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Austin ISD PER Workshop - June 1 - 3, 2004
During June 1-3, 2004 we
conducted the ninth in a series of Austin-based PER workshops.
Participants
and Schedule of Events
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The focus of this workshop was to further development teachers' understanding about using the Legacy cycle as an instructional tool to develop students' conceptual understanding. Teachers continued to develop the first challenge of the Legacy cycles they had been developing throughout the year. Some of the participants completed these and then began designing their next challenge. Day one started with the participants giving short presentations on how these workshops had affected their teaching. Following these presentations, they set goals for this workshop, identified support they still needed, and hypothesized about possible problems for Legacy cycle implementation. The teachers agreed that areas they all wanted more support in were ideas for assessment, specifically focusing on best practices with regard to using rubrics. |
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During the afternoon, research assistant Cherie McCollough presented how to refine challenges (download PowerPoint) by reviewing the principles in Understanding by Design by Wiggins & McTighe. In addition to the presentation, participants also created spreadsheets that showed the alignment between the learning objectives and activities in their Legacy cycles and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). (download Legacy Cycle/ TEKS alignment for Shelly Rodriguez) |
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two began with a presentation by Cherie McCollough (download
PowerPoint) on using concepts maps as assessment tools.
This presentation was based on a chapter from Computers as Mindtools
for Schools by Jonassen. McCollough presented different ways
concept maps can be used for instruction: as study guides, knowledge
reflection and integration tool, and for planning. She led a
discussion on different ways to assess concept maps. |
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After her presentation, research assistant Barb Austin gave a presentation on rubrics (download presentation). Austin taught them about the different parts of rubrics, common mistakes in creating rubrics, and characteristics of quality rubrics. The presentation ended with a discussion of how rubrics can improve teaching and learning. Following this presentation, the teachers continued work on their Legacy cycles with support from McCollough, Austin and research assistant Kavita Karandikar. The day continued with a presentation by Austin on using spreadsheets as Mindtools (download PowerPoint) based on a chapter from Computers as Mindtools for Schools by Jonassen. Austin demonstrated how spreadsheets could be used to construct knowledge by having the teachers do a spreadsheet exercise based on Archimedes principle. Following this presentation, teachers brainstormed ways to incorporate spreadsheets into their Legacy cycles. |
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the aid of McCollough, Austin, and Karandikar, during day three,
teachers continued to work on developing and refining their
Legacy cycles. They worked on incorporating concept maps, rubrics,
and spreadsheets into the student learning activities. They
reviewed and discussed each other’s work, including troubleshooting
possible problems with implementation. They each gave a presentation
on their cycles.concepts maps as assessment tools. This presentation
was based on a chapter from Computers as Mindtools for Schools
by Jonassen. McCollough presented different ways concept maps
can be used for instruction: as study guides, knowledge reflection
and integration tool, and for planning. She led a discussion
on different ways to assess concept maps. |
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