Diane Jones CIED 7602 Dr.

Hsaio July 13, 2013 P-12 LM Descriptive and Reflective Paper I have had an interesting experience with designing my P-12 Learning Module. As a PreKindergarten Teacher, I wanted to challenge myself and try something more difficult. When I started down this journey in the Online Teaching Endorsement Classes in the summer of 2012, I had created lots of the pieces of a P-12 LM for a Kindergarten Class on coins and their values. I believed that would be practical and reasonable goal for me to reach while being able to possibly use the information and the Wiki in my classroom the following year. However, with the new rollout of the Common Core Standards, students were not going to be introduced to money in Kindergarten (so this learning module would not have been relevant). I figured since this was an Incomplete class, I could justify continuing on the path of my original P-12 LM, but I decided I didnt think that was ethically appropriate. So, thus marks the beginning process of trying to decide on a new P-12 Learning Module for the 6th Grade Writing Process of an Argumentative Essay. Through DoDEA (Department of Defense Education Activity), I am certified Pre-Kindergarten through 6th Grade. I had read in the beginning of the CIED course materials that my professor would be focusing her scenarios questions on the upper grades because that was currently where a majority of the online schools were being utilized. I read through the Common Core Standards. Additionally, I have a colleague who teaches 6th Grade English/Language Arts at my school in Korea, who I would be able to use as a sounding board for my own P-12 LM. I personally have not had to implement my P-12 LM because it does not fit into my current grade level, but I do believe what I created would make a wonderful addition to any classroom. I really

surprised myself in how I felt the daily activities would help to support and allow the students to demonstrate understanding of the standards and objectives that I had chosen for my P-12 LM. During the completion of my P-12 LM, I had my father, who is a high school counselor and one of my tech savvy resources, proofread my 6th Grade Learning Module. He was very impressed with the level of activities, the implementation of technology resources, the peer group assignments, and the fact that my P-12 LM was going to help students create a five-paragraph essay. He said that my module was an excellent introduction to the topic of five paragraph essays, and that it would greatly benefit them well into high school, and directly into the 10th grade high school writing test. The concept I have learned is to incorporate a variety of teaching tools in my P-12 Learning Module. Through CIEDs assignments, I was able to research a myriad of online tools, resources, and websites that I could use in my classroom. By having wonderful peer group members, I had the opportunity to use their extensive research and find even more resources. The different tools that I used allowed me to cover different means of representation, expression, and engagement. These strategies have allowed me to create a well-rounded, and hopefully, engaging P-12 LM for 6th Graders. The online resource that I would recommend to my instructor and peers that I used in my P-12 LM was Padlet. I am so thrilled by this discovery because of the plethora of ways I can use it for peer collaboration. Once the students understand how to manipulate the Padlet, they can also create their own Padlets for other group assignments. It is definitely a wonderful asset to use for brainstorming, story boards, or sharing information with more than one person via online. I like how simple it is to use, and is a very clear representation of the work that can be done before a presentation, can be completed during a project, or as a culminating activity by one or more participants. I believe my biggest struggle through the design process of my wiki would have to be in deciding on the time management of the daily activities. I needed to make sure that I created activities that allowed the students to be able to learn using visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities, and then, also

have time to create the writing project. The students will have to have time to create a topic, research their side of the argument, and still have time to have their essays proofread by peers and an adult. Depending on the students and their thinking processes this could take more or less time to complete the assignments. I overcame these struggles by talking to other people who are in the online community already. They liked the flexibility of having a set amount of work to be done, at a certain point, but also the fluidness to finish it throughout the day. I created my tasks based on the writing process steps, and each task received a day. Obviously, in a real online classroom, I would be able to monitor and determine how the students were progressing, when and if they needed more time or assistance. I have definitely enjoyed learning how to create a P-12 LM through this class. It felt like I was creating a very detailed lesson plan. I learned in an online learning module, the instructor has to include very explicit details because unlike a face to face classroom, I cannot field questions as they come. If I create a quality learning module, then, my students can do the work independently, and I am able to assist as needed. I loved realizing my lesson plan would be used by students versus a teacher or a substitute. This makes lesson planning more practical as an educator. I know that I have a more confidence in the idea of teaching higher grades than when I started this class.