Artifact # 14
Competency 10.4: “Goals of the NC Computer Skills Curriculum”
Competency 11.1: “Use technology in the discipline/subject for learning
and as a medium for communications.”
Competency 12.7: “Select and create learning experiences that are appropriate
for curriculum goals, relevant to learners, based upon principles of effective
teaching and learning, incorporate the use of media and technology for
teaching where appropriate, and support learner expression in a variety
of media communication tools.”
Context: Two classmates and I created a unit plan around the software, Magic School Bus: Explores the Age of Dinosaurs. The Unit plan included a materials list for each day, a description of the software, numerous hands-on non-computer activities, questions to ask the students, a field trip description and letter home to the parents. This science unit integrates math, social studies, art and computer skills. The group worked together to decide the theme, format and ideas for the lessons. I developed the lessons leading up to the students’ visit to the computer lab in order to explore the software.
Impact: As a teacher in the North Carolina public school system, I will need to integrate various lessons with technology such as relevant computer software in order to ensure my students meet The NC Computer Skills Goals. Using computers in conjunction with good teaching can serve to excite the students about learning.
Technology Alignment: I met competency 10.4 by developing a lesson plan that correlated computer skills with science and math objectives. Competency 11.1 was accomplished because following the unit plan, the students would use technology (Magic School Bus software) for learning. The group created meaningful learning experiences that met objectives for the fourth grade by allowing the students to explore the concepts of science through concrete means before allowing them to use computers. Then we followed the experience in the computer lab with a field trip and a day to synthesize all the concepts, ideas and information they had learned in the past week.
INTASC Alignment: The lesson plans integrating technology with math
and science objectives show understanding of planning based on knowledge
of subject matter, students, the community and curriculum goals.
Elementary aged children love to learn about dinosaurs and there is a continuing
push for a focus on computer and science from the community. By integrating
math, science, and technology goals from the North Carolina Standard Course
of Study, we were able to meet INTASC standard seven.