2.4 Higher Order Thinking Skills
Candidates model and facilitate the effective use of digital tools and resources to support and enhance higher order thinking skills (e.g., analyze, evaluate, and create); processes (e.g., problem-solving, decision-making); and mental habits of mind (e.g., critical thinking, creative thinking, metacognition, self-regulation, and reflection). (PSC 2.4/ISTE 2d)
Candidates model and facilitate the effective use of digital tools and resources to support and enhance higher order thinking skills (e.g., analyze, evaluate, and create); processes (e.g., problem-solving, decision-making); and mental habits of mind (e.g., critical thinking, creative thinking, metacognition, self-regulation, and reflection). (PSC 2.4/ISTE 2d)
Using the Lessons Plan for Implementing NETS-S lesson template, produced by ISTE, I created the Internet Lesson Plan as the seminal project for ITEC 7430: Internet Tools in the Classroom. For this project, I had to create a lesson that incorporates three different internet tools and provides justification for each choice in the lesson by connecting to student standards for technology in education (ISTE, 2020). As part of the project, I recorded a video overview of the lesson, which is the artifact included on this page, and posted both the lesson plan and the video on my candidate blog to share with a other instructional technology candidates and a wider audience.
This artifact demonstrates my mastery of standard 2.4 because it proves I can model and facilitate the effective use of digital tools and resources to support higher order thinking skills. For example, in the lesson plan, my AP Seminar students were to create multimedia presentations in order to communicate their research findings. They had their choice of five different presentation methods, three of which were Adobe Spark, Piktochart, and Anchor FM. Implicit in the task is that students evaluate where and how to translate their papers into multimedia form. This is a rigorous, decision-making task, and one that my students have experience with previously in the course while working in a group. This individual project is the next extension of the group project. Additionally, students can practice creativity digitally, perhaps even more so that they could in-person, through their choice of medium, visuals, audio, and the interplay between these mediums. This is certainly a rigorous task—a product of their own creation presented in a way that is true to their research and, ideally, true to themselves. I also include, as part of the project, a “digital gallery walk” so that students share their work with more than just the teacher. I asked students to evaluate each other’s work in the process, another higher order thinking exercise. The gallery walk was added as a means to have students reflect on their learning and the learning of others in the group.
From the learning I did for this project, I realized how important it is to support students in their use of a new technology tools. This has impacted my digital instruction at almost every level. As an AP teacher, content is very important to me; however, taking class time to make sure that students have the technological tools they need to succeed is worth it. Now, as part of my regular instruction, whenever I come across a technology knowledge gap, I make a quick video or link to support all students as they strive to reach the highest levels in academics. In short, my biggest takeaway from the creation of this artifact is that technology supports make the academic playing field more equitable. If I were to do something differently, I would include sample for each web tool in the project. Since I did not have the time to create a model for each of these tech mediums, I relied on students to understand my instructions without seeing what it is I expected from them.
The work that went into creating this artifact certainly had an impact on facility development and on student learning. First, I shared this project with the language arts department at my school, as well as with a wider audience on my blog. Next, I implemented this project as a performance final during digital learning last semester. For my students, seeing each other’s research projects and reflecting on their own was a powerful way for students to learn online. Using tech tools in a rigorous led to a memorable learning experience, one that will stay with students even as they enter different classroom next year. The impact can be assessed in a longitudinal study or a comparative study of student skills.
This artifact demonstrates my mastery of standard 2.4 because it proves I can model and facilitate the effective use of digital tools and resources to support higher order thinking skills. For example, in the lesson plan, my AP Seminar students were to create multimedia presentations in order to communicate their research findings. They had their choice of five different presentation methods, three of which were Adobe Spark, Piktochart, and Anchor FM. Implicit in the task is that students evaluate where and how to translate their papers into multimedia form. This is a rigorous, decision-making task, and one that my students have experience with previously in the course while working in a group. This individual project is the next extension of the group project. Additionally, students can practice creativity digitally, perhaps even more so that they could in-person, through their choice of medium, visuals, audio, and the interplay between these mediums. This is certainly a rigorous task—a product of their own creation presented in a way that is true to their research and, ideally, true to themselves. I also include, as part of the project, a “digital gallery walk” so that students share their work with more than just the teacher. I asked students to evaluate each other’s work in the process, another higher order thinking exercise. The gallery walk was added as a means to have students reflect on their learning and the learning of others in the group.
From the learning I did for this project, I realized how important it is to support students in their use of a new technology tools. This has impacted my digital instruction at almost every level. As an AP teacher, content is very important to me; however, taking class time to make sure that students have the technological tools they need to succeed is worth it. Now, as part of my regular instruction, whenever I come across a technology knowledge gap, I make a quick video or link to support all students as they strive to reach the highest levels in academics. In short, my biggest takeaway from the creation of this artifact is that technology supports make the academic playing field more equitable. If I were to do something differently, I would include sample for each web tool in the project. Since I did not have the time to create a model for each of these tech mediums, I relied on students to understand my instructions without seeing what it is I expected from them.
The work that went into creating this artifact certainly had an impact on facility development and on student learning. First, I shared this project with the language arts department at my school, as well as with a wider audience on my blog. Next, I implemented this project as a performance final during digital learning last semester. For my students, seeing each other’s research projects and reflecting on their own was a powerful way for students to learn online. Using tech tools in a rigorous led to a memorable learning experience, one that will stay with students even as they enter different classroom next year. The impact can be assessed in a longitudinal study or a comparative study of student skills.