Bitmojis and Science

     

                                                                    

       

BLUEPRINT

CANVAS PAGE

      

Detailed planning is the core of all course design.  It begins with knowing your audience, understanding what they already know, deciding what you want them to learn; determining how you will measure their gained knowledge and skills; and planning activities, assignments and using appropriate tools and materials that support the learning of every student.

To my surprise, I stayed pretty parallel with my Blueprint.  I spent a good 2 weeks on creating my Blueprint, embedding live links and already created documents.  I broke the Unit into chunks for time management assurance and higher student retention, I began with the end in mind and worked my way back to the Pre-think.  I wanted to be sure I met the needs of every learner by using a variety of tech tools and offering student choice.  I even incorporated an Expectations Discussion, during the Welcome module, asking students for their ideas and interests, hoping for a good start to building relationships.  I think an in-depth Blueprint is what helped keep me focused throughout the semester.

I tried to use a variety of technology tools in my Unit:

●      Gamification: Layers of Time Game

●      Think, Create, Share: Popplet

●      Community Board:  8th Grade Earth Science Community

I also provided my students with a diverse mixture of tech tools they can use to present their learning in a way that best works for them. 

Tech Tool Reference Page

The hardest part of my journey was CANVAS.  It started out as my arch nemesis but grew on me after a while.  I had never used an LMS before as an instructor, and learning takes time.  83 hours, 29 minutes, and 27 seconds to be exact.  I watched lots of videos and read hundreds of comments on CANVAS LMS Community to learn how to do things, but I did it!  I spent so much time navigating CANVAS that my detailed Blueprint really did save me; that and Bitmojis.

The biggest thing I would change in my Unit would be converting my slides into PAGES.  If they were PAGES I think the site would be easier to navigate.  Students would not have to continually rely on the back button.

I am truly amazed at what I created.  I feel like I produced a lesson that would engage students while giving them the opportunity to express their learning in a positive online community.  They will not only learn about Earth Science but master the skills of life-long learners.  Digital Literacy and Citizenship create noble and productive members of the community.  That is what I am truly proud of.