3.5 Basic Troubleshooting
Candidates troubleshoot basic software and hardware problems common in digital learning environments. (PSC 3.5/ISTE 3e)
Artifact: Internet Lesson Plan
Reflection:
During the spring of 2015, I designed and implemented a project focusing on the ecosystem of Mill Creek as a project for ITEC 7430: Internet Tools in the Classroom. The lesson plan is one I designed in hopes of connecting field research work I was conducting with my students to enhanced learning experiences using technology. Throughout the school year my students worked hard to collect data about the fish population in our nearby creek by conducting monthly experiments where fish were trapped and tagged for identification purposes. This lesson was created as a culminating project for the end of the year to connect the research data with the larger picture of the local ecosystem which is one of the main 7th grade life science standards. I managed the classroom as the students used research skills and Creative Commons to create their own digital food webs of the Mill Creek ecosystem and then worked with a partner to communicate and collaborate in the creation of a digital presentations that included the use of a voice recording tool. My contribution for this artifact was the sole design and creation of the lesson as well as any troubleshooting necessary before and during the implementation in my classroom.
As found in the management section of the lesson, there was some basic troubleshooting skills required for this lesson to run smoothly. I used a variety of links within the lesson that I wanted students to access. It was my job to go through and make sure that the links were not only active, but also that the devices the students would be using could easily access all of the materials found on the sites. This included making sure that the Java and Flash scripts were updated and working properly so that students could view the content of the sites. Assigning the students to use the microphones on the devices also required some troubleshooting to ensure that they were working properly and the students could be heard clearly.
The completion of this artifact is one that required some knowledge and forethought as the lesson was designed to ensure that all parts would work smoothly in the technology classroom. While I did not think about all of the hardware issues that might arise during the planning phase of the lesson, I was able to go through and quickly troubleshoot the small issues that came up such as individual devices not working properly when students tried recording audio. I learned the importance of thinking quickly and understanding how to troubleshoot things in a timely manner so that minimal instruction and work time is lost by the students. These skills are not often taught to teachers when they are given professional development on a new technology and I feel this should be included. Teachers should also be aware of who they can contact in a timely manner to fix whatever issues may arise in the middle of a lesson. If I were to change anything for this lesson, I would go back and include more information for troubleshooting the hardware portion of the lesson so that anyone who used this lesson in the future would have access to this information before beginning the lesson.
By taking the time to focus on basic troubleshooting skills for software and hardware problems that are common in digital learning environments I was able to increase student learning for this lesson. The students were able to focus on the content and quality of their assignment rather than deal with common issues such as connectivity, updates, and accessibility. The impact on student learning can be assessed by the quality of projects turned in by the students and the amount of quality work time they were able to spend in class completing the task.
During the spring of 2015, I designed and implemented a project focusing on the ecosystem of Mill Creek as a project for ITEC 7430: Internet Tools in the Classroom. The lesson plan is one I designed in hopes of connecting field research work I was conducting with my students to enhanced learning experiences using technology. Throughout the school year my students worked hard to collect data about the fish population in our nearby creek by conducting monthly experiments where fish were trapped and tagged for identification purposes. This lesson was created as a culminating project for the end of the year to connect the research data with the larger picture of the local ecosystem which is one of the main 7th grade life science standards. I managed the classroom as the students used research skills and Creative Commons to create their own digital food webs of the Mill Creek ecosystem and then worked with a partner to communicate and collaborate in the creation of a digital presentations that included the use of a voice recording tool. My contribution for this artifact was the sole design and creation of the lesson as well as any troubleshooting necessary before and during the implementation in my classroom.
As found in the management section of the lesson, there was some basic troubleshooting skills required for this lesson to run smoothly. I used a variety of links within the lesson that I wanted students to access. It was my job to go through and make sure that the links were not only active, but also that the devices the students would be using could easily access all of the materials found on the sites. This included making sure that the Java and Flash scripts were updated and working properly so that students could view the content of the sites. Assigning the students to use the microphones on the devices also required some troubleshooting to ensure that they were working properly and the students could be heard clearly.
The completion of this artifact is one that required some knowledge and forethought as the lesson was designed to ensure that all parts would work smoothly in the technology classroom. While I did not think about all of the hardware issues that might arise during the planning phase of the lesson, I was able to go through and quickly troubleshoot the small issues that came up such as individual devices not working properly when students tried recording audio. I learned the importance of thinking quickly and understanding how to troubleshoot things in a timely manner so that minimal instruction and work time is lost by the students. These skills are not often taught to teachers when they are given professional development on a new technology and I feel this should be included. Teachers should also be aware of who they can contact in a timely manner to fix whatever issues may arise in the middle of a lesson. If I were to change anything for this lesson, I would go back and include more information for troubleshooting the hardware portion of the lesson so that anyone who used this lesson in the future would have access to this information before beginning the lesson.
By taking the time to focus on basic troubleshooting skills for software and hardware problems that are common in digital learning environments I was able to increase student learning for this lesson. The students were able to focus on the content and quality of their assignment rather than deal with common issues such as connectivity, updates, and accessibility. The impact on student learning can be assessed by the quality of projects turned in by the students and the amount of quality work time they were able to spend in class completing the task.