JMU Partnership for 21st Century Skills

NETS*T Standard III:  Teaching, Learning, and the Curriculum

Rubric III.C elaborated:
 Teachers apply technology to develop students’ higher order skills and creativity.
 

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Following must be included to achieve “meets” on all criteria.
□ Two or more lessons/activities that show evidence of technology use by students.
□ Lesson/activities address higher order thinking skills and creativity.
□ At least one activity is open-ended; meaning a specific way to meet the objective is not prescribed.
   
 
Criterion Meets

Develop higher order thinking

Instructional activities provide learning experiences that address higher order thinking skills and encourage student creativity.
   
 
Key Words and Phrases to Include and Address in Reflections:
1. Address higher order thinking skills – identify how higher order thinking skills are addressed.  Higher order thinking skills can be defined using the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.  Activities that involve the students using analysis (why), synthesis (design, devise, revise, integrate) and evaluation (judging, critique, compare). Go to www.learnnc.org/articles/bloom0405-1 for more information.
2. Encourage student creativity – identify in your activities how students are encouraged to use their imagination, problem-solving abilities, and the use of art skills.
   
Tips
1. Must submit at least two lessons/activities that address higher order thinking skills and/or encourage student creativity.  These learning experiences can be addressed individually or together in an activity.  Be sure to address how your activity specifically addresses higher order thinking.  This could be addressing the three highest levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy:  analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.  You can learn about other strategies on higher order thinking skills and creativity from various websites.  Here are two that contain some good information: http://www.chms.k12.vt.us/hots-page.html http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/thinking.htm.
   
Examples of content for reflection:

1.

 “I read The Three Little Pigs to my class. I asked my students what events in their own lives does the story remind them of (making inferences, evaluating the story). I asked them to think of a setting that is different from the one that the author wrote about and how that would change the story. (hypothesizing, evaluating). For example, think about what would have happened had the story taken place in the desert, a Native American village, an Eskimo igloo or a tropical island. I then have students draw their setting using Kid Pix.”
2. “The class was allowed to create a website, a presentation, brochure, or video for their final project.  I asked them to be creative with their project and scoring would be based on the rubric I handed out …”
3. “I divide students into groups and have each group study one of the following: strip mining, logging practices including clear cutting, hydroelectric dams, clearing land in the rain forest for farming and cattle ranching. Each group should research the following: what are the short-term benefits vs. the long-term consequences; who wins, who loses; in what ways has the practice changed and how did those changes come about? Each group develops a presentation using PowerPoint, either supporting the practice or suggesting how it could be modified, and a process for implementing any change.”
 
Criterion Meets

Support Creativity

Learning experiences provide open-ended assignments and opportunities for students to use their creativity to meet objectives.
   
 
Key Words and Phrases to Include and Address in Reflections:
1. Open-ended assignments – options are given on how to meet objectives; students have a choice on showing how they have met objectives.
2. creativity – activities allow for the use of imagination, problem-solving abilities, and art skills.
   
Tips
1. One of the lessons/activities you submit must include an open-ended assignment that gives the opportunity for students to express their creativity.  There should be no specific instructions on how an assignment has to be done.  Students are given the opportunity to “express themselves.”  Give students access to as many technology resources possible to “do their own thing.”
   
Examples of content for reflection:

1.

 “The students were allowed to create any product for their final project.  They had access to the laptops via our wireless cart and they could use any application available to them.”
2. “After discussing the impact of the hurricane on the area, the students were allowed to express what their feelings were on the situation using the digital cameras and sound recorders.  I gave them no specific instructions on what their final project had to contain …”