Project 3

Subject: Order of Operations (Math)

Students: 5th graders
Educational Environment: face-to-face
Technology Availability: 1:1 chromebooks (that students take home), some classroom iPads

Description of technology(ies)
Primary format
Weebly Website: a repository for all things related to the unit topic - games, tutorials,
discussion board and a dropbox/gallery for students to post assignments. The website will
provide a central location for students to monitor and self-pace their learning, review
available materials, and access formative assessments. Students can post and address
questions to their peers and engage with the material in multiple formats to redirected
web tools and links.
Supporting tools
These tools will be embedded in the Weebly
EduCanon.com: an interactive online tutorial that pauses and quizzes students on the
material as they progress in the video. Students can rewind and pause in order to answer
the questions correctly. Once the questions are answered students have the video
available to watch at their own pace; whenever/wherever.
games websites (Arithmetic Game) (Math Man) (Calculator Chaos) (Make This Number)
Songs: Youtube (PEMDAS Rap)-also available in audio file on iTunes (PEMDAS Style)
would be another way to differentiate learning.
Assessment Tools: Students can work individually or collaborate on the tools below.
Kahoot!- Created by the Teacher and Students. This helps to increase engagement,
practice, and individual learning styles. Gives opportunities for differentiation. Students
take quiz AND they could create their own quiz for other students.
online presentation (such as educreations)
online quiz (such as Socrative)
Discussion of need for the technology(ies)
There has been a shift away from a focus on technology-related conditions that facilitate effective
instruction to an interest in the way educators think and plan effective instruction. (Lim, 1). This is not to say
that there is no need for technology, but rather, as we are doing, focusing on effective instruction by ensuring
specific learning activities meet certain instructional objectives. And as a result, engage learners in activities
that are centered around goal-directed, multi-step, strategic processes.
The need for technology or the affordance of technology primarily depends on the instructional
objectives and the activities of the learning environment. This does little in establishing fundamental reasons for
technology in education--more specifically, here. This process of formulating a technology plan has made us
aware that education leaders are keen to bring in technology, and intuitively know they should, but they do not
really know why. For them, it is a kind of gut instinct.
Technology allows the tables to be turned. Rather than teaching (push), learners can be given self-paced
materials that require them to learn (pull) the necessary concepts themselves. Key to this is the ability to get the
information they need anytime and anywhere, without being in the physical presence of a teacher.
So here they are. A few reasons why we think there is a need for these technologies. These can act as
rationale for the need of these technologies.
self-paced learning

multiple modalities addressed

student choice for review
differentiated instruction
immediate, actionable feedback
frees classroom time for:
application of acquired knowledge
project-based learning
collaboration
extension of activities
teacher remediation with small groups
one on one work with the teacher

Explanation of how readiness could be assessed

We will seek to assess technology readiness for the teachers, school(s), students, and parents by using an
adaptation of appendix 1, a Keramati et al. (2011) questionnaire testing 3 areas of readiness. Additional
consideration using Hung et al., (2010) principles to assess learner control and self-directed learning will also be
taken into consideration in determining how much guidance students will need in order to successfully complete
the online module. Based on these assessments from the listed research, we will then form individual plans
needed for each school based on the readiness assessments.
Explanation of how readiness could be developed
In terms of development, the most important aspect is leadership (Okojie et al). Leadership at the school level
must be convinced and on board with the technology in order to win the hearts and minds of teachers (Bleakley
and Mangin, 2013). The leadership must be able to motivate and support the teachers in technology and
pedagogical implementation. To do this, we will use a few ideas from Ertmer (2005, p21-22) by: 1) Creating
personal experiences with tech to facilitate belief change 2) provide vicarious experiences for teachers to
observe use of tech by colleagues (allow teachers to shadow each other and provide exemplary examples of
technology in action) 3) expose teachers to supportive sociocultural influences (professional development team,
environment, training, support, etc). According to Dexter (2005, p. 22-23), we can further 1) team teaching
technology is better equipped at meeting the diverse training needs and 2) ensure tech plan are aligned with the
schools mission/vision. Our secondary goal is to be able to equip the school in all aspects of technology
readiness to be prepared for the trends in online collaboration, social learning, and mobile learning. Table 1
(Bingimlas, 2009) and the three Cs will also be addressed if assessments provide evidence of need. In most
cases, technology has been purchased but significant time and resources need to be implemented to learn how to
use the technology in everyday lessons.
Major barriers lack of confidence, lack of competence, and lack of access to resources.
the more presence of each the higher chance to integration
1.1 Teacher-level barriers
lack of confidence
lack of competence
resistance to change & negative attitudes
1.2 School-level barriers
lack of time
lack of effective training
lack of accessibility
lack of technical support
all barriers are interrelated

In the classroom, and online, readiness can be developed through careful scaffolding. Teachers need to take
student learning into consideration and develop scaffolding around the students needs. In our lesson we will
do this through providing visuals and modeling our thinking to help reduce cognitive load. As Sharma and
Hannafin mention (p42), scaffolds whether procedural or metacognitive need to be both immediately
available and apparently relevant to task completion. We will also provide embedded hyperlinks to further
resources for support or extension of study. Software design must thus consider how to effectively and visibly
present scaffolds on screen within the relevant context. (Sharma, Harding, 2007) By utilizing online scaffolding
(hard scaffolds) we will free up the teacher to provide the more personalized soft scaffolding.

Explanation of implications
Implications:
1) The use of technology by teachers fundamentally shapes the instructional activities in the learning
environment. This makes it more complex than ever when considering implementing technology.
Teachers have to rethink the purpose of the lesson (Lim, 4) And also, teachers need to think about the
nature of the task that should be set, and the method of assessing how students carry it out (Lim, 4).
There has been a lot of research that has identified teachers re-examination of their practices and
students learning in the instructional planning process as essential to effective instruction in TELE
(Ertmer, 2005; Kitsantas & Baylor, 2001). Therefore, there is a need for teachers to reflect on their
existing models of everyday instructional practices and think about what place technology has in these
models (Lim, 4)
2) The affordances of technology in organizing activities are often not consciously recognized by the
instructors who use it. Research studies have shown that the affordances of technology are not
automatically perceived and taken up by teachers in TELE (Jonassen, Hernandez-Serrano, & Choi,
2000; Akhras & Self, 2002). The perception of the affordances of the technological tool, as the
affordance is a fact of behavior, depends on the objectives that inform the instructional activity, and in
turn, the tool shapes the objectives and activity (Lims, 5). Also, the affordance is a property of the

environment - the perception of the affordances of the technological tool depends on the properties of
both the learning environment, and the other tools and participants in it (Lims, 5). It would appear that
this is consistent with Gibsons (1986) idea that the individual and environment are inextricably linked
(Lims, 5).
Prototype for the technology
STORYBOARD (mock-up click here)
Site Map: Home page Buttons (Introduction, Lesson, Games, Leaderboard, Gallery Discussion
Board)
Introduction Page: (Mayers Pre-training Principle)
Intro video (hook- rap)
EduCanon Video
Key Terms: definitions
Review: relevant items
Lesson
Description
Lecture Podcasts
Worksheets
Games: screenshots
(Arithmetic Game)
(Math Man)
(Calculator Chaos)
(Make This Number)
Leader Board
Quiz 1
Cumulative Test
Class Stats: high score, mean, extra credit
Peer Tutor Badges: for mastery
Discussion forum & Gallery
Comment / Reply
Songs (uploads)
Comic (uploads) etc...
Rationale for Aesthetics: The layout of the website is simple and easy to navigate with shades
of blue. New math concepts can often be frustrating and the cool shades lend a calming, patient
effect. The ability to persevere in finding solutions is a key mathematical practice listed by
Common Core State Standards. Badges in the assessment section (named Leader Board) are
highlighted in red and yellow to be exciting and desirable. The Leader Board tab is
euphemistic and appeals to students gaming abilities. Action buttons (like next, upload
here, or take test) are in orange, attention grabbing and act as a natural contrast to the blue
background in order to direct the users attention. Mayers principles to reduce extraneous
cognitive load are also in effect, such as reducing redundant information or details, as well as the
spatial and temporal contiguity principles (placing text near its relevant graphics and presenting
them at the same time). Mayers principle of multimedia learning is also displayed in the use of
animation, podcast, video game, and text.