Thinking like a Teacher

Today we begin our first Think Like a Teacher activity (forever referred to as: TLAT #1). For this project you’ll need the Georgia Performance Standards, knowledge of communication and collaboration tools, information from Chapter 3, and your brain. Your final product will be a write-up (2-3 pages) of a learning activity that you design for your grade/subject.  This learning activity MUST incorporate a communication and/or collaboration tool.

As a new teacher, you have opportunities to apply for grants to improve the resources and tools you have available in your classroom. The principal of Aderhold School passes along a letter about a grant that is of great interest to you. You can read the letter here.

The letter describes the purpose of the TLAT #1 and the expectations – you’ll be graded on the 5 components listed in the “Selection Process” section of the letter. We’ll be working on this project in class for several days – it is due on Wednesday, September 29 at 12:20 pm. Here’s the basic timeline:

9/22 - TLAT #1 Part 2 &3: explore lessons
9/24 - TLAT #1 Part 4: elaborate lesson (No class, unless you need help.  Do it on your own.)
9/27 - TLAT #1 Part 5: peer review and reflexion
9/29– TLAT #1 due by 12:20 pm – should be on a new webpage on your portfolio

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Let’s get our materials ready so you can start thinking like a teacher.  I’ve shared two items with you in your Google Docs account – two class rolls* and the lesson design guide.  Since I sent you versions that you can only view, but not edit, you’ll need to open those two documents and make a copy of each of them.
 *You need only copy one class roll, depending on what you are teaching.

If you don’t have these documents in your Google Docs account, it means I don’t have your Google username – please email it to me as soon as possible: dporcaro@uga.edu

We’re going to go over these two forms – but let’s hear some ideas and advice from former EDIT 2000 students about the Think Like a Teacher project.

We're on a roll
Let’s look at the class rolls – you’ll see headings that relate to what we discussed during our Teacher Boot Camp a few weeks ago. The information on these rolls will help inform your decisions on the Lesson Design Guide.

The Overview section of the Lesson Design Guide is designed to help you understand the format of the guide.  Note the references to TPACK throughout the guide.  TPACK means Technological, Pedagogical Content Knowledge. If you want to know more, you can watch this really cool conference talk (it's about 30 or so minutes long).

Section 1 of the Lesson Design Guide uses alot of information from Chapter 3 in your text. We’ll work through some of Section 1 during class today. It’s really the most important section (as students in the TLAT intro video mentioned).

FOR Wednesday:
Complete part 1 of the design guide. We’ll discuss your responses on Wednesday and move to part 2.