Session+4

=** Lesson Improvement **= **Introduction** //What do you need to do to get ready for practicing lesson improvement in a collaborative environment?// **Getting Started** You are going to work with a partner during the next two Sessions to improve an existing lesson. The goal of this activity is to prepare you to work on collaborative lesson improvement in your schools by applying skills for coaching and knowledge of effective lesson design. **Norms of Collaboration** The partner-work of the next two Sessions is a good time to practice another coaching skill: using norms for collaboration. Norms of collaboration complement and enhance communication skills and a coach's ability to use conflict as a resource. **Learn about the Lesson Improvement Process and Rubric** There are six major steps to the lesson improvement process:
 * 1) Open the Norms of Collaboration Inventory[[file:Norms_of_Collaboration_Inventory.doc]] handout.
 * 2) Review the seven norms in the shaded rows and their characteristics.
 * Which are familiar to you?
 * Check your understanding of the less-familiar norms and their characteristics with a colleague.
 * 1) Think about how you will use norms and their characteristics to collaborate on lesson improvement.
 * For each norm, highlight one characteristic you think will be important during the lesson improvement effort.
 * Student Task
 * Standards
 * Student/Teacher Directions
 * Uses of Technology
 * Design Assessments
 * Identify Resources
 * 1) With your partner, review the Lesson Improvement Process Rubric[[file:Lesson Improvement Template.doc]]
 * 2) The rubric provides guidance in three key areas:
 * The four categories of the //Learning Activity Checklist//.
 * Use of the six steps in the lesson improvement process.
 * Coaching skills.
 * 1) Throughout the lesson improvement process, use the rubric to guide your work and help you gauge your progress.

Setting Up Your Lesson You will use a //Lesson Improvement Template// to design your improved lesson. To get started, create a folder on your computer to save the template and related documents. Your improved lessons will be added to the Shared Documents section of your workspace or coaching community.
 * 1) Open the Lesson Improvement Template [[file:Lesson Improvement Template.doc]] and save it to your Lesson Improvement folder.
 * 2) On the template, fill in the Instructor name(s), Lesson Title, Grade Level(s), and Content Area(s).
 * 3) Throughout this activity, use the //Lesson Improvement Template//, your facilitator's mini lessons, and the process outlined on the Web pages to guide your work.

__Step1. Tasks__
**Part B: Resources for Tasks** Use the categories titled Engaging Task and Problem-Based Task in the Learning Activity Checklist handout to help you design a good student task for your improved lesson. . [|Intel Prloject Based Learning Unit Examples]: [|The Center for Problem-Based Learning]

**Best Practice Learning Activities** **CIESE Online Classroom Projects** The Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education sponsors and designs interdisciplinary projects that teachers can use to enhance their math and science curriculum through the use of the Internet. Projects utilize real-time data, primary sources, and archived collections available online. Collaborative and partner projects utilize the Internet's potential to reach peers and experts around the world. eMINTS is a Web site designed to support educators as they integrate technology into best teaching practices. The eThemes section has a vast collection of reviewed, age-appropriate Internet resources searchable by subject and grade level. Resources are reviewed by graduate students in the Missouri University system. This Intel Innovation Odyssey page is brimming with technology-rich project ideas for teachers of every subject, teaching style, and grade level. Microsoft’s annual Innovative Education Forum brings together teachers from around the world who have been recognized for creating and implementing outstanding learning activities. Each of these educators posts a Virtual Classroom Tour, (VCT) that outlines one of their classroom learning activities. To access these powerful learning activities, click on one of the links below, and explore the VCTs in the “VCTs” or “VCT Upload” folder found in the “Shared Documents” section of the community. This insightful two part article defines a //project// as "an authentic performance-assessment task in which students must apply the knowledge and skills learned in class to solve a genuine problem outside the classroom," and provides examples of projects designed for high school students. The concepts are extremely valuable for all educators and the projects can be adapted for younger and older students. This site hosts online resources for educators. It was originally funded by a project titled Schools of California Online Resources for Education (SCORE). Many resources are available in a variety of content areas. Thinkfinity consortium provides standards-based Internet content for K–12 classrooms developed by content experts. Online resources include links to panel-reviewed sites in many disciplines, professionally developed lesson plans, downloadable worksheets, student interactive content, and a powerful search engine. **The WebQuest Page** This site is designed to serve as a resource to those who are using the WebQuest model to teach with the Web, and provides links to hundreds of examples of WebQuests in all content areas. __This site provides many examples of authentic, engaging problem situations that are:__
 * eMINTS - eThemes**
 * Learning With Technology: Find Ideas and Strategies for Your Classroom**
 * Microsoft Innovative Teachers: Virtual Classroom Tours**
 * Innovative Education Forum 2010-Cape Town, South Africa
 * Innovative Education Forum Brasil 2009-Teachers and Schools
 * Worldwide Innovative Teachers Forum 2008
 * Worldwide Innovative Teachers Forum 2007
 * The PBL Launch Pad: Worthwhile Projects for High School Students**
 * SCORE**
 * Thinkfinity**
 * Real-life, "messy," ill-structured situations.
 * Complex in nature, not solved easily or formulaically.
 * Open-ended, not leading to one "right" answer.
 * You can find additional examples in the scenarios of these lessons:
 * Exploring the Explorers
 * [|The Ocean's In Trouble]
 * Should the American Colonies Be Free?
 * To examine more tasks, go to Web Based Activities on the Coaching Tools Web site within the Teaching and Learning Tools section

**Part C: The Roles of Questions**
Questions can help describe or clarify a task. These are sometimes called "essential," "framing," and/or "guiding" questions.
 * What's for Lunch? includes two such questions:
 * How healthy is your favorite fast food meal?
 * What can you learn that could help you and your teammates choose fast food that is tasty and healthy?
 * Here are more examples of questions taken from tasks:
 * What can we do to inform the town council about acid rain?
 * Which music festival will be best for our school's band to visit for their spring trip?
 * How will we maximize the seating capacity of our school's new circular theater?
 * How can the ticket lines at our local theatre be improved?
 * How do you decide if you need to include questions? Use your own judgment.
 * To help you decide, ask yourself: Will one or more question(s) help students better understand:
 * The setting, product, or audience for the task?
 * How to use the new information, knowledge, and/or skill gained during the lesson?

**Part D: Resources for Questions**
> When writing questions, think of action verbs. For example, students could: > Essential Questions: >>> > From Now On: The Question Is the Answer @http://questioning.org/Q6/question.html > Jamie McKenzie (1997) argues that important thinking requires one of three "Prime Questions." > Foundation for Critical Thinking: Three Categories of Questions-Crucial Distinctions (Paul & Elder, 1996) >>> @http://www.uncwil.edu/cte/deskpress/classdiscuss/3catquest.htm >> This site defines three categories of questions. You are aiming for the middle one. >> If you want more information on good questions for problem-based lessons, go to Web Based Activities on the Coaching Tools Web site within the Teaching and Learning Tools section. >>
 * Make (a decision).
 * Influence (someone).
 * Recommend (a plan of action).
 * Formulate (a reasoned judgment).
 * Change (an opinion).
 * Improve (a service or system).
 * Solve (a complex problem)

**Part A: Identify Academic Standards**
>>> Students can demonstrate performance for many standards from different content areas for a single problem-based lesson, but it is only necessary for you to identify the few standards you intend to assess in your rubric.

>>> When students engage in authentic, problem-based tasks they practice real-life working skills.
 * 1) Identify no more than three content standards.
 * 2) Locate the standards:
 * Go to your state or local framework on the Internet.
 * Go to the McREL Web site to access a comprehensive database of national standards.
 * 1) Copy and paste the selected standard(s) into your lesson template.
 * Part B: Identify 21st Century Skills Standards**

>>>
 * 1) Locate the standards.
 * Go to 21st Century Skills Web site to access the skill standards.
 * Go to the ISTE Web site to access the Technology Standards.
 * 1) Copy and paste the selected standard(s) into your lesson template.
 * Part C: Review the Learning Activity Checklist**


 * 1) Locate the //Learning Activity Checklist// in your Coaching Handbook and review the Standards-Based Task category.
 * 2) Compare your selected standards to these attributes.
 * 3) Revise your selected standards if needed.

Add the standards to your //Lesson Improvement Template//. >>>
 * Part D: Define Your Standards**

Part A: Choose the product or performance you will require students to complete that demonstrates their understanding and achievement of standards
>> > Scaffolding tools aid students in: >> The step-by-step instructions in a problem-based lesson typically embed or reference scaffolding tools. When developing scaffolding tools for your lesson, make sure you do NOT create "fill-in the blank" worksheets but rather provide a structured framework to keep your students on-task, efficient, and thinking critically. Look at Scaffolding Tools and Templates Web pages on the Coaching Tools Web site within the Professional Development section to learn more about scaffolding.
 * Part B: Write Step-by-Step Directions (Procedures)**
 * 1) Specify the steps students follow to complete the task.
 * 2) Write notes to the teacher that will help them implement the lesson.
 * Part C: Develop Scaffolding Tools**
 * Organizing their thinkingRecording and processing information.
 * Making comparisons and connections.
 * Part D: Scaffolding Resources**
 * The Middle School and High School (Grades 7-12) Assignment Organizer is an example from the Big6 Information Problem-solving model developed by Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz. Big6 provides a framework to systematically find, use, apply, and evaluate information for specific tasks.

> One way to generate subsidiary questions is to brainstorm answers to the question "What does a student need to know to succeed in this problem situation?" Another way to think about this is to divide the problem situation into subcategories. For example, the task of deciding which music festival would be best for a school's band to visit for their spring trip might lead to subcategories such as tourist attractions, weather, places to eat, places to stay, etc. Each subcategory can then be put into question form such as: "What are some interesting things for a 14-year-old to do in this city?" or "How does weather influence the decision of which music festival to attend?" >> Add student directions and teacher notes to the //Lesson Improvement Template//. >>
 * Scaffolding process guides help students by providing step-by-step directions for completing a variety of tasks that might be part of their larger task; for example, brainstorming, evaluating Web sites, using primary source documents, interviewing, etc. San Diego City Schools has developed a process guide Web site with step-by-step directions for students: [[@http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/tpss99/processguides/
 * Subsidiary questions help students understand and navigate the problem situation of the lesson. Typically they:
 * Require a factual response (who, what, where, when).
 * Help focus students' search for information.
 * Make sure students don't miss the most critical information.
 * Help frame checkpoints and sub-tasks for both teachers and students.
 * Graphic organizers help keep students on track, provide means for organization, and frame responses. Some examples of graphic organizers are timelines, concept maps, webbing, and flow charts. The Graphic Organizer Web site has a chart of graphic organizers with links to samples: @http://www.graphic.org/goindex.html
 * Part E: Add Student Directions / Teacher Notes**

**Step 4. Technology**
**Part A: Look for Connections** Think about the ways student work and the types of activities in your lesson and look for ways technology could add value and/or make work easier and more efficient. One of your tasks as a coach is to help your collaborating teacher(s) integrate technology so that one or more of the following objectives is met:
 * || **Lesson Activities** || **Examples** ||
 * || **Communication** || Telephones, SMS, e-mail, discussion boards, Live Messenger, MovieMaker, PhotoStory, YouTube, blogs, wikis, draw/paint programs ||
 * || **Collaboration** || Live Messenger, SMS, Windows Live (Sky Drive, Spaces), blogs, wikis, Office Live, Shared View, Social Networking (e.g., TakingITGlobal.org) ||
 * || **Gathering information** || Internet sources, scientific probeware, digital cameras, e-mail, Live Messenger, SMS, Windows Live (Sky Drive, Spaces), Office Live, Shared View, blogs, wikis, social networking sites (e.g., TakingITGlobal.org) ||
 * || **Organizing information** || Spreadsheets, databases, graphic organizer software like Kidspiration ||
 * || **Expression** || Presentation software, word processing, draw/paint programs, MovieMaker, PhotoStory, YouTube ||
 * Students gain access to information or points of view they could not readily find elsewhere.
 * Students investigate a concept in ways they could not without the technology (for example, virtual dissection).
 * Students organize information to facilitate comparison, analysis, or synthesis.
 * Students use the same problem-solving tools adults use.
 * Instruction is differentiated to meet the needs of different learners.
 * Students collaborate with remote groups or subject-matter experts outside the classroom.
 * Students publish their work using the most appropriate tools for their audience.

Look at the following Technology Resources for more ideas on using technology. > **Landmarks for Schools: Raw Data** > @http://landmark-project.com/page.php?stamp=&pn=4&psn=&cat=22David Warlick, a leader in promoting the use of technology in teaching and learning, has compiled extensive Web resources with suggested uses in the classroom. > > **Microsoft Education: Virtual Classroom Tours** > @http://www.microsoft.com/education/InTeachersVCT.mspx > his site offers the resources to lead students through creative, constructivist, technology-rich projects for all grade levels and subject areas. The virtual tours are downloadable PowerPoint files with project background and planning information, teacher and student reflections, content-rich teaching resources, and assessment and standards information. > > **Apple Learning Interchange: Leadership & Professional Growth** > @http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/This site features exhibits that reflect authentic teaching practices across all grade levels, from elementary school through higher education. Each exhibit shows lesson plans, student work samples, technology used, assessment, reflections, and more. The site includes virtual field trips and educational events that engage educators in discussions around improvement of education. > > **Learning With Technology: Find Ideas and Strategies for Your Classroom** > @http://www97.intel.com/odyssey/ > This Intel site features an Innovation Odyssey page brimming with technology-rich project ideas for teachers of every subject, teaching style, and grade level. It shows how teachers around the world use technology in exciting ways to support student learning-from navigating the Idaho outdoors to inventing toys in Israel. A different story is featured every day of the school year. The site also provides an in-depth showcase of the planning, implementation, and assessment of a technology-enhanced rollercoaster design project. > > **Web 2.0 Tools** > > **Microsoft offers free tools** your students could use to collaborate and communicate with each other. The Windows Live ID you use to access the Peer Coaching resources can also be used to log in to these resources: > > Office Live Workspace > [] Students can use this workspace to share and edit Word documents when they are working on group projects. There is enough space to store around 1,000 documents. Office Live allows students to view a document in a browser or download the document to Microsoft Word. Multiple versions of a document are saved so that it is easy to revert to an earlier version of a document. It is easy to set different levels of permissions on the documents so you can keep some documents private. > Windows Live Skydrive > [|http://skydrive.live.com] > > This virtual hard drive allows students to store up to 25 gigabytes of documents and photos that can easily be shared and accessed from any computer. There is a space for publicly shared files that does not require an ID to access. Add technology resources to your __//Lesson Im//__provement Template.
 * Part B: Technology Resources**
 * **Edublo** [] Edublogs is a free Internet portal where teachers and students can create and manage their blogs. You can use a blog to post materials for classroom assignments, host student discussions, communicate with parents and the larger community, and get students blogging.
 * **Other Resources**
 * One category of the //Learning Activity Checklist// describes how technology can be used effectively to improve teaching and learning in any given lesson. Use the category titled Technology Enhances Academic Achievement to help you decide when and how to integrate technology into your improved lesson.
 * Part D: Learn how Web 2.0 tools can improve a lesson**
 * In a unit focused on pollution in the Yamuna River in India, the series of activities initially directed students to identify the causes of pollution on the river and suggested measures to control it, but technology resources were not clearly defined in the plan. A teacher revised the original plan so that students and community members would share documents, store photographs, and work collaboratively using Windows Live Web 2.0 tools.
 * Compare the original Yamuna Planning Template and the Yamuna Outcomes video to learn how the Web 2.0 tools enhanced this project.
 * Part E: Add Technology Resources**

Reflection
Step 5. Assessment //How will student success be measured against the selected standards?// As necessary and appropriate, use other assessment methods to provide students with feedback and guidance for completion of the lesson. Some possibilities include: > Resources for Making Checklists or Tests
 * 1) Use the Lesson Improvement Process Rubric to reflect individually on the:
 * Strengths and weaknesses of the improved lesson.
 * Coaching skills: norms of collaboration, use of conflict as a resource, and communication.
 * 1) Use the same resources to reflect with your lesson improvement partner. Make sure you practice the coaching skills as you discuss your work.
 * Part B: Give and Receive Feedback Protocol**In this protocol, participants take turns giving and receiving feedback. By working with a team, participants gain experience coaching a group (one-to-many), thereby broadening their expertise as coaches.
 * 1) Locate the Learning Activity Checklist.
 * 2) Each lesson improvement team should join with another team to make a group.
 * 3) Members of Team B describe the student task and standards of their improved lesson to Team A (5 minutes).
 * 4) One member of Team A assumes the role of a coach, providing feedback to all members of Team B. The other member(s) of Team A serve as timekeepers and observe the coaching dynamic (5 minutes).
 * 5) A different member of Team B describes the student directions and uses of technology in their improved lesson.
 * 6) A different member of Team A provides feedback. Rotate coaching roles frequently enough so that each member has an opportunity to practice giving feedback.
 * 7) The two teams switch roles: The members of Team B assume the coaching role, and Team A describes and receives feedback about their improved lesson.
 * 8) Teams reflect together on their observations and impressions about the coaching experience in both the giving and receiving of feedback. Discuss the contribution to coaching made by all three coaching skills: norms of collaboration, using conflict as a resource, and communication.
 * Part A: Create a Rubric**
 * Use these resources to create a rubric to evaluate students' achievement of selected content, 21st Century Skills, and technology standards:
 * 1) Rubistar> Follow the directions for creating a rubric.
 * 2) 21st Century Skills> Each skill has a tool for designing assessments.
 * 3) Intel Assessment Library [] //Assessing Projects// helps teachers create assessments that address 21st century skills and provides strategies to make assessment an integral part of their teaching and help students understand content more deeply, think at higher levels, and become self-directed learners.
 * 4) Any resources that you currently use to create assessments.
 * Part B: Create Checklists or Tests**
 * Checklists for assessing observable characteristics where the level of performance is difficult to observe, where the level of performance is not significant by itself (as it is a small part of a larger process), where the duration of the observation is short, and/or for yes-no decisions.
 * Multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions for assessing knowledge and reasoning characteristics.


 * Part C: Learning Activity Checklist**
 * One category of the Learning Activity Checklist describes lessons that have strong standards-based assessments. Use the category titled Standards-Based Task to help you create assessments for your improved lesson.
 * Part D: Develop Assessment Plans and Resources**
 * Add your assessment plan and resources to your //Lesson Improvement Template//.

**Step 6. Identify Resources**
**Introduction** //What curriculum, technology, information source, and other resources will students need to complete the lesson?// **Part A: Bibliography** If you used print resources, direct quotations, copyrighted images, or images restricted by use only if cited, you should add a bibliography to your lesson template. This is not only best practice, but it models ethical behavior for your students. Use whatever citation format your school district endorses. For more information on citations, go to Copyright on the Coaching Tools Web site within the Teaching and Learning Tools section. Try some of the sites listed under Bibliographic Citation Tools. **Part B: Curriculum Resources** Identify the specific textbook pages/sections, supplementary written materials, and other curricular resources that are needed for the lesson. **Part C: Technology Resources** Identify all necessary hardware (for example, camcorders or science probeware) and software required for the lesson. This is a good place to note the need to reserve computer labs or the need for technical assistance. **Part D: Information Resources** Identify a limited number of Web sites and other information resources for students to use. Identifying specific Web sites for students gives the teacher control over content accuracy and site appropriateness. It also makes the task more efficient for students. Several educational sites on the Internet list Web resources for teachers and students to use that allow searching by grade level and content area. Begin by searching for resources related to your topic at one of the following sites: @http://www.marcopolosearch.org/mpsearch/basic_search.asp This search engine provides access to all of the educational resources created by its partner organizations (each representing a different content area). All resource materials/links have been reviewed for accuracy and appropriateness for classroom use by subject-matter experts. @http://www.emints.org/ethemes/index.shtml eMINTS is a Web site designed to support educators as they integrate technology into best teaching practices. The eThemes section has a vast collection of reviewed, age-appropriate Internet resources searchable by subject and grade level. Resources are reviewed by graduate students in the Missouri University system. @http://landmark-project.com/page.php?stamp=&pn=4&psn=&cat=22 David Warlick, a leader in promoting the use of technology in teaching and learning, has compiled extensive Web resources with suggested uses in the classroom. Create a list of key search words related to the problem situation (if you developed a list of subsidiary questions, it helps to include search words derived from these questions as well). Remember to evaluate any site you find for appropriateness of reading level and accuracy of information. For more information about searching and direct links to Web search engines go to the Research Tools section of the Coaching Tools Web site. To help refine your search strategy, go to Preparing Your Search. **Part E: Add Bibliography and Resources** **Include your bibliography and learning resources in your //Lesson Improvement Template//.**
 * Thinkfinity Search Engine**
 * eMINTS - eThemes**
 * Landmarks for Schools: Raw Data**
 * Self-Search the Internet**
 * Research Tools**