A Reflection

This is how my lesson on exploring non-fiction went...

Re-Purposing Technology Lesson Plan – Final Refleciton

CEP 800: Teaching School Subject Matter with Technology

Exploring Non-Fiction and Other Informational Media Sources

Teacher: Erika Rochow

Content Area: English Language Arts

Technology: Time for Kids Online Interactive Issues

Grade Level: 2^nd

Length of Lesson: 30 Minutes

Description:

My lesson was an exploratory lesson on non-fiction texts using the Time for Kids Online, interactive editions. The purpose was to show students how to find information on a topic using multiple forms of media. I did not make changes to the lesson since posting it in module 5.

Implementation:

I implemented this lesson during an intervention period that I run with my teaching partners. We mix the students up from the 3 classrooms and pull them into different groups. Half of the students go into the computer lab and half of the students stay back in different groups to do close readings of non-fiction texts in small groups. After 30 minutes we switch, the students in the computer lab go to small group close readings the other half go into the computer lab.

The students are second graders from 3 different classrooms. The students have a wide range of reading levels and there are many who struggle. The lesson itself went really well. The students were highly engaged and they seemed eager to explore the different forms of media within the article I chose for them. They worked through the article with little difficulty because of the tools that the technology offers.

This was the first time the students had been in the computer lab this year so the main difficulties were getting logged onto the website. Their computer skills are limited and they have a hard time following multiple directions. Once they were logged in and working through the article, it was easier to help them with the icons and tools that they were using because the issues came up at different times.

Reflection

The students met my learning goals for this particular lesson quite well. I'm still wondering if they will be able to apply what they have learned to other experiences with non-fiction, but for this lesson, they did well demonstrating their mastery of the goals that were set for them. For this lesson, I had three learning goals related to non-fiction reading. One goal was that students will be able to identify the main topic and retells key details in a non-fiction text. Students will also be able to connect and describe individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text. Finally, students will be able to determine meaning of vocabulary phrases relative to topics or subjects. I was confident in my assumptions about their knowledge. I thought the lesson would engage and support this group of students in a meaningful way.

During my lesson, the technology that was used allowed students to independently access more complex content than they otherwise would have been able to on their own. Videos, Audio, Pop Up Screens help them gather and understand information. A constraint of this technology is that it can only be viewed using certain web browsers. Learning took place through exploration. The students could navigate the article and the media as they wished with minimal direction from me besides teaching them how to use the different tools. Constructivism was present in this lesson because the students were integrating new knowledge with their existing knowledge. The lesson was hands on and experiential, allowing the students to develop the knowledge that was presented on their own and make connections. There was not evidence of behaviorism in this lesson but I'm hoping they develop and condition their skills in order to apply them to other experiences with non-fiction.

Non-fiction reading is being pushed in curriculum across the district. This lesson works as a partner to support the 6 shifts of the common core. Hence, the lesson supplements the ELA curriculum for my district and because it is non-fiction at a second grade level, it also supplements the science and social studies curriculum. In terms of non-fiction reading; the lesson also enhances a student's ability to navigate text with the features that the technology offers. The main difference among the learners involved in this lesson is reading ability. Many of these students are at risk readers and this lesson supported them fully by offering the content in different reading levels and also by providing different media forms and audio as sources of information. Teachers who are interested in this lesson and in using technology like this need to be aware that the technology offered by Time for Kids is only supported on the Google Chrome and Safari browsers. This particular piece of the puzzle caused some issues when preparing to teach the lesson because I had to go to administration to see if I could download the browser software. It can serve as an independent, a small group, or a whole class teaching experience if the supported browsers are available.

The students had guiding questions to think about as they explored the article online. At the end of their active engagement we has a class discussion that focused on those questions. Before we switched groups during the block, the students applied what they learned on a non-fiction blurb. They were to search for the main topic and mark it as well as other main ideas in the non-fiction piece.

Technology plays a huge role in this lesson. The advantages of the Time for Kids technology are that it offers learning experiences on many topics that all learners can access. The audio piece is very helpful for students who struggle or who are just below grade level in reading. Another advantage is that the technology offers non-fiction experiences at different grade levels. I expected students to understand that they can gather information about a topic from more than just one source. I also wanted them to use it in order to understand that they have access to content that is more complex than what they are used to. The students were really excited about using this technology. They were excited to explore. This was their first time in the school's brand new computer lab, no one had to share a computer, and they all got their very own set of headphones which made the experience all the more real and fun for them to jump into. Students were making sense of the content because they were having fun with the technology. Allowing students this young to explore content the way that the Time for Kids website allows is engaging and meaningful for them. They were able to explore and collect new information on their own terms and make sense of it with guiding questions and they liked it. The technology made reading fun for students who usually view reading as hard and impossible. They were able to make sense of the content with the technology because the technology made the content make sense.

Lessons in Technology

This is a lesson plan I created in order to incorporate non-fiction reading with technology:

Lesson Plan:

Exploring Non-Fiction and Other Informational Media Sources

Connection: (1 minute)

We’ve been learning all about fiction in reading workshop but today we are going to switch gears into non-fiction reading.

Teaching Point: (5 minutes)

Today I want you to explore non-fiction texts on the internet.

The Hoop Dreams article will already be loaded for them.  I will teach them about each of the icons.

We know that non-fiction is made up of facts.  This website lets us explore these facts in a better way.  The triangle/play icon means that there is a video that you can view that will give you more information you won’t find in the actual article.  The button with the microphone on it will read the text to you.  The question mark will cause a question to pop up to make you think more about what you are learning.

Let’s try to use one of these icons.  Everyone click on the triangle button at the bottom of the screen.  Watch the video. What did we learn from watching this?

Active Engagement: (20 minutes)

Now it’s your turn to explore this article on your own.  As you explore, make notes on your organizer and think about the questions and what this article is teaching you.

Link: (4 minutes)

What are some of the things that you learned from this article?

What did you write down?

Discuss the organizer and the questions.

Assessment: (20 minutes)

Back in the classroom, I will distribute the piece on Sacajawea.  I will read it to the students to account for reading difficulty but allow them to complete the instructions on their own.

Background Information
Content: What is the content you are teaching and what are the big ideas? What are the challenging concepts that students struggle with or are difficult to teach? Consider your state standards (GLCEs or HSCEs) as you develop the essential questions you are trying to address.	Standards: Students will be able to identify the main topic and retells key details in a text. Students will be able to connect and describe individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text. Students will be able to determine meaning of vocabulary phrases relative to topics or subjects. ISTE-3: Research and Information Fluency-Students will be able to apply digital tools to gather, evaluate and use information. Essential Questions: What is the main idea of this non-fiction article? What does the word tradition mean? What are some traditions that your family has? How do you think R.J. Lopez feels during his performances? Why do you think that? Predicted Difficulties: This will be one of the first teaching moments with non-fiction this year.  They are allowed to shop for non-fiction books in their bedside table book bags but they have not yet examined non-fiction closely.  This will be difficult for some of them because they are not used to evaluating the structure of non-fiction texts. Some students will also have trouble with the reading because they struggle with the English language.
Pedagogy: What pedagogical strategies are you using and why? What theories of learning inform your strategies? What learner characteristics did you take into consideration?	My lesson uses inquiry based learning because the kids are exploring non-fiction while simultaneously learning to use technology for academic research.  I am using constructivist theories of learning so that the students can learn at their own pace while I am monitoring and controlling the content they have access to. I took reading difficulty into consideration for this lesson.  This includes English language learners.
Content & Pedagogy: How do these particular strategies help you teach the content mentioned above? Why choose these strategies over other approaches? Are there any technical or physical constraints that figured significantly into your choices?	The technology that I am using allows for a large amount of differentiation among readers of varying levels.  There is audio available for the non-fiction and students have the entire time to learn at a pace that is right for them. I chose this strategy because it is easier to differentiate, it is grade level appropriate and it works for the very wide range of abilities in my lesson.
Technology: What technology will you be using and why? Is the use of this technology absolutely necessary to achieve your objective? That is, would be impossible to teach the lesson without it? Remember that content specific technology (e.g., probes, graphing calculators, Geometer’s Sketchpad, United Streaming videos) are used to teach a content-specific concepts, whereas content-general technologies (e.g., Flash animation, Web 2.0 technologies) may facilitate deeper understanding by allowing students to manipulate information, explore a “network of ideas,” and investigate multiple representations of material.	I’m going to be using Time for Kids Online.  This technology combines digital issues of TFK as well as other media and audio to supplement the stories the magazine is featuring. It is not absolutely necessary to use this technology in order to achieve my goal but it will allow the students to hopefully come to a deeper understanding of how they can evaluate and gather information. It will also make it easier for those students with reading deficiencies to understand the text itself.
Technology & Pedagogy: How does the technology you have chosen fit with your pedagogical strategies and theories about learning? What types of learning strategies are employed by the technology?	The technology fits perfectly with my pedagogical approach.  Students are encouraged to do more than just read about a certain topic but they are also provided with other media sources such as video, picture, vocabulary, and further higher level questioning that goes beyond the text.
Technology & Content: How does your choice of technology help you teach the "big ideas" and address the essential questions underlying the concept your lesson addresses?	The technology is very helpful with the content because it offers audio for each piece of text including the vocabulary blurbs.  It also offers additional pieces of media to supplement the big ideas of the featured story.  These elements will allow the students deeper knowledge and resources to answer the essential questions.
Assessment: What do you want your students to know, and how will you know when they know it?  How will you assess what students have learned?  What role does technology play in these assessments?	The article comes with a worksheet that relates to the topic of the feature article.  I am planning on giving this to the students to see if they can apply what they’ve learned while researching the actual Time for Kids article. They will also be filling out an organizer during their research that follows the essential questions.

Digital Story: Reversible & Irreversible Changes in Matter

I used the art of talking to help my students through misconceptions about changes in matter.  Check out how they did:

Checking for Understanding

Check out my podcast with my students about the states of matter:

Students' Understanding of Matter

PQ + CQ > IQ

Make Something, With Something...Be Creative.

Creativity and passion go hand in hand with education.  If a teacher is not passionate...teaching with be difficult.  If a teacher is not creative...teaching will be difficult.  Technology opens up an endless world of creativity and passion.  I use both every day in my job as a second grade teacher...take a look...

Wordle

Communities of Practice

After creating and sending out a survey asking about how teachers utilize technology I learned that technology in my building and district is being used but not to its fullest ability.  Many teachers use SMART boards but when making that statement in the survey they followed up with something vague, like I use mine for EVERYTHING.  What is everything?  How does it help you in getting your students to their learning goals?  Many teachers use their computers for personal use when it comes to their teaching jobs for things like attendance, lesson plans, grading, etc.  Some use laptops and internet to help their students go deeper with their learning.  But teachers who don't have a full class such as reading interventionists and resource room teachers seemed a little lost when it comes to ways of integrating technology into their work.
A trend that I saw was that many teachers were unsure of what to ask when it comes to what they want to learn or what they want to know more about.  It seemed that educators are unaware of what is out there in terms of what could help them with their students involving technology.  One comment was that a teacher was curious about how a SMART board can be used as more than just a fancy white board - I think it's unfair that some teachers know all the tips and tricks to having something like a SMART board and some teachers don't know how to turn one on. I was kind of shocked that more teachers were not curious about the iPad.  This technology would be PERFECT for teachers who work one on one with students. The truth seems to be that their just isn't enough education for teachers involving educational technology.  Also, the wealth isn't being shared.  Teachers need this kind of learning to be successful and it is so uneven within buildings and districts.  How are we supposed to ensure that all students are getting the same quality education when it is so different from district to district or even building to building within the same district?

Getting a Balanced Diet of Information

I will be the first to admit that my infodiet is very imbalanced.  For quite some time I have been told to read a newspaper or look up articles online so that I know what's happening in the world.  As an educator I have fought this with excuses like "I don't have time to sit down and read," or "It's not interesting to me," or "I just don't want to."  With this being said, understanding current events IS important for educators.  I also have a hard time hearing things and sorting through important vs. not.  Take what happened at Sandy Hook for instance, I was completely captivated by those horrible events, but because I don't listen to the news, I believed EVERYTHING I was told and much of the information surrounding that tragedy was incorrect on the first day.  To fix this problem of hearing and passing along information that may or may not be true I used this assignment to "get in the know."  I began following @CNN on Twitter.  This way I'm finding out news and understanding real world issues around me and I'm not sifting through the viewpoints of others.  Due to the fact that news stations are biased based on politics, I began following @FoxNews as well to get multiple viewpoints.

Politics is another topic that is crucial to education that puts me out of my comfort zone.  I vote democrat based on my career and I'm not a fan of Michigan's current governor.  I'm not saying I'm eager to get into any political debates but it would be nice to be able to defend myself on issues related to education.  For this reason, I chose to also follow @CSPAN to keep myself updated on politics and information.  Something else that can help me stay informed and give me some things to talk about and understand is the Michigan Department of Education, @mieducation.  I think that this is a good decision for my infodiet because I don't pay attention to things that are probably really useful pieces of information.  For example, I had absolutely no idea that Common Core Standards were being questioned and put on hold in the state of Michigan. What? Why?  I have been working so hard to understand them and teach them and gain success for my students with these standards and now and the end of the first year...we're reconsidering.  It was shocking but interesting information that I did not know because I've been too busy using my free time to figure out what's going on, on Facebook.

I also wanted to use this assignment to find out more about technology in order to take it to my students.  I'm constantly worried about what I'm teaching, how I'm teaching, should I have done it this way or tried it that way, what's going to happen next year with my students, are they ready for 3rd grade, the MEAP is happening to them next year...  It's always on my mind, how can I make them more prepared?  I found this page on Twitter called Next Generation Learning Challenges, @NextGenLC.  This page has a wealth of information that I am excited to sift through.  I appreciated the research I got to do with this assignment and it helped me realize that if anything, I at least WANT to be interested.



Technology for Students with ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a growing problem in classrooms.  ADHD is a disorder that inhibits the executive functioning in individuals; in other words, it affects how people are able to self regulate their emotions and behaviors.  Little is known about the causes of ADHD but studies have lead to several possible explanations.  In one study that researches the relationship between ADHD and family environment and parenting practices discovered a higher amount of ADHD cases in students who come from families with lower levels of organization and higher levels of conflict (Schroeder & Kelley, 2008).  Children learn the ability to control themselves, first, in their most familiar environment.  Schroeder and Kelley firmly present findings that environment and genetics is a huge factor in students with ADHD. 

The affects of ADHD in children are many.  One of the biggest affects on students is academic performance and social relationships.  Students with attention problems are limited in their opportunities to acquire social skills through observational learning. Students with ADHD also miss out on learning opportunities in the classroom whether is be because they are disruption and are removed or because of inattention and missing the experience (Kawabata, Tseng, & Shur-Fen Gau, 2011).  Teachers, myself included, can be guilty of removing a distracting child from the classroom if it becomes so big that it is taking from more than just the child's educational experiences.  As an educator, it is hard to find the correct response to a child who can not control his/her ability to pay attention.

One possible solution to this issue in education is the multiple intelligence approach.  Students with ADHD are often underserved in an education system (Schiduan, Case, & Faryniarz, 2002).  Each and every student is smart in some way, even those with ADHD.  It is hard for those students with ADHD to shine because they are typically smart in ways that aren't noticed in a traditional classroom (Schiduan, Case, & Faryniarz, 2002).

The multiple intelligence approach to ADHD would be easy to do using technology.  However, because of the diverse nature of the approach and of each student with ADHD, there is not one program that would suffice for everyone.  Luanne Eris Fose, Ph.D has outlined several technology resources that can aide in students with various intelligences. In my classroom, I have a student who is not diagnosed but exhibits many of the symptoms that I have read about.  This student makes very obnoxious noises a great deal of the school day and has a very hard time controlling his body, he's always wiggling.  He also has a hard time making and maintaining relationships with other students and he has frequent angry outbursts about very minor incidents.  I have noticed that he works his hardest with complex math and focuses the most with this subject.  He also pays a great deal of attention to detail and likes games like Pokemon and Ninjago which deal with logic and skill.  I'm going to label him as a Logical-Mathematical Learner.  These learners are very good with numbers, math, and logic to understand patterns (Fose, 3).  Something like PuzzleMaker might be helpful with a student like mine.  It gives him the time and to dissect and create a problem to solve using the logical skills he possesses but does not often get to use in class every day.  Something else that may help this student, although it is more related to the Verbal/Linguistic form of intelligence is Shadow Poetry.  There are several forms of technology that can be used to support each intelligence, which can in turn help students with ADHD, if teachers are willing to find out more about their students in order to help them.

Citations:

Kawabata, Y., Tseng, W. L., & Shur-Fen Gau, S. (2011). Symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and social and school adjustment: The moderating rules of age and parenting. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 40(2), 177-188. 

 Schirduan, V., Case, K., & Faryniarz, J. (2002). How adhd students are smart. The Educational Forum, 66(4), 324-328.

Schroeder, V. M., & Kelley, M. L. (2008). Associations between family environment, parenting practices, and executive functioning of children with and without adhd. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 18(2), 227-235. 

Why Are We Stupid?

According to James Paul Gee, it would seem that humans have countless opportunities to be smart but many times they simply pass us by.  I gathered that some things were not our own doing, such as our minds being shaped for conditions that differ greatly from the modern world that we live in (Gee, 11).  Other things are completely our doing, such as treating minds like bank accounts in our schools; depositing endless information an expecting to withdraw whenever we feel the need.  I think our education system is a large factor when it comes to the limitations that face for solving complex problems.  We don’t provide, or having not been providing prior experiences for our students but many times we just expect them to have relevant ones.  We expect our students to have clear goals…how?  We also wait for them to act when they have not been readily prepared to do so.  How can we expect to mold problem solving minds, when the tools they need to do so aren’t given to them?

In schools, students are not given enough prior experiences.  Until recently, school has not been based on problem solving.  This was, in itself, a problem.  Students were not given enough experiences with the concepts that they were being asked to learn.  Memorization was simply expected and assessed.  How can we expect any person, especially a child, to learn something that is not connected to them in some way.  If we want our students to learn to be problem solvers, we need to provide them with experience to solve problems related to the concepts they should learn to master.  Only through experience, will situations be meaningful.  This is where teachers must really step up as mentors.

Having a clear goal is another limitation.  In school, students either want to get a good grade or they are too wrapped up in things going on at home that they don’t quite care about what they’re learning.  The grade, after reading, now seems meaningless. I work myself to the bone every year trying to teach concepts to kids so that they can pass on the district assessment.  I’m nervous, they’re stressed out, we get the results and we move on only to realize that they teacher the next year has to reteach the concepts I worked so hard to teach them the previous year.  Why does this happen?  The concept was only meaningful or connected enough to achieve the goal of a passing grade.  A passing grade is a short term goal.  This goes back to the idea of treating the human memory being treated like a bank account (Gee, 27).  Information is deposited and can be withdrawn without being altered.  It is hard to remember, when worried about tests, that human memory is affected by needs, feelings, and purpose (Gee, 27).

Due to a lack of prior experiences, or a false expectation of those experiences, and weak goals humans cannot be expected to act in a way that will create a good response from the world.  Because of these shortcomings we act and make mistakes, or repeat mistakes.  We work to make quick fixes that are convenient and we don’t seem to think things through.  We don’t seem to weigh out options and choose the best scenario.  We work short term and fast which hinders us in the long run.

This being said, I posted in angel, shortly after I had begun reading about how the circuit of reflective action echoes the common core standards that have emerged in the U.S.  Although not perfect, I feel that it follows the process and is a good start for schools to begin to build meaning with what they are learning.  CCSS gives teachers a better opportunity to be mentors.  It creates long term goals, as concepts are carried over year after year.  It also gives students countless opportunities to act and solve problems.

CEP 812 Screencast

I created a screencast that explains a problem I was having with fact fluency within my classroom.  It was hard for me to motivate students to practice their basic math facts at home.  Because so many students weren't practicing, many of them were below grade level.  A solution to my problem came with a wonderful website called Xtramath.  It uses games and personalized challenges to help kids make growth with their fact fluency.  I have found in my classroom that it really does work and many of my students are now making appropriate growth.

Course Reflection

I feel that this class and the work that I have done, have taught me a lot about what I can do with technology in my classroom.  I have learned to pay extra attention to ease of use when creating tech based lessons for my students.  I have learned to allow myself time to create quality resources that my students can learn from and I have learned to really search for new things that I can use.

I was forced to think a lot about what my students can handle when it comes to technology.  My students are  very young and I get nervous for them and their skills with technology.  I want the material they use to be appropriate and thought provoking and I don't want anything to get in the way of their learning.

I feel that several of my professional goals were met or that I came close to meeting them.  I am very excited that I was able to create resources for my students that I will without a doubt incorporate into my teaching.  I think that the thinking I did and the resources I created were well put together and I feel that they are things that my students will benefit greatly from.

My new goals are to continue to use this program as well as resources and my own time to explore technology on a deeper level in order to bring better educational experiences for my students.

Online Experience

I think my students would benefit most from an online experience in the form of a WebQuest or a Wiki.  I feel that since they are younger (second graders), the teacher involvement piece is critical in developing their online personality as a student.

Either of these online experiences could help me teach any subject.  WebQuests are great for Math or Science as the task section of a WebQuest is a great way to enforce and develop problem solving skills.  I've used the WebQuest experience for a math review task already and I can't wait for my students to try it out.

Wikis are excellent online experiences for reading and writing.  I have used wikis for book clubs and opinion writing in 5th grade and I can see using it for reading comprehension and typing skills for the younger grade that I am currently teaching.

I think that a lot of the simulations and blogging online experiences would be difficult for my students to be successful with as the are so young and inexperienced with educational technology experiences.  I think that with lower elementary students you have to keep them reigned in to ensure their safety online and to ensure their success.

STAIR Project

I created a stand alone resource for my students and others that promotes achievement in fact fluency.  It is meant to work on students' understanding of units of time, goal setting skills, and addition and subtraction facts. 

This resource has been updated to MERLOT you can find it here:

Beat The Clock  

Wiki Lab

I did not have a page for my school on Wikipedia so I went to the page for my district and created a link out of my school's name to my school's website, I made the link for Waterford Village Elementary School.  I was not comfortable adding information to my district's page.

I'm still working on my knowledge of widgets but the wiki I created for this lab is called Second Grade Delights

UDL Checklist

Below is the link to my evaluation of my Time Telling Lesson/Unit using the UDL checklist.  I felt that the lesson itself was strong.  Learning about the UDL principles made me think about each activity with my students.  The activities need to be hands on and meaningful with multiple learning paths so that each student has the ability to feel successful.  The amount to consider when evaluating this lesson was immense and overwhelming.  I feel the need to continue to tweak it as I'm going through the instruction of it.

UDL Checklist for Telling Time Lesson

WebQuest Evaluation

WebQuest:  Ahoy Matey, Come Join the Pirate Shape Scavenger Hunt

1. Synopsis of the WebQuest including its intended audience, its educational goals, and the curriculum standards addressed if stated.  The intended audience is for grades K-2 although it looks as though it would fit for primarily 1st and 2nd grades.  The goals of this WebQuest are for students to identify the four most common 2D shapes (square, triangle, circle, and rectangle). Although it was made in Australia; it covers the CCSS- 2.G.1 Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces. (sizes are compared directly or visually, not compared by measuring) Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.
2. What pedagogical strategies are employed in the WebQuest and are they effective? Is there use of metaphor? Are they using inductive or deductive strategies? Is there scaffolding? What other strategies do you see?    The goals of the task are made clear to the task.  The teacher has set up beginning songs that are fun and engaging to get the students into the theme of the task.  The games are computerized and grade level appropriate with added challenge that goes beyond the content standards.  There is scaffolding within the games, for instance, in one game they have students identify squares and circles and then in the next level of the game it is explained that when squares and circles are squished we get ovals and rectangles.   There are rhymes to help the students remember what they are supposed to ("shapes, shapes tall and short, skinny and wide; you can tell which shape you're looking at by counting up the sides").
3. In what ways is the WebQuest taking advantage of technology? In what ways is it 'change without difference'? Could this WebQuest be done just as well by photocopying pages and handing them out to students? This website is taking advantage of technology by embedding several different computer games and videos into one place.  The games are all meaningful and thought out.  This activity could not be done without technology.
4. Technically, does it work? Does it have bugs or flaws such as broken links or images? Is the material out of date? Does it credit its sources?  All of the links are in working order.  The directions are clear.  There is a teacher page that gives important information.  The credit for the site creator is given and each of the sites is credited because the site takes you to each of the links.
5. How would you improve the WebQuest?  For such young students, I felt that the site was difficult to navigate.  Each link took you to a site within the same window so the students are needing to constantly go back and forth between the tasks and the actual page for the WebQuest.  I would embed each task within the site and take the time to credit it later on to make sure that my students can work through the site in one place.

MERLOT Evaluation

MERLOT Material: What Time is it Mr. Clock?

Quality of Content:

1. Does the software present valid (correct) concepts, models, and skills?

This PowerPoint presentation is a great way to teach younger students how to tell time to the hour and half hour.

2. Does the software present educationally significant concepts, models, and skills for the discipline?

This PowerPoint does a great job of creating an opportunity for students to use both digital and analog clocks to determine the time shown.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool:

1. What stage(s) in the learning process/cycle could the materials be used?
   1. Explanation or description of the topic/stating the problem
   2. Demonstration of the curriculum/exploration of the problem
   3. Practice using the curriculum/analysis of the outcomes from solving the problem:  This material asks students to practice their time telling skills by independently identifying the correct time on two types of clocks.
   4. Applying the curriculum to "new" problems/application of the outcomes to other problems
2. What is(are) the learning objective(s)? What should students be able to do after successfully learning with the materials?  The learning material itself is an assessment on telling time.  Students must be able to demonstrate their ability to tell time using analog and digital clocks.
3. What are the characteristics of the target learner(s)? The target learning group is second grade students who are familiar with telling time.
4. Does the interactive/media-rich presentation of material improve faculty and students' abilities to teach and learn the materials? This PowerPoint presentation is an engaging and encouraging way to practice time telling skills. Students are not simply filling out a worksheet, they are sharpening their computer skills while practicing concepts.  They are not told they are wrong, they are encouraged to try things again.  It's engaging for the age group.
5. Can the use of the software be readily integrated into current curriculum and pedagogy within the discipline? Yes, the PowerPoint is ready to go when downloaded and easily usable with given instructions on the first slide.  
6. Can the software be used in a variety of ways to achieve teaching and learning goals? No, students are to use this activity as a formative assessment.  There is not a multitude of ways that this material can be used.
7. Are the teaching-learning goals easy to identify? Yes, within the first 2 slides it was easy to pick up on the learning goal of identifying time using both analog and digital clocks.
8. Can good learning assignments for using the software application be written easily? It would be easy to create assignments and activities to prepare students for this assessment.

Ease of Use:

1. Are the labels, buttons, menus, text, and general layout of the computer interface consistent and visually distinct? Yes
2. Does the user get trapped in the material? No
3. Can the user get lost easily in the material? No
4. Does the module provide feedback about the system status and the user's responses? Yes
5. Does the module provide appropriate flexibility in its use? No
6. Does the learning material require a lot of documentation, technical support, and/or instruction for most students to successfully use the software? No
7. Does the material present information in ways that are familiar for students? Yes
8. Does the material present information in ways that would be attractive to students? Yes

Check out my lesson plan:
Telling Time and Using it Wisely