2.4 - Higher Order Thinking Skills
Candidates model and facilitate the effective use of digital tools and resources to support and enhance higher order thinking skills (e.g., analyze, evaluate, and create); processes (e.g., problem-solving, decision-making); and mental habits of mind (e.g., critical thinking, creative thinking, metacognition, self-regulation, and reflection). (PSC 2.4/ISTE 2d)
Artifact: Unstructured Field Experience: 2nd Grade Math Money Problems Technology Integration Lesson Plan
Reflection:
In this task, I worked with an administrator and group of second grade teachers to assist in generating a lesson plan that effectively integrated technology in a way that would promote higher-order thinking skills, processes, and mental habits of mind. Teachers did not wish for students to simply complete a tutorial on the computer for this standard but would rather have students think critically and creatively and use technology to demonstrate their ability to use these skills and their mastery of the content, in this case, solving math money problems. I advised that an effective way for students to display this knowledge would be to have students create their own math money problems in storyboard software. Students would create a story of a scenario that could occur in real life, generate a problem in which the characters had to subtract or add money in order to purchase items, determine how much money was required, and how much change would be returned to their character once the item was purchased. To further assist teachers in the implementation of this lesson plan, I generated a lesson plan showed the alignment of the activity to both the content standards and the NETS-S standards, a detailed instructional plan, a sample assessment rubric that could be adapted to their use, and the characteristics of the learning environment and technology integration level associated with the Arizona K-12 Technology Integration Matrix that is used in our district for evaluation purposes. Once I generated the lesson plan and shared it with teachers, we set up a time for me to model and coach them on the use of the Storyboard That tool. Once this process was complete, we set up times for me to come and co-teach the lesson with teachers who needed additional support to implement the lesson.
Standard 2.4, Higher Order Thinking Skills, asks that candidates demonstrate the ability to model and facilitate the effective use of digital tools and resources to support and enhance higher order thinking skills (e.g., analyze, evaluate, and create); processes (e.g., problem-solving, decision-making); and mental habits of mind (e.g., critical thinking, creative thinking, metacognition, self-regulation, and reflection)” (PSC 2.4/ISTE 2d). In this experience, I both modeled and facilitated the effective use of digital tools by researching, selecting, and recommending a digital tool appropriate for the learning task, generating a lesson plan for teachers to use, and co-teaching the lesson alongside the teachers. The lesson plan created, which outlines the use of the digital tool, supports higher order thinking skills by allowing students to create their own story problems digitally, promotes problem solving, a type of process outlined by the standard, and enhances particular mental habits of mind of students, like critical thinking and creative thinking.
This was the first opportunity for me as a technology coach to design a lesson plan from beginning to end, as prior to this experience, teachers had a lesson plan in mind and simply wanted suggestions on digital tools and instruction on how to implement them. The most important knowledge I gained from this experience was actually that simply generating a lesson plan that used a digital tool to promote higher-order thinking skills was not enough. Teachers felt better about implementing the lesson with support and more confident in its success with me facilitating the lesson rather than just modeling it for them. If I were to go back, I would likely try to gather more student samples to show teachers as we discussed the lesson. Teachers were not confident that students had the technology skills to use the digital tool effectively and were pleasantly surprised to find students could do so. It would help to show them ahead of time how the tool has been used by students of the same age group and eliminate the doubt up front.
When the lesson was implemented, teachers noted higher engagement of students and evidence of deeper analysis and problem solving than what was seen previously and teachers concluded that there was an improvement in student learning as a result of the lesson. Students enjoyed creating digital models of real-life scenarios and being able to share these creations with others. In addition, teachers found ways to use the digital tool for other lessons, so the lesson plan aimed at student improvement ended up leading to faculty development. Finally, teachers gained confidence in students’ abilities and are more likely to implement lessons like these in the future.
In this task, I worked with an administrator and group of second grade teachers to assist in generating a lesson plan that effectively integrated technology in a way that would promote higher-order thinking skills, processes, and mental habits of mind. Teachers did not wish for students to simply complete a tutorial on the computer for this standard but would rather have students think critically and creatively and use technology to demonstrate their ability to use these skills and their mastery of the content, in this case, solving math money problems. I advised that an effective way for students to display this knowledge would be to have students create their own math money problems in storyboard software. Students would create a story of a scenario that could occur in real life, generate a problem in which the characters had to subtract or add money in order to purchase items, determine how much money was required, and how much change would be returned to their character once the item was purchased. To further assist teachers in the implementation of this lesson plan, I generated a lesson plan showed the alignment of the activity to both the content standards and the NETS-S standards, a detailed instructional plan, a sample assessment rubric that could be adapted to their use, and the characteristics of the learning environment and technology integration level associated with the Arizona K-12 Technology Integration Matrix that is used in our district for evaluation purposes. Once I generated the lesson plan and shared it with teachers, we set up a time for me to model and coach them on the use of the Storyboard That tool. Once this process was complete, we set up times for me to come and co-teach the lesson with teachers who needed additional support to implement the lesson.
Standard 2.4, Higher Order Thinking Skills, asks that candidates demonstrate the ability to model and facilitate the effective use of digital tools and resources to support and enhance higher order thinking skills (e.g., analyze, evaluate, and create); processes (e.g., problem-solving, decision-making); and mental habits of mind (e.g., critical thinking, creative thinking, metacognition, self-regulation, and reflection)” (PSC 2.4/ISTE 2d). In this experience, I both modeled and facilitated the effective use of digital tools by researching, selecting, and recommending a digital tool appropriate for the learning task, generating a lesson plan for teachers to use, and co-teaching the lesson alongside the teachers. The lesson plan created, which outlines the use of the digital tool, supports higher order thinking skills by allowing students to create their own story problems digitally, promotes problem solving, a type of process outlined by the standard, and enhances particular mental habits of mind of students, like critical thinking and creative thinking.
This was the first opportunity for me as a technology coach to design a lesson plan from beginning to end, as prior to this experience, teachers had a lesson plan in mind and simply wanted suggestions on digital tools and instruction on how to implement them. The most important knowledge I gained from this experience was actually that simply generating a lesson plan that used a digital tool to promote higher-order thinking skills was not enough. Teachers felt better about implementing the lesson with support and more confident in its success with me facilitating the lesson rather than just modeling it for them. If I were to go back, I would likely try to gather more student samples to show teachers as we discussed the lesson. Teachers were not confident that students had the technology skills to use the digital tool effectively and were pleasantly surprised to find students could do so. It would help to show them ahead of time how the tool has been used by students of the same age group and eliminate the doubt up front.
When the lesson was implemented, teachers noted higher engagement of students and evidence of deeper analysis and problem solving than what was seen previously and teachers concluded that there was an improvement in student learning as a result of the lesson. Students enjoyed creating digital models of real-life scenarios and being able to share these creations with others. In addition, teachers found ways to use the digital tool for other lessons, so the lesson plan aimed at student improvement ended up leading to faculty development. Finally, teachers gained confidence in students’ abilities and are more likely to implement lessons like these in the future.