Orientation Module

Topics:

Project-Course design and structure

Key Activities:

• Explore the course schedule and course features
• Check available software applications
• Complete an online profile and learn about the course community
• Review a sample unit plan and develop topic ideas for your own unit plan
• Participate in a discussion using the course blog
• Complete the Orientation Survey

Module 1: Teaching with Projects

Topics:

Project-based learning and unit design

Key Activities:

• Review portfolio components
• Create a publication on projects
• Create a publication on projects
• Identify 21st century skills for your unit
• Develop initial unit ideas
• Reflect on learning in your blog

Module 2: Planning My Unit

Topics:

Curriculum-Framing Questions and student-centered assessment

Key Activities:

• Identify standards for your unit
• Create learning objectives
• Create Curriculum-Framing Questions
• Research effective assessment strategies
• Draft an Assessment Timeline
• Create an assessment to gauge student needs
• Create a Unit Portfolio Presentation
• Reflect on learning in your blog

Module 3: Making Connections

Topics:

The Internet to support teaching and learning

Key Activities:

• Obtain feedback to improve Unit Portfolio and gauging student needs assessment
• Share ideas for meeting standards with projects
• Review copyright laws and Fair Use
• Create a Works Cited document
• Integrate the use of Internet resources to support research, communication, collaboration, problem solving, and other 21st century skills
• Use an online collaborative Web site to share ideas
• Reflect on learning in your blog

Module 4: Creating Samples of Learning

Topics:

Project outcomes from a student perspective

Key Activities:

• Identify strategies to ensure safe and responsible Internet use
• Create a sample student publication, presentation, wiki , or blog to demonstrate student learning
• Draft your Instructional Procedures
• Self-assess your student sample
• Reflect on learning in your blog

Module 5: Assessing Student Projects

Topics:

Formative and summative assessment

Key Activities:

• Obtain feedback to improve your student sample
• Explore challenges and solutions for involving students in the assessment process
• Self-assess your current assessment practices
• Draft an Assessment Summary
• Create an assessment for your student sample
• Revise your student sample based on the assessment
• Revise your Unit Plan
• Reflect on learning in your blog

Module 6: Planning for Student Success

Topics:

Student support and self-direction

Key Activities:

• Explore strategies to differentiate instruction
• Create an assessment to encourage student self-direction
• Create student support materials
• Revise your Unit Plan to incorporate accommodations for all learners
• Reflect on learning in your blog
• Self-assess your facilitation of a student-centered classroom

Module 7: Facilitating with Technology

Topics:

Teacher as facilitator

Key Activities:

• Explore questioning strategies to promote higher-order thinking
• Create facilitation materials
• Revise your Unit Plan
• Discuss implementation strategies
• Create management documents
• Self-assess your Unit Portfolio and revise based on your assessment
• Reflect on learning in your blog and share with partner

Module 8: Showcasing Unit Portfolios

Topics:

Sharing learning

Key Activities:

• Prepare for showcasing your unit
• Give and receive feedback on Unit Portfolios
• Reflect on learning in your blog
• Evaluate the Essentials Online Course