2.4 Higher Order Thinking Skills
Candidates model and facilitate the effective use of digital tools and resources to support and enhance higher order thinking skills (e.g., analyze, evaluate, and create); processes (e.g., problem-solving, decision-making); and mental habits of mind (e.g., critical thinking, creative thinking, metacognition, self-regulation, and reflection). (PSC 2.4/ISTE 2d)
Artifact: Engaged Learning Project (ITEC 7400)
Reflection:
The Engaged Learning Project was created to allow students to use digital tools that were modeled and facilitated while offering resources to support higher-order thinking, processes, and mental habits of mind. For this artifact, the students played the role as a contractor. The students, while working in groups, were asked to develop and create house plans for a Habitat for Humanity house, calculate the area and surface area of each room for paint, flooring, and molding, and write an essay about why their designs should be chosen. To complete the house plans, the students used http://www.homestyler.com. The contributions for this artifact included creating the lesson, locating websites and a WebQuest to assist during the project, and locating a YouTube video on Habitat for Humanity. Each group was shown an example of a house plan using homestyler.com. The students presented their house plans and essays to the local contractor, acting as the judge. The students’ plans had the potential to become a design for a new Habitat for Humanity home with the students having the opportunity to help in the building process.
This artifact demonstrates mastery by allowing students to use resources to support higher-order thinking, processes, and mental habits of mind through digital tools that have been modeled and facilitated. The Engaged Learning Project provided students with higher-order thinking skills by allowing each group of students to analyze and create the floor plans for the Habitat for Humanity house. The students were able to design their own plans for the house based on the guidelines given by the contractor and teacher. An example of a house plan was modeled and facilitated by the teacher and local contractor. The project also met the support of processes through problem-solving and decision making. During the project, each group used their problem-solving skills to calculate the area and surface area of each room. By using these process skills, the students were able to calculate the areas to determine how much paint, flooring, and molding were needed for each room by using decision making and calculate the price. To meet the support of the mental habits of mind skills, the students used creative thinking and reflection in completing the written essay.
Through the implementation of this artifact, I learned that this project needs to include more time for the students to use their higher-order thinking skills. The students must have enough time to analyze and create the house plans needed during the project. If sufficient time is not permitted, the students will not have the needed material to complete the remaining parts of the project.
The work that went into creating this artifact impacted both the school involvement and student learning. The school involvement is impacted through the opportunity to participate in building a Habitat for Humanity house. The learning of students is impacted through the student’s ability to use the computer software to build the plans for the home, and calculate the materials needed for the home. Both impacts are assessed through the completion of the home built by the group with the winning essay and plans.
Reflection:
The Engaged Learning Project was created to allow students to use digital tools that were modeled and facilitated while offering resources to support higher-order thinking, processes, and mental habits of mind. For this artifact, the students played the role as a contractor. The students, while working in groups, were asked to develop and create house plans for a Habitat for Humanity house, calculate the area and surface area of each room for paint, flooring, and molding, and write an essay about why their designs should be chosen. To complete the house plans, the students used http://www.homestyler.com. The contributions for this artifact included creating the lesson, locating websites and a WebQuest to assist during the project, and locating a YouTube video on Habitat for Humanity. Each group was shown an example of a house plan using homestyler.com. The students presented their house plans and essays to the local contractor, acting as the judge. The students’ plans had the potential to become a design for a new Habitat for Humanity home with the students having the opportunity to help in the building process.
This artifact demonstrates mastery by allowing students to use resources to support higher-order thinking, processes, and mental habits of mind through digital tools that have been modeled and facilitated. The Engaged Learning Project provided students with higher-order thinking skills by allowing each group of students to analyze and create the floor plans for the Habitat for Humanity house. The students were able to design their own plans for the house based on the guidelines given by the contractor and teacher. An example of a house plan was modeled and facilitated by the teacher and local contractor. The project also met the support of processes through problem-solving and decision making. During the project, each group used their problem-solving skills to calculate the area and surface area of each room. By using these process skills, the students were able to calculate the areas to determine how much paint, flooring, and molding were needed for each room by using decision making and calculate the price. To meet the support of the mental habits of mind skills, the students used creative thinking and reflection in completing the written essay.
Through the implementation of this artifact, I learned that this project needs to include more time for the students to use their higher-order thinking skills. The students must have enough time to analyze and create the house plans needed during the project. If sufficient time is not permitted, the students will not have the needed material to complete the remaining parts of the project.
The work that went into creating this artifact impacted both the school involvement and student learning. The school involvement is impacted through the opportunity to participate in building a Habitat for Humanity house. The learning of students is impacted through the student’s ability to use the computer software to build the plans for the home, and calculate the materials needed for the home. Both impacts are assessed through the completion of the home built by the group with the winning essay and plans.