I was nervous when I realized I needed to create a lesson plan this week. I am not a teacher, and I have never created one before. My lack of experience was a challenge, and I had no idea what topic to choose. I was not sure what format a lesson plan follows. I decided to pick a lesson on Newton’s laws, a basic lesson format and began creating a plan.
While working through the lesson, I had to consider concepts like the 4 C’s (critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity), the value of play, and Hobb’s core competencies. (Hobb’s, 2011. p. 13-19). I chose technology tools that could support each of these concepts. For example, the lesson plan includes playing a game by BrainPop called Impulse. This game allows students to play with forces to see how they create motion. This is a key idea in Newton’s laws. We cannot easily perform this experiment in the physical world, so it makes this technology a good choice for this lesson.
Students are also asked to communicate and collaborate by finding videos containing examples of Newton’s laws and sharing them with a partner. Students record the examples in a shared document, and they are reviewed together as a class.
Finally, students are asked to create a project using digital technologies that demonstrates each of Newton’s laws. Students can create a mechanical object using a 3d printer or other materials, code a video game, or even compose a song or create a video of a dance to demonstrate their understanding.
This assignment really helped me work through the thought process behind which technologies to choose and why they are a good fit for a specific lesson. It was one of the most challenging assignments but also very rewarding.
References
Hobbs, R. (2011). Digital and media literacy: Connecting culture and classroom. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin/Sage.
Brian Durst EdTech 