D1Q3

=Question 3:= =Your principal in your (elementary/middle/high school – you pick the grade level for this question) asks you to pick and justify what you believe to be the most IMPORTANT standard of the 4 AASL standards.= ==He then says that he will support your efforts to integrate this into the curriculum but first, you must explain to him what the enactment of the STANDARD would look like in concrete terms for a certain grade of students (grades 2, 5, 8, 10, 12 – you pick the specific grade to focus on). Specifically, for your chosen STANDARD map out:(a) ONE Skill Indicator and grade-specific Benchmark, (b) related Disposition in Action Indicator and Sample Behavior, (c) related Responsibility Indicator and Sample Behavior, and Self-Assessment Strategy. Use pages 13-62 in the AASL publication to put this together. Your classmates will critique the coherence of your outline.==



The most interesting part of this question is the choice and justification of which standard is the most important. The choice reveals what each student values in the educational process and in the Standards themselves.

 Although almost everyone resisted the idea of choosing a single standard as the most important, ultimately everyone did choose. The choices were divided almost evenly between the four standards: Standard 1 & 2 each got three “votes” and Standards 3 & 4 both got two. This is a good sign for it shows each standard’s validity and place as a standard. We discovered that when put in the position of choosing one to be the most important it is wise to consider the context in which it will be used. Both the lesson and the needs of the students should determine which standard will be the primary focus for a unit of study. Everyone made compelling arguments for their choice of standard and what this ultimately shows is how they can each be creatively woven into any instructional unit. The standards offer flexibility and can be integrated into a lesson for any age and any subject.

Those who chose Standard 1 cited the need to begin at the beginning and get the foundations in order, before moving on. Shelly Borysiewicz says “This standard is a fundamental building block for the other standards.”

 Those who chose Standard 2 cited the life skills involved in making connections between the curriculum and real life. Laura Spangler likes how Standard 2 helps students become “independent thinkers, valuable workers, and thoughtful citizens.”

 Those who chose Standard 3 envisioned more specific situations in response to their choice. KT Moore chose Standard 3 for a specific situation in which a school has suddenly received a lot of technology. Stacy Kitsis imagined a school addressing cyberbullying. This approach was questioned somewhat in the discussion, on the theory that every school needs to address all Standards.

 Those who chose Standard 4 cited its emphasis on the highest form of education and personal expression on Blooms Taxonomy, feeling that it provides motivation for students to pursue learning. In the discussion around these projects, there was a sense that Standard 4 is most often neglected of the Standards, and yet in both the projects and the discussion, it was largely agreed that Standard 4 provides motivation and addresses the whole child.

 Overall, more than half of us chose to complete our lesson plans through the use of technology. Options ranged from YouTube vidoes and Glogster posters, to Powerpoints and blogs. Many of us thought through the collaboration with a classroom teacher, but forgot to include it in our response. Additionally, those of us who are not teachers are uncomfortable with the process of creating a lesson plan. Finally, only a few of us considered how to expand this one project into a school wide push for collaboration.

Discussion 1 HOME
 * Question 1
 * Question 2
 * Question 3
 * Question 4