Part 1

My three lessons concentrate on information processing, gaining facts from multiple resources to answer predetermined questions, that attempt to widen their gaze and the complexity of the world. Allowing students to discover truths about things, that mean something to them, helps them to relate to the topic. If the student has a relationship with the knowledge it is more likely to be effective and promote further learning.

Group work is also integrated into the lessons, opening up channels for communication between the students, which allows for regulated social interaction. Also for the creation and definition of leaders and followers in the group. Questions can be asked freely in this environment.

They need to realise where scientific knowledge has come/evolved from and how it contributes to what we have today. That was the reasoning behind the first lesson.

Initially, I wanted to integrate more inter student teaching/instruction, but I ran out of lesson time. With the questionnaire on the topic of their choice, I was going to suggest another, but have them do it on something their “friend” is interested in, but know nothing about.

The syllabus document I have based my lessons around is the NSW board of studies 7-10 syllabus, stage 4 science.

The NSW model of pedagogy

The three dimensions of the NSW model from Board of Studies.

1 . Intellectual quality refers to pedagogy focused on producing deep understanding of important, substantive concepts, skills and ideas. Such pedagogy treats knowledge as something that requires active construction and requires students to engage in higher-order thinking and to communicate substantively about what they are learning.

2 . Quality learning environment refers to pedagogy that creates classrooms where students and teachers work productively in an environment clearly focused on learning. Such pedagogy sets high and explicit expectations and develops positive relationships between teachers and students and among students.

3 . Significance refers to pedagogy that helps make learning meaningful and important to students. Such pedagogy draws clear connections with students’ prior knowledge and identities, with contexts outside of the classroom, and with multiple ways of knowing or cultural perspectives.

Part 2

My project incorporates many difference facets that should appeal to a variety of students. It has a mix of listening/responding, information finding, drawing and creative avenues.

A main point in my assignment is getting the students to understand the scientific relevance in everyday life. That technology (things they take for granted) actually have a history of development, and people where involved in that development. That was the basis of the first assignment, to try and get the students interested in finding out why and how things work. The students interest is aided by them picking the topic, so it had contextual relevance to their lives. It covers stage 4 outcomes about historical development

I also wanted to introduce some of the concepts of the many facets of life. Classification is a big point in the stage 4 outcomes. I think these concepts are very central to understanding where we have come from and how we have developed as a species. The base concepts allow for further information building in later years, and hopefully will plant a seed that will make the brain go a-wanting.

I chose to make this project based online in order to integrate ICTs’, but still with using the more traditional questionnaire method for examination. The students of today require more interactive learning, but the cognitive thought processes that come with analysing information and answering questions, I think are better assessed on paper. It also gives insight into learning ability/knowledge level, as well as allowing creative expression.

Part 3

I’m hoping that the students will find this project interesting, entertaining and informative. This is somewhat of a less structured plan, allowing the students to complete their work in their own time, but also having the limit of the lesson, and my guidance to keep them on track.

I chose to start at the beginning with this assessment, as I feel it is important to start from the base up. I chose to provide the students with base concepts so as to develop their pre-existing knowledge.

As this is only really an introduction to biological processes. There was a significant time deficiency to go into real detail. I initially wanted to cover a much larger concept of our place in the universe. As I felt it would appeal to student to know where they fit into the scheme of things.

Incorporating ICTs into this task will aid in keeping students attention span, as there is information coming from many different medias. There is also self learning and time management involved, that must be mediated by the student in order to meet the deadlines of the task. I’ve given them direction but they must have the thought processes and drive to complete these tasks on their own, with guidance. This is a real world situation that they will have to work with within the school environment and beyond.

The questions in both tasks have the ability to be poorly answered, or for the student to go above and beyond, particularly in the “scientific development” questions. The more interested in the project the student is the better results/better answers will be put down. 

Part 4

I found there was some difficulties co-ordinating the website. What I had in my head initially was very different from what came out in the end, but I think I made the best of the facilities I had. I used the “editor” function in Wix, and attempted to orientate the site in a logical way. I sectioned it, hopefully giving a sense of completion for each module. I found difficulties with integrating flash into the presentation.

Wix becomes easier to use with practice but I still found it quite limiting. You get a lot more freedom with html coding. But as a basic platform, it serves it purpose.

The only issue you would have in class is if youtube/other hosting sites failed, and you could not access the content. You could get the same information from books and other media. The historical information maybe more difficult to access, but I think you’d have to trudging through encyclopaedia Britannica.

I really enjoyed the experience of developing these lessons, and exploring different means of getting information across. I can see why teachers use web quests as a teaching tool as it allows students to go on the “quest” for knowledge.

Part 5

I used the website hosting site Wix, which had its difficulties but was practical enough for this application. It took some time to work it all out, but it was an easy medium to manipulate. I used youtube for hosting my instruction videos, and instructional videos from various sources.

For my video I used “debut video capture software”, and manipulated it with windows movie maker 2.6. I was impressed with the ease of “debut” and wmm2.6 I’m familiar with.

There were a few situations where things weren’t working out as I’d planned, such as putting a flash item into Wix (which it wasn’t compatible with). In this case, an image of the product sufficed. (this wouldn’t cut it in the classroom).

Part 6

Multi literacies refer to the difference and evolution of communication during teaching (among other things). By communicating through difference media, we can more easily communicate through language barriers.

One of the main differences is how technology is changing how we live our lives. I remember, for example when the internet didn’t “exist”, and nowadays it is considered to be a need. Students of today seem to require different things from the ones of yesteryear. Teaching can no longer take place only out of text book and notes on the board. “The New London Group (96’)”, proposed that multiliteracies include linguistics, visual, audio, spacial, gestural and multimodal teaching in classes, and also incorporate practical applications and student interaction.

Teachers need to incorporate multiliteracies into classrooms, so as to keep up to date with the current technologies, therefore student interest. Teaching using all these different means allows the students to gain better grasps on content and allow learners with difficulties more chance to understand.

There is also a large emphasis on not just teaching facts but knowledge, and life skills (such as critical and high order thinking, contextual relevance).

This project incorporated many different medias in an attempt to gain and keep students interest by providing them with numerous stimulus and allowing them to do their own research and interpretation of information.

This allows for self teaching with guidance, and for the students to gain experience in filtering information from many sources as well making their own decisions. (all important life skills!) 

Part 7

I have incorporated group work as an ice breaker for the beginning of the lesson, as a way for students to interact from a distance as well as informing me about themselves. This also leads into the first project, which is at their discretion but I oversee.

I wanted my lesson to be somewhat self directed hence the use of the “web quest” format (my spin on it anyway..). I also wanted to use the traditional testing means of Q&A as I think it shows the level of knowledge and interest the student has. It provides you a slight insight into their psyche.

I wanted more group work and student to student teaching incorporated into this project and lesson time didn’t allow. It would have added another dimension to this project.

I think I ended up being a bit assessment heavy, and not concentrating enough on student interaction and conversation. It would occur very differently in the class compared to the online overview. It feels too condensed and a lot more content could have been incorporated in order to properly explain. Instead of covering many concepts over the lesson, I think I should have concentrated more on one. Giving the students more information and more time for it to sink in.