Learning to Use Technology: Creating a Lesson Plan

I don’t consider myself technologically savvy. But, I do have a minimum level of proficiency. So, when it came to having to create an ASSURE lesson plan, I felt somewhat intimidated. First of all, I am not currently teaching, and I have not taught before. So, having to come up with a lesson plan was in itself a challenge, and having to use an ASSURE model made the task even more daunting. The first thing I did was to search the web for examples and templates. I even asked cohorts who took the class for their samples. After seeing so many ASSURE lesson plans, I got a better sense of how to approach the assignment. And, what prompted me to step out of my comfort zone was when Dr. Cyrus reminded another student that this class was about technology. This was an enlightening assignment for me in that it introduced me to the NETS*S standards and the ASSURE model, and encouraged me to utilize technology.

NETS is the acronym for National Education Technology Standards developed by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). “The NETS•T (NETS for Teachers) 2000 defined the fundamental concepts, knowledge, skills, and attitudes for applying technology in educational settings” (International Society for Technology in Education ). Of the six Standards, I find the following objectives to be most appropriate for this assignment: 3D – Teaching, Learning, and the Curriculum – Teachers implement curriculum plans that include methods and strategies for applying technology to maximize student learning. Teachers: manage student learning activities in a technology-enhanced environment; and, 4C – Assessment and Evaluation – teachers implement curriculum plans that include methods and strategies for applying technology to maximize student learning. Teachers: use technology resources to collect and analyze data, interpret results, and communicate findings to improve instructional practice and maximize student learning. When first introduced to this assignment we counted M&Ms candies. The point of which was to get us to think about a lesson plan that would require students to be able to count something and discuss their findings. In the first day of my lesson plan, the students had to count the number of times they could bounce a tennis ball in 10 second intervals for two minutes, which required no technology. The students simply had to use a timing device with a second hand and pen and paper to record data. After gathering their data, the students then had to access the internet to find an appropriate digital spreadsheet to display their results. Standard 3D is applicable here since the teacher had to allow enough time between non-tech and technology activities. On the second day, the students used the digital spreadsheets to generate tables and graphs, and then discussed their findings. The discussion of the results is where 4C is applicable. They had to explore what variables could have produced different results, and what variables might not have affected the results. In my opinion, you can’t apply just one standard to any given lesson plan.

“The ASSURE model is an ISD (Instructional Systems Design) process that was modified to be used by teachers in the regular classroom. The ISD process is one in which teachers and trainers can use to design and develop the most appropriate learning environment for their students” (The ASSURE Model). In my notes from class I wrote; objectives have to be observable and measurable which is one of the things I learned about lesson planning. In this lesson plan I also learned the ABCDs of stating your objectives: Audience (who are your students), Behavior to be demonstrated, Conditions under which the behavior will be observed, and Degree to which the learned skills are to be mastered…Who, what, where and how? In class while we were discussing other students’ ideas, coming up with objectives seemed to be the most difficult. I believe one student said “Students to display critical thinking.” Well? How do you observe critical thinking and measure critical thinking? Another thing I learned about lesson plans is you don’t have to re-invent the wheel. Through the internet, there are thousands of lesson plans from all subjects. So, you can tap the creativity of others to help students learn. I made extensive use of my Delicious bookmarker, which is a great way to take advantage of the work other educators have done to find worthwhile education related resources. What is great about lesson plans is they are dynamic. You don’t have to stick to the same plan for each class. One lesson plan does not fit all.

This assignment was definitely an eye opener for me. I’ve stretched my abilities with technology to a level I had not dared to before, which is the best thing to come out of this assignment. I’ve actually made much use of what we have learned in class. The most obvious is the application of hyperlinks. Up to this point, I have three hyperlinks, two to my references, and one to my Delicious bookmarker. I use my delicious bookmarker interchangeably between classes. I always have it open when I am working in my Audio Visual or Human Growth and Development classes. I generally start my searches with Delicious and check out what others have discovered. If I find something on Google or Google Scholar, I will bookmark it in Delicious. I also made use of Slide.com. And, I created a website for my lesson plan on Weebly.com. Weebly was the easiest of three sites I attempted to use. The other two were Google Sites and Doodlekit. I was frustrated with Google because it wasn’t as user friendly as I thought it would be. And, Doodlekit only allowed a maximum of 5 free pages on which to build a site. However, with Weebly, I’m assuming, because of its simplicity, it is not a very sophisticated site. I’m sure I would have to pay to enhance what I can do on my website. Free is the word and I can only see my technology proficiency improving at this point.

The worst part of this assignment was coming up with an idea. Not being a teacher makes matters worse, because I can’t draw on prior experiences. Having graduated in 1984, doesn’t allow me with many experiences to draw from since issues of diversity and technology were not issues at all. However, I am thankful for the internet and my Delicious bookmark.

There’s so much to being a good teacher, and having a plan is part of the process. Planning or lack of planning can be the difference between your students learning or not. This assignment was definitely an eye opener for me. It allowed me to learn about NETS standards and the process of putting together an ASSURE lesson plan. I’ve also stretched my boundaries and took advantage of free technology to put together my lesson plan. All in all, I’ve made some personal gains during the process of completing this assignment, which I hope will continue to improve upon.

References
International Society for Technology in Education . (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2009, from National Educational Technology Standards: http://www.iste.org/

The ASSURE Model. (n.d.). Retrieved April 3, 2009, from http://www.unca.edu/education/edtech/techcourse/assure.htm