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Research Projects Built to Prep Students for Sustainable Learning Habits with Cloud-based Technologies
Digital tools evolve and new technologies emerge at rapid rates, however, creating a structured pattern of learning and identifying several cloudware tools for similar tasks can enable teachers to strengthen student learning habits.
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Sustainable Learning Home Resources Standards Inspiration About the Author
Lessons Guides Rubrics Links Reading List
Digitize Structure to Increase Work FlowWork flow increases as students gain confidence in the learning process and learn to distinguish the constants from the variables of research development. Successful facilitation is dependent on scaffolding a research structure that can easily be followed both the old-fashioned sans digital way, as well as with all of the cloud-based tools that enable access for a wider range of students. Combining traditional learning patterns with cloud technologies supports student development of academic patterns and strengthens their experience of transferring those skills to new technologies.
This page presents a structure that I modeled after the Action Research method (Mertler), but simplified to the steps most pertaining to secondary education standards. The suggested cloudware listed on the right are merely suggestions from a vast array of growing ways to digitize your classroom. |
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BLOOM'S TAXONOMY |
Research Stages |
Suggested Cloudware |
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Knowledge
Comprehension Analysis Synthesis |
Stage 1: Review the literature -- analyze and synthesize the data available, find other sources as needed
Need to Know Checklist
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Provide and share start-up documents with GoogleDrive folders.
If they have a choice in their driving question, use Google Forms to guide peer feedback: Personal Driving Question Feedback Form Link Provide access to audiovisual how-to lessons by creating YouTube playlists with topics such as researching online, note-taking, and citing sources. Assign students to use a curation site such as Diigo to keep track of their online sources. |
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Understanding
Analyzing Synthesizing Creating |
Stage 2: Develop a plan -- filter and focus ideas, assess your audience, design your final product
Need to Know Checklist
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Assign students to create digital illustrations or mind-maps of the key ideas of each source in relation to their driving question for the purpose of deepening their understanding and discussing their findings with others before proceeding on to their final product -- use cloud tools such as, GoogleDrawing, Bubbl.us, Mind42, or Glogster.
Use cloud-based communication and collaboration tools such as, Edmodo threads, Google Presentation and/or Forms to allow students to practice presenting and receiving feedback on their ideas. Once again, YouTube playlists of outsourced lessons, teacher created mini-lessons, and/or student teach-what-you-know videos and presentations, provide students access to assistance in how to use the tools and create various products, enabling the teacher to more easily facilitate multiple product outcomes for the same unit of study. |
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Synthesis
Application Creation |
Stage 3: Create the product -- revisit the driving question, review product for clarity and format, revise if necessary
Need to Know Checklist
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Three main writing genres (CCSS.W.1-3):
and a vast array of technological publication styles and tools (CCSS.W.6):
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Evaluation
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Stage 4: Present and Reflect -- observe presented product(s) and reflect on the process of research and product design
Need to Know Checklist
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Student work might be displayed on individual computer screens around a classroom or computer lab for a gallery walk through by the student, parent or community audience. Student work might also be linked to a class website or Edmodo thread for easy Smartboard presentation, or even an off campus audience. After the presentation and corresponding rubric assessment by the teacher (and other audiences) the student should close the unit of study with reflection on their own work practice: Work Practice Reflection Form |
English: Life Skills
Class Research Topic/DQ:
How can one prepare the mind and body for success? Narrowed focus Study Team DQs: Group 1: How does breakfast prepare the mind and body for success? Group 2: How does sleep prepare the mind and body for success? Group 3: How does exercise prepare the mind and body for success? Group 4: How does social interaction and collaboration prepare the mind and body for success? Group 5: How does goal setting and reflection prepare the mind and body for success? |
Humanities (English/History)
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English: Self-Generated DQ
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