Overview
Intro
Engaged Learning
Mentoring/Administrating
Discussion Resources
Academy
Table of Contents
Participant Materials
Reflection Prompts
End Products
Suggestions
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Lesson Tips for Facilitators

Sequence of LInC Lessons

Developing Engaged Learning

Participants may come with a preconceived notion of engaged learning. They may or may not have to refocus their thinking to work for the common ground you are establishing with the whole group. Participants often confuse an engaging (eye-catching and interesting) activity with engaged learning.

We strongly recommend that you complete the activities in the order listed below. It is not imperative that you complete all of the activities, but the sequence is important as they are written in a developmental format. Don't forget to use the Discussion Resources to help guide your chats.

Ed. Tech Simulation - Experiencing Engaged Learning--Short simulation for participants to experience a technology-supported engaged learning activity from a student's perspective. This activity is a great way to introduce participants to project based engaged learning. It also is a team building activity. Student Page for the Ed. Tech Simulation
Constructing EL Indicators - An activity/discussion in which participants share their best learning experiences and create a list of indicators of engaged learning. (This activity must be done before the participants read Plugging In. so that they can truly construct the indicators from their own experience rather than just telling you what they read.)
Analyzing a Project to Identify the Indicators of Engaged Learning and Best Use of Technology Using Good Project Examples - In this activity participants analyze projects in an effort ot recognize the indicators of engaged learning. Participants will see a complete project and gain a better understanding of the end product they will produce for the class. In addition, it will help them understand how the individual pieces we will explore next fit together.
Fishbowl - Brainstorming a Project--A Script for Three--The script models the process of brainstorming a project.
Bridging the Gap-This activity allows the participants to analyze the individual elements that make up the whole project. This page is useful because it breaks a project into its sub components and allows the participants to examine them one at a time. Sometimes when participants look at the entire project at once, they don't see the individual components and how each contributes to make a successful engaged learning project.

Sample Hooks- Here are examples to help you understand what a hook is and how it relates to the task.

Before and After Project Revision - This activity lets participants practice changing traditional curriculum to engaged learning. It is a challenging activity that should be done only after participants have developed a deeper understanding of engaged learning. The activity also lets the participants experience the process they will be going through with their facilitator. Because the examples are not their own, the participants are less threatened and therefore they are more willing to assume the role, respond to suggestions, and understand the process.

Creating a Project Proposal:

Brainstorming Topics for Proposals - It is important to have the participants think of four different topics that they might wish to use for their project. A large number of ideas allows for participants to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each idea without feeling threatened. As they learn more about engaged learning they will have more choices of topics to develop into a proposal and will be able to select the one that will work the best.

Note for Online Course: You might want to post their topics on CMC. As participants are searching for information for their own topics, they will often find useful sites for other participants to use for their projects. They might even find another participant they can collaborate with if similar or complementary topics are posted. This may especially be true in an online course that has participants from different regions.

Note for Face-to-Face Course: You might want to post their topics on chart paper. As participants are searching for information for their own topics, they will often find useful sites for other students to use for their projects.

Project Proposals - Participants present two proposals to the class and the class offers positive comments and suggestions for revisions. If the participants only produce one proposal and it does not appear to be a successful project proposal, you will find it very difficult to guide them to a new project idea. Many times the participants come to our class with an idea in mind. Very often that idea doesn't lend itself to engaged learning. Without a second idea equally developed, the participant will have a difficult time changing ideas. This requirement may seem trivial, but it can be a major issue with the participant/facilitator relationship.
Schedule regular discussions and showings of projects during the course. This has proven to be valuable to both facilitators and participants. Facilitators get updates on the progress individuals have made with their projects. Participants find these sessions useful benchmarks and encourage them to completeportions of the project so they have something to share.
Standards Page - State and national standards are found on these pages.

Writing Your Project:

Project Design Guide

Be sure to respond promptly to the written assignment. It is best to clear up any misconceptions early!
Participants may grow impatient and want to get started with their projects. Resist the temptation to hurry through this activity. A firm foundation is the key to a strong project.

Writing a Scenario

The scenario is the piece that shows the facilitator how well the participant understands engaged learning.
It is a narrative written as though you are a "fly on the wall" observing the project unfold.
Often times the participants are reluctant to write this piece, but once they have completed it they realize how well it helps them think through the project from beginning to end.

Writing a Presentation Page

This page outlines the framework of the presentation page. It also includes useful templates.

Creating the Student Pages

You need to decide whether you want the participants to word process their drafts or use templates and an HTML editor. If you are going to use templates, guide participants to their location and demonstrate how to use them.
After the participants have e-mailed or sent (FTP) their student task to you, provide feedback by praising and by asking questions to guide them to include what was omitted.
Frequently discuss and show the project at different stages of development with colleagues and facilitators.

If naming conventions have not been discussed, problems may arise as participants upload folders onto the server. Make certain that you have established a folder for each person or project. Before class begins make sure that two people do not have the same folder name. Coach the participants in selecting good, short, and unique names for their folders.

Authoring Project Web Pages

It is helpful for the all participants to use the same editor.

If participants use different editors at home and at school, they may encounter problems with the two reading tags and interpreting them in different ways.

E-mail participants at least twice a week to check their progress.

Provide "office hours" for the students to be able to ask questions and troubleshoot with them on their projects. Office hours are the perfect time to answer individual questions.

Structure teams of participants to encourage sharing support during work time.

Assessment of Project

Very often, the most effective rubrics are created jointly by students and teachers. Encourage the participants to create a framework for a rubric to be completed later with their students.
Remember to match the learner outcomes (including those relating to content).
Be certain that assessment is performance-based (not strictly paper and pencil).
Participants need to be reminded to include multiple assessments.

Fine-Tuning Your Project