According to Jennifer Nelson, “[t]he ASSURE model is an
(Instructional Systems Design) process that is designed to integrate technology
and media into the teaching and learning environment. […] The ASSURE model is a
six step planning framework used to plan lessons and promote effective
pedagogical practice” (Nelson, 2009). Using the ASSURE model for this lesson
plan demystified my clueless predisposition to creating lesson plans because the
framework is so clear and concise that it made creating a clear lesson plan
extremely easy.
NETS●S Standard 2a states, “Design
or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and
resources to promote student learning and creativity” (International Society
for Technology in Education [ISTE], 2008). This lesson plan takes students’
prior knowledge of data tables and gives them a new technological tool to
create and format digital data tables that can be shared with not only the rest
of the class but also their parents and other organizations when the need
arises. By giving students the simple task of finding and organizing data into
a digital spreadsheet, teachers set the foundation for numerous uses of digital
spreadsheets including, but not limited to, scientific research and exploration
results, student organization data, and fundraising monetary spreadsheets.
The
simplicity of the ASSURE lesson plan model allows for imaginative and creative
expansions for this simple Cereal Nutrition lesson plan. From the start, I
imagined complicating the lesson a bit to have my students use ten or more
different cereals, organize the sugar, fat, and salt content into a digital
spreadsheet and then use the software’s ability to create different charts and
graphs to interpret the data in a number of different ways. Charts and graphs
will allow students to visualize the different sugar, fat, and salt content of
each cereal and compare all nutritional value of each cereal. Even further than
comparing the sugar, fat, and salt content of the cereals, students will be
able to compare each cereal against the suggested daily intake values of sugar,
fat, and salt and come to a conclusion of which cereal is the best in terms of
the suggested daily intake of sugar, fat, and salt. This would also challenge
students to recognize serving sizes by tapping into their prior knowledge of
both the Metric and U.S. measuring systems. I loved the adaptability of this
lesson plan and the numerous possibilities I imagined for it.
Since
this was my first experience creating a lesson plan, it was difficult for me to
get started because I had to break though my personal barriers and hesitations
with respect to planning lessons. The fact that my lesson plans are the
foundation for what my students will learn when I finally step into my
classroom weighs heavily on my mind because the responsibility for shaping
young minds is so huge and I would hate to be the teacher that “drops the ball”.
Even though this lesson plan is hypothetical, I still felt the importance of
making it thorough and clear so that it can be easily executed. Once I was able
to get passed my personal barrier to start the lesson plan, I reached another
one when thinking about how this lesson plan would have to change in order to accommodate
students with disabilities. The first thing I had to realize is that each and
every one of my students can walk into my classroom with a plethora of disabilities
that I would have to accommodate for. Realizing this made me aware of having to
be able to think on my feet in addition to planning for a number of scenarios
that can come up in the classroom. Specifically for this lesson plan, if I have
an autistic individual in my class that is high-functioning but reacts
negatively when working in a group and presenting alone to the whole class, I
can modify the lesson plan so that he or she can work with one partner so they
can work and present their findings together.
I am
glad that my first lesson plan followed the ASSURE lesson plan model. Having a
clear frame to work with lessened my anxiety in preparing the lesson and
allowed my imagination to run with the simple plan and think of all the
possibilities to expand it.
Reference List
International Society for Technology in Education [ISTE]
(2008). NETS●T [PDF
document].
Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx
Nelson, Jennifer (September 14, 2009). Lesson Plan Models: ASSURE Model. Retrieved
Hi:
ReplyDeleteVery nicely written. From now on, no more black backgrounds. They are too difficult for me to read.
-j-