APPLICATION 6: Enthralling Learning Experience

 

 

 

 

 

Hypothetical Activity

To

Enthrall and Excite

Student Learners

Rochelle Henely

June 10, 2006

                                                                            #6661T2005

            Nothing is more exciting or enthralling than high school graduation and the future of a young adult. Equipped with the tools needed to proceed to this important next step, each graduate will continue upon his chosen path. This is a major transition for these seniors and with it comes stress and anxiety (School to Work Checklist. 2006). Although you hear the exuberant cheer, “We’re outta here”, these young adults are leaving their safe haven of the past thirteen years and stepping out on their own. Planning wisely can lessen the anxiety of this tumultuous transition.

            The daunting task of choosing the proper path in life is a tough decision for any age. In this activity, the students will explore the many different options available to them. The students are to develop a presentation that analyzes three different paths upon graduation; immediately entering the workforce, secondary training for a skilled position, and obtaining a degree at a four-year college to enter their field of expertise. The teacher will provide an introductory lecture about all of the relevant components necessary to understand the project and understand each component.

            Learner assessment will be handled by several different methods. A teacher created rubric, teacher observation, and a presentation using PowerPoint. The rubric will assess learner participation, peer interaction, and understanding of the objectives. Daily teacher observation will ensure that all class members are on task and contributing to the project. Any questions can be addressed to maximize student understanding. After the project is completed, each student will create a slide show presentation to present to the class. The slide show should be an overview of their particular experience highlighting what they learned about the future possibilities. During the evaluation process, the teacher should make notes of any weaknesses that the majority of the students have and plan to revise the lesson plan for future classes.

            To begin this project the students will spend two to three days in the Career center researching hard copies of different options. Counselors will also discuss with the group the statistics of our school system for the past four graduating classes. All of these presentations will be open forums, with the students and counselors working together. Our school to work counselor will also speak to the group about different career options. We will discuss and decide on bringing in speakers from the workplace to discuss different careers with the students. The value of the experience brought to this project by the adults is invaluable to the students. Involving the community in this part of the lesson will not only strengthen this project but it will provide an important link between the school and the community (Epstein, J.L., Saunders, M.G., Simon, B.S., Salinas, K.C., Jansorn, N.R., & Van Voorhis, F.L. 2002). The interaction with the adults will engage the student in the decision-making component of the project thus becoming relevant to each individual learner. The students are more likely to be actively engaged if they feel that what they are learning is of value to them personally (Rogers, S., & Renard, L., 1999).

            Technology enhances any learning experience. After the initial meeting with counselors and guest speakers, the students will continue their research through the use of technology. In this activity, the students will be creating a presentation using PowerPoint to present to the class the choices that they have found open to them. Several of the main components of this project are the following;

• Discuss why three specific options were chosen
• Support these decisions with interviews via the internet, statements provided through personal interviews, or documents supporting your comments
• Provide graphs comparing the projected cost and earnings over the next 8 years for each option
• Discuss the next step you will take prior to graduation to fulfill your future plans

 

These criteria will help fulfill the technological fluency needed by today’s learner of the knowledge-value era (Laureate Education, Inc. 2004. Program Five). Using communication, technology, and creativity the students will complete a project that they will be able to answer for themselves their favorite question, “When will we ever use this?”

            The overall use of the internet is expanding all the time. Now, not only are students searching through an immobile site, they have access to real people with real answers to their individual questions. There is more and more information available every day providing resources beyond our imagination. The opportunities available in the 21^st Century that were not even dreamed of twenty years ago make learning with the use of the internet a rich and invaluable tool.

            Take the following website http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/highlights/index.html that allows students to hear astronauts answer questions submitted to them from around the world. The students visit the Astronaut Flight Lounge and choose an astronaut to respond to various questions. Just the word NASA, enthralls and excites the young astronaut in all of us. It is exciting to view a “regular person” that is in a position of such respect and honor. Teachers and students can find valuable and interesting information all throughout the NASA site.

            Another site that would be beneficial in this student task would be Ask an Expert located at http://www.askanexpert.com/. This site gives students the chance to talk to experts in different fields of study. The site’s instructions are on the first page and are very easy to follow. This site can also give students a chance to practice interviewing skills. The questions are formed by the student and addressed by an expert in the field of study that the question falls under. Students then receive an answer via e-mail. This is a very friendly and easy-to-use site. These small but important connections to real-world experts will enhance the students learning (George Lucas Educational Foundation. 2003).

            Integrating technology into any lesson will not only open the doors to worldwide information, but also capture the interest of most students. As stated by The George Lucas Foundation, the following are major reason to integrate technology into the classroom:

• Personal and social responsibility
• Planning, critical thinking, reasoning, and creativity
• Strong communication skills, both interpersonal and presentation needs
• Cross-cultural understanding
• Visual and decision-making
• Knowing how and when to use technology and choosing the most appropriate tool for the task

 

            Each of the websites provides excellent interaction by telecollaboration and telepresence. The students are sure to find many other opportunities for collaboration during the course of this project. The manner in which the students are able to access information is definitely enthralling and putting this together with other Medias will make for an ultra-learning experience. Critical thinking activities and collaboration will provide the students with practice of important skills for today’s workplace Eyes will be opened to many educational resources available to better instruct the student allowing them to learn and develop into a productive being of the 21^st century.

            An additional bonus of this project is that it fulfills many of the criteria of technology in education as provided by NETS Standards for Students (ISTE NETS Project. 2000-2005).

 

• Technology communications tools - Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.
• Technology research tools - Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources. Students use technology tools to process data and report results.
• Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools - Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions. (National Education Technology Standards for Students, 2000)

           
            The technology standards are a resource to assist teachers and students in achieving the many technological needs in the 21^st Century. These guidelines should be utilized by today’s educators to make the learning experience relevant and substantial to every learner. The ISTE project committee believes. “To live, learn, and work successfully in an increasingly complex and information-rich society, students must be able to use technology effectively (ISTE NETS Project. 2000-2005).

            In this activity (since this is hypothetical), all the resource needed will be readily available. The counselors will be more than willing and have the time to meet with my classes. We will also have space in the computer labs each day to research and document our project. I can also assume that my seniors will have an idea of where they want to go in life, even with a few months to graduation, some are still unsure of their future plans. This project could have been completed in any era of education, but the resources available in today’s technological era of education will make this an enthralling learning experience for the students. I hope that as stated at the start of this paper, completion of this project will lessen the stress in this overwhelmingly important decision that these young adults need to make. Enthralling experiences are defined as those that offer pleasant surprises designed to delight the “customer” (Laureate Education, Inc. 2004. Program Nine). My students may be pleasantly surprised where this technological journey leads them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                 References

Epstein, J.L., Saunders, M.G., Simon, B.S., Salinas, K.C., Jansorn, N.R., & Van Voorhis,       F.L.      (2002). School, family, and community partnerships: Caring for the         children we share .In School family, and community partnerships: Your handbook             for action. (2^nd ed., pp 7-29). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Pres

 

George Lucas Educational Foundation. (2003).  Instructional module technology integration. retrievedMay 16, 2006 from Tech Integration glef.org.pdf

 

ISTE NETS Project. (2000-2005) Curriculum and Content Area Standards NETS for Students. Retrieved June 9, 2006 from http://cnets.iste.org/currstands/cstands-netss.html

 

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2004). Program Five: Setting a context for the classroom [Motion picture]. Exploring new technologies. Los Angeles: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2004). Program Nine, Enthralling students in the age of technology. [Educational Video]. Exploring new technologies.Los Angeles: Author

School to Work Checklist (2006) Transition planning for the future, Retrieved June 9, 2006 from http://internet.dscc.uic.edu/forms/psu/4204.pdf

Rogers, S., & Renard, L. (1999, September). Relationship-driven teaching. Educational Leadership, 57(1), 34–37.