- Where does the Overview/Introduction/Start Here module fit into the overall course map or design?
- Because I am creating a “course” for the 3rd 9 Weeks of Algebra 2, it is really like a Week 1 “welcome back from winter break, let’s rebuild our community” module. Sometimes students will transfer from other schools or even other classes, so starting the new calendar year off with an opportunity to get to know each other as well as refocus back into the learning mindset and thinking tasks structure from the Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics is necessary.
- How is your instructional design approach realized in the modules?
- The modules have a lot of the digital components that students can work through independently if they choose but also can be utilized in a more structured setting. I will incorporate these components in the physical classroom and depending upon the class period or the individual students, I plan to use these resources to meet their needs. For some students, working through the Desmos activities independently will best support their learning but for others, working with a partner or spending a class period to explicitly work through the activity might be better. For platforms like Blooket, games can be done live and in a competition format but also be adapted to work individually towards a common goal. Something I plan on devoting time to developing further are scavenger hunts. Right now, they are written as physical resources just put into digital documents but making them more interactive through Google slides is something I have done before and plan on creating with the materials I already have.
- The assessment pieces are also mixed. Our campus requires us to use a digital testing platform called Aware which implements a structure where questions are TEKS-aligned, driving the competency-based education model, which is what is typically used for quick checks and the summative assessments. For the reflection piece as assessment as learning, I have found that students do a better job when they have to physically write out their reflection or discuss it in person with a peer or myself. While I have used forms and online submissions for reflections in the past, I may use the digital resources to support the physical writing and conversation rather than completely replace it.
- Where are you sharing the main course goal and outcomes with your learners?
- These are built directly in each module. The main course goal is within the syllabus, but I will likely bring it up during reflection opportunities as well as in class discussions.
- How does the unit/module align outcomes/goals activities and assessment?
- Within the learning resources page in each week’s module, documents that allow students to check their understanding are titled in student-friendly language to capture the objective, but they are also embedded within the resources.
- Is this student-centered or teacher-led?
- It is a majority student-centered but periodically will be teacher-led. The goal will be to transition away from teacher-led into student-centered as the weeks progress. While the teacher controls the topics addressed, the learners control the approach, pacing, and utilization of resources to explore, acquire, and enhance their understanding of a topic or objective. Because the course is restricted by the calendar and grading cycles of the campus, it is not necessarily flexible for learners to go fully at their own pace but within a specific time frame, they can move through checkpoints at their own pace.
- What is the scope or range of the instructor’s role (i.e. Presenter, Facilitator, Coach, Mentor)?
- This also varies quite a bit, depending upon a number of factors, such as the module and where it is in the sequence of the 3rd nine weeks, the class, and individual students. As this would be the third major grading cycle, I would hope that I would move away from a presenter who models the learning to one who facilitates activities at times, coaches students on their strengths and areas of improvement, and mentors them into diving deeper in their understanding of mathematics and 21st century skills in general.
- Is the course blended or fully online?
- This course is blended. I serve students who are involved in a variety of additional activities, both academic and athletic, and this is the time of year when district, region, area, and state competitions happen. Students would have time in the classroom to progress through the modules but also have the opportunity to be able to move ahead if needed in anticipation of being physically absent from the classroom. It also helps to support students who may be out sick unexpectedly and can work through the content without being too far behind or having to rely on the making up the missing work while in class.
- How are you introducing the course and yourself and how are you building the learning community?
- Because this is the second semester of Algebra 2, I will already know a majority of the students, so it is really like a Week 1 “welcome back from winter break, let’s rebuild our community” module. Sometimes students will transfer from other schools or even other classes, so starting the new calendar year off with an opportunity to get to know each other as well as refocus back into the learning mindset and thinking tasks structure from the Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics is necessary. Then, as the modules progress, more discussions will occur digitally and in the classroom, so as students get to know each other even more, the community of growth and collaboration will build.
- What is the ratio or percentage of synchronous to asynchronous collaboration?
- This is a hard question for me to answer because it also develops through the nine weeks. When students are in the classroom, I anticipate a majority of the time spent on synchronous collaboration through physical activities, such as thinking tasks at the whiteboard, scavenger hunts, or even some of the digital activities that can be done “live” like Desmos activities or Blooket. Asynchronous collaboration is not out of the question though and I envision it being mostly seen in the discussion boards. After students collaborate and communicate their thinking in class, they would then, on their own time, go into the discussion boards and express their ideas in writing as well as respond to peers’ ideas as they come in.
- How will you address the infrastructure, system, and support needs and issues the learner may face?
- I plan on making modules like this for the other nine weeks so as students have issues with Canvas, I will find the resources and build a “technology support” module or page. Our district started using Canvas during the 2023-2024 school year so the technological misunderstandings will, for the most part, be resolved. There will be components of the digital platform that are new for some students, such as the discussion boards, but within the discussion boards I have provided sentence stems and ideas on how to provide feedback and responses. As students interact with discussion boards, I will use their work to show “exemplar” responses and address how to make other responses better.