Project+Statement

Proposed Project: Let's Taste the Rainbow: How many activities can you complete using Skittles?

Our learning community will start with a 1-week collaborative project. An area that we would like to implement in our school is the use of technology in math classrooms to enhance the experience of both students and teachers. Students will work together while interactively completing math projects based on standards that have been taught in the classroom. The projects and math stories will get students involved in collaboration while developing higher levels of problem solving and critical thinking skills. All participating students will be grouped with learners from the other schools to collaboratively engage in math topics using a wiki and Google Docs.

- Learners will receive the opportunity to engage in discussion and creative math activities with learners from other schools. Each learner has their level of information to offer to the project while giving and receiving feedback from one another. With this authentic experience, learners get the chance to see how other learners learn and how they are all learning the same information but in different ways. Students benefit best when actively engaged in the lesson with other learners.
 * How will you improve learner performance by engaging learners in authentic experiences? **

Georgia Performance Standards: Students will gather, organize, and display data according to the situation and will compare related features. a. Construct tally charts, frequency table, and bar graphs. c. Compare different graphical representations for a given set of data.  e. Determine and justify the range, mode, mean, and median of a set of data. || a. Build new mathematical knowledge through problem solving. ||
 * A. Bridges – 4th Grade || M4D1:
 * R. Gibson – Pre-K || MKN2C: Students will use objects, pictures, numbers or words to create, solve, and explain story problems for two numbers that are each less than 10. ||
 * V. Ellis – 2nd Grade || ﻿M2P1. Students will solve problems (using appropriate technology).

Educators will facilitate learning through constructivist; collaborative learning experiences by making sure students are using prior knowledge while also building upon what they are learning in the classroom. Students will form small learning communities where they will be assigned creative math activities to complete. With these particular activities, students will pull in outside sources form their community as well as the information from class. Students will also work collaboratively and cooperatively to find information needed to get their wikis done within their communities. While working on wikis, students will have the opportunity to communicate while working on their Google Docs activity. With the use of Google Docs, students can work together from their perspective locations to make sure that everything is getting done correctly. With this collaboration, students are learning about other areas of the world, how other classrooms do things differently, and how to communicate and socialize with other learners while developing skills to effectively communicate thoughts and ideas.
 * How will you facilitate learning through constructivist, collaborative learning experiences? **

With the use of the Internet, students have access to resources that will provide information for all of the different learning styles and multiple intelligences. As a result, learners are providing feedback and information with their prior knowledge and what they have built upon over the year. Therefore, they are actively engaging in the activity with other learners constructively. Students are participating in a hands-on-experience that is enhancing their ability to express their ideas and thoughts on different academic topics. With this being said, teachers will also collaborate to make sure the standards are similar for each grade level participating in the learning community. Teachers will also make sure the assigned activities are promoting and encouraging students to express their diverse abilities while using innovative technology to collaborate.
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">How will you create sound instructional materials and learning environments that are based on solid research and learning theory? **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">With this project, students will learn how to properly use a wiki while collaborating in a small learning community. Students will also learn the basics of a learning community and how it can affect the outcome of the ending result when not effective. In addition to learning new technology and how they can be used in the classroom to collaborate, students are expressing their knowledge and understanding of performance standards.
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">How will you facilitate the use of innovations through the diffusion and integration of new technologies and technological experiences for your learners? **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">In regards to ethical considerations as well as following technology standards as provided by each school’s district, teachers will closely monitor all student’s activities. Before assigning certain projects and learning communities, teachers will collaborate to check all websites that will be used and set the wikis up accordingly for our students’ use only. In addition, teachers will be responsible for making sure that all information and resources used are student-friendly and appropriate for the school environment.
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">What ethical considerations will you make to ensure sound decisions are made? **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Students will work with various mathematical strategies to problem with members of their learning communities. All information for the learning community will be kept on the group’s wiki. Students will have access to Google Docs so that they are provided the opportunity to collaborative and interactively work together on documents needed.
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">What processes and resources will you include? **


 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Describe the learning environment and population that will be engaged in your project: **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Parents are welcomed to volunteer during the time their student is collaborating with his/her learning community. Parents are also welcomed to assist students with online resources or other activities that are associated with the project.
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Audience **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> – Facilitators and Primary – Elementary age students
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Learner characteristics: **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> Grades PreK, 2nd, & 4th; 5 – 10 students per class
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Anticipated entry level skills of audience: **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> Beginning and Intermediate level users
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">School environment: **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> Public Elementary Schools
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Support for project by community, parents, or administrators **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Administrators may occasionally check-in to see how students are progress with their project and learn how effective learning communities are for students.