Phylogenies and Photosharing: A Multimedia Lesson Plan

Introduction

Overall, the multimedia lesson plan assignment was a challenging but fruitful assignment. It matched with several NETS*T standards including standard 2 to design and create digital-age learning experiences and assessments. It developed my skills as a technology proficient educator but it was difficult because of the knowledge I lacked at the outset of the assignment.

The multimedia lesson plan assignment fulfilled several different NETS*T standards. One standard the multimedia lesson plan assignment met is standard number 2 which calls for teachers to come up with technological experiences that maximize both content learning as well as the skills and attitudes outlined in the NETS student standards (ISTE 2007). The skills include creativity and innovation as well as research and information fluency. In creating the multimedia lesson plan, I require students to create their own portfolio as well as creatively and scientifically document and photograph their plant collections. In sharing their portfolio online they learn to use a widespread online photo sharing tool, Flickr.

In this lesson plan, I also provide students with a rubric that they can view to assess the final product of their online portfolio including the phylogenies they create. The phylogenies the students have to construct require them to critically analyze their plants and construct relationships between them to see how they are related thus fulfilling the NETS*T standards.

Benefits

There were multiple benefits to this assignment for me as a teacher. First, it helped me to learn how to use the Google sites tool. Learning to use this tool was not easy and it took much searching and helps forums to get it to work the way I wanted it to. However, learning to use this tool just adds to my skills as a technologically proficient educator. I learned how to create the website, edit the information, upload attachments and embed apps such as calendars. I even was able to link my digital tutorial to the website.

In addition to experience working with technology, I also gained experience in writing lesson plans. As a beginning teacher, I don’t have much experience in this and honing the skills of constructing lesson plans especially multimedia lesson plans can only add to my assortment of skills as an educator. I learned of a new method for writing lesson plans, the ASSURE method. While it contains much of what I knew about lesson plans already, it prompted me to consider other aspects of the lesson such considering exactly what the students already know and are capable of as well as their different learning styles and how I will engage all of them and ensure they all participate.

Lastly, this lesson plan assignment taught me to consider what accommodations I would make for students with disabilities. In this case, I considered how to teach the class with a hearing disabled student. I adapted by putting more text on my PowerPoint slides and including more images to keep the student engaged.

Problems

There were, however some drawbacks to this assignment. There was a steep learning curve when it came to figuring out the Google sites program and although I searched for some time, I couldn’t get the calendar to work properly on the site. I was able to select and display the Google calendar I had created for the class, but events I created in the class calendar did not appear on the website calendar. I searched several forums and helps to no avail.

Also, I would have liked more resources made available to us pertaining to working with students with disabilities. I have had no formal education or training as to how to accommodate students with special needs in all my student education classes. I understand that there are many resources online, but it would have been helpful to have some base of knowledge on students with disabilities to begin with when carrying out this assignment.

In summation

                The multimedia lesson plan assignment was an appropriate one. It coincided with several NETS*T and NETS*S standards. It also had the advantages of teaching me a new technology, Google sites, and new lesson plan method, ASSURE. However, I had trouble with the steep learning curve of Google sites and would have liked to have had more background information in dealing with students with disabilities.

International Society for Technology in Education (n.d.) NETS student standards 2007. Retrieved from 

        http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007.aspx

International Society for Technology in Education (n.d.) NETS teacher standards 2008. 

            Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx