MTTC Mentoring Field Experience Home Page
MTTC Mentoring Field Experience Home Page
Student Learning
Learner factors that might impact learning in the classroom environment.
Analyzing the student learners targeted in the instructional design being developed is a means to identify the learner characteristics that will likely impact the process and outcomes of the learning experience.

Analyzing Student Learners
Factors Characteristics Advantage (+) Constraint (-) Initial Ideas for Maximizing Positive Factors of minimizing Negative Factors
 Age/Academic Range 7 & 8 year olds + These students are always excited to work on a project in the lab. Technology motivates them.
Sex Distribution 1/3 girls & 2/3 boys + More boys than girls. This is reflective of the grade level. Assignments need to be broken down into small steps. Frequent breaks will need to be taken during projects.
Racial/Ethnic Diversity 1/3 Hispanic, 2/3 White + All students are equal. Some have more access to technology at home, but the others have had lots of access at school.
Educational Level 2nd grade + They love computer lab. The theme of Frog and Toads is also a natural motivator.
Disability or Impairment 2 Special Education Students
1 ESL - non English		 + The ESL student will write his labels, review, etc. in Spanish. He will translate into English with teacher or ESL teacher help. The special education students will be treated as all other students. All students will have the degree of writing modified according to their abilities in all assignment. All students will be given the time needed to complete tasks.
Developmentally Appropriate All activities are appropriate for their stage of development  + The only activities that are not developmentally appropriate would be the reading on the Internet. Those projects have been placed to be done whole group with teacher reading or with support. The content of the Internet sites is developmentally appropriate. (reading level not!)
Prerequisite Knowledge Basic pre-keyboarding skills, mouse skills + Students have been keying in information for 2 years. If a student is having problems with speed, teachers sometimes lean over them and type a sentence for them to help move them along through the project.
Related Experience Students will be familiar with Kidspiration. Most content introduction will be done in classroom. + The Kidspiration projects will be started from a teacher made template. This will help them get moving in the project.
Perception of Role as Student Students will take responsibility for their own projects. + Remind students of the finished product will be viewed by other.
Motivation for Learning Students will be excited because this will be part of their portfolio and also presented to parents. + Remind students of the finished product will be viewed by other.
Attitude Toward Subject All students love special projects in the lab. + Students love these books, this subject, and technology.
Expectations from Lesson Students will be able to name 5 characteristics of friends, students will successfully compare and contrast, summarize, and sequence during the project. + The ending portfolio will help students review everything they learned in the projects.
Competitiveness No competitiveness during the project. Each student's work is viewed as an individual and all students will be given time to finish their projects. + We always tell students that it is not a race. We want quality!
Environment factors that impact learning
Analyzing the environment is a means to identify the issues that will impact the (a) process of the design and production, (b) implementation, and (c) outcomes of the learning experience.

Environment

Factors

 Characteristics Advantage (+) Constraint (-)

Initial Ideas for Maximizing Positive factors or Minimizing Negative Factors
Budget Available

None needed

 + ? 
Materials Required Computers, projector, Internet access, Kidspiration, Windows Movie Maker 2, digital camera, United Streaming, Science textbook, Social Studies textbook, Frog and Toad books, Froggy books, and other LA support materials for compare and contrast and summarizing. + I will need to make sure that cameras are ready to be check-out. Our cameras stay in use all the time. I may need to beg, borrow, "steal," to see that this class has enough cameras to quickly finish the assignment.
Production Equipment Available 60 station computer lab with projectors, cart with projector, one computer in the classroom. All needed software and Internet connections on all machines. 2 digital cameras + I will need to see that projector is setup in classroom or else decide that media room cart will be used for whole class assignments in the classroom. The technology being easy to use is the secret to success.
Time for Design & Production 4 weeks + Extra time will be available within the weeks or even added on to the weeks if needed.
Technology Department  Requirements Teacher signs up for the lab as needed and check out digital cameras. + Make sure that needed time is available.

Implementation Factors
Factors Characteristics Advantage (+) Constraint (-) Initial Ideas for Maximizing Positive Factors of minimizing Negative Factors
Class Size Approximately 16 students + Small class will allow for better delivery of instruction.
Class Period Length Changes as needed. Several of the projects will be done within 30 min. lengths. Sometimes may come for as long as 1 hour. + Allows enough student to actively engage in assignment. 
Location Computer lab, classroom, science/media room. + Sign-up for room(s) as needed
Seating Arrangement Students will sit in their "normal" assigned lab seats unless those seats are taken by other students when they come in. Then they will be assigned seating places. + All students will have the best assigned spot for them.
Lighting Computer lab has special florescent reflectors with dimmers. + adjust lighting to help set the mood needed (calm or wake-up)
Temperature Depends on amount of traffic. I set the thermostat to 78 but many times in heavy traffic in and out of the lab I have to adjust it.  The hall outside my door reflects the temperature outdoors. This drifts into the lab. - My lab never seems to be just right in temperature. I am always adjusting it up or down. At least they may not start out comfortable, but the will be comfortable for some of the time.
Noise Talking is allowed to discuss projects only. A door separates the lab into 2 sections so it can be closed if needed. +  Be sensitive to the needs of others in the lab and open or shut door and required.
Equipment Computers, projector, Internet access, Kidspiration, Windows Movie Maker 2, digital camera, United Streaming, Science textbook, Social Studies textbook, Frog and Toad books, Froggy books, and other LA support materials for compare and contrast and summarizing. + Teacher will upload pictures and have them ready for student use. All other hardware/software will be direct instruction or they already will know how.
Technology Support I will always be available to help with any technical issues or software problems. + We have a great support group. I am there to help and if I need help, it is just a phone call away.

Outcome Factors
Factors Characteristics Advantage (+) Constraint (-) Initial Ideas for Maximizing Positive Factors of minimizing Negative Factors
State Requirements TEKS for the 2nd Grade for Science, LA, Social Studies, and Technology + Utilize GRES online curriculum to create a handout of TEKS covered.
Employer Needs None  + None 
Co-worker Needs None + None
Student Needs To complete the projects with guidance and support. + Be willing to bring students who need extra time into the lab at different times to support finishing projects.
Analyzing the content is a means to identify in general terms the topics to be addressed in your lesson and to analyze these topics in terms of the requisite sup-topics, and degree of learning difficulty.

Content Factors that may impact the learning
Main Topic Sub-Topics Readiness to Learn Degree of Learning Difficulty Possible Instructional Strategies
Compare and Contrast 1. frog and toad Venn-diagram.
2. Lobel and London to themselves		 Students will have done one example of a venn-diagram as a whole group in the classroom.

The Venn-diagram will be easy for them. The reading of the authors will have to be done whole class. The compare as a writer the famous author and student will be done orally in class discussion.

 Model Venn-Diagram and discuss compare and contrast with book characters of Frog and Toad in classroom. They will transfer that knowledge to create Venn-diagram in lab setting of real frog and toad. Discuss the web site they will be viewing that talks about frogs and toads first before they start the project. Have access to the web site as a resource.
Summarize 1. Read book reviews
2. Summarize using a web
3. Write a paragraph from the created web		 Students will need to have picked and read one Froggy book or Frog and Toad book to use during the project. Students will have done examples in the classroom as a whole group first before starting the project in the lab.

The book review will need to be read with support. The web will be fairly easy. The writing will be done in the classroom and then just entered in the lab setting.

 Model in the classroom each sub-topic before coming to lab. Lots of one-on-one editing support will need to be given both in the lab and in the classroom setting with their writing.
Sequence 1. UnitedStreaming video over frog and toad life cycle.
2. Sequence frog and toad pictures and label. 		 Will need to come prepared to spell labels for life cycle pictures. The UnitedStreaming video will prepare them some but Science textbook will also need to be covered before starting project. Movie Maker will be new for the students which will motivate them. The software is easy enough to master that this will be an easy assignment. Model the steps with Movie Maker to show them how to create their movie. Have pictures in a folder ready to import. Have suggested labels printed out for students to copy in correct place.
Friendship 1. Brainstorm characteristics of friendship
2. 5 pictures of friends labeled with a characteristic of friendship		 Students will need to have all read Frog and Toad are friends or have it read to them. Kidspiration will be familiar to them as a brainstorming tool. Movie Maker will be familiar to them from the above project. The brainstorming will be whole group. The taking 5 pictures will be easy, teacher will just need to manipulate to make sure that all students are being selected as friends to someone. The Movie Maker will be easy because they will have already had an introduction. Titles will be added with this project to write the different characteristics on. The brainstorming will start the project. Students will need to have a characteristic picked for each friend before they take a picture. A printout of the Kidspiration brainstorming will need to be given to each child to help with titles when they type them in on Movie Maker.
Movie Maker Portfolio 1. Whole class created rubric
2. All all information into Movie Maker portfolio
3. Evaluate other projects.		 All the above projects will need to have been finished. The rubric will be the guide for what should be in their finished Movie Maker portfolio. This will be easy for them to create the movie. All the work has already been done. They are just creating a final project. The rubric will be whole class. Learning to evaluate other projects with kindness will be the hardest area. Show them how to import the Kidspiration and writing projects into Movie Maker. Remind how to create labels and titles. Show them credits. Creating the project with the aid of a rubric, all projects should be 100% correct. This should help with student evaluating other projects.