#10. it up with my Mix Map!

Let the planning begin!

It is officially summer!! Which means it is time for me to start planning for next year...  

If you have been following my blog, you know that I will be teaching 2 sections of traditional AP Psychology and 1 section of blended AP Psychology next year.  It will be my first time teaching a blended course.  I will be evaluating the efficacy of the blended model throughout the year using quantitative and qualitative data to to determine if it is more effective, less effective or as effective as the traditional model that I have used in previous years.

I began my planning process by mapping what my first two units (history and cognition) in AP Psychology will look like using the traditional model.  I made a few adjustments to my lessons from the previous year, but kept the majority of the assignments the same.  My planning went smoothly until I tried to convert my current lessons into a blended format and then I got STUCK. I decided to take a step back and create a mix map for the traditional model and used that to jump-start the design process.

I give my students a unit overview at the beginning of each unit so that they are aware of the learning objectives, concepts, assignments, key vocabulary and assessment dates.  It also helps keep me on track!  Here is link to a draft of my overview for my traditional AP Psychology class, Units 1 & 2.  After solidifying what I wanted to cover in my traditional class, I placed the information into a mix map.  The purpose of a mix map is to categorize which elements of the class are face-face-face, online or both. 

Mix Map for Traditional AP Psych

This is what my mix map looked like for my traditional AP Psychology class.  Notice what is in the center, NOTHING!!  I could not believe it.  There is so much potential for the students to interact with each other and the material in a variety of ways and I missed it.  This really got me thinking and starting driving my re-design.  I should also note that I have just been given access to Canvas next year. I am in LOVE with this LMS.  It will make it much easier for me to seamlessly design lessons (modules) that blend face to face and online learning.  Plus, everything will be housed in one location! 

SAMR 

Next, I had to decide how I was going to use technology more effectively in my classroom.  In the unit above, I used technology to enhance my lessons.  Now, I needed to figure out how to use technology to transform my classroom. In terms of my lesson  design, TRANSFORMATION is the key word.  Honestly, I could have just had the students complete the online lessons in the classroom or have given the option to flex out those days. Or, I could use this as an opportunity to re-design the unit around the technology and resources that we now have available to us to (hopefully) increase student engagement and achievement.  

Mix Map for Blended AP Psychology

My mix map became my starting point for how I was going to modify and redefine my lessons for this unit.  I began by brainstorming all of the ways that I could modify my current lessons.  I organized the list below by dates (which correspond to the Unit 1 & 2 calendar shared above).

1. August 16th - Change the in-class discussion to an online discussion using Canvas after viewing the TED Talk "Feats of Memory Anyone Can Do."  This could include the retrieval of information using a 3-2-1 or a reflection on his main points etc.  One advantage to having our discussions online is that all of the students will be required to participate.  I tend to have some students that dominate more than others; this way everyone's voice is heard.  It is also a more efficient use of our class time together.  A common modification of this strategy is that the students are also required to post and respond to another student's post.

2. August 20th - Altering the formative assessment covering the historical perspectives of functionalism, structuralism and gestalt using Flip Grid. For example, they could choose one object and describe it from the three different perspectives.  I could show 2-3 at the beginning of class the next day to review and clarify the perspectives before moving on in the unit.

3. August 21st - This formative assessment combines retrieval practice using online quizzing and completing an EdPuzzle.  This lesson is already blended.  However, the Canvas LMS will allow me to create a module that encompasses all of the elements of the lesson in one place.  In previous years, I used a Google Doc with embedded links and Google classroom to present the information needed.

4. August 23rd-24th - The students will have the option to watch the documentary "Memory Hackers" in class or use their flex time.  They will then be provided options to demonstrate their understanding of their material.  These could include a reflection and using the material to create learning goals for themselves, additional in-depth research on one topic, or the creation of an experiment to test on of the concepts that they learned about.  Their work will be shared on Canvas.

5. August 27th - The Blog Reading assignment (http://www.learningscientists.org/blog?category=For+Students) is listed as part of their homework assignment for the week.  The students will post their work on our class discussion page.  A separate module for this assignment will be created in Canvas.

6. August 29th-30th - The work of Elizabeth Loftus and memory reconstruction is ideal for an individualized student learning path.  I will re-design this entire lesson plan to allow for the students to explore this topic in a variety of ways including a TED talk, reading about the experiment from 40 Studies that Changed Psychology or an exploration of the Ronald Cotton case study.

7. August 31st - The students will work cooperatively to assess their understanding of Chapter 7A using online quizzing and through the creation of their own FRQ using terms from the unit.  They will be working on these in groups and sharing them will the class.  

8. September 6th - I will flip the lesson using the TED talk "Do Schools Kill Creativity."  The students will demonstrate their understanding of the material through a reflection of three points that resonated most strongly with them, a critique of his argument or recommendations as to how they would change the ways that schools currently foster creativity (or fail to do so).

9. September 7th -9th- The lesson on language lends itself to the station rotation model.  The students will have a day and a half to complete the following activities: create memes summarizing the differences between the theories of Skinner and Chomsky regarding language acquisition, watching the TED talk "Double Talk" describing linguistic relativity, applying the definition of language to assess if Koko the gorilla has language and a practice activity identifying phonemes and morphemes.

Reflections:

I utilized a variety of different instruction models in the development of my unit including flipped lessons using TED talks, EdPuzzle and Crash Course videos, station rotation lessons (online quizzing, writing FRQ's) and whole group rotation (memory reconstruction and language development).  I want to make sure that I am including a wide variety of instructional methods to help maintain student interest and engagement.  I was also very conscious about avoiding the "class and a half" pitfall and not overload them with blog posts and responses without compensating for that time elsewhere.  Lastly, I needed to make sure the grading load remained manageable for me yet still provided me the data I need to adjust and personalize instruction for each student.  

Next Blog Post

In my next blog post, I will share my unit overview, mix map and lessons for my blended class!  I hope to have the assignments finalized and posted within the next two weeks.  I need to decide how to share them, Google Drive or Canvas... thoughts or preferences??

As always, please comment below with any comments or questions that you may have.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks,
Cori