Total PACKage (TPACK)
Context: I teach freshman biology at Redford Union High School. We have six class periods per day each running an hour in length. Most of my students are your average freshman but recently our district is receiving an influx of students from neighboring communities who are not at grade level with reading and mathematics. Anywhere from 10-20% of my students are enrolled on our literacy program which is designed for freshman who read below a sixth grade level.
Due to the ranging ability levels of my students, I have adopted a differentiated instructional method where the students are able to choose from a set of assignments which they would like to complete, with some required assignments sprinkled in. I provide students with the ability to complete tasks other than a traditional test as an alternative assessment. These include but are not limited to concept maps, designing an experiment, visual displays or writing assignments.
Content: Similar to math, biology is a class that builds upon prior knowledge. In math you must know how to add before you can multiply and in biology you must know the functions of a cell and its organelles before you understand photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Because of the scaffolding nature of the class, students tend to struggle when topics become more involved. Take photosynthesis and cellular respiration for example. Each process occurs at a molecular level that is not able to be seen by the naked eye and the students can explain plants get energy from the sun and animals get energy from plants therefore, all energy comes from the sun. Although the elementary principles are understood the higher order concepts are relatively misunderstood. This misunderstanding provides comprehension problems in other units because the foundation is not rock solid.
The difficulties the students have is with the comprehension of the vocabulary. The poor reading levels of the students hold them back during lecture and reading which causes them to give up, thus causing difficulties throughout the year.
What I hope to accomplish is to provide the students an ability to connect with the vocabulary by using audio and visual media. What I have to do currently to provide a visual connection is stop lecture, raise the screen, turn on the lights, dim the projector and then begin my drawing. This is a waste of time and usually the student forgot what we were discussing or has totally turned their attention to something else. My second option is to have multiple slides and flip back and forth between the text and the drawing to illustrate my example. What I need is the ability to draw and have text on the same screen in order to provide immediate connection.
Technology: The best technology for me to accomplish my goal is to have an SMART Board interactive whiteboard, SMART Response clickers, SMART Interactive Learning Software and a document camera. This combination can allow me to use illustrations on the same screen as text as a step by step process. The lower functioning students will be better suited to associate the drawings with the word rather than trying to remember a definition to a word they cannot read. Secondly, with the type and amount of alternative assessments I provide these technologies will allow me to display student work as examples and for praise and demonstrate correct lab techniques and display expected results. Lastly, using the clickers will allow me to check for understanding with immediate results and while keeping it anonymous to the students. Students are usually embarrassed to raise their hand and answer a question fearing they will be looked down upon if it is incorrect but the clickers will provide them anonymity but will allow me to see who needs remediation.
Why SMART and not another technology or brand? With the structure I have in my classroom an interactive whiteboard will be easily incorporated into my instruction. I can still use PowerPoint presentations that I have created and other materials that I already have. I can use more concept maps and have the students fill them in as class instead of a solo activity at home. I used SMART during my student teaching so there is some familiarity also.
Pedagogy: Biology is one the few sciences that is difficult to see. Yes we see living things around us every day but rarely can we see what is going on inside of those living things and in order to learn something one must see to believe. Therefore biology is more of a “here how it works, trust me” sort of subject. That is why many biology classes, including mine, are lecture based. We provide the content for the student to absorb and know, then explain back to us in his or her own words or through a test. It isn’t until recently that inquiry based teaching and project based learning have been incorporated into biology classrooms. In the inquiry model that I have adopted I provide the students the end result and ask them how, why, and what happened. The use of SMART technology is a seamless incorporation into my classroom because it too allows for inquiry instruction. I can use the document camera to set up an experiment and ask the students to predict what will happen and why they think this way. Additionally I will use the SMART technology to assess student understanding and provide additional assistance via presentations.
Total PACKage: The interactive features of the SMART technology will allow for direct interaction with the material. At the touch of the board the students will be able to create visual representation of the content being discussed. This feature will allow me to explain through pictures what the words explain simultaneously, thus bridging the gap for all students not just those who can read at grade level. Therefore difficult concepts that occur on a molecular level can be visualized instead of text on a screen. The addition of SMART boards and SMART response clickers are an integral force in delivering content to those who struggle and verifying understanding.
The implementation of SMART technology into my instruction is necessary to further my inquiry based instruction. Using some of the graphic organizers already existing within the SMART software along with those available through other sources will be available everyday throughout the unit and will be the guide to student learning. The concept mapping technology allows the student to see the whole picture but “uncover it” piece by piece. As the student “uncovers” the information and builds their concept map they will be able to understand the content in a much clearer manner. The SMART technology will provide the class an opportunity to create their map collectively and have it be a fluid construction instead of individually as a static homework assignment. The fluidity of the concept map is possible because the SMART technology allows for changes to be made, saved and revised throughout the entire unit. When revisions need to be made this will be done through classroom discussions and by voting through the use of the SMART response clickers. A question can be constructed and easily incorporated using the software and the students will choose which options they think would be an appropriate change. This allows the student anonymity which should increase participation.
SMART technology also provides virtual dissection software which is a valuable tool to reinforce already learned material. In the cost cutting model of today’s education the software will provide my students the experience of a dissection, something that has been removed due to budget constraints. Although not an inquiry based experiment it is still valuable to the kinesthetic learners who struggle to retain information without having the hands-on experience.
Due to the ranging ability levels of my students, I have adopted a differentiated instructional method where the students are able to choose from a set of assignments which they would like to complete, with some required assignments sprinkled in. I provide students with the ability to complete tasks other than a traditional test as an alternative assessment. These include but are not limited to concept maps, designing an experiment, visual displays or writing assignments.
Content: Similar to math, biology is a class that builds upon prior knowledge. In math you must know how to add before you can multiply and in biology you must know the functions of a cell and its organelles before you understand photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Because of the scaffolding nature of the class, students tend to struggle when topics become more involved. Take photosynthesis and cellular respiration for example. Each process occurs at a molecular level that is not able to be seen by the naked eye and the students can explain plants get energy from the sun and animals get energy from plants therefore, all energy comes from the sun. Although the elementary principles are understood the higher order concepts are relatively misunderstood. This misunderstanding provides comprehension problems in other units because the foundation is not rock solid.
The difficulties the students have is with the comprehension of the vocabulary. The poor reading levels of the students hold them back during lecture and reading which causes them to give up, thus causing difficulties throughout the year.
What I hope to accomplish is to provide the students an ability to connect with the vocabulary by using audio and visual media. What I have to do currently to provide a visual connection is stop lecture, raise the screen, turn on the lights, dim the projector and then begin my drawing. This is a waste of time and usually the student forgot what we were discussing or has totally turned their attention to something else. My second option is to have multiple slides and flip back and forth between the text and the drawing to illustrate my example. What I need is the ability to draw and have text on the same screen in order to provide immediate connection.
Technology: The best technology for me to accomplish my goal is to have an SMART Board interactive whiteboard, SMART Response clickers, SMART Interactive Learning Software and a document camera. This combination can allow me to use illustrations on the same screen as text as a step by step process. The lower functioning students will be better suited to associate the drawings with the word rather than trying to remember a definition to a word they cannot read. Secondly, with the type and amount of alternative assessments I provide these technologies will allow me to display student work as examples and for praise and demonstrate correct lab techniques and display expected results. Lastly, using the clickers will allow me to check for understanding with immediate results and while keeping it anonymous to the students. Students are usually embarrassed to raise their hand and answer a question fearing they will be looked down upon if it is incorrect but the clickers will provide them anonymity but will allow me to see who needs remediation.
Why SMART and not another technology or brand? With the structure I have in my classroom an interactive whiteboard will be easily incorporated into my instruction. I can still use PowerPoint presentations that I have created and other materials that I already have. I can use more concept maps and have the students fill them in as class instead of a solo activity at home. I used SMART during my student teaching so there is some familiarity also.
Pedagogy: Biology is one the few sciences that is difficult to see. Yes we see living things around us every day but rarely can we see what is going on inside of those living things and in order to learn something one must see to believe. Therefore biology is more of a “here how it works, trust me” sort of subject. That is why many biology classes, including mine, are lecture based. We provide the content for the student to absorb and know, then explain back to us in his or her own words or through a test. It isn’t until recently that inquiry based teaching and project based learning have been incorporated into biology classrooms. In the inquiry model that I have adopted I provide the students the end result and ask them how, why, and what happened. The use of SMART technology is a seamless incorporation into my classroom because it too allows for inquiry instruction. I can use the document camera to set up an experiment and ask the students to predict what will happen and why they think this way. Additionally I will use the SMART technology to assess student understanding and provide additional assistance via presentations.
Total PACKage: The interactive features of the SMART technology will allow for direct interaction with the material. At the touch of the board the students will be able to create visual representation of the content being discussed. This feature will allow me to explain through pictures what the words explain simultaneously, thus bridging the gap for all students not just those who can read at grade level. Therefore difficult concepts that occur on a molecular level can be visualized instead of text on a screen. The addition of SMART boards and SMART response clickers are an integral force in delivering content to those who struggle and verifying understanding.
The implementation of SMART technology into my instruction is necessary to further my inquiry based instruction. Using some of the graphic organizers already existing within the SMART software along with those available through other sources will be available everyday throughout the unit and will be the guide to student learning. The concept mapping technology allows the student to see the whole picture but “uncover it” piece by piece. As the student “uncovers” the information and builds their concept map they will be able to understand the content in a much clearer manner. The SMART technology will provide the class an opportunity to create their map collectively and have it be a fluid construction instead of individually as a static homework assignment. The fluidity of the concept map is possible because the SMART technology allows for changes to be made, saved and revised throughout the entire unit. When revisions need to be made this will be done through classroom discussions and by voting through the use of the SMART response clickers. A question can be constructed and easily incorporated using the software and the students will choose which options they think would be an appropriate change. This allows the student anonymity which should increase participation.
SMART technology also provides virtual dissection software which is a valuable tool to reinforce already learned material. In the cost cutting model of today’s education the software will provide my students the experience of a dissection, something that has been removed due to budget constraints. Although not an inquiry based experiment it is still valuable to the kinesthetic learners who struggle to retain information without having the hands-on experience.
