Decide
The first phase in the DDE-Model is all about decision making. The what of a project. The who does what of a project. The when of a project. The why of the project. The where of the project. Of course, the team cannot overlook the how of the project.
Reflect with any other thoughts about the chapter.
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From Andrea:
ReplyDeleteOne sentence from Chapter 3 that struck me as especially useful was this -- "It is important that students learn something beyond computer skills and that the appearance of the final presentation does not overshadow the project's content." (p 39) For teachers who are in the Decide phase of designing a project, this probably can't be emphasized enough. Unless you are teaching a computer skills class, the content of the multimedia project should be the most important part. Because of this, multimedia is not the best choice for every project. The key is to find a way for multimedia to enhance what students are learning.
I was also interested to read about the different strategies for forming groups for multimedia projects. Although students may want to work with their friends, self-selected groups are not as beneficial to students as teacher-selected groups. Large groups allow more cooperative learning opportunities, but if a group is too large some members may not have a voice.
The chapter was very useful in laying out all the necessary steps involved in the Decide phase. One part in particular stuck out for me; the section covering creating cooperative groups. A major part of creating the groups and doing multimedia group projects in general is ensuring the students know how to work in a group setting. This requires practicing a group setting so the entire class can see how students should act. I experienced this in my last observation of a 4th grade class. The teacher was introducing literacy circles and spent parts of 2 weeks slowly introducing the concept to the kids. They would practice being in the circles and critique one another to find their strengths and weaknesses. This was a very useful technique.
ReplyDeleteThere was a lot of information in this chapter. A lot of decision making takes place here for both the teacher and student. The teacher has a lot of variables to consider before he/she can present a multimedia project to their students. The teacher has to consider whether the project content follows the core curriculum/standards, length/scope of project, student experience with multimedia resources, group composition (which is involved), etc.. The student has to consider his/her learning style (if known to them), skill level with multimedia resources, research activities to generate information on assigned topic, assignment tasks, etc..
ReplyDeleteThis chapter provides a very detailed and organized way (loaded with good examples) to move through the "Decide" phase of a multimedia project (or any project). I really had no idea that a multimedia project could be so involved. If the teacher does his/her "decide work" (as outlined in the text) I do not see how a project could not succeed. This phase seems to take a lot of time to complete because it is so involved. However, the more you implement multimedia into your own curriculum using this model the easier it will become to complete this phase.
I found the grouping variables particularly interesting. Grouping is an art form. It is very involved and there is a lot to consider. This course continues to shed more light on cooperative learning communities for me and may win me over from my favored teacher-directed learning.
I really enjoyed reading about organizing multimedia projects.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the grouping variables and group numbers, I am curious as to how my former teachers selected groups in the classroom. I would imagine that it is difficult to consider the interests and learning style of each student. Further, I feel that group size is often dictated by the size of the class. For instance, a lecture hall of 100 students generally would not participate in teams of 2, because that would result in 50 projects.
For the scheduled computer time, the teacher is definitely limited by the multimedia resources provided by the school. I wonder if students are often encouraged to work outside the classroom on a project.
I think one of the most important components mentioned of the Decide phase is that the instructor must first take into accound the need to fulfill state and other standards. This must go into the planning of the multimedia project. It's probably easy to forget about this fundamental requirement, but it is also difficult sometimes (and limiting) to consider it. However, it will aid greatly in the process allowing proper choice between multimedia options that will be most effective for the standard being considered.
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting that despite my original notions, the Decide Phase was more than just deciding what to do. It is also about deciding how you will do it. This is something that needs to be decided before the project time begins but may not even be implemented until it is time for the project to be carried out or presented.
After reading the work that goes into helping students work in groups, I have to admit that I am a little daunted. I personally know the benefits of working in groups, but I've never had to help foster the dynamics that help a group "work" effectively. In particular, picking groups based on abilities or characteristics seems like a good idea but you never actually know who will work well together. My concern as a teacher would be finding the best solution if I've put together a group that just cannot function properly. What would I do to fix that? Would I remove a troublesome or lazy or overachieving student and switch them with someone from another group? If so, which would I choose? Would this other group be satisfied with this removal? I have my reservations, but I still like this idea.
Ivers and Barron are spot on when they state, "Careful planning is especially critical when integrating multimedia projects in the classroom. Planning saves time, reduces frustration, eliminates fragmented learning experiences, and results in better products" (Ivers & Barron, 2006, p. 22). The DDD-E is the essential planning tool for multimedia projects. The chapter breaks down the Decide, Design, Develop, and Evaluate portions of the model for clear understanding. In each stage, there is a goal in mind, and that goal is necessary for planning the project because it builds for the next step in the model.
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher, I would use this model to create helpful tools to supplement my classroom instruction. If I follow the method, I can anticipate less stress when incorporating it into my lessons.
For students, it is just a good method for time management. If each step is crucial to the overall project, then the students can be more relaxed and learn the material, rather than rush to the end to get a quick solution.
I hate to admit that I am a procrastinator, but I am. If I am given deadlines, I'm successful; however, I have a tendency when I am on my own to just push things off until it's dire. It is definitely NOT a good thing, but it's one of my only vices. I think this project will prove to be a kick in the butt for me to stay on track and complete my assignments to benefit my group, thus creating a more sucessful end project. I also am anticipating the design phase using different multimedia techniques.