C.+Project+Statement



Project Statement

1. Briefly describe your proposed project. The project that we are proposing is a five day, simultaneous training workshop, integrating four separate learning environments that will be collaborating via Skype,blogs, and wikis.The participants will be actively engaged in face-to-face training within their small site as well as through all four sites receiving training at the same time-allowing for a sharing of learning across all sites synchronously. To accomplish a synchronous learning environment a teacher station will be set up in which participants will be logged into Skype, with video and audio access. The workshop outcomes are to introduce wikis and blogs into the schools as well as giving instruction on how to create lessons and games using the SMART Board Notebook. This proposed project/professional training will span over 5 days. 1 day will be provided for each technological tool (blogs/Skype, SMART Board, and wikis) which will entitle brief explanation of each, how to create accounts or download the tools to your teacher work-station, and information on how to use each tool effectively. 1 day will set aside for the learners to collaborate with their peers and an opportunity for them to Skype with others at different training sites. The last day will be for the learners to present their created projects.

2. How will you improve learner performance by engaging learners in authentic experiences? Upon completion of this workshop participants will have created a wiki and blog that can be used as a classroom collaborative resource. Particpants will be exposed to the educational importance of blogs and crate a blog that can be implemented into the existing curiculum. Participants will also create a lesson/game that incorporates the use of a SmartBoard. Participants will utilize wiki spaces and blog spots through Google and Skype to enhance collaborative learning activities.

3. How will you facilitate learning through constructivist, collaborative learning experiences? The students will be building these resources themselves, so they will get hands on experience of how to use each technological tool. This will also enable them to foresee challenges that their students may have when they incorporate them into the classroom.

4. How will you create sound instructional materials and learning environments that are based on solid research and learning theory? To ensure that students are utilizing sound instructional material and are experiencing a learning environment that is based on solid research and learning theory the instructors from the participating schools will collaborate. By collaborating, the instructors will determine what types of projects or assignments will be used for the wiki/blog project that corresponds to current curriculum.

5. How will you facilitate the use of innovations through the diffusion and integration of new technologies and technological experiences for your learners? To facilitate the use of innovations through the diffusion and integration of new technologies, using wikis and blogs, the learners will be provided with the experience of online collaboration with students in distant schools.

6. How will you most effectively manage this process? The instructors will take a step by step approach into teaching the students how to build their own wiki site, set up and create lessons on the Smart Board, as well as how to set up and maintain a blog.

7. What ethical considerations will you make to ensure sound decisions are made? The instructors will use internet safety guidelines that most schools have and address the challenges their students may have: blogging ie spelling, cyber bullying, staying with the content that is being taught.

8. What processes and resources will you include? Word Documents with instructions, examples, and important information about that particular tool. Video tutorials about each particular tool, tips and tricks, and information on where to find activities. Websites with a list free of wikis and blogs. Websites with lesson plans, games, and ideas for the SMART Board.

9. Describe the learning environment and population that will be engaged in your project: Participants signing up for this workshop will most likey have limited knowledge of wikis, blogs, Smart Board, or Skype. All participants will be familiar with the OS Windows and accessing the internet, school email and Real Time to take daily attendance and enter grades. By actively participating in this workshop the members will learn the importance of creating an online collaborative community. The participants will learn how to create a wiki, blog, set up and create lessons on the Smart Board, set up a Skype account and be exposed to the educational benefits of incorporating each into their existing curriculum. The gap exists in using the knowledge the participants have of the internet and class curriculum and integrating online collaboration resources to enhance the learning of students and further create 21st century learners. During break sessions, participants will have the opportunity to collaborate with others, from different school locations, using Skype about their knowledge and problems with these particular technological tools. This collaboration activity allows the participants to interact with the tools and the world (individuals in another setting).

a. Audience- Teachers

b. Learner characteristics: grade level, number of students- Middle/High

c. Anticipated entry level skills of audience- Beginner