Week 10

Essential Question: How can I differentiate through student product in my classroom?

In thinking about doing this as a unit of study with a class, I've narrowed my options a bit for the remainder of the year.  I currently only teach 3 classes that can be considered "classes" in the more traditional sense - the rest of my courses are online independent study courses that I administer, monitor and tutor. Students in those courses are working independently and at different paces.  Of the 3 traditional classes, two of them are already committed to projects that will probably be taking up most of the coming month.  That leaves me with one, my junior high beginning technology class.  As it happens, I had planned for these students to be spending a good part of April studying various aspects of video (creation, sharing, publishing, effects, etc.), so I thought this would be a good time to begin to incorporate some of the elements of our digital storytelling project that my group did for project 1.  My students have had some video basics, in that they have been introduced to and used some online slideshow and presentation tools, and have worked a little with video planning and publishing in the form of screencasting, and a digital citizenship video they made early in the year.

From years of experience as a high school and junior high English teacher, I can safely say that what students learn about fiction and story writing does not automatically translate to video.  The goal of this project will be to help junior high students see the explicit link that exists between a good written story and a good multimedia story - they share some key elements that are important to emphasize. Video is an important and powerful medium, and to use it well and for impact, students will need to understand the importance of bringing out these elements, and learn techniques for doing this effectively in a digital medium.

I'll be able to differentiate in many ways throughout the process of this project.  Students will be able to see a variety of good examples, as well as having a choice in what they themselves write about, and how they bring that story to life in the form of a video.

So far, I've determined a rough idea for an EQ, the performance assessment, as well as the standards I want to address.  At the end of this post is the rubric I intend to use for the performance assessment, although other formative assessments will certainly occur along the way - the most important being the rubric addressing their original written piece, and the rubric addressing their story table.  I think the rubrics, along with a series of checklists and due dates, will give students more control over the pieces they will produce.

-->

EQ

The essential question I am thinking of to guide this project would be something along the lines of – How can we use technology to convey the elements of a well-written story into an effective multimedia story?

Performance Assessment

For a performance assessment students will create a digital story adapted from a story they have written.  The digital story will contain the required elements of written fiction to include point of view, tone, setting, character, plot, conflict, climax, and resolution.

Standards:
The Standards I'd like to focus on for this project are as follows:

-->

Reading:

Key Ideas and Details:

3. Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

-->

Writing:

Text Types and Purposes:

3. Use narrative writing to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well‐ structured event sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to advance the action and convey experiences and events.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events. 

-->

Technology:

ISTE NETSs

1. Creativity and Innovation

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

a.    Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes

b.    Create original works as a means of personal or group expression

6. Technology Operations and Concepts

Students demonstrate a sound understanding
of technology concepts, systems, and operations.

a.    Understand and use technology systems

b.    Select and use applications effectively and productively

c.     Troubleshoot systems and applications

d.    Transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies

Final Performance Assessment Rubric