minibeasts

In 2006 we participated in a **Knowledge Bank Rich Picture** Case Study called
 * //ICT's and Interactive WhiteBoard's in the Early Years of Schooling through a Problem Based Learning Project://**

[[image:mm.gif link="minibeasts"]]There's No Place Like Home- A Study of Minibeasts
The teachers involved in this project were
 * Tanya Chalmers** -Classroom teacher-Grade 2 & 3[[image:studyof-mb.gif align="left"]]
 * Deirdre McKenzie** -Classroom teacher-Grade 1& 2
 * Anne Baird-** Leading Schools Fund Manager

//**THE WHY:**// In 2006 three teachers at Wedderburn College identified the integration of Information and Communication Technology and deeper levels of thinking and application as an area that they wanted to focus on in order to improve their teaching. They wanted in particular to improve the **engagement** of their students through the development of a problem based unit of work centered around a local issue affecting the environment.

At the same time an opportunity arose through DEET, Victoria to apply for some funding so they decided to document the work that they were creating through a Knowledge Bank Rich Case Study.

**is a showcase portal for teachers to share best practice in Victorian schools.**

Thus began a journey of discovery to trial what was, to them, a new way of planning a unit of work centred around **Curriculum Framing Questions** and the use of **ICT** and **thinking tools and strategies** to support students in visualising, creating and communicating their thinking.

//**THE HOW:**// In order to achieve this, their task was three fold.

Firstly they wanted to do some professional development focussing on the integration of ICT, Higher order thinking, Curriculum Framing Questions and problem based learning. This involved working together with Anne to develop a unit plan which addressed Victorian Essential Learning standards (VELS). Secondly they planned to set up an environment of learning that would support and enable the unit to take place.

Thirdly they investigated ways to use ICT and web based technologies to record, reflect and document the learnings and understandings.

After completing the Intel Teach to the Future Essentials course in which they created a unit of work based on understanding minibeasts, they decided that each class would focus more specifically on a particular aspect. They began by focussing on the development of higher order thinkings tasks by asking an Essential Question and setting up a real problem based situation. In Tanya's class, the students studied the lifecycle and the conservation of **frogs**. They also investigated and created a habitat for frogs in and around their classroom. Their Essential Question was "**Why is there no place like home**"?
 * //THE WHAT://**

In Deirdre's class the students chose to focus on **insects** and decided to learn about the life cycle of a number of insects and their role in the ecosystem. Their Essential Question was "**Would the world be a better place without harmful creatures?**"

Throughout the unit the two classes regularly explored, shared and worked together. Examples included researching, designing and creating the habitat for their chosen minibeast.

The experience culminated in a special day where the children created a table top zoo and invited their parents to visit.

Anne's role was to support the integration of ICT and thinking strategies by regularly working with the classes by:
 * modelling use of the interactive whiteboard
 * upskilling teachers and students in using MS Powerpoint to display their work
 * supporting the establishment of the [|Wedderburn Wonders blog]
 * recording mini podcasts of the children's learnings about their minibeasts
 * taking digital images and video to record the work the students and teachers were doing
 * creating a myclasses page that acted as a portal for students to enter their blog posts and to do research about the minibeasts that they were studying.

Anne's aim was not to do the work for others but to provide effective professional development for the teachers by >
 * identifying needs as they arose
 * being available as much as possible to provide support on a 'just in time' basis
 * aiming to provide enough scaffolding to enable teachers and students to take on purposeful use of ICT independently
 * doing the 'behind the scenes' investigation and ground work to ensure that things ran smoothly. e.g I investigated how to create wikis and podcasts and then taught that to the students.
 * conducting specific class lessons in using ICT to upskill teahcers and students