Cereal: Jump Start Your Morning

The “Cereal: Jump Start Your Morning” lesson plan offers an array of digital tools and experiences for the General Science student. The technology aspect of the lesson allows students go beyond their comfort zone and experiment with other programs. Modifications for a student with a speech or language impairment can easily be incorporated in the lesson. Upon evaluating the lesson, it is evident there are additional ways to create a more challenging aspect for the lesson plan. This assignment allows a challenge not just for the student, but the teacher as well. Technology can easily be made part of students’ everyday experience.

The “Cereal: Jump Start Your Morning” lesson plan is an adequate example of the NETS*T Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. Standard 2 states:

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers:

a.	design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
b.	develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.
c.	customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
d.	provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching. (“ISTE | NETS for Teachers 2008,” n.d.)

This assignment called for students incorporating a spreadsheet into the lesson. They had to collect data and enter the data onto a spreadsheet. From there, they had to create a chart/graph as a visual interpretation of the data. As students bring the project to a close, they showcase their information in a Prezi presentation. (“Prezi - The Zooming Presentation Editor,” n.d.) The exposure to digital tools ensures students are able to design and customize the information gathered. It addressed various learning styles from visual to kinesthetic. It also allows the teacher to conduct formative assessments as students use and explore a variety of different digital tools. Teachers can also conduct summative assessments on the students’ analysis of the information based on their charts/graphs.

In this particular scenario, there is one student with a Speech or Language impairment. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, defines the term “speech or language impairment” as follows:

“Speech or language impairment means a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.” (“Speech and Language Impairments,” n.d.)

The only modification needed in this particular lesson would be allowing the student to prerecord their portion of the presentation which the teacher could view individually or if the student was comfortable could be shared with the class via the overhead projector. Otherwise, the student would be able to partake in all other aspects of the assignment.

As far as revising the lesson plan to create a higher level of difficulty, students could conduct experiments wherein they are part of the experiment and eat each cereal for breakfast and collect data as to how it makes them feel, their energy levels after consuming each cereal, and how long each cereal satisfied their hunger. They would be able to compare their results with one another and determine whether or not the nutritional value coincided with the physical effects of consuming each cereal. This part would be particularly challenging because to conduct the experiment, students would have to consume nothing but the cereal for a set amount of time in order to gain accurate results.

Creating a lesson plan incorporating the use of a spreadsheet challenges the teacher to incorporate technology into the classroom. Many times technology requirements are made optional because many students do not have access at home. But, if included during class time, students are able to work with technology and get the exposure they will undoubtedly need after high school.

The “Cereal: Jump Start Your Morning” lesson plan affords the teacher and student the opportunity to use digital tools in the classroom effortlessly. Students are able to collect, analyze and interpret data. They are able to present it the hi-tech way they are accustomed to seeing information they constantly exposed to on the internet and on hi-tech devices like cell phones. With the right application, teachers can bring academics and technology together and allow students to thrive in their creativity!

References:

ISTE | NETS for Teachers 2008. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2012, from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx

Prezi - The Zooming Presentation Editor. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2012, from http://prezi.com/

Speech and Language Impairments. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2012, from http://nichcy.org/disability/specific/speechlanguage#def