Question: include _____. Student demographics are as
Question: How does using non-traditional explanations to represent investigation conclusions impact student knowledge of key concepts.Rationale: Students are constantly exposed to visual representations such as emojis, gifs, concepts maps, comics, etc and reading page after page becomes a thing of the past. Instead of sitting down to interpret a piece of literature or an article, they are interpreting and defining the computerized visuals as they are developed. Often when written work is assigned, one or two students leap to action, while others drag their feet to start or some look for alternative ways to complete the assignment. Similarly, I have a number of students that are driven by art, doodling, and/or music.
By providing students the tools and self-choice to determine their best avenue for communicating their learning, they are able to determine how they will be successful rather than being confined to a prescribed convention. In an effort to increase the validity and detail of the student’s claims supported by evidence students collect a variety of artifacts throughout each investigation and culminating unit. While held within the boundaries of their notebooks, I will provide them a choice to express themselves rather than being pigeon holed into one type of response after each investigation. When asked to express their learnings for the investigation and connect it to the bigger key concept, encouraging the product of their notebook to show their learning process and be more than just a written explanation but a non-traditional and visual representation in an effort to not only provide them more ownership of their learning process but also reflect on their engagement and interactions with the concepts.Measurement: Student participation in small group discussionsStudent participation in whole group discussionsPre assessment of key conceptsPost assessment of key conceptsInvestigation summaries in student interactive notebooksMethods: The classroom being observed will be 8th graders during their Energy Unit. Key concepts explored in the unit include _____.
Student demographics are as follows: 8th Grade13 Female9 african american1 asian2 caucasian1 hispanic17 Male3 african american4 asian6 caucasian4 indian2 IEPs1 504Neighborhoods – North/South/East/West The class will take a pre-assessment to determine any misconceptions they may have from the start as well as determine how much prior knowledge of key energy concepts they may or may not have. The pretest will be a more traditional formatted test with short answer questions. Throughout the unit investigations, students will utilize variety of modes for drawing conclusions to exhibit their developing understanding of key concepts. Students will be able to select from a number of non-traditional explanations to summarize their learnings. Non-traditional explanations will be limited to the boundaries of their interactive notebooks. Able to choose their response type – non-traditional or traditional short answer written.
Possible non-traditional explanations available to students include the following: DiagramConcept MapAnalogies ie. the cell as a factoryStorytellingSongFoldable modelComic StripChunk the activities into “key concept” focused – and they answer the same question per “chunk” by way of non-traditional explanations. Each activity will still answer 1 AQKey ConceptActivityStudentNon-Traditional Explanation ChoiceAKinetic and Potential Energy1, 2, 3BCAEnergy Transfer & Transformation 5, 6, 7BCAConcept MapConductors and Insulators8, 9, 10BSongCComic StripAEnergy Efficiency11, 12, 13BCThe students will then participate in a few student-led small group and whole group discussions to further engage in the discovery of key concepts. After these discussions they will be able to edit their summaries as they may deem necessary. In an effort to have more through conclusions and eliminate possible misconceptions or misunderstandings from their summaries. After the investigations are complete, the class will take a post assessment on key concepts. This assessment will be given in a nontraditional format with more creativity accessible to students in an effort to encourage them to continue developing their conclusions and showcase their understanding of key concepts in an open-ended short answer question. Literature:Bean, T.
W. (2010). Multimodal learning for the 21st century adolescent.
Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Education. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en==0aiN614VFxAC=fnd=PA7=examples+of+multimodality+in+classwork=PPh0dLTM_6=m8DxXLNUlpROhKteutMO284wBp4#v=onepage=examples%20of%20multimodality%20in%20classwork=falseHow to develop multimodal venues for studentsHow to evaluate multimodal products from studentsBuehl, D.
(2014). Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.RAFTProviding a more traditional written response from a specific point of viewEncouraging students to step into someone/something else’s shoes and utilize key conceptCraft, A.
(2011). Creativity and education futures: learning in a digital age. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED523399Encouraging creativityFostering curiosity and engagement in emerging generationsCrook, K. M., & Crook, C.
K. (2016). Multimodal Opportunities with Digital Tools: The Example of Narrated Photographs. Handbook on Digital Learning for K-12 Schools, 13-29. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-33808-8_2 https://link.
springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-33808-8_2How to utilize an option for multimodalityHow to bring content into a non-traditional toolHowel, E., Reiking, D.
, Kaminski, R. Writing as Creative Design: Constructing Multimodal Arguments in Multiliteracties Framework. Journal of Literacy and Technology: 16(1). May 2015.
ISSN: 1535-0975http://www.literacyandtechnology.org/uploads/1/3/6/8/136889/jlt_v16_1.pdfEvolution of writing and reading for the current generationHow the act of reading has changed and how to allow education to adapt to these changesRowsell, J., & Walsh, M. (2011).
Rethinking Literacy Education in New Times: Multimodality, Multiliteracies, & New Literacies. Brock Education Journal, 21(1). doi:10.26522/brocked.v21i1.236 https://blogs.
otago.ac.nz/multiliteracies/files/2014/11/Roswell_2011.pdf How to establish multimodal literacies The validity behind these non-traditional literacies relative to educationCase study Toledo, A., M.
, Yangco, T., R. & Espinosa, A., A. (2013). Media cartoons: effects on concept understanding in environmental education.
World Journal of Environmental Research. 3(2), 13-32. How to utilize and the validity of producing multimodality works such as comicsTheir benefit of student engagement and learningCommunicating through pictures and short phrasesEncouraging the importance of words
