Multi-Faceted Unit Design

What I learned about unit design, so far…

By Inge Coatesingec@shaw.ca

inge.coates@ei.educ.ab.ca

How did the design process I am about to share with you come about?

What does ‘do it all’ mean in terms of unit design?

1. Know your materials2. Know your program of studies3. Consider how you will assess

progress4. Understand the importance of group

work5. Integrate technology6. Include choices for students7. Look for cross-curricular links8. Incorporate opportunities for inquiry

1 - Know your materials

– Read school-owned anthologies, from cover to cover

– Read the novels prescribed for your grade level

http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k%5F12/curriculum/bySubject/english/elares.aspLocation: Alberta Government Home > Education Home >

Kindergarten to Grade 12 > Curriculum > Curriculum By Subject

– Check for related media At your school (storage rooms and library too!)Available from your LRDC, NFB, viewing

rights…

– Bookmark interactive learning sites

Read with pen in hand– Use post-it notes– Write pencil notes to yourself in the

margins– Have paper on hand to jot down ideas

that occur to you as you read regardingContent (Rd,Wr,Ls,Vw,Sp,Rp & Met)Lessons (activities, etc.)Links to other material -> Thematic base

2. Know your program of studies

Why is it important to make our units outcomes-based?

Our mandate is to teach using the ELA Program of Studies guidelines

The program of studies outcomes should be used as a focus– For ourselves, to focus our lessons and

assessments– For our students, to focus their learning

Allows us to speak confidently regarding grade level of achievement assessment– To parents– To all stakeholders

What does the application of this process look like, so far?

9H Outline of Outcomes.doc

3. Consider how you will assess student progress

- Connect assessment to the program of studies

- Make sure assessment is useful, fair and valid

Consider how you will assess student progress

“Begin with the end in mind” (Steven Covey, 1989)

Connect your assessment to the program of studies outcomes - then plan the instruction and activities.

How To Develop and Use Performance Assessments in the Classroom (AAC)

– Step 1 Identify Learner Outcomes– Step 2 Determine Acceptable Evidence

(Criteria)– Step 3 Plan Learning Experiences and

Instruction– Step 4 Plan Assessment and Evaluation

Strategies– Step 5 - Reflection

9H Novels Unit.doc

Fair and Valid Assessment

How to Grade for Learning by Ken O’Connor (2002)– Linking grades– Using performance standards– Grading individual achievement– Sampling student performance– Changing grades– Crunching numbers

4. Understand the importance of group work

Designing productive group work assignments

The importance of teaching students how to work in groups– Constructivism (Jonassen, 1993)– Communities of Practice (Wenger,

1998)– Pedagogic Creed (Dewey,1897)– Organizations’ Needs (Senge, 1999)

More about group work

The role of trust In real-life, students will need to be able to

work in groups Evaluation

– Tied to ELA outcomes– Evaluation of group-work skills used as

feedback, not for marks– Group product evaluated for individual

contributions

5. Integrate technology

Coming to terms with the nature of technology

Marshal McLuhan’s principles that apply to our understanding when integrating technology:– The more things change, the more they

are the same– Technology magnifies what already

exists– Technology influences the way we see

the world - as a ‘global village’

Problem-solving computer-related issues

Technology is fickle - you can’t always count on it.

Compatibility issues / complexity & newness

Access / availability issues Students know more than we do Students may be off-task and into things

that they shouldn’t be

Ways in which technology can be integrated

Tools for publishing:– Word processing– Presentation platforms

(like ppt, quicktime…)

Samples of student work -

Theme posters for The Wild Children– Students first, individually, created

statements of theme for this novel.– They then searched for images that

could be metaphors for their statements of theme.

More ways in which technology can be integrated…

Student research– How to research

http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/reference/services/tutorials/DoingResearch.shtml#

– Where to research Search engines On-line library catalogues and periodicals …

Skill building– http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

Interactive learning sites– http://www.media-awareness.

ca/english/games/allies_aliens/kids.cfm

Even more ways in which technology can be integrated…

Collaboration– Share folders– Pick up and drop folders– Video conferencing

Accessing – Virtual speakers (http://ted.com/tedtalks/)– Virtual museums (http://www.virtualmuseum.

ca/English/index_flash.html)– Virtual field trips (http://www.theteachersguide.

com/virtualtours.html)

Other technologies

Audio versions of stories Film studies Visiting past technologies

– Recorded radio plays– Long-play records– Charlie Chaplin movies!

And more!

6. Include choices for students

Harnessing the Power of Choice

First set a basic structure for the work that students have to do, including:– Outline of what is

ahead– Expectations– ELA outcomes to

be learned– Evaluation criteria

Then give choices– Materials

(ex. choice of novels) – Topics

(if certain topics have to be covered, allow students to decide when to cover each)

– Treatment(allow students to decide when to apply which treatment)

7. Look for cross-curricular connections

Cross-curricular connections

Build such connections into student choices (materials, topics, treatment)

Focus on outcomes - what is it that they must demonstrate - and allow students to apply these outcomes in other subject areas

Find out, from other subject teachers, if you might be able to support their area in your classroom. Dialogue with these professionals will enrich practice in both classrooms - and the students benefit!

8. Incorporate opportunities for inquiry

Inquiry

A process of learning that encourages– Curiosity– Problem-solving or problem acknowledgement– Use of a variety of research strategies– Higher-level thinking and critical thinking– Independent thinking and group reflection– Evaluationhttp://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/

bySubject/http://www.inquiry.uiuc.edu/php/units.php

Multi-faceted Unit Design

1. Know your materials2. Know your program of studies3. Consider how you will assess student

progress 4. Understand the importance of group

work5. Integrate technology6. Include choices for students7. Look for cross-curricular connections8. Incorporate opportunities for inquiry

Works Cited (Page 1 of 2)

Alberta Assessment Consortium (2003). How to develop and use performance assessments in the classroom. Edmonton, AB.

Alberta Learning (2000). Program of Studies for English Language Arts K-9. Edmonton, AB: Curriculum Standards Branch.

Beebe, S.A. & Masterson, J.T.(2000). Communicating in Small Groups. New York; Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.

Covey, S. (1989). The seven habits of highly effective people. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Creech, S. (1994). Walk Two Moons. Toronto: Harpercollins.

Dewy, J. (1897). My pedagogic creed. The School Journal, LIV(3). 77-80.Retrieved August 21, 2003 from http://www.infed.org/archieves/e-texts/e-dew-pc.htm.

Works Cited (Page 2 of 2)

Holman, F. (1985). The Wild Children. New York: Penguin.

Jonassen, David H. (1993). Objectivism versus constructivism: Do we need a new philosophical paradigm? Educational Technology Research & Development, 29(3), 5 - 14.

McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding media: Extensions of man (2nd ed.). New York: Signet.

O’Connor, K. (2002). How to grade for learning. Thousand Oaks, C: A Corwin Press.

Senge, Peter. (1999). It’s the learning: The real lesson of the quality movement. Journal for Quality and Participation, 22(6). Retrieved May 22, 2003 from Academic Search Premier database.