Virtual Teachers

The lesson that I do with my AP students focuses on their ability to think critically and take a stance on an issue that impacts their lives. The overarching idea is that they have been offered two competing jobs, both for Super PACs. Depending on which job they choose they will need to create a public service announcement aimed at teenagers that will either support or oppose an upcoming piece of legislation aimed at making community service mandatory in high schools. The major condition of the assignment is that students utilize technology that is a learning stretch for them.

Communication
In terms of communication, this assignment forces students to understand their target audience and to tailor their message based on this target audience. In this case, the target audience is teenagers, therefore, they need to be sure that they communicate in a way that effectively convinces fellow teenagers of their points. Additionally, students understand that they need to communicate through a technological medium, one in which they themselves might see on any given day.
Collaboration
Students are expected to work with at least one partner on this project, and tasks are delineated equally amongst the students. The goal of having this be a "group" project is that students who are more familiar with technology can assist those students who are less familiar. Everyone grows and wins.
Critical Thinking
For the project, students are asked to take a critical stance on an issue that affects their age group. In taking a stance, they are expected to weigh the benefits and costs of their decision and understand the importance of leaving their own reactionary feelings out of their projects. In thinking through the benefits and costs, students are thinking at a critical level in that they are making a sound judgment based on facts and evidence, they are considering how best to support themselves, and they are considering how best to filter their message in a manner appropriate to their audience.
Creativity
Students are asked to be creative in that, their advertisement is expected to not only support a specific message, but is also expected to be eye catching and provocative. In order to do this, students need to consider multiple technologies and need to choose one that fits their comfort zone as well as their project ideas. Before beginning, students were trained in using a myriad of technologies ranging from Posterous to Animoto. Once they begin, students understand the need to use the technology they choose in a creative and effective manner.

Overall, students find this lesson very meaningful in that they A) Get to take a stance on a real world issue that affects their own lives, and B)Get to utilize technology to make an argument (which meets common core English speaking and listening standard 5. Additionally, this assignment meets NETS-S Standards 1-3, which give my students practice using technology in a way that mimics authentic learning and tasks that they may be asked to do upon entering the working world.

The 21^st Century Skills lesson that I chose to teach was based on a book, The Secret Tree.  The story takes place in a small town that has a lot of secrets.  In the woods there is a tree with a hole in the trunk.  People from the town anonymously write notes and put them into the tree.  Two children discover the notes and become detectives, spying on everyone in the neighborhood trying to put face with the secret.  The children are engaged in the book and trying to solve the mystery as they read.  As an assignment, they were required to read a few chapters and think critically in order to answer the following question, “Do you think Minty and Raymond are a good influence on one another?”  They needed to refer to details and examples in the text to explain their thinking. They also had to analyze the characters using specific examples in the text to form an opinion concerning their actions.  Through the use of a blog/discussion board the children posted their response to the question.  To further deepen their thinking they linked their thinking to others by responding to a peer’s blog.  This activity was completed with all of the students at one table in school.  While this is not how I would use a blog in the future, it was an effective way to start – especially with 8-9 year old children.  Going forward, I intended to use this type of collaborative online discussion on the days that I do not meet with a certain guided reading group.  In addition to the blog, I will also have this group complete a project in pairs.  They will be required to create info graphics on Glogster. The following link is the model I created to help them understand my expectations -                                                                   http://www.glogster.com/rinaldiam/secret-tree-m/g-6kuuintc9ceai3vlb3r2ka0.                                      This project incorporates 21^st century skills and technology.  This project is generating lots of excitement from the students and me.
Addressing the standards:

Addressing 21^st Century Skills:
Communication:                                                                                                                                         The children will be working in pairs to complete the Glogster info graphic.  They will choose two or three characters from the text to analyze and interpret.  They will use information from the text to form an interpretation of the character’s physical features and find a picture on-line to represent the character. The students will need to effectively communicate and compromise in order to do so.  They will discuss the specific examples from the text that helped them to infer which character wrote each secret.  This activity lends itself well to rich discussion between the children.  They will need to articulate their thoughts effectively and attentively listen to their peer in order to complete the project. 
Collaboration:                                                                                                                                      The children will be working in pairs to complete the project.  They will be learning to work effectively with a peer and to respect their thoughts, ideas, and contributions.  It will be necessary for the students to compromise and be flexible in order to complete the graphic.  
Creativity:                                                                                                                                             The requirements of the assignment are clear and focused; they are to use Glogster to show the secret a character wrote, his/her physical appearance, and specific details from the text that lead them to their conclusion. However, they are given the freedom to design the graphic. 
Critical Thinking:                                                                                                                                      The children are thinking critically about what they are reading in order to determine which character and secret are connected.  Based on the information in the text they have to develop an opinion of characters based on their actions.
Reflection:
Critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity are the skills that students need to survive in our every changing world.  They need these skills to be an effective citizen and participant in the economy. I find that lessons that incorporate technology and the 4Cs are highly effective, engaging, and excite the children.  I will try Glogster with a smaller group of children the first time because it is hard to manage 22 children learning something new on the computers at one time.  I find this an efficient way to introduce new programs, that way those children can then be “helpers” and teach the other kids.  As with anything, the first try can be frustrating, but practice makes us efficient.  I often remind myself that thing that are worth doing tend to be challenging.  It would be easier for me, and the students to just make a poster instead of a graphic on Glogster, but it would not be as exciting or innovative, nor do I think the children would be as proud of their work.                                         
One student commented that she liked the discussion board because she had a turn to share her thinking without anyone interrupting her.  The students need practice in communicating effectively, and I need to do a better job of teaching them how.  I think this can be done through ample modeling and practice. I also realize that the children are not strong critical thinkers / problem-solvers.  It is essential that I continue to create real world situations in which they are required to persevere and find solutions.  They so often state that they can’t find a solution or that they “don’t know” before they even                                              try.                                                                                                                
Change is never easy, but it’s necessary to provide our students with the education to be successful.

This website provides many other links with great suggestions to incorporate the 4Cs into the classroom.  I found it useful when thinking about improving student discourse.
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/A-Guide-to-Four-Cs.pdf

Here is a link to the pieces of my project in Evernote. (hopefully)

Soda Can Project

If it doesnt work, here's a summary:
Students in a high school Geometry class are placed in "creative teams" and given the attached memo and list of websites, directing them to design the name, packaging, label and slogan for the new product.  The teams need to demonstrate their understanding of how radius and height affect the surface area and volume of the can (right cylinder).  This aligns with the Common Core Standard:
CC.9-12.G.MG.3 Apply geometric methods to solve design problems (e.g., designing an object or structure to satisfy physical constraints or minimize cost; working with typographic grid systems based on ratios).
The students will need to use critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration to come up with their ideas and will present them to the other groups and school staff members.
 As 21st century learners my students would engage in the 4 c's during this project:
Creativity: The students would have to use design tools to create the label for the new type of soda.  If they chose to package the soda in a new type of can they would have to think outside the box as to what the can would look like and why it might sell better than those currently on the market.

Critical Thinking: As this simulates a worksetting, the students would have to critically think about what ideas would best capture the attention of their audiences, both the executives who were their bosses and the consumers who would buy the product.  They would be evaluating current data on soda sales and sizes and using that to predict how to best package their product to maximize consumer happiness.

Communication: As the guest "company execuatives" may be asked to choose the presentation they thought was the best, the students would be charged with creating a presentation that effectively communicated thier ideas as well as persuaded the audience that it was a "best" one.  They would also have to consider what the best medium for their presentation would be to display their knowledge and thought process.

Collaboration: The teams would have to work cooperatively to create a cohesive concept and presentation.  This could be accomplished by delegating different parts of the assignment based on the strengths of the group members or a true team effort with all parties working together on all aspects.


We have talked about turning this project into a interdisciplinary idea within our alternative program with each of the four content teachers in charge of one aspect of the presentation. As a staff we would become the facilitators of our student's vision for their product.  Each teacher began thinking of ways they could help our students create the best product. In social studies we would discuss advertizing and what the current market looked like, in English we would help the students create their copy and presentation, science would discuss the variety of factors manufactures have to deal with to produce soda (heterogeneous mixtures, pH, diffusion, pressure inside a container etc.) and obviously in my math class we would be helping students with their monetary and material calculations.  In this classroom we would have to be more flexible and individualized: driven by our students creativity rather than a set lesson plan.
Attached is also a quick sample of a possible student product.