TPACK Lesson Plan

This is my lesson plan for my CEP 800 class. The assignment was to create a lesson plan that used a specific technology and also applied the TPACK elements. I've included the plan below (both in text and a PDF link).

Lesson Plan PDF

Benoit Lesson Plan:

Title: “Where I am From” Poem and Digital Story

Technologies Integrated: Google Drive/ Slideshow Websites

Teacher: Ms. Melissa Benoit

Grade/Content Area: 12^th grade English

Lesson Overview:

This lesson fits the 12^th grade curriculum for poetry and self-exploration. It will teach students about the elements of poetry and especially the “Where I am From” format.  Through the slideshow websites students will create a digital story demonstrating their understanding for the “Where I am From” poetry, as well as how to visually present their poem using a slideshow website. The lesson plan will take approximately a week of time with each class being approximately seventy minutes.

Materials:

·      Computers with Internet access (computer lab time)

·      Alleganps.org (Gmail based) accounts

·      Copies of “Where I am From” poem

·      “Where I am From” template copies

·      “Where I am From” example poems (on computer)

·      Poetry self and peer edit copies

·      A list of slideshow websites

·      “Where I am From” digital story examples (on computer)

·      A list of Creative Commons image websites

·      MLA citation generators

Common Core Standards:

·      W. 11-12.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

·      W. 11-13.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

·      W. 11-12.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

·      W. 11-12.5: Use technology including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

·      L. 11-12. 1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

·      L. 11-12.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Procedure:

Day 1

Student Will Be Able To (SWBAT):

·      Review poem elements (imagery, descriptions, tone, showing not telling, figurative language, etc).

·      Read and discuss the original “Where I am From” poem.

·      Analyze “Where I am From” poem for content and poetry elements.

·      Discuss student examples of “Where I am From” poems, focusing on good/ bad qualities.

·      Read and discuss project requirements and expectations as a class.

·      Complete a template with own experiences (finished for homework as needed).

Day 2

SWBAT:

·      Check-in with instructor over completed template to get feedback and suggestions.

·      Write a rough draft of their “Where I am From” poem using Google Docs.

·      Ask questions and seek help as needed.

·      Finish the poem outside of class if necessary.

Day 3

SWBAT:

·      Peer and self edit rough drafts to finalize poem using worksheet and Google Docs.

·      Discuss and explore the different options for making their digital story (via list of websites).

·      See examples of digital stories done from previous years.

·      Choose a format to create their digital story.

·      Brainstorm and storyboard their digital story (this can be finished outside of class time).

Day 4

SWBAT:

·      Review and discuss how to find and cite Creative Commons images online.

·      Search Internet for Creative Commons images to use in their project.

·      Save images to Google Drive to insert into project.

·      Create digital story using a slideshow website (time outside class should also be used).

Day 5

SWBAT:

·      Review finding and citing Creative Commons images.

·      Discuss Works Cited slide and how it should look.

·      Ask any pending questions about digital story

·      Finish digital story (for homework if needed).

Day 6

SWBAT:

·      Present digital stories to the class.

·      Reflect on project through a survey and writing.

Assessment:

·      Formative: Discussions, check-ins, brainstorms, storyboards, revisions, etc will be used to access student understanding and plan accordingly. Students will be assessed for participation.

·      Summative: The final poem and editing process (template, rough draft, peer/self edit, etc) will be graded for format, content, form, voice, descriptive language, etc.  The final poem implemented into the digital story will be graded for content and creativity through a pre-discussed rubric.

Homework:

·      Google survey reflecting on tools used and implementation of project.

·      Write-up about what they learned and how the process improved their understanding of themselves, poetry, and digital movie making.

Your lesson plan should address the following issues:

1. Content:  

Students will demonstrate their understanding of “Where I am From” poetry by writing a personal “Where I am From” poem and then turning their poem into a digital story. Students struggle with poetry because of its unique format and creative elements. They have a hard time using lots of detail and making the writing vivid and exciting. By giving students a template to work off of, the process becomes manageable while still assessing the poetry criteria and letting students be creative.  The poem is also personal, so students can use real life memories and experiences to help guide their writing. As seniors, they are about to leave school and head out into the real world.  A lot of them have questions about where they are going and what their future looks like. So we spend some time thinking about who they are and where they came from in an effort to help them realize how far they have come and give them some confidence to take the next step. The reflection at the end gives me feedback about the process and also lets them reflect on what they learned and how the project went. The Common Core Standards (applicable ones listed above) focus solely on content skills like writing; however a big theme (from the state of Michigan standards) in Senior English is learning where you come from and applying that to how you’ll be a leader in the future. So I used the standards to drive my instruction, I also thought about the themes/ big ideas of the class and what students need at this point in their lives.

Essential Questions:

                        •   Who am I?

                        •   What does my story say about me?

                        •   Why do memories mean so much?

                        •   What most influences the choices we make?

                        •   How does the environment in which we live or are raised shape us?

2. Pedagogy:

Discussion will be used to review the different elements that go into a poem. This discussion will be a low-states opportunity for students to review the elements as a class. Next, we will read and analyze the poem “Where I am From” by George Ella Lyons. Reading it out loud as a class makes sure everyone student hears and sees the poem. There will be a copy of the poem for each student and a larger visual on the overhead projector. After reading, the class will discuss anything they didn’t understand or want more information about. We will then discuss what word choices she made and pick out any poem elements that were done especially well. Next, I’ll put student examples on the overhead projector and students will discuss what things they recognize and what the student did or did not do effectively. This form of modeling will show students how to write their own. The requirements and rubric will be given, so students know what is expected of them before they even start working. To help them follow the “Where I am From” format and get a start on the assignment, students will be given a template to complete about their own life. This scaffolding will allow students to go off on their own ready to take on the task. The writing of the poem will be done on Google Docs and shared with me. Students will also peer and self edit to help finalize their poem. This form of collaboration will be essential for students to make their poem better. Students will be given some slideshow websites to use and will be allowed to try them out before starting. They can share what sites they liked with each other to help each other choose a website tool. Also, samples from previous years will be shown to students. I will scaffold this section and provide less and less instruction to the students in order to let them grasp the information on their own. The reflection at the end gives me insight into what students took away from the project and also lets them contemplate what they learned and how it has changed their understanding.

3. Content & Pedagogy:

Different learning styles will be addressed in this lesson through the use of modeling, scaffolding, and various discussions and check-ins. The Social Cognitive Theory of modeling will help students who don’t understand the concept. The example poems and projects will give concrete ideas of what the project should look like. Having discussions and providing a rubric will make expectations of how the poem should be written and the story completed. The reflection at the end will help students adjust their thinking and contemplate what they learned. Some scaffolding will be done, but only a little since they are seniors and will have other resources available to them. The students receive a template to help them work through the format of the poem. Students will feel a sense of value and accomplishment since they have to showcase their story to a larger audience. The project also lets students give a creative spin to a poem. Constructivism is also used with students working through the process of making a video.  They have to think critically about the choices they are making for images, sound, and text. The websites will take some getting use to for students, since it’s a new process. They are pretty easy to use and have very limited tools that students need to learn. The goal is to get students to express themselves in a new, engaging format. The poem connects to them personally and

4. Technology:

For my technology, I am going to be using Google Docs in conjunction with a slideshow making website like, PhotoPeach.com, VoiceThread.com, LittleBirdTales.com, etc. The writing and editing of the poem will be done using Google Docs, which makes it easy to share and edit from anywhere. Then students will be introduced to a slideshow website to construct their video. They will need to find Creative Commons images to include in their video as well as music or narration. Everything is digital and offers instant access for students. They can get their poem and edit it no matter where they are. They can also give feedback to a peer without being in the same place. The slideshow websites offer advantages in that they can be worked on from anywhere a student has Internet access. Unlike iMovie, MovieMaker or Photostory (which have to be downloaded to a computer), the slideshow websites are all online. This means students can edit and work on their slideshow outside of class. The technology allows someone who feels they aren’t very creative or technology savvy the chance to create a very polished product. The technology also makes the assignment feel less like another class assignment and instead like a more personal, meaningful piece. At the end, they have a movie about their life to show off!

5.     Technology & Pedagogy:

The technology fits my pedagogy by allowing students to work on the project anywhere, thus expanding the classroom.  The Google Doc feature allows students to continually edit and discuss their poem. They can have numerous people edit and help them with their poem even outside of the classroom. This form of collaboration will help students critically think about their poem and feel more value in writing it, since multiple students will be able to see it. The digital stories make the project seem authentic to students. They are creating something meaningful they can show off and be proud of. Examples are digital and students can access those online to have various viewpoints of the project. The digital story making forces them to think critically and use their English skills. Scaffolding is done at a minimum since students have online resources and tools to use. This allows senior level students to learn how to work through a process on their own, a skill they will be using often in the future. The reflection at the end helps students think about their learning and reflect on what they accomplished in this process.

6. Technology & Content:

The technology helps me teach the “big ideas” and meet my standards by encouraging students to creatively write about themselves in Google Docs and then display it in a final video. It allows students to reflect on how far they have come and what makes them who they are. The hands-on format of the video is a real-world problem students need to solve. The way they create their video will really show they learned the “Where I am From” format and are able to express themselves in a creative and authentic way. It also displays their poetry knowledge and ability to construct a coherent narrative piece of writing. They peer-edit and draft their poems, which is another important skill, as revision will be a tool they use again. Finally, it shows their technology skills and how they can work through the process of making a video. They have to overcome challenges, think critically, and try different avenues before finalizing their project.

7. Assessment:

I want my students to reflect on their own lives and what has impacted them to be where there are now. I also want them to feel comfortable sharing their story and producing something to showcase publicly. The “Where I am From” poem is one tool to assess if students have learned about language, voice, purpose, audience, figurative language, description, etc. The quality of the poem will let me know how well students can implement these tools into their writing. The peer editing will let me know if students are able to collaborate and accept critical feedback. The digital story will let me know that students are able to work through a process with just the necessary tools, resources, and examples. I will know my students have succeeded when they present their final project. Technology is a tool they will need to know how to navigate and understand no matter what they do in life. This experience will teach them how to think through processes and produce a quality product.

Conclusion:

Overall, the project offers a chance for students to engage with the content in a meaningful way. They will produce a poem which is a narrative about themselves and make a movie showcasing this story of “where they are from”. The poem also displays their mastery of English skills especially in regard to poetry elements. It also addresses multiple learning behaviors and helps appeal to different learning styles. Students get lots of examples and modeling, with some scaffolding to make sure they understand the assignment and are supported by both teacher and peers in the process. The technology component gives students a chance to complete a hands-on assignment and show it off in a meaningful way. In this lesson plan, content, pedagogy, and technology are integrated together to create an authentic assignment to promote student understanding and success.