Discussions 1

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

In Week Two, you created a presentation on why linking assessments with report cards that reflect CCSS is imperative. In this discussion, you expand on your knowledge about CCSS and debate the idea of whether creating high-quality assessments is necessary. Note that some educators argue that it is not enough to just create a link between assessments and report cards, but that assessments need to be high level and should require students to synthesize their learning instead of only demonstrating mastery by rote memory. Alternatively, some educators argue that high-quality assessments cost more than lower quality assessments (Eisner, 2001; Matthews, 2006; Pulfrey, Buch, & Butera, 2011). One possible reason for this viewpoint is that higher-level assessments often include performance tasks and/or essays that require teacher scoring, and thus a great deal of time is spent on evaluating students’ work. Conversely, lower-level assessments measuring basic knowledge through multiple-choice and true/false responses; they can be measured using technology and take considerably less time and resources to measure. 

First, choose a side from the two opposing viewpoints described above and discuss one of these two points: 

a.     Can the American education system afford assessments for deeper learning?

b.     Can the American education system afford not to have such high-quality assessments?

Discussions 2

Creativity and Innovation

Educators strive to create a classroom that instills creativity and innovation. In this discussion, you will think about the creative and innovative instructional approach known as the the flipped classroom while making direct connections to the Common Core State Standards and teacher decision making based on student assessments. Reflecting on your previous discussion on CCSS in Week Two as well as your previous discussions from EDU671: Fundamentals of Educational Research about the flipped classroom, you will complete the three parts of this discussion’s initial post.

There are three parts to this discussion, which are described below.

Part 1

o    Discuss how the flipped classroom idea can be used in conjunction with CCSS (Math or English Language Arts)

o    Describe ways you could incorporate technology used in the flipped classroom idea to support the Framework for 21st century learning in the classroom as it relates to decision making based on student assessments. 

Part 2
Now, think about assessments you have created or used in the past to address the following: 

o    Discuss if a school or teacher should use a multimedia resource that is absolutely amazing in delivering both content and assessment, but is not accessible. 

o    Evaluate whether the resource must be excluded from a course if there are no reasonably equivalent accessible alternatives.

Part 3

o    Attach a link to your electronic portfolio.

o    In one paragraph, reflect on your experience with the redesign in terms of challenges you encountered during the Week Two Assignment and how you overcame those challenges including any difficulties experienced in revising to meet the components of one ISTE-S standard and the CCSS (Math or English Language Arts) which are aligned with a minimum of one Core Subject and 21st Century Themes and a minimum of one  Learning and Innovation Skill, one  Information, Media, & Technology Skill, and evidence of at least one Life and Career Skill.

 Assignment

1. Learning and Innovation Skills and Student Assessment

   This assignment requires you to make connections between high-quality assessment and learning and innovation skills. Additionally, using the Framework for 21st century learning as a resource, you will redesign or modify a prior activity from one of your courses in the MAED program representing program learning outcome 3, 4, 5, and 7. There are several approaches you could take with this assignment. For example, you may redesign an instructional plan with assessment plans embedded throughout or a full assessment plan including a summative assessment you may have constructed. These are just two ideas out of numerous possibilities. If you do not have previous assignments to use in this assignment, please contact your instructor for guidelines on how to proceed. Refer to the MAED program learning outcomes (PLOs) list as needed. Upload your assignment to the course for evaluation and to your ePortfolio (Pathbrite).

   Create your assignment to meet the content and written communication expectations below.

   Content Expectations
   The Redesign expectations explain what you are required to do with the prior coursework you choose to redesign. The Summary expectations are for the separate written portion of this assignment.

• Redesign – Alignment and Mastery (1 Point): Redesign an instructional plan with assessment plans embedded throughout, or a full assessment plan as noted above including a summative assessment that could be selected to include alignment between specific skills, CCSS, and objectives and includes criteria for mastery.

 

• Summary – Introduction/Conclusion (1 Point): A one paragraph introduction to a summary that concisely presents the scope and organization of the summary writing, as well as a one paragraph conclusion that recaps your summary’s key points.

 

• Summary – Modification (1 Point): In one paragraph summarize the changes you made to your activity to meet the redesign expectations for this assignment. Explicitly state how your redesign assignment provides evidence of mastery of PLO’s 3, 5, and 7.

 

• Summary – Evaluation (1 Point): In one paragraph, evaluate how your assessment promotes Learning & Innovation Skills, assess how it could be used as a tool for ongoing evaluation of student progress, and evaluate how it could be used as a guide for teacher and student decision making.

 

• Summary – Reflection (1 Point): Summarize, in one paragraph, your experience with the redesign in terms of challenges you encountered and how you overcame those challenges.


Written Communication Expectations

• Page Requirement (.5 points): Two to four pages, not including title and references pages.
• APA Formatting (.5 points): Use APA formatting consistently throughout the assignment.
• Syntax and Mechanics (.5 points): Display meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics such as spelling and grammar. 
• Source Requirement (.5 points): References three scholarly sources in addition to the course textbook. All sources on the references page need to be used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.

Required Resources

Required Text


1. Burnaford, G., & Brown, T. (2014). Teaching and learning in 21st century learning environments: A reader. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
   1. Chapter 5: Dynamic Curriculum and Instruction in the 21st Century
      

   
   

Articles


1. Eisner, E. W. (2001, January). What does it mean to say a school is doing well? Phi Delta Kappan 82(5), 367-372. Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.
   • Eisner notes how when we look at our concepts of education that stress accountability, we lose track of the needs of the school and how it is doing as a whole. 
     

   
   

2. Mathews, J. (2006, November 14). Just whose idea was all this testing? The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/13/AR2006111301007.html
   • Matthews looks at the historical trends of testing and how as a nation we have become obsessed with accountability. 

   
   

3. Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, Digital immigrants Part 1. On The Horizon, 9(5), 1. doi:10.1108/10748120110424816
   • Prensky discusses the difference between digital immigrants (those who acquired knowledge about technology) and digital natives (those who grew up with technology).

   
   

4. Pulfrey, C., Buchs, C., & Butera, F. (2011). Why grades engender performance-avoidance goals: The mediating role of autonomous motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(3), 683-700. doi:10.1037/a0023911
   • Pulfrey, Buchs, and Butera discuss how grading students only on assessments is hindering a student’s ability to really demonstrate what they learn. 

   
   

5. Read the standards. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards  
   • This website from the U.S. Department of Education provides a definition of the Common Core State Standards and what is expected of students at each grade level. The focus of CCSS is on core conceptual understandings and procedures starting in the early grades, providing teachers a timeline needed to teach core concepts and allowing each student the time needed to master the concepts.
     

   
   

6. The flipped classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/
   
   • This web page provides information related to the use of technology in the classroom as well as how the flipped classroom approach takes learning outside of the classroom for students to experience independently, moving homework help back into the classroom


Website


1. Framework for 21st century learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-framework
   • This website provides a comprehensive view of 21st-century teaching and learning and combines a focus on student outcomes with support systems that help students’ master skills they will need in the 21st century and beyond.

 

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Recommended Resources

Articles


1. Defining critical thinking. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/define_critical_thinking.cfm
   • On this web page, critical thinking is defined with specific examples
2. Gray, A. (2013). Week four, discussion 1: Data analysis practice scenario. College of Education, Ashford University, San Diego, CA.
   • This document was used to inform your Week Four Discussion response in EDU 671 when practicing data analysis and serves as a reminder to help inform your response to Discussion Two in Week Three of this course.
3. Nelson, M. E., (2012). Review of Deconstructing digital natives [Review of the book, Deconstructing digital natives: Young people, technology, and the new literacies by M. Thomas (Ed.)]. Language, Learning, & Technology, 16(3), 35-39. Retrieved from http://llt.msu.edu/issues/october2012/review1.pdf
   • Nelson discusses the ideas behind Prensky (2001) and the flipped classroom. The review discusses the myth, perspectives and beyond digital natives examining the varied interpretations and significance of Prensky‘s ideas. Nelson reports research that grounds and tests the digital natives/digital immigrants formulation.


Text


1. Bergmann, J., & Sams, A. (2012). Flip your classroom: Reach every student in every class every day. International Society for Technology in Education. Pearson, NY. 
   • Bergmann and Sams discuss how students need their teachers present to answer questions or to provide help if they get stuck on an assignment; they don’t need their teachers present to listen to a lecture or review