Katie Tarnowski

EDU 528 Advanced Project

A. Abstract of Project

This advanced project is a project-based learning instructional plan. I am continuing my lesson

idea from project 2, where I adapted my classroom lesson plans to incorporate web 2.0
technologies. In my lesson plans for project 2 (already posted on the EDU 528) wiki, I focused
on the topic of occasion/position sentences, the beginning component of the writing program,
Step Up to Writing. My advanced project will be a continuation of the unit, using different web
2.0 technologies to expand students’ thinking on the topic of Step Up to Writing.

The blog that was created for my English classroom is intended for students in sixth grade.

***Please note that my students have only accessed the writeboard components embedded
within the blog website. I have not completed everything I would like to include into the blog
website yet. When everything is completed, I will then give access to my students. I have
modeled what possible discussions/posts would look like if I were to fully incorporate this into
my classroom.

• Goal of the project-This project is a resource blog for students in my sixth grade English
class. As they learn the writing program, Step Up to Writing, they are many questions that are
asked by the students. By creating a blog about the writing program, students are able to access
information on Step Up to Writing on their own time, participate in active blogs between other
classmates, and practice their writing skills all within one area.

• The teacher’s role-The teacher will use this website as a guiding tool while teaching the
Step Up to Writing program. As each component of the writing program is being taught, the
teacher can access the website and have all of the materials for the program in one place. The
teacher can give students access to the website to let students use as a resource, but must monitor
all action that is taking place on the website within the blogs. The teacher will evaluate the
students’ blog posts and grade each post using the blog rubric, provided on the blog site.

• The student’s role-The students will use the website as an informational tool while
learning Step Up to Writing. Many times, when students are writing at home or at school, they
have questions about the format or technique of the writing program. By accessing the website,
students will have all of the information they need with them. Students will be given
assignments to participate in questions of the day (by topic), dealing with a different component
of the program every week. Students will also post projects and questions about the projects in a
separate section of website.
 • Technology’s role-Technology is at the base of this unit on Step Up to Writing. The blog
that the students have access to was created in www.edublogs.org. Students will not only be able
to access the website at home, on days when my English class has access to mobile laptops (2 to
3 times a week), students will be working in class on the website. Students will be expanding
their knowledge on how to use a computer (keyboarding skills), they will also be learning about
how to access information by using the blog that was created.

• How students are grouped-Within this unit plan, students are working independently the
first day and groups with classmates on the second day to work on hands-on activities. During
whole group instruction, students are sitting at their desks with laptops, following along on the
promethean board what is being taught.

• How outcomes are assessed-Students will be assessed after each topic is taught. Each
assessment is explained in detail under the Unit Plan. Students’ work on the blog will be
evaluated based on the rubric that I have created. The blog rubric uses a 4 point scale and
students will grade their own work then submit to me. I will evaluate the work that they have
produced onto the blog and grade them accordingly.

• Range of student skills/how the range of readiness skills will be addressed-All students
have had access to a computer early in the year during English class. Students are at a beginner
level, just learning how to type on a keyboard and access different programs on the computer.
The website that the students will be working on is very user friendly. Everything is clearly
labeled and the links within the website can all be accessed. Within the blog, students can open
up multiple internet windows and access the information without leaving the blog homepage.
Students can work on their projects while still maintaining access to the information.

• Staffing needs-For this unit plan to be successful, I will need access to the mobile laptops
2 to 3 times a week. There are two sets of mobile labs within my school so that can easily be
achieved. I will need permission from the school-wide technology office to allow usage of the
blog within my classroom and outside my classroom, on my school website.
B. Our world is rapidly changing. We are becoming more and more dependent on technology
every day. I believe it is incredibly important to incorporate technology into the teaching and
learning process. The students that I am currently teaching are growing up in a generation
where technology has always been present. Technology surrounds their home life and social
life, it is important to continue consistency and use technology in the classroom. There is a
wealth of knowledge to be learned from technology, integrating it into the classroom can
make learning more hands-on and informational.

 As the semester has progressed, my ideas about technology have evolved. There are so many
different types of technology that we have access to on a daily basis but don’t take advantage
of. The technology we do have can be adapted and used in various ways as a learning tool. I
would never think to use students’ cell phones as a polling machine nor have students use a
computer to assist with their special needs. Technology surrounds us and we need to take
advantage of its many uses.

 As I have completed this advanced project, I have discovered how easy it is to access
technology and adapt it to fit my needs (creating a blog for my class). My students now have
additional resources to use in my class that they can access at any time to assist with their
writing. As the school year progresses, I will continue to introduce and adapt technology to
fit into my classroom. I also plan to find more outlets for my own use for teaching. Teacher
blogs/resources have helped when I needed assistance and Delicious has kept all of my class
websites in one place for me. I hope to find additional websites to improve my teaching over
time.

 Persistent access to computers both in and out of school will be vital for continued growth in
the field of technology. Getting access to assistive technology such as a portable magnifying
glass, Intellikeys alternate keyboard and talking books/dictionaries will assist all students
within my classroom, improving their learning and their knowledge of technology.

This advanced project is an extension of Project 2. In Project 2, I made reference to my

students using a blog to communicate with one another, share ideas and comments, as well as
having resources for Step Up to Writing available all in one place. The first section of my unit
plan (occasion/position topic sentences) was Project 2. It has been condensed for Project 3.
Unit Plan Outline, Objectives and Assessment:
Each topic will be taught in order as it is seen below, taking the information learned from the
beginning and continuing to add to the writing process with each step.

**Access to school mobile laptops and the internet are needed twice a week for three weeks.**

 Occasion/Position Sentences (Green)

Day One: Direct Teacher Instruction/Modeling
Day Two: Student Practice/Group Work/Computer Time
Day Three: Review/Assessment
Objectives:
o Students will be able to recognize “starter words” used in occasion/position topic
sentences.

o Students will be able to write occasion/position sentences including starter words and
commas independently

o Students will be able to identify the occasion (independent clause) and the position
(dependent clause)

Assessment: Students will get a list of 10 topic sentences. They must read through each
sentence and determine whether or not it is an occasion/position topic sentence. If it is, they
must highlight. Students will then need to write two of their own occasion/position topic
sentences.

 Transitions (Yellow)
Day One: Direct Teacher Instruction/Modeling
Day Two: Student Practice/Group Work/Computer Time
Day Three: Review/Assessment
Objectives:
o Students will be able to identify transition words.

o Students will be able to recognize transition sentences in text.

o Students will be able to write their own sentences using transition words.

Assessment: Students will receive four paragraphs. They must read through three of the
paragraphs and highlight the transition words within the paragraph. The fourth paragraph, the
students must fill in the blanks with transition words.
 Details/Explanations (Red)
Day One: Direct Teacher Instruction/Modeling
Day Two: Student Practice/Group Work/Computer Time
Day Three: Review/Assessment
Objectives:
o Students will be able to read through a paragraph and recognize the details. Details
will follow the transition sentences.

o Students will be able to write clear, specific details in their own writing, making sure
to support the transition sentence.

Assessment: Students will receive two paragraphs. They must read through the first paragraph
and highlight the details within the paragraph. The second paragraph, they will read the topic
sentence and the transition sentences. They must provide the details. Details need to be
descriptive and clear, making sense with the rest of the paragraph.

 Conclusions (Green)
Day One: Direct Teacher Instruction/Modeling
Day Two: Student Practice/Group Work/Computer Time
Day Three: Review/Assessment
Objectives:
o Students will be able to recognize “concluding words” used for writing conclusions.

o Students will be able to identify conclusion sentences within text.

o Students will be able to write conclusions in their own writing, making sure to connect
it back to the topic sentence.

Assessment: Students will receive four paragraphs. The first two will have a written paragraph
and then four multiple choice answers, all conclusion sentences. From reading the paragraph,
students must be able to choose the best conclusion sentence that makes sense with the topic of
the paragraph. The third and fourth paragraphs will have a blank line at the end of the paragraph.
Students must write their own conclusion sentence, making sure it makes sense with the rest of
the paragraph.

 Accordion Paragraphs—Putting it all together

Day One: Direct Teacher Instruction/Modeling
Day Two: Student Practice/Group Work/Computer Time
Day Three: Peer Editing/Final Copies

Objectives:
o Students will successfully learn how to fold and label paper to form an accordion
paragraph.

o Students will be able to write their own paragraph, including all of the components of
Step Up to Writing that they have learned thus far (occasion/position topic sentence,
transitions, details, conclusion)

Assessment: Students will be writing an accordion paragraph on their favorite holiday.

Students will write their rough draft of the paragraph on the accordion paragraph folded paper.
After their rough draft is done, they will peer edit papers and then re-write a final copy on clean
paper. The rough draft will be submitted as a hard copy. The final copy will be submitted onto
the classroom blog. Both the rough draft, set up as an accordion paragraph according to Step Up
to Writing and the final copy will be graded.

**During Day Two of each topic, students have time to work on mobile laptops and access the
class blog. Students will need to post to the blog their answer to the question of the day. I will
total all five of the rubrics that they submit and give them a combined score, out of 20, and count
it towards their participation grade for the unit.

Student Work Samples:

When this unit begins, I will introduce my blog website to the class. I will give a tutorial in
class, demonstrating where to go on the school website to access my class page. Students will be
able to follow along as my actions are displayed on the promethean board.

Students will then be able to follow along as I give them a tour of our blog website,
http://mstarnowskisclass.edublogs.org/

Located on the website are student work samples on how to navigate/post on the blog as well as
posting on to the writeboard, which is included within the blog. The work samples have been
saved as a pdf file (navigating/posting on the blog) and in Google Docs (posting on the
writeboard)

Accessibility/Differentiation of Unit Plan:

The way the unit is set up, students will be able to use their different learning styles throughout
the lesson.

During Day One, students are receiving direct instruction. This is mostly lecture and discussion,
which will help auditory learners improve the concepts being discussed.

During Day Two, students are able to work in groups. This will help students who are
kinesthetic and tactile learners, giving them the opportunity to get up and move around, doing
hands on activities and working with other classmates. Students will also get the opportunity to
use the mobile laptops and access the class blog to answer the question of the day and find
additional resources on Step Up to Writing. This will allow students who are visual learners,
who need to have images, charts and diagrams right in front of them to access.

All students have had classroom practice with mobile laptops. They have been used in Social
Studies, Science, and Math classes. Students know how to navigate the laptops. In order to
register for this blog, an email is needed. To eliminate confusion and the use of email within the
classroom, students will each be given a username and password provided by myself.

Technology Used:
Within this Project-based Learning Instructional Plan, many forms of technology have been
used. Students have access to the promethean board within the classroom and mobile laptops
within the room. The classroom blog is accessed as well as communicative technology,
writeboard.

To access my classroom blog:

1. Go to www.edublogs.org

2. Type in the username (edu528) password (english)

3. Click on the small link named Your Dashboard

4. It will lead you to the dashboard of the classroom site. You are acting as a student.

5. Go to the top left hand corner of the screen. Click view site. This will give you access to
the classroom site and all of its components

Classroom link: http://mstarnowskisclass.edublogs.org/

Acceptable Use Plan/School Rules:
In order to allow students to use the school computers, their parents had to sign off on a
technology agreement form, stating that students will use the technology within the school with
respect. To make sure that students can use the classroom blog I created, formal permission
from the Technology Coordinator of the Dunkirk City School District, Joanne Russo, must be
received. She must waive the right to allow students access to my blog website.

Here is a link to the Dunkirk City School Districts Technology Plan

http://www.dunkirkcsd.org/11311072135020183/lib/11311072135020183/Dunkirk_District_Tec
hnology_Plan_09-12.pdf
Standards used within this project

A. Content Area Standard(s):

New York State Standards: Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will
collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from
oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that
follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

ISTE Standards:

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that
advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers:

a. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.

b engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and
. resources.

promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual
c.
understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.

d model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others
. in face-to-face and virtual environments.

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and
digital society. Teachers:

demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and
a.
situations.

b collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to
. support student success and innovation.

communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of
c.
digital-age media and formats.

d model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use
. information resources to support research and learning.