Running Head: PROJECT REPORT – COLLEGE DREAMZ WEBQUEST

Project Report – College Dreamz Webquest

Rachael Stewart

Kennesaw State University

ITEC 7445 Multimedia & Web Design

Dr. Warren Goetzel

Fall 2016

Running Head: PROJECT REPORT – COLLEGE DREAMZ WEBQUEST

Product URL: _____http://collegedreamz.weebly.com/_____

AnalysisLearner Analysis

The webquest is intended for a small group Language Arts class. The students are all boys in the 8th grade at a Title 1 Middle School in Cobb County. Within the classroom is a wide range of disabilities including Emotional/ behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, speech impairment, ADHD, and autism. All of the students are served with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that details their strengths and weaknesses and details a list of accommodations and modifications necessary for students to access the general curriculum. In addition, as 8th grade students, their IEP legally requires they begin working through a transition plan where they begin developing a plan for postsecondary options. Recently, I attended a training with the county transition specialist regarding these transition plans. She mentioned that the plans do not necessarily cater to the students or include their interests; therefore, I decided to create this webquest to allow my students to begin exploring and developing their postsecondary options. Although the class is an 8th grade class, the majority of the students are performing on a second or third grade academic level.

The classroom is a small group classroom, and all students have access to a laptop that is connected to the school network as well as a printer. Additionally, some students have access to co-writer which is a program on the computer designed to assist with word recognition. The students have proficient capabilities in the Microsoft Office Productivity Suite. Students also have previous experience with problem-based learning and small-group learning from prior standard-based assignments. (PSC 2.5, 2.6).

Context Analysis

The classroom is a small group classroom with 5 students. All of the students are currently served with an IEP and have various disabilities. They meet daily for 65 minute periods. These periods are very flexible, and their other academic teachers are very involved and have given permission for students to use additional class periods as necessary. Additional time will be determined after students begin the process.(PSC 2.5)

All students have access to a laptop that is connected to Wi-Fi and the school network. They also have their own cloud based resources through Microsoft Office 365. Additionally, all students have access to a printer which they can use to print. This will assist with students who have visual-motor processing deficits and struggle to work solely on the computer (PSC 2.5). One student requires access to co-writer which is word prediction software. Another student uses an FM system for hearing impairment. This system is worn by the teacher and connects to his hearing aid to help him hear instructions more clearly. (PSC 3.4)

Running Head: PROJECT REPORT – COLLEGE DREAMZ WEBQUEST

As the teacher, I am very comfortable with the content and the technology support. In the case of assistance, the counselors have made themselves available to my students to discuss postsecondary options and high school questions. Additionally, the media specialist and technology specialist have all been given a copy of the assignment and are available to assist with any additional technology related questions.

Standards include:

Content area standards:

ELAGSE8W7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

ELAGSE8W8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively

ELAGSE8W9: Draw evidence from literary and informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

ISTE Nets-S

2. Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others

3. Research and Information Fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information

4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

Task Analysis

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the project, students should feel confident in their abilities to conduct a short research assignment using multiple sources. They should also feel confident in their abilities to create academic goals for their future educational endeavors. Students should complete this project with a firm grasp of their postsecondary options for college.

Learning Questions consist of:

1. How do I develop a research question?

2. How do I conduct research to answer a research question?

Running Head: PROJECT REPORT – COLLEGE DREAMZ WEBQUEST

3. Where can I find information that will support my research?

4. How do I develop goals that support task completion?

5. How do I offer and solicit feedback appropriately?

Dispositional objectives

Students should complete this project with the ability to work with groups. They should be able to blog appropriately by offering feedback and soliciting feedback appropriately. (PSC 2.1)

DesignOverview

The design of this webquest centers on the transition plan necessary for students with IEPs. Each student is required to research and visualize their own academic future beyond high school. The goal of the project is to help the students to understand that they have college options beyond high school. By the completion of the project, they should have a goal in mind for how they will go about actualizing their postsecondary dreams. The intent is to use this webquest after students complete their Georgia Milestone exam and before they go to high school. Each year, the teachers are given the task of creating a “Maymester project” and this will serve as the student’s project.

Additionally, all students have maintained an electronic portfolio since the sixth grade with all of their work. The goal of this project is to create a portfolio of their college options to add to their completed portfolio for their middle school career. This portfolio should include multiple pages of research as well as a brochure for a college of their choice and a four year high school plan for meeting their postsecondary goal. They will maintain both a hard copy and an electronic portfolio. This requires students to use their prior knowledge learned regarding writing and technology integration.

Students will complete this project independently; however, they will have frequent opportunities to solicit feedback from others and offer their own feedback as well via a blog.

I evaluated and selected several online resources for this project. The resources I found for student research are the following:

College Funding for Students with Disabilities. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.washington.edu/doit/college-funding-students-disabilities

Colleges With Programs For Students With Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.college-scholarships.com/schools/colleges-with-programs-for-students-with-learning-disabilities/

Running Head: PROJECT REPORT – COLLEGE DREAMZ WEBQUEST

[Conquer College], (2010, May 4). Transitioning to College with a Disability. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb7jBbp-EXE

Disability Scholarships. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-type/disability-scholarships/

FiveScholarships for Students with Learning Disabilities. (2012, October 25). Retrieved from

http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/the-scholarship-coach/2012/10/25/5-scholarships-for-students-with-learning-disabilities

Potential Starts Here. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://public.careercruising.com/en/

Sitton, Rebecca, (2014, May 13). Myth vs. Reality for College Students with Learning Disabilities. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KILqHKIbVcs

Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html

Team, T. U. (n.d.). 15 College Programs for Kids With Learning and Attention Issues. Retrieved from

https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/choosing-starting-school/leaving-high-school/15-college-programs-for-kids-with-learning-and-attention-issues

Details

I included audio versions of the text to support students who need help with reading the instructions. Students who are struggling with the pace also have access to all of the webquest and resources at home as well as an hour before and after school each day. In addition, based on student performance, the length of the assignment could be adjusted to fit the needs of the individual. For instance, instead of researching three colleges, the student could research one or two. Although the career cruising tasks need to be completed individually, the research could be done as pairs for struggling students.

To support the Universal Design for Learning, I included text as well as audio for students who struggle with the method of presentation. Students have access to graphic organizers through career cruising that help to guide the research as well. For each task, the steps and goals are clearly labeled to help the students visualize the process. Tasks are also chunked into manageable points with checkpoints embedded to assist with tracking and work completion. In addition, the task is relevant and meaningful to the individual students and their families as well. (PSC 2.6)

Running Head: PROJECT REPORT – COLLEGE DREAMZ WEBQUEST

As far as assistive technology, I have included audio readings of directions to help support students with reading deficits. Additionally, students have access to co-writer which is word prediction software to assist with writing. One student also has an FM transmitter that involves the teachers using a microphone that is connected to his hearing aid to assist with auditory deficits. (PSC 3.4)

DevelopmentI developed the project as a result of a professional development class that I participated in. It took several weeks to complete, and I would still consider it a work in progress. During the class, it came to my attention that in Cobb County one of the main areas that we are weak in when it comes to supporting students with IEPs is the transition process. For the most part, as a county, we offer supports for all other areas. As an 8th grade teacher who will soon be sending students to high school, I decided to take on the task of dealing with transitions and specifically researching options for students with disabilities.

To create the project, I utilized a weeby. I am very familiar with this format, and so are my students. They have been utilizing a weebly portfolio since they were in the 6th grade and find it easy to utilize and navigate. I was not as familiar with inputting audio into a weebly and really had to work on this aspect of the project. I am glad that I learned though because I feel that it can be incredibly useful for students in the future.

ImplementationThe plan for implementation of this project is to have the students complete the webquest as the last piece of their middle school portfolio. The timeline for this is in May after students have completed the Georgia Milestone and they are beginning to complete transition activities. The thought is for the implementation to consist of the following:

Day 1-2: Students will log into their career cruising account and complete the career interest assessment and the learning styles inventory. They will include this information into their portfolios as well as posting the information to the blog. They should find one to two other students who have similar learning styles or career interests and respond to those students.

Day 3-5: Students will complete the IEP transition interview and determine goals that are relevant to them from a list of supplied goals. During this time, students will also be meeting with their case managers to input their interview and goals directly into the IEP. They will also be discussing their strengths and weaknesses, goals and objectives for the upcoming year and accommodations. This will be a time for students to practice advocating for themselves and learning about their disability. I would like to potentially work with the high school to see if I could

Running Head: PROJECT REPORT – COLLEGE DREAMZ WEBQUEST

get some special education students or teacher to come in and talk to the students as well.

Day 6-9: Students will research various programs provided at schools and scholarship opportunities. Students who are ahead during this time can practice applying for scholarships. All research should be posted to the blog in an effort to share research and to help struggling students.

Day 10-12: Students should be posting all information to their individual weebly portfolios and beginning to work on the presentation piece. For the presentation, they can choose from a variety of tools, but an explicit graphic organizer will be given to ensure they have all pertinent information.

Day 13-14: Students will present their findings and make a case for why they want to attend the specific college they have chosen using the Web 2.0 app of their choice.

In order to implement this project, I will need to ensure that I have computer available for all of the students. I believe that I will use a computer cart that can be used in the classroom to reduce problems related to transitioning. Additionally, I always make the media specialist and technology specialist aware of my projects to ensure I have support with any problems that might occur. Since I do not want to use this quest until May, I will need to ensure that all of the websites and videos are still working as well.

In the classroom, all Cobb County School District technology policies will apply and will be monitored as far as computer use. Additionally, students will be seated with computer screens facing the teacher to ensure that students are on the correct websites. Also, as the teacher, I will ensure that I am walking the room, maintaining vigilance, and monitoring all students. When students blog, I also receive text alerts and e-mails, so I know to look for inappropriate comments before anything can be seen. I plan on collaborating with other case managers during this process. The timeline for this project is a month with students mostly working every day. Breaks will be given based on observations of students.

EvaluationStudent Learning –

Student learning will be assessed throughout the project by teacher observation and questioning. Students will be formally assessed on their presentation, research information, and blogs. Rubrics are included in handouts for the assignment. Students will also be informally assessed through their blog responses and given opportunities to redo pieces that they did not understand or complete correctly.

Product Design –

Running Head: PROJECT REPORT – COLLEGE DREAMZ WEBQUEST

Students will be observed working throughout the entirety of the webquest, and I will take anecdotal notes while students are engaged in the working. I will also choose students at random to question regarding their feelings surrounding the project. At the end, I will ask students to complete a feedback form with questions such as: Was the task clear? Did you find this project useful? What did you like about the project? What would you change? Would you recommend this project to future 8th grade students?

Students mentioned that they enjoyed the videos and the usefulness of the project. They learned new information and would like to complete the project at a later date. I also solicited feedback from other educators. They were pleased with the project as well and would like to use it after I am able to implement it once. Suggestions for goal setting activities were suggested.

Figure 1 and 2 below are pictures of the pilot test.

Reflection

Reflect on this project around four aspects:

Project Development – I learned that this project was very time consuming. I also learned new and exciting tools that the students could use throughout the experience. I started planning the project with a specific timeline in mind; however, I kept straying from the timeline as I began to create new features to the Webquest. I have also come to the conclusion that I do not think that I will ever be satisfied with the quest. I like the fact that weebly is

Running Head: PROJECT REPORT – COLLEGE DREAMZ WEBQUEST

very user friendly and moldable, as I tended to change my mind a lot as I was working. I found that breaking the tasks into manageable chunks was very helpful, not only for the students, but also for the teacher. It made it much easier to gauge the classroom on timing

Instructional Design – I enjoyed the structure of a webquest because my students enjoy webquests. I really like the topic of this one as well because I feel that it is a necessary topic that my students can truly relate to. I like using the weebly as the platform for the webquest because it is very forgiving and easy to use. I want to see how the webquest is implemented before I try to make changes, but I feel that next time, I might want to incorporate some elements of goal setting. I also purposefully left the college choices open to the students; however, it is my fear that during the process, they will all choose the same college. In the future, I might assign them colleges to look at, so the class can see a wider variety. During the course of the project, I really had to keep the disabilities of my students in mind. I recently completed my gifted certification, and I would like the opportunity to complete an extension project in the future as well.

Personal Growth – I really enjoyed this process. I found out a lot about my students with disabilities which really helped me to grow as a person. For several students, this is the first time they have heard that they have a disability. It requires empathy and compassion to work with the students during this time. In addition, it gives me the opportunity to talk to my students about my own personal experiences going through school with a disability. It really makes you feel vulnerable.

As far as the technology, I get frustrated very easily. Technology is not my passion nor is it my strength. This frustration helps me to relate to my students and their frustrations with learning and the school system as well. I use this as an opportunity to show them that no one is perfect, and in several instances, I let them help me with elements of the project design.

For Others – This project is very specific to a certain population. I feel that it can be tailored to fit other students as well though. I have not had the opportunity to implement the webquest yet, so I am not entirely sure what suggestions I have at this time; however, for higher functioning students, I would include an element of learning how to set their own goals, such as SMART goals and the difference between long term and short term goals.