implementing learning activities.

Consider the following scenario:

Mr. Smith was excited about his success during his first two weeks as a student teacher. He enjoyed working with the students with whom he felt he had established a good rapport, When it was time for the school principal to observe a lesson, he was a little nervous but felt confident he could demonstrate a good lesson and thus earn a positive report for his professor. He had been saving his favorite lesson for such an occasion. The lesson went extremely well; the students were engaged and well behaved. He felt he had that good report "in the bag."

The next morning, he was ready to meet with the principal and receive that excellent report. All that was left was the post-lesson conference and, perhaps, a job offer. Principal Hoover: Mr. Smith, thanks for coming in. I must say, that was a very interesting lesson. How do you feel the lesson went?

Mr. Smith: Thank you. I think it went very well. The students were engaged and well behaved. I think they particularly enjoyed the activity. In fact several students told me afterwards that my class is their favorite of the day.

Principal Hoover: I tend to agree. I was pretty impressed with the way you were able to engage so many of the students. I just have one question for you: What was your goal?

Mr. Smith: You mean my objective? Principal Hoover: Yes objective. In other words, where were you going with this lesson? What did you want the students to take away, and how will you tie this to tomorrow's lesson and the standards you are addressing?

Mr. Smith: Well ... um ... actually I really didn't have a standard in mind ... um ... or a goal for that matter. I just thought it was a cool lesson and that the students would enjoy it.

Principal Hoover: Hmm ... Mr. Smith, I think we need to talk more, and perhaps I should come and observe you again.

When students walk into a classroom, often the first question is, "What are we going to do today?" What they are really asking is what are they going to do? It is easy for educators to fall into the trap of using activities exclusively without considering the value or intent of the content. After all, the students are engaged, and if they are busy they must be learning. But simply being busy does not always equate to learning; a balanced approach of standards-based instruction along with engaging activities is needed. Educators must consider the desired learning objective(s) and how student learning will be evaluated. This can be paired with making the activity fun, engaging, and appealing to the students.

Students typically prefer learning activities over lectures, worksheets, and other learning methods that involve less student participation. Integrating learning activities--especially hands-on activities--into lessons provides a more authentic, fun, and engaging setting for applying learning objectives. These learning activities help the students see the relevance of what they are learning and how it relates to "real life" and workforce readiness. The educator as facilitator affords the students opportunities to reflect and learn through the activity. Wiggins and McTighe (2005) equate educators to designers who evaluate the effectiveness of their design by whether or not they reach specific goals. Furthermore, they state that lessons, activities, and curricula best serve end users--the students--when the results are considered before the methodology. When a person prepares to take a trip, he/she must first choose a destination and a starting point on a map. Only after these points are located can the best travel route be determined.

Wiggins and McTighe (2005) save activity development until after the curricular goals and desired outcomes have been determined. They refer to this as "backward design." They stress the importance of beginning with clearly identified results and the criteria that will be utilized as evidence of student understanding as the primary consideration. At this stage of backward design, they suggest addressing several key questions: "What enabling knowledge (facts, concepts, principles) and skills (processes, procedures, strategies) will students need in order to perform effectively and achieve desired results? What activities will equip students with the needed knowledge and skills? What will need to be taught and coached, and should it be taught in light of performance goals? What materials and resources are best suited to accomplish these goals?" (pp. 18-19).

When implementing learning activities, accomplished educators consider the knowledge that students bring with them. They also minimize the assumption that all students already know key concepts that are important to the lesson goals. According to Marzano (2004), the research points to the background or prior knowledge of students as the most significant of all of the variables affecting how well they will learn new information relative to the content. Educators typically face a variety of students with a multitude of backgrounds, learning experiences, and even cultures. Marzano (2004) cites numerous studies confirming the relationship between background knowledge and achievement.

With diverse populations in most classrooms, educators need to consider the diversity of intellectual levels, learning preferences, skill levels, language barriers, and cultural differences. Stronge (2002, p.58) says that effective educators "understand and use 'scaffolding' approaches to instruction that allow students to receive the help they need to work at their own pace." Scaffolding is the process of gauging where the students are and continually adapting instruction, curriculum, and support to the students' current needs and capabilities (Bender, 2002). Essentially, the educator tries to meet the students where they really are. The type of scaffolding support could come in a variety of forms, such as more basic texts, handouts (outlines, maps, etc.), teaming students together, or even having an additional adult in the classroom. The level of support must be specifically tailored to the students' ever-changing understanding of the problem. Also, that support would gradually be withdrawn, allowing the student to eventually take ownership of the task performance. Hill and Flynn (2006, p. 16) summarize scaffolding as, "essentially a way to nudge a student toward a higher level of performance."

When possible, the educator should incorporate workplace readiness skills into the lesson. Workplace readiness skills require a twofold approach. First, students need certain basic skills, soft skills, knowledge, attitudes, and work habits learned and reinforced in the learning activities. Second, the educator can incorporate awareness of related career options. "The shortage of technicians could be ascribed to the simple reality that, among those with the necessary talent, few were interested because few know anything about such career opportunities" (Gary 2000, p.16). When discussing careers, authentic and realistic models should be included. Workforce readiness activities stress the importance of integrating science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and other academic disciplines as well.

Simply imparting knowledge is not true teaching. Students are better able to learn if they can see the practical relevance of the content and can apply or transfer that knowledge to something useful or to a future endeavor. Wiggins and McTighe (2005, p. 352) define transferability as, "The ability to use knowledge appropriately and fruitfully in a new or different context from that in which it was initially learned." Activities should be open-ended enough to encourage exploration and inquiry. This is best accomplished by implementing activities that do not result in one 2. specific answer, allowing student inquiry to drive the solution.

Procedures in Classroom

Implementing activities can be considered a multipronged process. The educator plans ways for each student to be actively engaged in the learning process, encourages and enables the student to take increasing responsibility for his or her learning, and makes assessment an ongoing part of the activity by asking why and how they know.

Questions to consider prior to implementing an activity:

* What is the standard?

* What is the learning objective? How is this learning objective measurable?

* How is this objective meaningful to the students?

* What is the provocative question (attention grabber)? It could be an open-ended question, a comic strip, a video clip or any quick way to direct the students' attention to the learning activity. Students may be asked to write a couple of sentences related to the question/topic.

* What activity will reinforce the learning objective?

* Does this lesson differentiate and build relevance for a variety of learning levels (i.e., academically disadvantaged, English Language Learners, average ability, and academically gifted students)? Can all students succeed and be challenged at different ability levels?

* Does the lesson differentiate for varying types of learning preferences?

* Is the activity/project set up with an assessment or rubric that gives each student responsibility?

Implementing an activity:

1. Begin with a standard. Consult local, state, and ITEEA's Standards for Technological Literacy (www.iteea.org/39197. aspx). Consult the Common Core State Standards - Math (CCSS-M) (www.corestandards.org/Math/) and Next Generation Science Standards (www.nextgenscience.org/) for possible integration.

For example, an educator wishes to address Standard 9 from Standards for Technological Literacy (ITEA/ITEEA, 2000/2002/2007, p. 99), "Students will develop an understanding of engineering design." The standard details lessons and activities used to address design steps, brainstorming, modeling, testing, and evaluating. Looking further, the educator finds that Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013) addresses design and modeling, which provides good opportunities for lesson integration. Your learning objective might be for the students to practice the design process by designing and testing a paper tower.

2. Measure the background knowledge of students in the classroom. This will determine what lessons need to be taught or reviewed prior to implementing the lesson. Also, determine any special needs for students, including all disabilities, English Language Learners, and academically gifted students. Consideration should be given to assessing prior knowledge as a scaffold for new knowledge. When implementing a group activity, try to balance each team's abilities with consideration for:

* Students who struggle with sketching, brainstorming, or understanding how to implement the steps.

* Students who may need a copy of the educator notes, extended time, or written or visual instructional steps.

* Students who may need additional prompting for brainstorming steps.

* Students who have special learning needs, including those who are academically gifted.

3. Determine the most appropriate instructional activities to achieve the desired result. The activity aims to: relate to the learning objective, engage the students in learning, be age-and grade-appropriate (match the skill set of the students), enable students to directly relate to the activity, and transfer the knowledge skills to the real world and workplace readiness.

* The educator determines that by including a paper tower activity, the students would experience the intended purpose of this standard with a hands-on learning project. (Design Brief: Build a tower that is as tall as possible using only one sheet of paper and six inches of tape.) In some situations, a more complex design activity might be planned to follow. This would depend on the grade level and skill level of the students.

* The next consideration is to determine how the activity will relate to the real world and the workplace. For example, designing, testing, and modifying designs are skills highly desired by many employers. This information would likely be incorporated into the lesson plans. The educator would want to emphasize those components of the activity that would transfer to workplace readiness.

4. Develop the subject knowledge set by anticipating the information the students will need to know. These are some of the questions the teacher should consider:

* What information will the students need in order to complete the activity?

* What background knowledge is needed to understand the scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematical concepts and information related to the activity? What skills and safety procedures relate to the activity?

* How can we foster student inquiry and promote further learning?

* What questions can be asked during the activity to gauge students' cognitive processing of the learning object?

* What are we learning? What is our purpose for this activity? What will happen if we change ...?

** Why are we learning this? Why are we doing this activity?

** How do we know?

When implementing the example activity, the educator needs to be sure that the students have an understanding of the design process and what is involved. The lesson may include a discussion about the importance of balance, structural integrity needed in the base, budgeting, time, materials, and other resources.

5. Prepare and organize a lesson outline, lesson plans, handouts, assessments, and other needed materials in the recommended or required district format. Create the handout for the students that will clearly define the learning object, goals, requirements, extra resources (if available), and an evaluation instrument, such as a grading rubric, for the activity. A rubric is an assessment tool that reflects the performance expectations for an assignment, project, or presentation. This tool divides the work into weighted components with clear descriptions of varying levels and with a numerical score, Consideration of which aspects of the activity are the most important should be noted--in our example, is the tower height more important or is full implementation of the steps of the design process paramount? The students may need to follow steps of the design process such as DEAL:

* Define the problem

* Explore possible solutions (such as sketches)

* Act--process of the activity (such as the building of the tower)

* Look back

6. Check for materials and equipment needed to implement the activity and organize the classroom for the activity. The educator's organization and preparations set the tone for how smoothly the activity will go.

* Do you have all instructional supplies?

* Do you have all equipment needed and have you double-checked that it is working?

* Have all safety requirements been met for room setup and student preparation?

* Do you have all the safety materials?

* Do you and your students know your school's emergency procedures?

* Do you have needed presentation materials/handouts?

* Do you have a system or process in place for the students to document their progression through the activity?

7. Determine the best method for finding evidence of student achievement (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005). How will the educator know if the lesson achieved the desired results for each student? Clearly defined rubrics can provide one example of this evidence. The completed product from the activity is another example. Quizzes or tests and written reports, presentations, or other work for evaluation may be appropriate as well.

When planning an evaluation instrument, it is important to remember that success does not always equate to learning, and often failures can lead to increased problem solving and thus enhanced learning. The process is often more important than the actual product itself. The educator may need to give class updates, clarification, and an opportunity for students to ask questions and/or share concerns and successes during the project.

8. Introduce the activity to the students, clearly explaining all expectations and processes. Explain the steps, including written and/or graphic forms as needed. Fully explain the expectations of the learning objectives, student behavior, projected timeline, project, and evaluation method. Open discussion and some sort of modeling, simulations, and/ or guided practice should precede independent practice. A mere listing of steps will not fully engage all students. Preplanning teams of students should include a variety of learning styles and abilities to foster creativity and problem-solving skills. Students should be empowered to seek creative and innovative results.

9. Implement the activity. At this stage, the educator circulates throughout the classroom, being attentive to student progress, and checks every team/group for understanding. This step allows the educator to monitor for problems and ensures that all students remain on task. The goal is to investigate, negotiate, and communicate, balancing students' ownership of their learning while keeping within the constraints of the project. Students need to be reminded of pacing timelines. The educator should watch for student cues indicating the need for adjustments. It is helpful to occasionally pull the class together to give updates, clarification, and an opportunity for students to ask questions and share concerns.

10. Reflection is a critical last step. Students need feedback on their strengths and areas to be improved. This feedback can be in writing (such as on an evaluation/rubric), conversational, or a combination of these. A very important final step is evaluating the activity after completion. Reflect on whether there is anything that could be changed to improve this activity. Make notes for future reference of what worked well and ways to possibly improve this activity.

Appendix

Useful Links

Technology and Engineering Standards:

www.iteea.org/TAA/PDFs/xstnd.pdf

Mathematics Standards:

www.corestandards.org/the-standards/mathematics

Science Standards:

www.nextgenscience.org/

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Alignment:

www.stemteacherlearning.com/uploads/topics/implementing-learning-activities/NBPTS_ImplementingLearningActivities.pdf

Rubrics:

www.gallaudet.edu/office_of_academic_quality/assessment_ of_student_learning_outcomes/instructions_and_examples/developing_ a_scoring_criteria_(rubrics).html

Scaffolding:

http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Scaffolding

Understanding by Design:

http://jaymctighe.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/UbD-in-a-Nutshell.pdf

The Big Ideas of UbD:

www.ascd.org/publications/books/109107/chapters/Module-A.-The-Big-Ideas-of-UbD.aspx

Partnership for 21st Century Skills:

www.p21.org/about-us/p21-framework/261

References

Bender, W. N. (2002). Differentiating instruction for students with learning disabilities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Gray, K. (2000). Getting real: Helping teens find their future. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Hill, J. D. & Flynn, K. M. (2006). Instruction that works with English language learners. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

International Technology Education Association. (ITEA/ITEEA, 2000/2002/2007). Standards for technological literacy: Content for study of technology. Reston, VA: Author.

Marzano, R. J. (2004). Building background knowledge for academic achievement. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

NGSS Lead States. (2013). Next generation science standards: For states, by states. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Stronge, J. H. (2002). Qualities of effective teachers. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design, ("expanded 2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Kevin Lipscomb is a Technology Education teacher at Trailside Middle School in Ashburn, VA.

Sandy Nato is an Architectural Drafting teacher at Athens Drive High School in Raleigh, NC.

Jeremy Ernst is an Associate Professor at Virginia Tech.

Aaron Clark, DTE is a Professor at NC State University.

V. William DeLuca is Professor Emeritus at NC State University.

Daniel Kelly is a Lecturer at NC State University.

STEM Teacher Learning (STEMteacherlearning.com) provides state-of-the-art STEM professional development and continuing education (CEUs) for Technology and Engineering Education teachers. Visit this site to review the eighteen units researched and developed under a National Science Foundation-funded project to improve classroom instruction. STEM Teacher Learning provides these N S F- researched units to local school districts and teachers using cloud-based, self-paced learning and certifies completion. Contact training@stemteacherlearning.com for more information.

Caption: Finished house.

Caption: Many bridges.

Caption: Marshmallow bird.

Caption: Tower.

Article Details

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Title Annotation:	premiere PD
Author:	Lipscomb, Kevin; Nato, Sandy; Ernst, Jeremy; Clark, Aaron; DeLuca, V. William; Kelly, Daniel
Publication:	Technology and Engineering Teacher
Geographic Code:	1USA
Date:	Feb 1, 2018
Words:	3123
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