Smurda u13a1powerpoint
- 1. “PROJECT CHANGE” CAPSTONE PROJECT Marlo Smurda
- 2. Purpose This project addressed the essential topic of civics and public policy The 21st Century requires that the curriculum adapt to prepare students for civil duty upon turning eighteen This project addressed the question of how can one create societal change to affect the lawmaking process Students took on the role of a business leader or politician to address an issue by writing public policy
- 3. Goals 1. Student centered- required the students to drive the instruction while they determined the problem that needs attention, researching alternatives, and deciding on an appropriate action plan 2. Learning and doing- students took the role of a community member trying to affect public policy when they create their public policy and action plan 3. Inquiry based learning- A topic was not assigned to the students, but rather the groups determined which problem needs to be solved. From there their inquiry drove their research 4. Using information- The students will be using real world data and statistics found in a variety of resources including, but not limited to, websites, communication with community leaders, books, journals, magazines, interviews, and their own observations to write their public policy and action
- 4. Goals (continued) 5. Facilitator- I aided the students in their discovery of a solution. I modeled steps along the way and provided necessary supports for the students to carry out this task 6. Dynamic, flexible groupings configuration- students were grouped according to academic need. I configured them in a way that allows for the best possible working environment. The students were assigned certain roles that give them specific responsibilities 7. Multiple instructional and learning modalities to include all students- Students learned through a variety of modalities. They communicated with outside community members. They learned through reading texts on the public policy process, viewing online videos about the process of creating public policy, talking with community members, and modeling the process with their classmates 8. Higher order thinking skills- Students will be required to problem solve on the highest level of thinking requiring them to brainstorm and create their own solution
- 5. Goals (continued) 9. Interdisciplinary- The students’ problems are not just limited to historical topics. Students evaluated statistical data requiring them to use math and reasoning skills. They communicated with peers and community leaders which incorporate their writing and speaking skills. 10. Collaboration- Students will be collaborating with fellow classmates, as well as community leaders. 11. Performance based assessment- The assessment will require the students to complete several components including a portfolio of their growth over time, a visual display of their data and information, and a presentation to community leaders to present their public policy action plan. 12. Multiple sources of information- Students will be utilizing communication with community leaders, statistical data, professional journals, and other sources of
- 6. Goals (continued) 13. Technology integration- Online discussions, online journals, online research, multimedia presentations, and email communication will all be utilized throughout this process. 14. Various learning styles- there will be ample opportunities for the various learning styles to both learn and present their findings. Students may create videos, podcasts, posters, presentations, or speeches. 15. Learning how to learn-Each lesson throughout this project will require the students to complete a metacognitive reflection on their process. 16. Variety of information for authentic projects- Students will utilize a variety of information to create their authentic public policy proposals. The students will be using governmental information, statistical data, professional journals, textbooks, and communication with community
- 7. Goals (continued) 17. Students as professional politicians and historians- Students researched information much like a historian. They evaluated a variety of primary sources. Then, the students will be analyzing this information to formulate original public policy and an action plan to propose to a panel. This simulates the real world role of public policy makers and politicians. Their project maintains real world application and responsibility through the final project. They will be evaluated in the end based on their presentation to a panel of politicians, principals, and community leaders.
- 8. Timeline Week 1- Introduction to public policy, groups assigned, and group roles determined Week 2- Students determined issue to research and which level of government would be responsible for this issue Week 3- Students gathered information on issue Week 4- Students used information previously discovered through research to examine alternative policies Week 5- Students used a variety of sources to develop their own public policy. Week 6- Senator Toomey’s regional manager, Marta Gabriel, guest speaker Weeks 7-9- The final stage of the project required students to develop an action plan to present to a panel of professionals. They maintained ongoing communication with community members to work on their final action plan. Week 10- The students presented their portfolio of action throughout the project, a large poster display showing their issue, current public policy, suggest public policy, and action plan. Then the students will use their information to give a presentation to myself, community members, politicians, and the principal to present their findings and open for discussion and questioning—to occur May 30th.
- 9. Project Components Inquiry— the project asked the students to inquire about an issue, research a solution, and propose that policy and action plan to professionals. Projects— the capstone project was comprised of four individual projects which involved researching and presenting the following 1. an issue 2. alternative policies 3. original public policy 4. an action plan Technology— students were required to keep an electronic portfolio, communicate with community leaders, and present their final project on laptops. Dynamic, Flexible Grouping— while the groups were unchanging, the students had the opportunity to collaborate with other groups and peers. Authentic Teaching and Learning Experiences— students’ role was to act as a politician to write original public policy and present it in
- 10. Resources Resources necessary for this project included… Laptop computers Class Moodle page which contained… Discussions Blogs E-portfolios Written assignments Final presentation storage Multimedia room for final presentations Administrators, community leaders, politicians, and other professionals for the final expert panel
- 11. Desired Outcomes My hope for the students was to become involved in their community. I wanted the students to experience their civic duties and make real changes to society, rather than just read about how the government works. While these students are young freshmen, they will soon be voting adults, and it is essential in today’s society to produce productive members of civic society.
- 12. Desired Outcomes (continued) Formative Assessments Daily blogs students will complete daily blogs that require them to answer a question of the day. Portfolio checklists students will complete a component in their portfolios each week, and they will be graded along the entire project to provide feedback. Summative Assessments Panel Presentations students will complete an authentic public hearing where they present their findings to community leaders. Final portfolio students will compile a final portfolio containing the individual steps of the process, self- reflections, sources used, and other data and statistics necessary to support their presentations.