Step-by-Step+Instructional+Strategies

toc =Step-by-Step Instructional Strategies=

Goals and Objectives:

 * Utilize a Critical Friends Group (CFG) to explore how to use wikis and related technologies in the classroom.
 * Create and maintain a wiki to be used for instructional purposes and experiment its uses in the classroom.
 * Embed media (videos, images, etc...) and text onto a wiki
 * Explore how to use wikis for instructional purposes
 * Experiment with how students can use wikis in the classroom to engage students in collaborative learning

Essential Question(s):
How can teachers use a Critical Friends Groups and its associated collaboration and protocols to begin or enhance the use of wikis and related technologies in the classroom?

How is this an authentic question for your learners? The essential question is authentic because it is based on teachers using the training on wikis to explore and experiment with how wikis can be used in classrooms and what learning activities are effective using wikis.

Three Classrooms' Collaboration Activity:
How will your three classes collaborate in answering the essential question? (one-paragraph description) The three classes will collaborate in answering the essential question through pursuing and exploring either virtually or face-to-face. If all teachers participated in the training either online or face-to-face and followed CFG protocols and norms than the question of how to use wikis successfully for instruction and collaboration can be explored within three or more classrooms. Skype, Google + Hangouts (can include up to 10 people), and other synchronous communication tools can be used to participate in CFG virtually or face-to-face. Asynchronous forms of communication including discussion posting on wikis can also provide ways to collaborate. This process can provide the context for exploring the essential question of how can teachers use a Critical Friends Group and its associated collaboration and protocols to begin or enhance the use of wikis and related technologies in the classroom.

Each Classroom’s Collaboration:
How will students within each class collaborate on different parts of the project? (one-paragraph description) The students will not be directly collaborating with each other due to the intent of the project. Instead the work that students create using wikis and related technologies will be used and analyzed as part of the CFG Student Work Analysis protocol to share successful practices for wikis in the classroom. The purpose of the project is to have teachers either begin using wikis or find ways to use wikis more effectively in the classroom. The student work will be used to explore and share how each teacher uses wikis to improve its uses in the classroom.

Equipment:
List the equipment needed to teach your unit.
 * Teachers will need to have access to computers with wireless internet access so that they can use them for classroom instruction and collaboration.
 * Every teacher must make sure that local school and/or district internet filters have opened up wikispaces.com so that it can be accessed by teachers and students.
 * Teachers will need writing utensils and paper to take notes.
 * The speaker will need a laptop, projector, equipment cart, and microphone.

Step-by-Step Instructional Strategies:
Describe each step you will follow in implementing your project, including a description of each activity. Describe them in sequential order and with enough detail that another teacher could pick up your instructional strategies and teach from them.


 * __Day 1 __** (1.5 hours)
 * The entire teaching and administrative staff will gather into the cafeteria.
 * The teachers will be given the agenda that will discuss the week's training schedule.
 * The teachers will begin with an icebreaker that will identify their knowledge of Critical Friends Groups.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speaker will define Critcal Friends Group and its role.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speaker will show a short video on Critical Friends Groups.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speaker will then discuss the present atmosphere at the school and then move forward into explaining the importance of establishing a Critical Friends Group to enhance the present use of technology and specifically the Wiki collaborative tool.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Teachers and administrators will separated into small Critical Friends Groups based on their interest level and knowledge obatained from the icebreaker. The small groups will consist of individuals with varied interests and knowledge. These groups will be used throughout the remainder of the school year.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The small Critical Friends Groups will discuss the following prompt: What is my view of the use of technology in instruction and how can technology enhance the learning environment in the classroom.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Group presentations of their discussions will then occur.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dismissal


 * __<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Day 2 __**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (1.5 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The teaching and administrative staff will gather into the cafeteria with their district issued laptops.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speaker will review the session from the prior day. The speaker will ask for any questions or concerns from the teaching and administrative staff.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speaker will ask the teachers and administrative staff to take out their writing utensils and paper to take the appropriate notes.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The teachers and adminsitrative staff will be introduced to the definition of a wiki.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speaker will review common terms associated with the computer and the wiki.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Teachers and the adminstrative staff will turn on their laptops and key the URL www.wikispaces.com into the address bar.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The teachers and adminstrators will then be guided into creating a login account to their personal wiki (The speaker and assistant will go around the room monitoring and assisting indviduals with difficulties).
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The teachers and adminstrative staff will create their personalized wiki home page.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dismissal


 * __<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Day 3 __**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (1.5 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The teaching and administrative staff will gather into the cafeteria with their district issued laptops.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speaker will review the session form the prior day. The speaker will ask for any questions or concerns form the teaching and administrative staff.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speaker will ask the teachers and administrative staff to take out their writing utensils and paper to take notes.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Critical Friends Groups will gather together in separate areas of the cafeteria.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Critical Friends Groups will discuss what they believe will be important elements to add onto their wiki pages that will allow other teachers, parents, and students to collaborate with one another.
 * As a whole group, teachers and adminstrators will discuss their small group dialogue and rationale for the elements they thought were important.
 * Teachers and administrators will log in to their wiki account.
 * The speaker will review the icons and various other elements of the wiki.
 * Teachers and administrators will then begin adding the elements of their choice to their individual wiki page.
 * Dismissal


 * __<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Day 4 __**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (1.5 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The teaching and adminstrative staff will gather into the cafeteria with their district issued laptops.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speaker will review the session from the prior day. The speaker will ask for any questions or concerns from the teaching and administrative staff.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speaker will ask the teachers and administrative staff to take out thier writing utensils and paper to take notes.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speakers will ask the Critical Friends Groups to gather into various sections of the cafeteria so that their small group discussions can be conducted effectively.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speaker will instruct the teaching and adminstrative staff on how to invite individuals to their wiki page. Teachers and administrative staff will invite the speaker as well, as this will be needed for the summative assessment.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The teachers and adminstrative staff will invite their Critical Friends Group members, administrative staff, and grade level members in this initiation phase.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Invitees will accept memberships as they arrive through their designated school email address.
 * Members will post a pre-designed lesson plan on their individual wiki page.
 * Members will make comments, suggestions, and add ideas to the lesson plans of members of their Critical Friends Group.
 * Members will discuss as a whole group the input added on their page and how the use of a wiki has enhanced their ability to collaborate and diversify learning.
 * Dismissal


 * __<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Day 5 __**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (1.5 hours)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The teaching and administrative staff will gather into the cafeteria with their district issued laptops.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speaker will review the session from the prior day. The speaker will ask for any questions or concerns from the teaching and adminstrative staff.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Teachers and the adminstrtive staff will discuss the support roles of their Critical Friends Group.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speaker will review how to effectively conduct their Critical Friends Group meetings by electing member roles and how to establish effective dialogue and purpose to the meeting.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Critical Friends Groups will begin their first session.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speaker will walk around and monitor the sessions and guide/assist Critical Friends Group members with conducting a beneficial meeting.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Closure. The speaker will give the participants a feedback form, rating the informative session and the learning obtained from the informative training.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dismissal

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The formative assessments taken place throughout this five day informative training are the KWL activity and the whole and small group discussions. The speaker will add to the dialogue to ensure that the teahcers and administrative staff are correctly engaging in their Critical Friends Groups and correctly acessing and engaging in the wiki.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Formative Assessment Strategies: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The speaker will access each of the participant's personal wiki pages and provide feedback through the comment icon in the toolbar. The speaker will ensure that each individual has established a wiki account, placed elements within their wiki that promote collaboration, and made comments to each member of their Critical Friends Group. The speaker will also obtain feedback from the feedback form.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Summative Assessment Strategies: **