Digital Tools for the 21st Century
6th Grade
Course Description:
Throughout this one quarter course, students will engage in project-based tasks in order to analyze web based and mobile applications, select a specific tool from a given set of options from which to choose to complete the task, and evaluate the appropriateness of the tool selected for meeting the goals of the task. Students will work independently on projects and collaboratively on the final project. Throughout their work, students will assess their work habits, including time management, goal-setting, and self-direction. Students will also evaluate their own final products, demonstrations, presentations, and/or performances. Students will be introduced to several digital forms of communication skills as they participate in a classroom discussion board and keep a weekly electronic journal.
Graded assignments:
1. Journal entry - individual assignment completed weekly (Rubric)
2. Discussion entry - individual assignment completed 3 times weekly (Rubric)
3. Is there an App for That? - individual assignment completed for each project (Form Sheet)
4. App-propriate and App-plicable? - individual assignment completed for each project (Form Sheet)
5. Who am I? - required individual project (Rubric)
6. Book Review - required individual project (Rubric)
7. Going for Gold (Goal), Habit-ually – required individual project
8. A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words – required individual project
9. Pep Talks – required group project
Tools of the Trade:
There are thousands of Web 2.0 and app-based tools available to use when developing a product designed to demonstrate your work, knowledge, skills, and understanding. Picking the right tool is critically important so your audience (including teachers) is able to easily grasp the information you have shared. During this class, you will have the ability to choose from a variety of tools that you will learn to use as you complete your work. Some possible tool options are listed below.
Note-taking / Idea Sketch (app)Evernote (app) / Map (app)
Pages (app) / Screen Chomp (app)
Notability (app) / Animation Express (app)
Infographics / Glogster (web) / Grafio (app) / Maptini (app) / PhotoStats (app)
Presentation / Keynote (app)
Hokusai Audio Editor (app)
Animation Desk (app) / iMovie (app)
iPromptPro (app)
PixnTell (app) / Animoto (web)
Educreations (app)
Animation Express (app) / Prezi (web)
Haiku Deck (app)
30Hands (app)
Report / Pages (app) / Notability (app) / Numbers-for statistical reports (app)
Story-telling / iMovie (app) / Photostory (web)
Collaboration / Google docs (web) / Wikispaces (web) / PBWiki (web) / Edmodo (app & web)
Reflection / Dragon Dictation (app) / Notes (app) / Pages (app) / Noteability (app)
WebSite / TeamTreeHouse (web resource) / Wikispaces / PB Wiki / Google Sites
Is there an App for That?:
The students will complete a form for each assignment which will guide them through critically determining the appropriate type of and then specific tool they will use to complete the assignment.
App-propriate and App-plicable:
The students will complete a reflection form designed to engage them in evaluating the tool they selected to inform them of future application or use of the specific tool?
Who am I?
Students are required, year after year after year, to create that boring mainstay project to share a little bit about themselves with their teacher and their classmates. These projects usually include requirements to include information about family, friends, pets, hobbies, places lived or visited, favorite school subjects,….
During this project, students will reflect on who they believe they are concerning a given context, i.e. “I am Dear Abby to my friends”, “How my social skills will make me the best City Parks and Recreation Director New York City has ever seen”, “I love being the oldest brother (sister, son, daughter)”, “Most people think I am really quiet, but that doesn’t mean my brain is idle; when I finish school, I will rule the world because…” However you look at yourself or dream about who you will be is what we want to hear about.
Students will create a project that will illustrate the key ideas of their project focus, called a thesis, using a digital tool of their choice. Students will complete this project as a guided activity the first week of the course to learn how to develop content for a project, select and learn how to use a tool, and complete their work.
Book Review
During this quarter, you will produce a book review which is not to be confused with a book report. In a Review, you provide, “a description, critical analysis, and an evaluation on the quality, meaning, and significance of a book” (Los Angeles Valley College, 2009).
Going for Gold (Goal), Habit-ually
During this project you will be investigating habits that research has shown helps ordinary be extra-ordinary. We will review specific work from Costa and Kallick, and their “16 Habits of the Mind”. You will reflect on what you do that shows that you apply one of those habits regularly. You will select one famous person whom you admire greatly (of your choice but with teacher approval – teacher will assign a famous person if you do not choose one) to research. You will look at their life (growing up, education, accomplishments) to identify at least one ‘Habit’ they demonstrate through their actions and accomplishments. You will write a short summary of the person’s life that explains their actions and how this demonstrates the ‘Habit’ your identified. You conclude with making a goal to develop this ‘Habit’; what you will do to develop this more fully in your own life, actions, and accomplishments. You will be required to identify a minimum of three things you will specifically do to work towards this goal. The assignment will be completed and submitted to eBackPack for grading.
Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
“There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept.”
Ansel Adams
Pictures can be a powerful way to share a thought, send a message, express an opinion, or vent a frustration – but only if the images used are of the right subject for the right audience. Purposefully determining topic and graphic representation, images, is the focus of this project.
You will select a topic (or quote if you wish) about which you are passionate. This may be an environmental or social concern or it may be your favorite food. You will write a statement that explains the message or goal of your project (what point you want to make). You will then locate (or create) royalty and copyright free images that will explain your message. While music is not required as a background to the project, please note that it often adds to the meaning of images. While not a graded item, if you select to add music, please select a piece that does not detract from the mode and meaning of your message and honors copyright laws.
Pep Talks – Motivation Presentation
Inspired by Soul Pancakes’ Kid President, Robby Novak,(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o) the goal of this project is designed to allow you to speak out about an issue in a positive and productive way. You will work in groups for this project, collaboratively selecting a topic, researching facts, writing a script, and presenting your message. During this project you will need to match your chosen topic to the target audience, select appropriate voice, and create a presentation which matches the tone and mood of your message. While students will select the topics for their production, all projects must be approved by the instructor prior to beginning the work. High quality projects may be shown on the school’s Morning Show. Who knows, yours may be the next big video splash on the web!
Bibliography
Los Angeles Valley College. (2009). How to Write a Book Review. Los Angeles Valley College Library Audio Visual Center. Retrieved from: http://www.lavc.edu/library/bookreview.htm
Wikipedia. (2013) Each One Teach One. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Each_One_Teach_One
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2013). Framework for 21st Century Learning. Retrieved from: http://www.p21.org/overview