Paul's+Instruction+Plan+Paper

Paul Grossman INMD 410: Media Technology for Educators Instructional Plan Paper ** Analyze the Learners ** This instructional plan is for my fictional twelfth grade World Literature classroom. This single class consists of thirty students. Learning styles are diverse, including audio/visual, cooperative and independent learners. Each student has access to a computer at home as well as a computer lab on school grounds. Most of the students are proficient with iTunes media, internet browsing and Microsoft word. Some are knowledgeable already with GarageBand, which will be the media program utilized for podcast presentations.

The class is composed mostly of upper-middle class students, Anglo-European as well as minority: African American, Chicano/a, and Asian American adolescents. All are at a twelfth-grade reading level.

The objective of this assignment is for students to create a podcast based on one author and work of literature studied thus far in class. Students should learn how to organize, construct and deliver their knowledge of literature received in class beyond written assignments. It can be about any novel, novelist, poem or poet we have covered throughout the course, and should accurately reflect the themes, characters, plot, messages and cultural influences represented in such literature or the life of a given author. Students should also learn how to articulate their understanding of world literature through modern media such as GarageBand, utilizing audio/visual mediums to express and convey class material and knowledge accumulated throughout written course work and notes. This podcast assignment will teach students to synthesize a given body of knowledge about a work into a two to four minute presentation, or how to structure and deliver information gathered from class in a unique way, given audio/visual materials. These works include //Paradise Lost// by John Milton, //Crime and Punishment// by Dostoevsky, and //The Divine Comedy// by Dante Alighieri.
 * State learning goals / objectives **

Learning will be measured on the depth, accuracy and proficiency of the knowledge presented in the podcast as a synthesis or representation of what they have learned. Assignments will be measured on the content rather than the form, although the quality of the presentation will help in the delivery of the content message.

Podcasting will be appropriate for the twelfth grade classroom, since many students will already be acculturated to using the internet, and using iTunes to organize and play music media. This combination in GarageBand, as a music and visual media program, is effectual and straightforward for twelfth graders, since many know how to use Google and the internet for finding images, as well as iTunes for organizing and playing audio media. GarageBand utilizes both images and music for presentations, and will draw upon these prior technological skills for this project.
 * Select appropriate methods and materials for instruction **

The conjunction of appropriate imagery with student audio narration will assist each group in a cooperative learning experience, since it engages students to actively represent their understanding of class material in an audio/visual form. Whereas with audio narration, students must articulate their classroom knowledge of literature to convey a message. Accompanied by images, such a message becomes accentuated, and picture/music choice adds a new dimension to the delivery and effect of that message. Many twelfth graders are generally bored by writing papers. Podcasting on the other hand is not only fun, but informative and an excellent means to get twelfth graders interested and engaged.

I will suggest copyright free sites for pictures, such as FreeFoto.com and Eduscapes.com internet resources (teacher tap). I will also provide instruction on how to make a podcast. There will be no other equipment utilized by Mac computers. Personal photographs are optional for the assignment, such as if students happened to visit and take pictures of a relevant locality to the literature studied in class.

Podcasts are a great way for twelfth grade students to teach the classroom what they have learned from their readings. Rather than getting nervous about speaking in front of their peers, they have the freedom to record their narratives during group work time. Also, their narratives are given in conjunction with images, adding to the weight and effectiveness of the message, rather than relying solely on public speaking skills, which can be uncomfortable for twelfth graders. While some students may not be technologically inclined, participating in groups can help alleviate some of the stress of utilizing foreign media. Such students can engage more in the written or narrative part of the assignment. However, I will always try to encourage such students to participate in choosing appropriate images for their narratives, even if they might not be very responsible for organizing and actually constructing the podcast on the computer. Therefore, this assignment caters to audio/visual //and// independent working students, involving everyone in both their strengths and weaknesses, whether it be more media involved or in the written narrative. Podcasting is also appropriate because more and more students are becoming technologically involved, and bringing this element into the classroom is an excellent way to get students thinking creatively, as well as presenting their knowledge in new and interesting ways. I will be sure to keep everyone engaged by checking in periodically with each group to see what responsibilities have been given to each member, their progress, questions, concerns, or frustrations, and to provide the necessary instruction or group restructuring so that participation is equitable and dynamic based on individual and group needs.
 * Utilize appropriate media and materials **

Podcasting involves a lot of coordination, cooperation and understanding between the roles of group members. Some students will be better at technology than others; therefore they can work more in the media organization aspect of the project. Those who are afraid of computers and are more involved with written assignments can help construct the content rather than the form of the presentation. However, I will always be sure to balance out such roles, to make sure that everyone has something to say and provide in the project narratives, as well as having equal opportunities to select image media for the visual aspect of the presentation.
 * Require participation by learners **

I will be sure to point out in my lectures that everyone needs to put their voice into the presentation, to provide their material that will constitute the body of the podcast, even if there is not so much involvement with technology and media. The expectation is that everyone get a taste of working with podcasting, finding relevant pictures and music, even if they are not as involved in actually putting it together as others. I also expect that each student show they have understood the readings by giving material to be narrated in the podcast itself.

Projects will be graded on the depth, accuracy and proficiency of knowledge presented through the podcast, and not so much on the perfection of the delivery. The quality of the podcast is an extra boost and bonus, but it is not the sole criteria by which to evaluate students in their understanding of class material. Higher level thinking is one main focus, whether or not students are thinking actively about the plot, characters and events of a given novel, or the literary culture and currents of a specific author. The audio/visual media is only meant to help facilitate this understanding in a fun and creative way. Creativity and entertainment can only help the project in this goal, but as a factor in itself, it will not make or break a project.
 * Evaluate students, methods and media **

Measuring the effectiveness of my own instruction will depend on how well students profess their knowledge received in class within the podcast medium. The depth, clarity and accuracy of information will determine if I have been a good teacher, as well as the creative thinking and constructive analyses presented by my students. The quality of each podcast will reflect how well I have taught my students to hone their technological skills through podcasting, and the audio/visual impact of the presentations in conjunction with the depth of its knowledge will also show an extra dimension to learning and the quality of my own instruction. While I can only judge myself based on the output of my students within the definitions of the assignment, to utilize podcast media effectively for this endeavor will also point toward successful instruction.

The instructional setting will be divided between lecture, learning to use computers for podcasts, and hands-on time for initial experimentation and learning. After the initial lecture, organizing students into groups of five or six, each group must brainstorm and decide what novel or novelist they would like to cover. The next class will be technology oriented, or learning how to make a podcast. Another class will be dedicated to playing with GarageBand, in order to get oriented with the program, if students have difficulty understanding how to use it. If, after checking on each group, everyone is familiar with how to use the program, then we will immediately get to work on the actual project the next day. The option for an extra day will also help students who might have been absent. As for students that are already familiar with the program and do not know what to do with their time if we take another day to get oriented, I will instruct them to begin searching for images for their project. Classes are about 50 minutes each, so we will have at least three to five days to work, which may be extended due to technical or other difficulties experienced in the process.