Lesson 2: Phase 1- Designing Instruction

Link to lesson plan:
https://w.taskstream.com/Lesson/View/0CA74B38CDC1DCEF18F8011537AFAFE6

I organized my instruction so the introduction of the stories and topic would draw the students in and they would get to see examples of their final product right off the bat. I will then show them an example of a timeline so they have something modeled, and some events to choose from in the creation of their own timelines. I felt the stories were the more interesting portion and would give them ideas before getting into the technical aspect of their timelines and outlining. All the topics link and overlap, while still giving students separate sections for each activity to be learned. I also thought putting the question portion in the middle may help me assess how much the students are learning, and give them more story ideas and detail at the same time.

There are quite a few instructional methods used. The whole group instruction involves a read-aloud to give auditory learners something to enjoy and learn from. The discussion accesses higher order thinking skills as they must come up with their own questions, not just about the assignment, but to ask a real person about their life. It also allows time for processing of the new information. The timeline building and story planning accesses creative writing skills, and uses Kidspiration which can be great for visual, auditory, and linguistic learners. They get to work in whole group, pairs, and individual settings based on their individual learning styles.

The technology used in the lesson is age appropriate, as it is created for children under third grade. It is integrated into the lesson in a way that enhances learning, rather than disrupt it. One of the keys to technology integration is making sure the technology is something that improves the lesson, not simply something to use because it is there.

There is not a lot of technological etiquette, global awareness, or ethical use of technology. None of these things are entirely applicable with a self-contained program like Kidspiration. There are, however, many ways of meeting diverse needs of learners. The different features in Kidspiration, such as the ear button, meet the needs of all sorts of learners. There are pictures, written words, spoken words, and so much more in Kidspiration. The students will have access to all of these as they build their timelines.