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EDMD 3300 Group Projects

 

These projects are artifacts that show my understanding of the importance of working in a group and how to work in that group to complete the assignment, creatively and completely. They show an understanding the tools and how they are used within a classroom. They also provide evidence of creating rationales of why the tools are useful and should be used based on what they do and the standards they can meet.

Goal

Upon completion of this project students will be able to demonstrate the ability to plan and implement equitable and effective student access to available technology and other resources to enhance student learning; knowledge of standard oral and written communications; knowledge of the wide range of technologies that support and enhance instruction, including classroom and school resources as well as distance learning and online learning opportunities; knowledge of a range of curricular materials and technologies to support the cognitive development of diverse learners; and the ability to model appropriate oral and written communication.

 

Context/Rationale:

Your principal has asked that you serve on the Library Advisory Committee as part of your committee responsibilities this year.  The Librarian has come to the committee and asked that your committee assist her in curating informational websites and other informational media that she can add to her collection of online information curation documents. 

She's asked that you work collaboratively to create Diigo lists for 2 subjects of the committee's choosing.  Each Diigo list should clearly support the ALCOS objectives/standards.  Each list should be comprised of both informational websites and informational media such as infographics, videos, podcasts, or similar media items.  Your Diigo lists should be organized and provide the reader with a clear understanding of how you selected each item.  She has also provided you with the following list of specifications for your lists: 

 
Requirements/Specifications

  • Your curation tool to use is Diigo (you can get an account for free at https://www.diigo.com)

  • You should have a mixture of informational websites and other media types, with an emphasis on websites vs. media.

    • Informational Websites (Use mostly these)

    • Podcasts (May use a "sprinkling" of these)

    • Videos (May use a "sprinkling" of these)

    • Infographics (May use a "sprinkling" of these)

  • You should create a minimum of two Diigo lists that relate to different overarching themes, subjects, or topics (these can be your choice), with at least 15 items in the entire collection (between the two lists). No site or media selection can be used more than once within the collection.

  • Within each list, you should create at least two sections. 

  • For each section, you should have at least 3 items.

    • At the top of each section, you should provide a description of the specific selection criteria and threshold levels that you considered when selecting your items within each section.  Your selections should be based on at least 3 different criteria.  There is a description area for the sections that you can use to enter this information.

  • You should provide an annotation in the description field for each item that includes the following information:

    • A brief (3-5 sentence) annotation that

  • summarizes the content – Do NOT accept any auto entered descriptions.  The student or student group must write their own descriptions that would be clear and understandable to students and parents for the grade-level that they will teach.  Using auto entered descriptions will be considered plagiarism and be handled according to the Academic Honesty provisions within the e-handbook of student policies.

  • gives examples of how it might be, could be, or will be used in your classroom;

  • includes a statement regarding how the sites correlate with the Alabama Course of Study. Multiple standards may apply. I wouldn’t list any more than three;

  • describes the specific way in which this website met the criteria you used to select the site better than other similar websites.  It’s not enough to say “it’s really fun,” here.  You must be able to give a valid and supporting reason/rationale that you included the site.  You might say that the site includes exceptionally accurate scientific information and is written by an expert who is able to communicate effectively with small children (if accuracy and reading level are two of your selection criteria). 

  • describes why that item was chosen over other similar items (be sure to base this on the criteria you described in your section-level description) – The "tipping point" in your selection process.

Submission Guidelines:

One member of each student group will submit the full and complete working URL to the “Digital Curation” submission box of the assignment tool in Canvas.  You will also submit a hard copy of the evaluation form with your name, username, and URL of your Diigo list(s) written at the top to Dr. Wolf in class on the day noted in the syllabus.  Please note:  Make sure that your Diigo lists are available to the public so that they can be graded.  If we can’t view your page, you will not receive credit for completing the assignment. 

 

Evaluation:

Your Diigo lists will be evaluated from a holistic perspective according to the following criteria:  Do your Diigo lists contain…

  • No greater than a 5:3 ratio of informational websites to informational media

  • At least 2 different overarching themes, subjects, or topics

  • At least 15 items between the two lists

  • 2 sections in each list

  • At least 3 items in each section

  • For each section, a description of the specific selection criteria (at least 3) and threshold levels that were considered when selecting items for that section, entered in the description area for the section

  • An annotation for each item that includes:

    Student/group generated content summary

    Example(s) of how it might be, could be, or will be used in classroom situations

    Correlation with ALCOS objectives/standards

    Description for how the item met the selection criteria that were listed for the corresponding section

    Rational for how that item was ultimately selected over other items that are similar to it, the "tipping point" of the selection process.

Goal

After completing this assignment, students will have demonstrated their knowledge of the wide range of web-based and other technology tools that support and enhance instruction.  They will have also demonstrated their ability to select appropriate technologies and resources that support and enhance classroom instruction.

Context/Rationale:

Your principal has asked that you serve on the technology committee as part of your committee responsibilities this year.  He has come to the committee and asked for its assistance in selecting

  • apps,

  • online technology tools, or

  • other appropriate technology tools

that can be purchased or accessed by teachers and/or students to support the teaching and learning of the College & Career Readiness objectives as they are interpreted in the ALCOS as well as address multiple levels of Bloom's revised taxonomy of intellectual skills.  He is allotting $500.00 for these purchases.  He expects that your committee will be good stewards of the school's money, and be able to account for each dollar spent for auditing purposes.  You should spend as much of the $500 as you can without going over.  The $500.00 is a hard limit.  You must make purchases at the classroom level, which is for 30 students, plus the teacher (a total of 31 units).  The school has an iPad cart that circulates throughout the building with 31 devices (one for each student, plus the teacher in a classroom).  However, you are not limited to purchasing iPad apps.  You may select any technology-based tool that you can justify through the application of specific selection criteria and that supports the support of ALCOS, Bloom's Taxonomy, and is available for all students in a single class at the same time.  Because your committee has been given this flexibility, your principal has asked that you write a justification of purchase for each tool you select. 

This assignment will also serve as the initial formulation of your “toolbox of tools” that you can use in your future classrooms.  Therefore, you should be sure that your group selects tools that can be used by at least two members of your group in your intended classroom situations. 

Also, while there is no hard upper limit on the number of apps or tools that your group can purchase (except for your $500), your group MUST purchase at least 2 apps per member of the group.  If you have an extenuating circumstance that you believe would warrant purchasing fewer apps than this for your group, you MUST get the reduction in purchased apps cleared and approved by either Dr. Wolf or Mrs. Clark by February 23.  If you would like to apply for this alteration of the requirements your group must supply, in writing, a request that lists:

  • the apps that you’ve already chosen

  • a short description of each of those apps

  • a specific ALCOS that those app supports

  • the amount of money that you have left (to that point)

  • a reasoned, logical, and specific rationale for requesting the alteration of the requirements.

If you receive this approval, you should print a copy of it and include it in your submission of this assignment.  Failure to submit written verification of this approval will result in a 5 point penalty to the score that your project receives.

Requirements/Specifications:

Your principal has asked for your purchasing recommendation to include the following information presented in an organized fashion that you select that will be published on the school's website and in hard-copy format for review and approval by the PTA:

  • Budget that provides the following information:

  • Price per unit,

  • Total purchase price for each selection as well as how this affects the total amount of money given to you. 

  • A note about pricing:  While normally you would need to consider license pricing, renewal pricing and tax when making purchasing decisions, for the purposes of THIS assignment, these issues do not need to be considered. 

  • The money that your group has been given is for a single, one-time purchase. 

  • An overarching description of the specific selection criteria (at least 3) and threshold levels that your team used to select your tools.

  • A rationale for each tool selection that explains why/how it was selected with regard to the selection criteria that your group used for the project.

  • Demographic Information for each tool: 

  • Title,

  • location (e.g. URL if appropriate),

  • price,

  • publishing information (if appropriate),

  • description for each item selected. 

  • The committee is responsible for writing the description of items, the principal is NOT interested in any pre-formatted or supplied descriptions by the publisher/author.  Inclusion of descriptions of this type will be considered plagiarism and be handled according to the Academic Honesty provisions within the e-handbook of student policies.

  • Description of how each tool might be, could be, or would be used to support teaching and learning of an identified specific ALCOS objectives/standards, including suggested class room activities (see sample list provided) in which the tool would be used.

  • Description of how the products of the tool, activities with the tool, or tool itself supports one (or more) of Bloom's revised digital taxonomy levels.

  • Evidence (written verification) of permission to deviate from the spending or purchasing parameters you’ve been given – if appropriate.

  • Sample Classroom Activities

  • Learning Center/Homework Project/Independent Practice (Indicate Type)

  • Individual Project (Indicate Type)

  • Group Project (Indicate Type)

  • Lecture/Direct Instruction

  • Guided Practice/In-Class Activity (Indicate Type)

  • Other (Get Approval from Dr. Wolf)

Submission Guidelines

One member of each student group will submit one electronic and one hard-copy of the assignment.  The electronic copy will be attached to the Canvas assignment tool, and the hard-copy will be submitted in class on the date indicated in the syllabus. 

In addition to the hard-copy, student groups will submit a one blank copy of the evaluation form with the names of the group members (including usernames/banner numbers) written on it.

Evaluation

Your assignment will be evaluated in a holistic manner according to the following criteria:

  • Did the group purchase at least 2 tools per person in the group – OR – receive written approval to do otherwise?

  • Does the budget provide price per unit, total purchase price, and an accounting for the entirety of the money spent (up to the hard limit of $500.00) without exceeding the limit?

  • Is there a concise, specific description of at least 3 selection criteria and appropriate threshold values for choosing tools?

  • Is a rationale for each tool selection provided that is linked to the chosen selection criteria?

  • Is the demographic information for each tool provided (title, location, publishing information, description)?

  • Is a description for how the tool might be, could be, or would be used to support teaching and learning of specific ALCOS objectives/standards provided?

  • Are suggested classroom activities in which the tool would be used provided?

  • Is there a description for how each tool supports one or more of Bloom's digital taxonomy levels?

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