3.2 Managing Digital Tools & Resources
Candidates effectively manage digital tools and resources within the context of student learning experiences. (PSC 3.2/ISTE 3b)
Artifact: Multimedia Design Project/WebQuest
Summary:
This artifact demonstrates the multimedia design project completed during the web design course. This project required us to develop a webquest for students. For my project, I selected to allow students to investigate genetic diseases through the use of a genetic counselor position. Students were given the hook by learning about albinism then told they were genetic counselors set to assist new parents with the probability of passing on genetic disorders to their unborn child. After completion of this discovery, students had to present the information to the parents about their disease that the child could potentially have.
This artifact demonstrates the multimedia design project completed during the web design course. This project required us to develop a webquest for students. For my project, I selected to allow students to investigate genetic diseases through the use of a genetic counselor position. Students were given the hook by learning about albinism then told they were genetic counselors set to assist new parents with the probability of passing on genetic disorders to their unborn child. After completion of this discovery, students had to present the information to the parents about their disease that the child could potentially have.
Reflection:
1. Briefly describe the artifact and the context in which it was created. What was your individual contribution(s)?
This project was created during the Web Design course. Genetics has been around for a long time, but I developed the idea solely on my own sparked by my own pregnancy and genetic testing occurring with my unborn son. I created the six different case studies each giving different probabilities for 6 diseases. Each case will result in a probability of the child having one dominant and one recessive disorder. The probability could be as low as 25% or as high as 100%. In addition, I developed the entire website from scratch using Weebly tools to make the site visually pleasing and using the domain to house the website. I used a variety of links from the internet, videos from YouTube and images from Google to assemble the page.
2. Explain how this artifact demonstrates mastery of the standard/element under which it is placed. See the portfolio rubric and watch the videos for more details on what to include in your reflection for this question. You must respond to each of the items on the rubric in this question! It is VERY IMPORTANT that you address ALL of the criteria on the rubric. This one question may need to be several paragraphs long to address all of the items on the rubric.
The standard was 3.2 “candidates effectively manage digital tools and resources within the context of student learning experiences”. The webquest could not have been created without the usage of Weebly templates. I used a template to get the bones for the website put together, then found appropriate websites for students to access to provide them with information needed to discover the genetic diseases. The first step to be able to manage digital tools and resources is to initially find these tools and make them easily accessible to the students. Students only need to access the website and all resources are available. In addition, since the entire project is based on the usage of these websites, there is a location for bad links to be reported. This will allow me to maintain the website to the best of my abilities to ensure that any student in any classroom accessing the webquest are provided with appropriate tools to complete the tasks.
3. What did you learn from completing this artifact? What would you do differently to improve the quality of the artifact or the process involved in creating the artifact? (Not changing anything is not an acceptable response.)
As I have known previously, creating a webquest for students is a daunting task. Not only do you have to complete the work for the six different case studies, but you need to investigate appropriate websites for the students. Sadly, websites change which means that you must verify multiple times that the website is active and able to be used by the students. I have posted the link for the website to the National Biology facebook teacher’s page and have a received a lot of positive feedback about the web design and idea. Sadly, this project was developed for a lower level classroom than my own so I was unable to trial with my own students for their feedback. In the future, I will create the webquests a semester prior to use to allow for the time requirement to sample and trial with other teachers and students. This could create a better website that can be used by my own students.
4. How did the work that went into creating the artifact impact school improvement, faculty development or student learning? How can the impact be assessed?
This assisted with student learning. Students are able to learn and apply Mendelian genetics to a real-world situation. Students are learning about six different genetic disorders through the act of research. Students are growing in their ability to determine appropriate information to share when completing a presentation. Overall, the genetic counselors project requires students to learn through this cross-curricular activity.
1. Briefly describe the artifact and the context in which it was created. What was your individual contribution(s)?
This project was created during the Web Design course. Genetics has been around for a long time, but I developed the idea solely on my own sparked by my own pregnancy and genetic testing occurring with my unborn son. I created the six different case studies each giving different probabilities for 6 diseases. Each case will result in a probability of the child having one dominant and one recessive disorder. The probability could be as low as 25% or as high as 100%. In addition, I developed the entire website from scratch using Weebly tools to make the site visually pleasing and using the domain to house the website. I used a variety of links from the internet, videos from YouTube and images from Google to assemble the page.
2. Explain how this artifact demonstrates mastery of the standard/element under which it is placed. See the portfolio rubric and watch the videos for more details on what to include in your reflection for this question. You must respond to each of the items on the rubric in this question! It is VERY IMPORTANT that you address ALL of the criteria on the rubric. This one question may need to be several paragraphs long to address all of the items on the rubric.
- Artifact is aligned to the standard/element.
- Artifact and reflection are complete and contain depth and breadth.
- Artifact or reflection explains how the candidate demonstrates the ability to manage digital tools and resources within the context of a student learning experience.
The standard was 3.2 “candidates effectively manage digital tools and resources within the context of student learning experiences”. The webquest could not have been created without the usage of Weebly templates. I used a template to get the bones for the website put together, then found appropriate websites for students to access to provide them with information needed to discover the genetic diseases. The first step to be able to manage digital tools and resources is to initially find these tools and make them easily accessible to the students. Students only need to access the website and all resources are available. In addition, since the entire project is based on the usage of these websites, there is a location for bad links to be reported. This will allow me to maintain the website to the best of my abilities to ensure that any student in any classroom accessing the webquest are provided with appropriate tools to complete the tasks.
3. What did you learn from completing this artifact? What would you do differently to improve the quality of the artifact or the process involved in creating the artifact? (Not changing anything is not an acceptable response.)
As I have known previously, creating a webquest for students is a daunting task. Not only do you have to complete the work for the six different case studies, but you need to investigate appropriate websites for the students. Sadly, websites change which means that you must verify multiple times that the website is active and able to be used by the students. I have posted the link for the website to the National Biology facebook teacher’s page and have a received a lot of positive feedback about the web design and idea. Sadly, this project was developed for a lower level classroom than my own so I was unable to trial with my own students for their feedback. In the future, I will create the webquests a semester prior to use to allow for the time requirement to sample and trial with other teachers and students. This could create a better website that can be used by my own students.
4. How did the work that went into creating the artifact impact school improvement, faculty development or student learning? How can the impact be assessed?
This assisted with student learning. Students are able to learn and apply Mendelian genetics to a real-world situation. Students are learning about six different genetic disorders through the act of research. Students are growing in their ability to determine appropriate information to share when completing a presentation. Overall, the genetic counselors project requires students to learn through this cross-curricular activity.
3.2 Managing Digital Tools and Resources
ITEC 7430
ITEC 7445
ITEC 7482 (Elective)
- Artifact is aligned to the standard/element.
- Artifact and reflection are complete and contain depth and breadth.
- Artifact or reflection explains how the candidate demonstrates the ability to manage digital tools and resources within the context of a student learning experience.
ITEC 7430
- Internet Lesson Plan
ITEC 7445
- Multimedia Design Project/WebQuest
ITEC 7482 (Elective)
- Components of Online Teaching Portfolio