I have just completed a Grade 2 PYP unit of inquiry on ‘Exploration’. I was pleased that one of our activities had been to use My Maps to record our personal histories. Students used markers to record places that were relevant to them around the world, and added images to authenticate the location. I was pleased that we had used technology in our unit!
However, after reading Jeff Utecht’s ‘10 Ways to use Google Maps in the Classroom‘ I realised my whole approach to the unit was obsolete. I had made the mistake of just ‘modifying’ a digital activity without really looking at the potential of the complete unit. Although we had incorporated My Maps as a stand alone activity, it did not alter what or how I wanted the students to learn. I hadn’t really changed how I taught the unit; I’d just added a nice digital activity.
I realised that just modifying a lesson wasn’t enough. I did not address the potential that integrating technology into this unit could achieve. I needed to go back and look at the central idea again. What can my students really achieve with this unit? What do I want my students to create? What might redefinition look like for this unit?
The central idea is ‘Exploration can change people and places through discoveries and the exchange of ideas and understandings’. The starting point for any unit plan is with the summative assessment. I decided our tool for assessment should be My Maps to encourage all students and staff to become familiar with it as a tool for learning.
The summative assessment task is ‘with a partner use My Maps to recreate the route of an explorer adding interesting details about their journey.’
Here is the redesign of the planner for this unit:
To help students collect together relevant information for their virtual journey I used a questionnaire on Google Forms. I am increasingly using Google Forms as a prompt to scaffold and organise students’ ideas.
It is quick and easy for students to use, and I can identify any misconceptions, mistakes or queries immediately. It is also easily adjustable when the learning takes a new direction.
Although I now have to wait nearly a year to teach this redefined unit, my approach to how I plan has changed drastically. I will now be reviewing the central idea and the summative assessment task, rather than just focusing on ‘adding’ digital tasks to existing plans.
This is really great. I am going to share it with our G3 team who do a similar unit. I really like what you had to say about how you can use technology to redefine the learning rather than adding in a digital sidekick. I think this can be really hard (for loads of reasons) for some to get their heads around. I think the biggest ‘aha’ for me in this regard was to realize that it HAS to be about the teaching/learning first and the tech second. AND that the best lessons are going to be ones in which the students initiate the learning first and then the tech comes in to support that. Thanks for sharing your ideas.
Hi Sonya,
I look forward to hearing any suggestions from your G3 team about how to develop the unit. It’s always great to get a fresh perspective.
I like the way you’ve described adding tech on as a ‘digital sidekick’. This is a great idea for a tech integration inforgraphic!
Thanks for your comments,
Amanda
Love this unit! I especially like that you re-examined the unit even though you had used tech, in order to make it more purposeful. I think that is a step that many people are missing and yes, it starts with the central idea. Perhaps to make it even more of a global project, the students could contact schools or people who live in the significant places and find out if their explorer has left any kind of impact i.e. is there a statue of him/her? Do people celebrate his/her life?. I’m sure you and your students can think of better questions. These could be added in as well. Like Sonya, I would love to share this as it is such a cool unit if done well like this but can also have the joy drained out of it if done wrong! Thanks again!
Hi Lizzie,
It’s a fantastic idea to connect with the relevant locations. I was struggling with how to make this a global project so this is a great suggestion! What a brilliant way to gain a different perspective and make connections.
This unit is improving with all of these suggestions thank you. There is a lot of scope for collaborative planning being global!
Thanks for your comment,
Amanda
Thanks for sharing those great ideas! Especially the part of describing the impact of their explorations is very exciting and important for the students’ learning. I used MyMaps once but I’m definitely going to read the post of Jeff later. Btw. I’m very impressed by your grade 2 students who must be very knowledgeable regarding using technology. When did they start working with Google Apps? Did they use laptops to create the map?
Hi Verena,
We only started using Google Apps this year but I am finding them ideal for this age group. We use ipads in the classroom and PC’s in the lab. My students find the written tasks easier in the lab so I always try to book the lab for written assignments. I’ve been impressed with how quickly they pick it up and help each other (and me) out.
The My Maps were created on PC’s which seemed to work well.
Thanks for your comments!
Amanda
Amanda, have you ever tried Google’s Tour Builder? It’s cool because it works off Google Earth and maps to create a journey–so students can migrate from one place to another rather seamlessly. They students can then add their own images (or those from Google) and text to move the journey along. It could be an interesting tool for you to use as a way of showing ALL of your students’ journeys coming together to your school. I’m sure you could model this by using a read-aloud text. You could build the tour with your students and show them how to build a tour until they are ready to try it on their own. Good luck reteaching the unit next year!