NTeQ: Disigning an Integrated Lesson

How do I plan an Integrated Lesson that will work with my students?

First it is important to remember the 5 components of the NTeQ philosophy:

Teacher 

• uses computer as a tool
• technologically compitent
• designer, facilitator,classroom manager

Student

• researcher
• active learner
• technologically competent

Computer

• NOT the object of study
• learning tool
• integral part of learning

Lesson

• student centered
• problem based
• authentic

Standards

• curriculum
• technology - NETS

Taking into consideration these 5 elements as well as the learning environment will help create an Integrated lesson Plan that is "inquiry based and student centered, in which computers are used as a tool and the teacher facilitates student learning.


You will then need to complete the next 10 steps to complete the Ten Step NTeQ Model:

1. First you'll want to specify your objective which requires detailed instructions and expectations as well as an example or two of what is being asked.  Your objective can cross disciplines as long as the skills necessary to complete the objective are appropriate for the students.
2. teach the necessary computer functions
3. specify the problem
4. research and analysis
5. results presentation
6. assesment
7. supporting activities
8. activities after computer use
9. activities before computer use
10. activities during computer use 

Why do I need objectives to help with my planning and lesson development?

Objectives are necessary because they cover all of the instruction for the unit or lesson, not just the information related to the computer component.

Objectives can be written in one of two formats.

Traditional behavior objectives consisting of conditions, criteria, and behavior and work very well when you can easily identify the student outcomes.  Student behaviors like recall, identify, calculate, and select are easily specified when using the format.

The second format is cognitive objectives which are used to describe learning goals that are not easily specified in a single sentence. Cognitive objectives provide a means to specify a number of behaviors that can desribe the acheivment of the objective. Cognitive objectives consist of two parts, the general instructional objective stated in broad terms and one or more statements desribing specific performances that indicate mastery of the objectives.

How can I encourage my students to help with my planning and lesson development?

When specifying a problem in the design of an Integrated Lesson plan (step 3 of The Ten Step NTeQ Model) it is important to base it on real-world events, issues, or phenomina.  This is when you get your students involved. It is important to have the problem come from the students world so the students can relate to it in a meaningful manner.  It is imperative that the problem intrest the students so that they will want to solve the problem and develop the thinking skills and gain the knowledge specified in the objective.

Do I have to use a different lesson plan when I want my students to use computers?

No, you do not have to use a different lesson plan when you want your students to use computers.  Step 2 of The Ten Step NTeQ Model requires you to match your objectives to a computer function. For example, spreadsheet programs, draw and paint programs for photographs, word processing applications, sorting programs, calculating, etc.

What is the relationship between objectives and computer function?

That depends on the objestive.  After deciding your objective, you will com up with the most appropriate way to use computer function in your lesson plan.  Computers can assist in various ways such as calculate, draw, infer, predict, interpret, and judge or assist in creating a spreadsheet to aid in analysis, chart to evaluate, or word processor to generate a report, etc.  More often then not, the computer function is used to show outcomes or organize information when solving the problem stated in the objective.

Can you use a computer for every objective or lesson?

There is always a way to incoprate computer skills into your lesson.  However, this does not mean computers are used during every activity.  Often times in working through the objective there will be activities held before, during and after computer use (steps 6,7,and 8 of The Ten Step NTeQ Model).

Reflecting on What I Know About Rethinking Computers and Instruction

Must I use a inquiry-based learning approach in my classroom to use computers as a tool?

I don't believe you have to use a inquiry-based learning approach in your classroom to use computers as a tool.  I believe you can use computers as a tool with multiple learning approaches; inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, and project-based learning approaches.  Computers can assist in problem solving which is needed in an inquiry-based approach to learning beacuse the internet is full of links and websites with factual information, different opinions, reasearch, etc which can help students problem solve and reach their own conclusion.  This is a key part of learning.  Computers are also a very effective tool to use when taking a problem-based approach to learning beacause they assist in exploration, much like I mentioned above.  When taking a project-based approach to learning computers are an effective tool not only in researching information through the web but also by creating spreadsheets and graphs or charts, etc to demonstrate a students outcomes or data or simply create a presentation.  A computers ability to present ones outcomes in a variety of ways is an effective tool for all learning approaches.

Can I still use tutorial and drill-and-practice software?

Drill-and-practice software is an older concept still used very frequently today.  Drill-and-practice software provides students with a series of problems or questions to answer and then responds with one of three responses.

1. Simple identification whether the response is correct
2. Correctness of response plus correct answer if the responses was incorrect
3. Correctness of response plus correct answer, if needed, with the addition of instructive feedback to explain why the answer was incorrect. 

Tutorials present learners with new content and provide practice and feedback on the content.  The tutorial content is typically divided into discrete sections or modules that are completed in a structured linear approach or as a branched approach.  Many of the newer tutorials incorporate a multimedia format that combines text, narration, video, and images to teach targeted information or skills.

After using computers to give a tutorial on a topic of study, Drill-and-Practice software is a great way to review and reinforce the information beaing taught.  As mentioned in the text, you can use Drill-and-Practice software to create fun and inovative learning experiences for your students that allow them to test there knowledge as they go and continue to improve based on feedback. 
Tutorials can go hand and hand with Drill-and-Practice.  After setting up modules for a learning experience with Tutorials, you can test a students knowledge and allow them to improve their skills through practice by using the three types of feedback practiced in Drill-and-Practice.

Won't I have to spend a great deal of time to develop these units of instruction?

Developing units of instruction can be time consuming the first time you plan them but will gradually become less and less time consuming.  As you perform these units of instruction you can evaluate your students ability to grasp the information and make changes to improve as needed.  As suggested in the text, it is also possible to share lesson plans with fellow teachers and swap feedback with eachother to help improve units as well as comparing and cotrasting lesson plans through NTeQ.

Won't every student need a computer to use it as a tool?

Even though it would be very nice for each student to have their own computers to use as tools, this will not always be an options and in most classrooms won't be.  A way to get around this challenge is to use group learning approaches to allow classmates to work togther to collect information or do research.  This will also give students the opportunity to practice working with others in small group settings which is a skill in its own.  Working in small groups give students the opportunity to learn how to perform discussions with peers, group process, roles, leadership, and cohesion.  Often students will gain more from working together then by just listening to a teacher lecture or instruct.  It causes each student to be more accountable for their involvement and what they learn as well as increasing productivity.  If a group of students gathers the information needed for an assignment on one computer, you can have students present their overall outcomes individually in writing or work as a group to put together a presentation on the computer.  You could also allow students to create rough draft individually after collecting information as a group and as they make corrections to their drafts they can earn the privledge to use the computer to complete theur assignment.