I had the opportunity to peer review an interactive learning resource on impulsive purchase behaviour which pod 6 created.

I was super excited at the opportunity to review your interactive learning resource on impulsive purchase behaviour. Your resource is very thoughtful, and the attention to detail was great to see, plus it was well laid out! The choice of activities made complete sense, and I loved how each activity built on the previous one. My suggestion would be to keep the first section a little more broad, having the text based resource, but also allowing the learners to explore their provocations of the topic as well. This will enhance the learners engagement, and they will have the opportunity to learn at their own pace and dive further into a resource they found interesting. Including the role play section into the activity list is a great idea and gets everyone moving around, everyone can use a brain break, and this activity will solidify understanding. The exit ticket and the peer review post are both great ideas to help the learners sum up all of their findings, as well as showing their understanding on impulsive purchase behaviour. I liked how you included the subtopics of the learning recourse, but it would be more beneficial if it connected directly with each activity in more detail. Overall, I found the activities chosen connected to your ideas well, and allowed learners to comprehend the topic in depth after working through all four. 

The rationale behind these activities are well thought out, and your explanation makes it easy to follow and see the connections you made. Perhaps you may consider that including constructivism, behaviourism, cognitivism, and inquiry as your rationale for the activities, within a two-hour time period, might be a little confusing and tricky to successfully hit every point. Although you did a great job at explaining these theories, I wasn’t sure about how you made the connection to the activities, more detail might be helpful for the reader. I found the links to articles very insightful, and showed how extensive your research was. 

I believe this topic is useful and totally relevant for this assignment. I loved how you included your connection with consumer purchase behaviour, and how your selected age group has a rationale behind it as well. I think a more detailed explanation as to why your pod decided to select this topic would elevated the learning context section. The learning outcomes look great and connect to your activities well. Based off of the criteria, it seems that you will need to fulfill another learning outcome for the first activity. The assessment plan includes formative and summative assessment within this interactive learning plan, which is great to include! The assessment plan makes it easy for any reader to take this plan and use the resource in the future. It was great to see how you included the instructor and what the learners would be doing as well. 

The selection of English as a second language learners, and loss of hearing are both different kinds of learners you addressed their learning needs very well and in-depth. The use of technology is imperative for the students success, and you did a great job at highlighting that with using google tools. It might be helpful for these students to be paired up with a buddy in the class so that they can work through activities with, or support each other when needed. It was great to also see the consideration of a colour blind student as well as ELL and loss of hearing student. I think this section meets the criteria for this assignment and then some! With this interactive resource, technology plays a huge role in keeping students engaged by using a bunch of tools in order to do that. Pointing out the fact that millennials are the target learner, and how technology is integrated into that was perfect! Using the internet to do research and discover more about the topic is always a good use of time. Using an auditory textbook is beneficial for students who get distracted, or struggle with getting meaning from simply reading the textbook (ELL learners.) Again, using google tools is a great resource that will support all students learning throughout the activities. 

I found this interactive learning resource on impulsive purchase behaviour very informative, and with a few small tweaks it should be in great shape! Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to view and comment on your resource. I learned a bunch along the way, and now I might have to dive into more on this topic. Great work!

Hi Brittany,

I found that both your blog and mine were quite similar, which isn’t that big of a surprise since we are creating the interactive learning resource together on the water cycle! I am so happy you highlighted this video that go noodle has created. Any go noodle video is great for students, and creates high levels of student engagement, as you mentioned. I love the idea of having the students perform the dance at the end of the unit to showcase their learning (I think the parents would to!) It is a perfect activity to provide a cross-curricular approach to science learning, because it does a great job at tying in physical health education as well. Thank you for sharing this great lesson idea with me, I will have to incorporate it myself in the future!

The video below is the one I found on Youtube, and I will be reviewing it based on the criteria below.

1. What kind of interaction would the video require from your students? Does it force them to respond in some way (inherent)?

In the video, there isn’t much student interaction other than watching the video and following along. This video would be a good introduction to the topic in a lesson, but it would need a detailed activity to build off of. Including the activity will elevate the lesson while also building connection for students by learning from hands-on learning as well.

2. In what way are they likely to respond to the video on their own, e.g. make notes, do an activity, think about the topic (learner-generated)?

Since this activity is directed at grade 2 students, the teacher will facilitate a class discussion after the video to create conversation around what was just watched. Throughout the video, students will simply be asked to watch and listen to the video as it plays.

3. What activity could you suggest that they do, after they have watched the video (designed)? What type of knowledge or skill would that activity help develop? What medium or technology would students use to do the activity?

After watching the video, should could complete the experiment on condensation that is suggested in the video. This will be done by the teacher with students watching, due to the fact that it involves boiling water. After watching this experiment, students will complete a worksheet to show their understanding on condensation. This would help solidify their knowledge on water cycles, specifically condensation. This activity altogether will involve a beaker, water, a hot plate, worksheet, and a pencil.

4. How would students get feedback on the activity that you set? What medium or technology would they and/or you use for getting and giving feedback on their activity?

Students will get feedback on the activity by having a student conference after completing their worksheet. This will allow the students to fully communicate their ideas to the teacher, as well as give the teacher an opportunity to have a conversation with the student and straighten out any confusion they have. 

5. How much work for you would that activity cause? Would the work be both manageable and worthwhile? Could the activity be scaled for larger numbers of students?

The work for this activity would be manageable, but will require prep work on the teachers behalf. Prep will involve set up for the experiment, and creating a worksheet. The student conference at the end will also take some time to get through, but is worthwhile to have that conversation with students. This is an activity that could be done with a large classroom of students, but would be more manageable with a smaller group of students.

6. How could the video have been designed to generate more or better activity from viewers or students?

I found that since this video is directed at primary students, it would have been nice to have it be more interactive instead of just go through the information. More of a question and answer type video to interact with more would have had higher student engagement and more interesting overall.

7. How will you address any potential barriers for your learners in the use of this video to ensure an inclusive design?

When playing this video for the class I would add subtitles, so that any student with a hearing impairment would be able to follow along. As well as pausing the video to check for student understanding at multiple points throughout the video. This will help facilitate discussion among students, and allow for a space to learn as a group. Lastly, I would make sure all students had access to the video and are able to hear and see it clearly. 

Hi Sifan, 

I really enjoyed reading over your blog on your interactive learning resource. It was great to include how you covered some general information about your interactive learning resource, so I could get a good idea of what your direction was with this assignment! I think a sleep guide during covid-19, is a great idea and definitely needed in these crazy times. Discussion forums are such great way to connect learners with many ideas, as well as creating a space to host those kind of conversations. I found that the two barriers you pointed out were totally reasonable and valid for many students. I struggle with motivation and time management in most things, and I believe thats a common occurrence for many. By providing time to build those connections with fellow learners it will elevate student motivation for sure! Having a structured timeline for completion of these tasks will also benefit students to stay on top of things! Thanks for sharing your plans for your final blueprint, I look forward to reading the final project!

For our interactive learning resource regarding the water cycle for grade 2 students, we have decided to take a centres based approach. This was done to include many ways of learning for all students to have an opportunity to thrive. This also promotes learning through exploring, and lets students have the chance to explore at their own pace. By setting up a variety of activities for students to work through, this creates an inclusive classroom environment where everyone is supported. With a combination of these steps taken, it will also ensure that the needs of all learners are met.

The selected activities we have outlined in our blueprint for our interactive resource are below. As a group, we tried to keep the activities as interactive and as integrated as we could. 

Activity 1 – Solar Still: water, bowls, heat, lamp, plastic wrap, rock/weight

Activity 2 – Vocabulary: Vocabulary cards

Activity 3 -Evaporation: Thick paintbrush, water dropper, lamp, timer, buddha board, ruler, pencil, 

Activity 4 – Condensation: Teacher Made model, Water,  Student graphic organizer, Zip-Lock baggies, Sharpie markers

Activity 5 – Precipitation: Glass Jar, Water, Eye dropper, Shaving Cream, Blue food colouring, Student graphic organizer 

Activity 6 – Collection: Plastic bottle, Water, Rocks, Sand, Clay, Bin/bucket 

Activity 7 – Water cycle model: Tea kettle, piece of cardboard, beaker, oven mitts, pencil, recording sheet, 

Activity 8 – Water molecule game: Water cycle environment signs, 6-8 pre-made die, Water cycle record sheet

Activity 9 – Water wheel: Pre Cut blank water wheels, Pre Cut water wheel covers, Colour pencils, Brass fasteners

Most activities we are able to tweak and change to suit the direction we take going forward with this resource. In any activity with an experiment element, it could be a barrier for student success. This is because if a step is messed up in the process of creating the experiment, the outcome could be wrong. These stations also involve a bunch of safety concerns, and it would be challenging for a teacher to mange that in a large class of students. To reduce that barrier, it would be easy to make a few adjustments so that the experiment was simple, and easy for the students to follow. It would also be helpful to limit the number of experiments going on at one time to make safety the number one priority. 

I am excited to develop of interactive learning resource on the water cycle for grade 2 students. Stay tuned to see the final outcome!

Hi Cassidy,

I enjoyed reading your blog on experiential learning! I found it very insightful, and you did a great job at explaining the approach. Commenting on how some kids don’t have the same background knowledge taught at home on certain topics is key to understanding the importance of experiential learning. Like you mentioned, learning through experience is so valuable and all kids need that to be successful life long learners. The resources you included were very helpful, and the links to research made complete sense and strengthened your ideas. Thanks for sharing more about experimental leaning with me!

Open pedagogy is an approach used to engage students in the subject material by having the teacher and students both collaboratively build and create the learning as the unit progresses. The belief one has when implementing open pedagogy in their classroom would be that they welcome openness and sharing to enhance learning. A teacher would also have to be passionate about social justice issues, meaning they would need to share multiple views on one issues, so students get a holistic view. I attached a video that explain open pedagogy in more detail. Open pedagogy is every content focused, as well as student contribution to that process. It is also important to make student work public, so that it can be showcased for others to learn from. This can be done in the form of blogs, posters, letters, it is imperative that the resources are ones they can access for years to come. Another helpful resource I found explaining open pedagogy is this website.

Since our focus on the water cycle is directed toward grade 2 students, it would be challenging in this scenario to design a unit with the involvement from students, as this is a mock unit. To use an open pedagogy approach for grade 2 students, it would need a lot of structure and scaffolding in order for students to understand expectations and take ownership of their learning. I believe that using the approach, open pedagogy, would be better suited for upper elementary and older. In relation to this project, I think another approach would be more beneficial, and better suited to get the learning across to the targeted grade 2 students in this case.

References:

(2020). Retrieved 22 May 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m64acpneH8Y

Education?, W., & Pedagogy?, W. (2020). What is Open Pedagogy? – BCcampus OpenEd Resources. Retrieved 22 May 2020, from https://open.bccampus.ca/what-is-open-education/what-is-open-pedagogy/

Hi Amanda,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to look over your blog on instructional approaches. I agree that the article was a fantastic way to begin this course, and get everyone thinking about the theories behind learning design. I also found the chapter to be insightful at reminding me of the do’s and don’ts when designing a lesson for student success. Thank you for bringing up possibly the worst memory in mathematics in elementary school. I vividly remember taking those “mad minutes.” Even though they weren’t my favourite, they are a great example of what the behaviourism approach is. I appreciate how you gave examples of each behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism it gave me a better depiction of how to incorporate those approaches into my lesson plans in the future!

In the video “Khan Academy and the Effectiveness of Science Videos” on YouTube, I found some concepts to be misleading to the viewer. I disagree with the idea that science videos aren’t engaging and students won’t understand the material, unless they tackle their own misconceptions first. I don’t believe that videos are the best tool to use alone to support student learning when they are trying to understand a new concept. Videos are a great tool to use alongside or integrated in lessons, but students need to experience ideas and new concepts for themselves with hands-on learning to solidify the idea. 

At first, I found the motivation theory difficult to comprehend, because of the variance from person to person. If everyone learns differently, how is it possible for motivation be a versatile theory? After digesting that and breaking it down a bit more, I realized that if students needs were met, they will be motivated to learn and take ownership of their learning. The Keller’s Arcs Model helped depict the motivation of students. Once I understood the four main categories (attention, relevance, confidence, satisfaction) I began diving deeper into how these four things tied into motivation in relation to lesson development. Student motivation is dependent on how the teacher plans lessons and units overall. Teachers can increase student motivation by keeping students engaged throughout the lesson, creating relevant material for the students, building confidence along the way, and supporting students in achieving their learning goals. These four things can be done by creating a dynamic lesson from the start to finish that meets the needs of all students. Including engaging activities that are meaningful to the students, with teacher support that is integrated throughout the lesson to build confidence and help students reach their goals. Here is a lesson plan I made for grade 3 students that shows motivation theory in practice.

I took the approach of building understanding for this theory by reflecting of my own learning journey and experiences. Growing up, and going through elementary school I struggled with most subjects, but specifically English. I never had the motivation, because I didn’t feel like I had the support from my teachers. They never understood why I didn’t pick up reading and writing, even though I voiced my frustration on many occasions. If I had a teacher that took a cognitivism approach, they would’ve helped me develop strategies and make connections to my prior experience. I believe this could’ve helped my immensely, instead of not understanding why it didn’t click for me. I had to create my own strategies, learning words by memorizing what they looked like, the meaning and putting it together to read and write. Fast forward to grade 10, and I was still having the same issues with reading and writing. It was starting to get in the way of my success in other subjects, so I finally got a psychoeducational assessment. It turns out I am dyslexic, and that is the reason I struggled through school all of those years. The biggest takeaway from my experience, is that as a future educator I have to be that teacher for my students. One that supports students, and gives them the tools to be successful with their learning outcomes. 

References:

 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVtCO84MDj8&feature=emb_logo&gt; [Accessed 16 May 2020].

Arcsmodel.com. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.arcsmodel.com/arcs-categories&gt; [Accessed 16 May 2020].

ePortfolio, A., 2020. Alyssa Lloyd Eportfolio. [online] Sites.google.com. Available at: <https://sites.google.com/view/alyssalloydeportfolio/home?authuser=0&gt; [Accessed 16 May 2020].

Ertmer, P. and Newby, T., 2008. Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features from an Instructional Design Perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 6(4), pp.50-72.

Holstermann, N., Grube, D. and Bögeholz, S., 2009. Hands-on Activities and Their Influence on Students’ Interest. Research in Science Education, 40(5), pp.743-757.

PositivePsychology.com. 2020. Motivation In Education: What It Takes To Motivate Our Kids. [online] Available at: <https://positivepsychology.com/motivation-education/&gt; [Accessed 16 May 2020].