Evaluation
To measure the effectiveness of my change in teaching methods, I will use multiple means of evaluation.
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Assessments:
Students will be given a pre-test at the beginning of the unit and a post-test at the conclusion of the unit to determine whether students have learned the intended content. This will be done as an online assessment using the ClassMarker website. I will create one test that will be given as both a pre- and post- test. This online tool allows for the randomization of question order and answer order so that each test is unique.
Students will be given a pre-test at the beginning of the unit and a post-test at the conclusion of the unit to determine whether students have learned the intended content. This will be done as an online assessment using the ClassMarker website. I will create one test that will be given as both a pre- and post- test. This online tool allows for the randomization of question order and answer order so that each test is unique.
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Project Rubrics:
As students complete their individual and group projects throughout the unit, I will use rubrics and checklists generated on the Project Based Learning Checklists website powered by 4teachers.org. This website allows for the creation of checklists and rubrics for science projects, oral presentations and multimedia projects, all organized by grade levels. This will allow me to customize checklists and rubrics that will fit the specific projects and activities that my students are working on in class.
As students complete their individual and group projects throughout the unit, I will use rubrics and checklists generated on the Project Based Learning Checklists website powered by 4teachers.org. This website allows for the creation of checklists and rubrics for science projects, oral presentations and multimedia projects, all organized by grade levels. This will allow me to customize checklists and rubrics that will fit the specific projects and activities that my students are working on in class.
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Control Group:
I created and began using my class website last year with my students. Students and parents found it helpful to have access to vocabulary and notes on their own time. This year, I will add to the interactivity of the site, by adding more vocabulary study tools with the use of Quizlet.com to create flashcards that can be embedded directly into my site. Instead of static notes, I will add video lectures and tutorials for students to watch and use for review, as needed. Some of these will be required homework assignments and others will be simply available for students who desire to use the tools. It will be made clear when a video lecture is required versus optional. Other reinforcement tools, simulations and video clips will be added based on the results of the students’ pre-test data.
Since the major change in teaching will be the addition of the project-based learning model, I will be able to compare student achievement data from last year’s student group (website integration with standard teaching) to this year’s group (project-based learning and flipped classroom) to see if the project-based lessons significantly improve student performance. Our district uses PowerSchool and PowerTeacher for keeping track of student performance, therefore obtaining the data on student performance to compare last year and this year will be made easier by this technology.
I created and began using my class website last year with my students. Students and parents found it helpful to have access to vocabulary and notes on their own time. This year, I will add to the interactivity of the site, by adding more vocabulary study tools with the use of Quizlet.com to create flashcards that can be embedded directly into my site. Instead of static notes, I will add video lectures and tutorials for students to watch and use for review, as needed. Some of these will be required homework assignments and others will be simply available for students who desire to use the tools. It will be made clear when a video lecture is required versus optional. Other reinforcement tools, simulations and video clips will be added based on the results of the students’ pre-test data.
Since the major change in teaching will be the addition of the project-based learning model, I will be able to compare student achievement data from last year’s student group (website integration with standard teaching) to this year’s group (project-based learning and flipped classroom) to see if the project-based lessons significantly improve student performance. Our district uses PowerSchool and PowerTeacher for keeping track of student performance, therefore obtaining the data on student performance to compare last year and this year will be made easier by this technology.
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Interviews:
I taught Science to approximately two-thirds of this year’s incoming group of 8th graders when they were 6th graders. The structure of that 6th grade science class was that of a typical middle school science class with very little technology integration or project-based learning. Students read the text assigned, did some lab activities that were explicitly instructed and completed teacher-directed notes that were a fill-in-the-blank format. These students did not have a class website as a resource in 6th grade. I will select ten percent of these students to interview about their experience in the 6th grade class and how they feel that experience compares to the project-based nature of their 8th grade experience. It will be my goal to establish if there is a significant difference in how they feel about their learning and understanding of the material in each of those classes.
I taught Science to approximately two-thirds of this year’s incoming group of 8th graders when they were 6th graders. The structure of that 6th grade science class was that of a typical middle school science class with very little technology integration or project-based learning. Students read the text assigned, did some lab activities that were explicitly instructed and completed teacher-directed notes that were a fill-in-the-blank format. These students did not have a class website as a resource in 6th grade. I will select ten percent of these students to interview about their experience in the 6th grade class and how they feel that experience compares to the project-based nature of their 8th grade experience. It will be my goal to establish if there is a significant difference in how they feel about their learning and understanding of the material in each of those classes.