Designer

ISTE-E Standard Text

Designer - Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments that recognize and accommodate learner variability. Educators:

      • Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster independent learning and accommodate learner differences and needs.

          • Personalize learning experiences: Capitalize on technology's efficiencies and functionality to meet students' individual learning needs, for example, scaled tests and quizzes; adaptability tools and features; software data that can capture where students are struggling or spending the bulk of their time; competency-based learning resources; tools that facilitate student reflection; project planning, organization and time management; communication; collaborative work; individual research and curation; and design and creativity

          • Independent learning: Student ownership over their learning goals, demonstration of competency and structuring of work.

          • Learner differences and needs: Systemic learner variability that, if planned for and supported, maximizes student learning and engagement, for example, differentiation, assistive technologies and accomodations; building motivation to learn by stimulating interest; multimodal content delivery; fostering learning awareness of their work preferences and recognition of how academic work aligns to personal goals

      • Design authentic learning activities that align with content area standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active, deep learning.

          • Authentic learning activities: Learning experiences that have value or resonane beyond the classroom/academics, for example, solving real-world local or global problems; career-workforce-related projects and skill-building; wrestling with significant philosophical or intellectual problems; and design projects and processes.

          • Active, deep learning: Leveraging digital tools and resources so students can gain mastery of content area knowledge while also gaining vital competencies, including problem-solving, critical thinking, effective communication, collaboration, self-direction and belief in their ability to grow and improve with hardwork and perseverance.

      • Explore and apply instructional design principles to create innovative digital learning environments that engage and support learning.

          • Instructional design principles: Established and evolving best practices and guidelines for designing learning experiences for targeted learners.

          • Create innocative digital learning environments: Maximize learning by designing effective instruction in a variety of learning environments and rethinking physical spave to enhance new models of classroom learning such as blended learning, online learning and various device models such as 1:1 tablets or laptops, mobile devices and computer labs

Reflection

Whereas a standardized curriculum and testing try to move students toward a central goal, that is not always the most effective way to teach individual learners. An effective educator is able to address diverse learner needs by understanding where the student is at academically, how they learn, and what their goals are for the academic period they are working with the student. First, understanding a student's level of understanding helps an educator create assignments that will be beneficial to them. If a student is in the fifth grade, with a first-grade reading level, understanding that lapse will help the educator design work that will not leave the student completely lost on day one. On the flip side, if a student is in the sixth grade with a tenth-grade reading level, a more rigorous curriculum may be necessary to ensure that the student is engaged. How a student learns can help an educator determine which kind of activity is most beneficial to them. Is the gamification of a lesson necessary to engage a student, do they prefer group work, do they not work well with others? Although students may have preferences, it is important to know which is most effective so that we can understand how to design future lessons. We want our students to be able to respond to all scenarios and not just the ones they are comfortable with, but understanding how they learn can help us as educators make them able to apply their knowledge to different scenarios. Finally, what are the goals of the student? Where do they want to be by the end of the year? How does this translate to their personal interests and goals? These questions all have answers that can assist an educator in designing their lessons in a manner that will be beneficial to the student. Technology has opened up many opportunities and placed a world of resources available for teachers. This world is also open to students and it is increasingly made available to them at younger ages. This is helpful because students can be collaborators in designing what their learning experience looks like!

NJCU - Summer I 2021 - EDTC620 - Project 1 - DroneLessonPlan

Artifact 1

This is a Lesson Plan that I created for my EDTC620 course where I incorporated the use of drones into a project that World Language students can complete in class. They created a school tour in the target language by making a "Day in the Life of..." video that around their daily schedule. They were given a student example as a model and then required to develop a script, film plan, and conduct the recording using a drone provided by the school.

NJCU - Summer I 2021 - EDTC625 - Project 1 - Design Principles

Artifact 2

My second artifact is an essay that I wrote for EDTC625 where I labeled the design principles that I would incorporate in the creation of my own school that championed student learning and applied them to my goals as an Attendance Counselor. The design of the school incorporates philosophical as well as physical aspects of the ideal school.

NJCU - Summer I 2021 - EDTC625 - Project 2 - Digital Citizenship Playlist

Artifact 3

Another example of the designer standard is the playlist that I created for EDTC 625. I also showcase this standard under the citizen standard but believe that it also applies here because it is an example of creating a work that can be utilized by students, incorporating games, videos, worksheets, and quizzes to help them become better digital citizens. Students can choose how they want to complete the lesson with different checkpoints ensuring compliance.