Blog for Unit III

For me, the following quote best summarizes the models introduced in Unit III:

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” – Confucius

Goal-Based Scenarios

My initial reaction to goal-based scenarios (GBS) was that this is a model designed to engage students by “doing” with less emphasis on memorization and basic knowledge. 

Within a GBS model, students are given a specific scenario.  The students are then required to use the clues given to them in order to come up with a solution.  After reading about GBS it was hard for me to distinguish this model from PBL, other than PBL is usually done in groups with more open-ended solutions.    

As a former social studies teacher, I immediately thought about using the GBS model to teach students about the justice system.  I can picture a “Law & Order” type of scenario, where an individual is charged with a crime.  The students would serve in the role as the defense attorney.  It is their job to use the clues provided to prove their client is innocent.  This scenario would take the student through all the procedures of due process from indictment to verdict.    

Since I have experience with Alice programming, I would use Alice to create the virtual world for students to move through.    

Anchored Instruction

My first reaction to anchored instruction is that this model is very similar to GBS, yet it appears to work best when applied to math and science courses.  As a social science teacher, I could see using this model to supplement the curriculum is psychology, sociology, and economics. 

Anchored instruction tends to lean towards the thought that the student is the “scientist apprentice”.  It may just be me, but I’m having a hard time seeing the “scientist apprentice” work well as a group activity, especially since students will have to go back and review data they may have missed.   

STAR Legacy

The STAR Legacy model is the most straight-forward and direct model from unit III.  I love the “initial thoughts” step because I think it is important for students to reflect and be able to access prior knowledge.  Since Blogger is blocked by the filter at most schools, I would set up a kid blog account for my students http://kidblog.org/home.php.  The students could also use kid blog to summarize what they’ve learned.      

MOST Multimedia Environments

MOST appears to be different from all the other models, whereas there is no focus on building on prior knowledge.  This model is more suited for students who have a difficult time with language skills. 

I would have used this model when I co-taught an inclusion class with a teacher from the EC department.  One thing that helped then was that I added interactive pictures to my PowerPoint presentations.  I feel like adding the visuals did help increase test scores that year. 

Now that SMART boards have been added to most classrooms, I would have the students use the board to work through the module.  The students would be able to take the clips from the story, and then drag them into the right sequence using the SMART board.