INNOVATIVE DESIGNER
Students use a variety of technologies within
a design process to identify and solve problems
by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.
(ISTE, 2016)
a design process to identify and solve problems
by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.
(ISTE, 2016)
Coursework Artefact #1
In September 2015, I began my fifth course in the MET program ETEC 512: Applications of Learning Theories to Instruction which offered an overview of various theoretical approaches to learning. The modules of this course covered behaviourist, cognitive, developmental and social approaches to learning. Through participation in the discussion forums, I gained a more robust understanding of when and how different approaches should be utilized in my own teaching practice. Anderson (2008) notes four attributes of learning: learner-centred, knowledge-centred, assessment-centred and community-centred. For me, student motivation is one of the most impactful characteristic that drives learning. When teaching is learner-centred, it is customized to meet the specific needs of students, takes into consideration students’ prerequisite knowledge and addresses the needs of each learner. Motivation can also be considerably impacted through the sense of belonging which comes with community-centred learning as students are more committed to participate and contribute to the learning environment. With these principles in mind, I completed a lesson plan critique assignment for a Grade 8 lesson I had previously taught when I was a classroom teacher.
This piece of writing offered my the opportunity to critically reflect on my instruction with a focus on social constructivism, situated cognition, game-design thinking and the Information Processing Theory. After considering such approaches to learning, I noted the many things I would change about my lesson and even suggested a restructuring of the unit in its entirety to be more engaging for students. The act of revisiting a past lesson, receiving feedback from others on the idea and applying the feedback to improve my approach in itself embodies the cyclical nature of the design process. In addition, the improved unit proposal in my critique further embodies design thinking by creating an environment in which students must generate ideas, test theories and exhibit tolerance for working on ambiguous, open-ended problems.
Application to Practice
At the beginning of the following academic year, I worked alongside the Grade 6 Team Leader at my school in Hong Kong to implement the ideas proposed in my lesson critique. The grade team was looking to design a more engaging Social Studies unit to explore the interconnectedness of global communities. Together, we designed a game simulation in which students had to make investment decisions for their country regarding its health care, education, military and environment while considering the impact of their choices on its citizens’ quality of life. As the simulation unfolded, countries would be challenged with dealing with the aftermath of natural disasters and disease outbreaks and what role they would take in supporting other countries through such difficulties. This unit was organised using Google Sheets which also became an opportunity for students to use digital tools to plan and manage their choices and calculating risks.
Access the Grade 6 Global Community Unit Simulation Spreadsheet here.
In November 2015, I also co-facilitated a session at an in-house professional development conference titled Gamification in Action which had an aim to assist teachers in creating authentic units that considered various theoretical approaches to learning. In this presentation, a colleague and I walked participants though authentic units that relied on game-design thinking to engage students, including the aforementioned Global Communities unit. At the same conference, I also led a workshop called More Tech Doesn’t Mean More Learning: How to Infuse Digital Tools Using the SAMR Model. My interest in running this session was prompted by discussions with my peers on the forums of the ETEC 512 course about technology’s role in instructional design.
In November 2015, I also co-facilitated a session at an in-house professional development conference titled Gamification in Action which had an aim to assist teachers in creating authentic units that considered various theoretical approaches to learning. In this presentation, a colleague and I walked participants though authentic units that relied on game-design thinking to engage students, including the aforementioned Global Communities unit. At the same conference, I also led a workshop called More Tech Doesn’t Mean More Learning: How to Infuse Digital Tools Using the SAMR Model. My interest in running this session was prompted by discussions with my peers on the forums of the ETEC 512 course about technology’s role in instructional design.
Coursework Artefact #2
In May 2016, I began my ninth course in the MET program ETEC 522: Ventures in Learning Technology which provided immersion in the global learning technologies marketplace. One of the primary tasks for this course was the produce an Open Educational Resource (OER) that serves to explore and understand the dynamic nature and opportunities of an emerging market. Alongside one of my peers, we delivered an interactive week-long experience for our classmates on the topic of telepresence robots. Through this interactive website, participants engaged in discussions and learning activities concerning the possible implications of such technologies on various marketplaces. To be successful in this task, my partner and I had to exhibit tolerance and capacity to work with such an open-ended and ambiguous topic.
Application to Practice
Since returning to classroom teaching in September 2016, I have designed many problem-based units for my students. In Grade 9, students read nonfiction texts and researched a topic of their choice to present a Ted Talk that delivers their perspective on an “unsolvable” problem in the world. In Grade 10, students read a visual autobiography that depicts a woman’s childhood during the Islamic Revolution, then produced videos communicating an extension on a topic from the text. In addition, I have aligned the design process to the writing process to emphasis the cyclical nature of creating effective products. In Grade 8, students also used the design cycle to create pieces of media to promote clubs and events within the school community. Through the exploration of open-ended authentic world problems and the use of the design process, I strive to create learning environments that foster innovative thinkers.
References
Anderson, T. (2008). Toward a theory of online learning. In T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.) Chapter 2: Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Edmonton, Canada: Athabasca University Press.
Hendrickse, J. [HendrickseJohn]. (2015, November 12). Learning with the SAMR model [Twitter moment]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/HendrickseJohn/status/665037558816964608.
ISTE (2016, June). ISTE Standards for Students. Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/standards/standards/for-students-2016#startstandards.
Turple, C. (2015). Theoretical perspectives lesson plan critique: Global issues. Unpublished paper. The University of British Columbia, Canada.
Turple, C. & Vashisht, V. (2016, November 20). Telepresence Robots. Retrieved from http://telepresencerobots.weebly.com/what-do-you-think.html.