Demo Activities - iSchool Workshops

This course includes several instructional unit demos to illustrate how they might be used by teachers and students. Look for "[Design Issues:...]" at the end of each section's list of resources for a brief discussion of how this type of assignment might be designed and used. See the "Design Measures" link below for a few common measures we can apply to these "units."

Orientation:

• Bread Crumbs: See the bar at upper left, with..."iSchool >> Course Name" ...in it? That's your bread crumb trail. That trail will get longer as you do stuff. Any time you get lost, click the "Course" name, and you'll come back to the class home page.
• Update your profile: At the upper right hand corner, click your name next to "You are logged in as..." Then, click the "Edit Profile" tab. Check your name and city to be sure they're correct, and make sure "Allow only other course members to see my email address" is selected under "Email Display." You can add a description and picture of yourself there, if you'd like. After you're done, scroll down and click "Update Profile," and use the bread crumb trail to get back.
• Introduce yourself: Click "Introductions" below, and join the discussion!

Project Wiki: Your New Company

[This demo is a "knowledge construction" project where students build resources themselves using information and ideas they have. It was originally constructed as a group project.]

In this unit, you'll be divided up into groups. Each group will design a new business based on some future (you can make it up!) or current technology. You'll be designing web pages through wikis (all members of the group can work on the pages). There will be three pages...

•  A description of your company: location, size, and officers chosen from your group.
• A description of the technology you've chosen. Include a description of customer base, manufacturing needs, and marketing needs.
• A 1-page ad for that technology.

Look at the rubric for this assignment to be sure you've satisfied its requirements!

Resources + Quiz: Social Bookmarking

[This demo is a brief tutorial-style unit with linked resources, with a quiz at the end.]

deli.cio.us is an example of a "Social Bookmarking" site. These sites are characterized by... 

• Login access with personalized "home pages."
• Online storage of links to online resources.
• The ability to search and share others' contributions
• User-generated categories and tagging.

Your tasks for this unit are...

1. View the Atomic Learning tutorial videos linked below - there are 2 free ones with intros to deli.cio.us,
2. Take a peak at deli.cio.us's own help pages, linked below,
3. Search the Internet for other examples of social bookmarking besides deli.cio.us,
4. Search the Internet for definitions of "Folksonomy" and "Social spaces" in general,
5. Look at the study list and make sure you bave mastered each,
6. Take the quiz.

Your grade for this unit will be solely on the basis of the quiz. It can only be taken once. Be prepared!

Peer Assessment Project: Taking Part in Government

[This demo is a peer assessment project where groups of students create answers to a question, and then rate each other's work.]

You will have two activities in this assignment:

1. Your group will create a wiki display page. The writing prompt/topic of your wiki is included in the wiki activity below.
2. You will grade the other groups' work by rating it against a series of rubric items in the "Workshop" below.

Lesson, US Constitution: Freedom of Religion

[This demo is illustrates some of the "Lesson" activities capabilities.]

The Lesson linked below will require that you have access to the text of the US Constitution and all of its Amendments. Click here to open the US Library of Congress Archives Charters of Freedom home page. The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights (the first 10 Amendments) are linked through large icons at the top. The other amendments (11-27) are available through the Bill of Rights page. Use the "Read Transcript" link to do text searches. You are welcome to use any other Internet resource as well.

Your score is recorded as you go. You'll get hints and helps along the way if you miss things. Have fun!

Discussion + Writing Assignment: Finding a Place

[This demo is a traditional writing assignment with online discussion and submission.]

This assignment is about the book you've read, My Rotten, Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco. After you've read the book, join the discussion below - there is a question there for you to answer. Then do the writing assignment.