Friday, July 28, 2006

LoTi Mentor Certification Day 3 - Cy-Fair ISD, TX - Reflection

Dear Colleagues,

I wish to compliment each of you for your intensity level, dedication, and commitment to high level technology implementation during the LoTi Mentor Certification Institute for the Cy-Fair ISD Secondary Technology Liaisons. You folks were just absolutely awesome!

On our third day of certification, we focused on Certification Tasks #5 (Professional Development Sample involving Performance-Based Assessment and High-Octane Performance Tasks), #6 (EBAM and Castaway), and #9 (Next Steps Action Plan).

Certification Task #5
I was delighted with your ability to take specific content and design a LoTi 3 Culminating Performance Task based on real world applications during the Tic-Tac-Toe portion of the Performance-Based Assessment Activity. This activity forces individuals to make real world connections with their content.

During the High-Octane Performance Task presentation, I highlighted key attributes of a Performance Task:

* Assess student demonstration of critical content
* Incorporate several instructional activities that precede them
* Relate to students’ prior knowledge
* Represent an end-product

I also highlighted key attributes of a "High-Octane" Performance Task:

* Assess student demonstration of critical content
* Incorporate several instructional activities that precede them
* Relate to students’ prior knowledge
* Represent an end-product
* Allow for multiple pathways or solutions
* Require complex thinking strategies
* Have personal meaning or authenticity
* Apply learning to a new situation or context
* Are challenging

By the way, for Certification Task #5 we agreed on two submissions: a high school and middle school version of the LoTi Conference-In-A-Box program

Certification Task #6
After viewing The Castaway with Tom Hanks, we set out to create an EBAM based on Propaganda Strategies during World War 1. Unfortunately, we were unable to push it to a LoTi 4, but the process does point out that sometimes lessons or units are sometimes best served at a LoTi 3 or below depending on the (1) TEKS addressed, (2) readiness levels of students, and (3) TIME.

Certification Task #9
As I mentioned yesterday, Certification Task #9 should concentrate on you implementing higher LoTi levels in your classroom as well as what you can do to support higher levels of technology implementation within your department.

Thank you again for becoming an active participant in the LoTi Mentor Certification Program. As a reminder, your LMC submissions are due no later than November 1st, 2006. In the meantime, if there is any aspect of the program that you would like clarified, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Chris Moersch
chris@learning-quest.com