3.5 Basic Troubleshooting
Candidates troubleshoot basic software and hardware problems common in digital learning environments. (PSC 3.5/ISTE 3e)
Artifact: Internet Lesson Plan
Reflection:
The Internet Lesson plan was created in ITEC 7430 Internet Tools in the Classroom and implemented in my Advanced Placement Literature and Composition class. Students composed a comparison-contrast analysis essay based on Fences, a play by August Wilson, and A Lesson Before Dying, a novel by Earnest J. Gaines. Both texts focus on African-American main characters in the pre-civil rights era, but each text is set in a different location. Students used various digital tools, including Padlet, blogging, and Google Docs, to scaffold each component of the writing process.
This lesson plan includes my ability to troubleshoot basic hardware and software problems. Before implementing each of the digital tools I ensured that the students and I, as the teacher, were familiar with how to operate each tool. My students were extremely familiar with Google Drive and blogging as Internet tools to support writing from previous assignments; still, I set up and tested the blog using a sample student account before assigning it to the class to ensure the link was active and the comments feature was showing. Padlet was a new tool, so I allowed students to practice using Padlet on a different assignment a few days prior to allow them to learn the tool. I did learn that students could not make changes, other than additions, to the Padlet after a 24-hour period; also, I determined that it would be helpful for students to label each Padlet entry with their names so that I could track student input. Based on these findings, I created a Padlet tip sheet to be used in the actual assignment, which also included instructions for establishing privacy settings and choosing a single person in the assigned group to be responsible for arranging and moving the Padlet sticky notes.
While I learned a great deal about selecting Internet tools by creating this lesson plan, I also was reminded the importance of troubleshooting the tools. It is important for the teacher to not just understand how the tool operates, but to actually operate it, since many problems are unknown until they are actually experienced. It is important for teachers not to rely on tools they have never before tried, since doing so may cause the teacher and students to spend more time learning how to operate the technology, rather than using the technology to accomplish a specific learning outcome. In reflecting on the artifact, I would change students’ use of the Padlet tool. Rather than having students using a single Padlet for both group brainstorming and essay outlining, I think students should have a new and individual Padlet for essay outlining. Doing so will ensure students stay focused on the essential information, rather than on extraneous information, and simply clean up the clutter on the Padlet page.
The Internet Lesson plan impacted student learning by scaffolding each step of the writing process—from brainstorming to final draft. Even though the lesson was designed for AP students who are typically more proficient writers than other students, these students still struggle when comparing two full-length texts because they forget the importance of specific details and tend to rely instead on vague and general descriptions. Using the Padlet to brainstorm collaboratively kept them focused on the details while allowing them to benefit from shared examination of the text. Similarly, sharing their writing with their peers through blogging and Google Docs kept students accountable and gave them an audience for their writing.
The Internet Lesson plan was created in ITEC 7430 Internet Tools in the Classroom and implemented in my Advanced Placement Literature and Composition class. Students composed a comparison-contrast analysis essay based on Fences, a play by August Wilson, and A Lesson Before Dying, a novel by Earnest J. Gaines. Both texts focus on African-American main characters in the pre-civil rights era, but each text is set in a different location. Students used various digital tools, including Padlet, blogging, and Google Docs, to scaffold each component of the writing process.
This lesson plan includes my ability to troubleshoot basic hardware and software problems. Before implementing each of the digital tools I ensured that the students and I, as the teacher, were familiar with how to operate each tool. My students were extremely familiar with Google Drive and blogging as Internet tools to support writing from previous assignments; still, I set up and tested the blog using a sample student account before assigning it to the class to ensure the link was active and the comments feature was showing. Padlet was a new tool, so I allowed students to practice using Padlet on a different assignment a few days prior to allow them to learn the tool. I did learn that students could not make changes, other than additions, to the Padlet after a 24-hour period; also, I determined that it would be helpful for students to label each Padlet entry with their names so that I could track student input. Based on these findings, I created a Padlet tip sheet to be used in the actual assignment, which also included instructions for establishing privacy settings and choosing a single person in the assigned group to be responsible for arranging and moving the Padlet sticky notes.
While I learned a great deal about selecting Internet tools by creating this lesson plan, I also was reminded the importance of troubleshooting the tools. It is important for the teacher to not just understand how the tool operates, but to actually operate it, since many problems are unknown until they are actually experienced. It is important for teachers not to rely on tools they have never before tried, since doing so may cause the teacher and students to spend more time learning how to operate the technology, rather than using the technology to accomplish a specific learning outcome. In reflecting on the artifact, I would change students’ use of the Padlet tool. Rather than having students using a single Padlet for both group brainstorming and essay outlining, I think students should have a new and individual Padlet for essay outlining. Doing so will ensure students stay focused on the essential information, rather than on extraneous information, and simply clean up the clutter on the Padlet page.
The Internet Lesson plan impacted student learning by scaffolding each step of the writing process—from brainstorming to final draft. Even though the lesson was designed for AP students who are typically more proficient writers than other students, these students still struggle when comparing two full-length texts because they forget the importance of specific details and tend to rely instead on vague and general descriptions. Using the Padlet to brainstorm collaboratively kept them focused on the details while allowing them to benefit from shared examination of the text. Similarly, sharing their writing with their peers through blogging and Google Docs kept students accountable and gave them an audience for their writing.