dIMENSION 1.1: Blogs and Discussion Board

""Instructional Planning Includes:

• All activities, materials, and assessments that:
  • are logically sequenced
  • are relevant to students' prior understanding and real-world applications
  • integrate and reinforce concepts from other disciplines
  • provide appropriate time for student work, student reflection, lesson and closure.
  • deepen understanding of broader unit and course objectives
  • are vertically aligned to state standards
  • are appropriate for diverse learners."

• Do questions and followup inquiries require students to apply knowledge across academic areas or within real-world scenarios?
  • Math or science students use writing skills to explain detailed process.
  • ELA students use their knowledge of maps to create an autobiographical tour of important geographical points from their own lives or from a book/novel/author's life.
  • Students are asked to describe the impact of new knowledge or concept on industry, business, family, and/or society.
• Are students accessing prior knowledge?
• Are students asked to explain - moving beyond the obvious answer and into responses formulated through multi-step reasoning?
• Are students required to develop better processes or procedures?
• Do students give valuable feedback to each other - something beyond, "I agree" or "Good point"?
• Do the number of posts and responses demonstrate a robust discourse?
• Does the teacher actively model and participate in the online discussions?