the teacher and students. The teacher served as a facilitator for most of the project but did model strategies and design the initial challenge. Students also had to construct tools to display their knowledge, but also had to synthesize different ideas to help them create products.
For this measure, I feel that the teacher would be in the Approaching category, while students would be between the Approaching and Target category. Students were required to select their own groups, establish group norms and organize roles. These roles had to be detailed in a journal to be turned in separately. They were also given the freedom to choose their own digital tools to to communicate and collaborate with each other and with experts on their topic, which moves them into the Ideal/Target range. The teacher modeled a range of communication methods and digital tools, designed a challenge that promoted collaboration within and beyond the classroom to address an authentic task (creating a digital class and making video podcasts) and taught students how to collaborate purposefully without direct supervision.
For this measure, I feel that both teacher and students moved into the Ideal/Target category. The teacher facilitated and formatively assessed the students’ progress without getting too involved in the process, giving students the freedom to problem solve on their own. Students were encouraged to use humor and creativity in their presentations, and the teacher was present to give advice and extra information, but no formal instruction on the topics in question took place until after the project was completed. Students were asked to solve problems on their own, using their own creativity and critical thinking skills to formulate dynamic presentations of content.
Here I believe the teacher and students were in the Ideal/Target range. The teacher developed and facilitated an environment where creativity, collaboration and critical thinking were encouraged and rewarded. Students were asked to create meaningful, original work within the assignment parameters, but were also asked to synthesize existing and self-generated knowledge to create new ideas and products within and beyond assignment parameters. This can be seen in the examples of student work that have been submitted for this project.
