Tami Rodda

http://roddaclass.weebly.com
EDU-225
February 21, 2015
Instructor Biba John

Raft Card Example:

Row 1

ROLE (student)
A DJ of a science

AUDIENCE
Your favorite

FORMAT
An informative

TOPIC
Have you ever

radio station

radio station

podcast report

wondered what a

listeners

drop of water feels

like as it travels
through the water
cycle?

Objective:
You will be able to describe how a drop of water travels through the steps of the water cycle.
Student Role:
A DJ of a science radio station
Audience:
Your favorite radio station listeners
Format:
An informative podcast report
Topic:
Have you ever wondered what a drop of water feels like as it travels through the water cycle?

Directions:
1. Visit The Water Cycle: A Guide for Students to learn more about the water cycle.
2. Use a storyboard worksheet to map out your script.
3. Type your script so it is easy to read.
4. Practice reading your script aloud until you feel you can read it fluently and with
expression.
5. Create a Voki at Voki.com. Build a suitable avatar for this project.
6. Read and record your script as the Vokis voice.
Resources:
Websites to visit:
Water Cycle Diagram
http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/watercycle/
Water Education
http://www.watereducation.utah.gov/watercycle/water_cycle.asp
The Hydrological Cycle
http://www.sciencecourseware.com/eec/GlobalWarming/Tutorials/HydrologicalCycle/
The Water Cycle
http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/ecosystems/water-cycle.htm
The Global Hydrological Cycle
http://bcs.whfreeman.com/thelifewire/content/chp58/5802001.html
Assessment:
Prepare a 1-minute script for a radio segment to explain how a drop of water travels through the
steps of the water cycle.
You will receive up to 25 points for each of the following: written script, storyboard, Voki, and
recorded script.

Raft Card 1:

Row 1

ROLE (student)
Storyteller

AUDIENCE
Fans of the

FORMAT
Powerpoint

TOPIC
My favorite

storyteller

presentation

adventure

Objective: You will use first person perspective only to tell a short story.
Student Role: Storyteller
Audience: fans of the storyteller
Format: Powerpoint presentation
Topic: My favorite adventure

Directions: Students will create a narrative, in first person perspective, that talks about their
favorite adventure. This adventure can be real or fictional, but there needs to be a typed up
script. The script needs to be practiced, as it will be recorded and added to a power point
presentation that has images relating to the adventure.
Resources:
Annenberg Lerner- point of view summaries
http://www.learner.org/interactives/literature/read/pov2.html
YouTube video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOjCbL60SRE

Powerpoint tips
http://www.garrreynolds.com/preso-tips/design/

Assessment: Create a Powerpoint using images related to your story. Then record your story
and have it play in time to the presentation. The story must be at least two minutes in length but
no more than four minutes long. Twenty five percent of the grade is toward images that relate to
the story. Fifty percent of the grade goes to the correct use of first person perspective. Twenty
five percent of the grade goes to easy follow through of the story.

Raft Card 2:

Row 2

ROLE (student)
animator

AUDIENCE
viewer

FORMAT
animation

TOPIC
Harry Potter
characters

Objective: Compare two characters from a book using context clues

Student Role: animator
Audience: viewer
Format: animation using powtoon.com
Topic: Compare two characters from Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone using context clues

Directions: Create an animated presentation using www.powtoon.com to compare two different

characters of your choice from the book Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone. Use clues from
the book in your comparisons. Use the Character Perspective Chart (link is below) or one
similar to chart out the characteristics.
Resources:
Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone by, J.K. Rowling
How to Compare Characters
http://www.enotes.com/topics/how-compare-two-characters
Character Perspective Chart
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson267/chart.pdf

Assessment: An animated presentation is created that illustrates character comparisons for two
different characters out of Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone by, J.K. Rowling. Twenty five

percent of the grade will go towards the use of the Character Perspective Chart, while twenty
five percent will go towards each character and how clearly the comparisons are. The last twenty
five percent will be used for clarity of the presentation, ie: does it make sense, or flow well?

Raft Card 3:

Row 3

ROLE (student)
author

AUDIENCE
reader

FORMAT
blog

TOPIC
Short story
w/vocab words

Objective: Understands and can use vocabulary words in a correct manner.

Student Role: author
Audience: reader
Format: Blog
Topic: Create a blog consisting of a short story (3-5 paragraphs) using this weeks vocabulary
correctly.

Directions: Using a blank word document create a short story using this weeks vocabulary
words. Proofread and spellcheck your work and then have another student peer edit your work.
Then post the story on the class blog located on blogger.com.
Resources:
Online dictionary
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
Weekly vocabulary list
Blog tips
http://weblogs.about.com/od/bloggingtips/tp/TipsWriteBlogPosts.htm

Assessment: The student will write a short story using vocabulary from this weeks lesson.
After the story has been written the student will proof read and spellcheck their work and then let
another student do some peer editing. After the fixes have been made and the student is satisfied
with their work, they will then post the story to the classs blog. Twenty five percent of the grade
goes to creating a rough draft and editing, with another twenty five percent going towards the use
of the vocabulary words in the work. Thirty five percent of the grade goes to getting their work
published to the class blog, with the last fifteen percent going towards the peer editing of another
students work.

Entry 3: Differentiating Instruction through Technology

Introduction
The goal of differentiating instruction is to be able to reach every student with a variety of
resources that work best for them. Introducing technology to differentiating instruction creates a
more modern approach. Students are using technology to access media outside of the classroom.
The goal of introducing technology to them is to help them become better digital citizens and
exercise creativity abilities while still learning.
Technology to Differentiate Instruction
Blogging: Blogging can be used in the classroom by both the teacher and the student. The
teacher can use blogging to keep everyone up to date on what the class is learning. Students can
use blogging to showcase what they have been learning in class. Students like blogging because
as Kessinger et al. (2009) says, this allows designers to focus on customisation of content over
standardisation, as instructional design theory and experience have shown to be more beneficial.
Students can write their own blogs using the freedom of their imaginations, where if writing with
a pen and paper they feel like they are restricted to ink and white paper. Blogging creates a new
world for both teachers and students to be creative in.
Educational Video Games: Video games can capture a students attention and maintain it,
while encouraging them to use their problem solving skills. The games can be used to review
content or to relate pieces of content that may not have been thought of as being related. Ching
noted in 2012 that video games can cause students to become interested in the topic and that

motivates them to learn more. Teachers can preview the games to make sure that they are school
and age appropriate before assigning or suggesting them to the students. During the preview
process the teacher will also see if the game is able to capture and maintain a students focus.
Concept Mapping Tools: Concept mapping tools can be used to show the relationship a subject
may have with another. Students can use this to show these types of relationships and figure out
how to use the information. In 2005 Akkaya et al. agreed, saying Concept maps might give the
teacher a clear picture of students understanding by forcing students to connect and relate ideas
within the subject at hand. Again, by creating concept maps students will be able to use their
creativity and research skills to showcase these relationships and how they work together. The
teacher can then see what is understood and what is not understood by her students.
Pros and Cons: There are many pros to using technology in differentiated teaching. One pro is
that there are so many different types offered! Another pro, according to T. Campbell et al.
would be today, more than ever, students use a great variety of channels to retrieve information
from non-mainstream media and use easily-accessed technology to produce information.
Students are usually very good at being able to access different types of technology for many
different uses, making technology a great alternative for them.
There is a con side as well, which is that there are so many resources out there. The
availability of these tools can overwhelm the user, making their choice a difficult one that has to
be made. Another con can be determining the authenticity of the work that is produced by the
student. Did they actually do the work or did they copy and paste from another site? Usually a
teacher can tell if this has occurred but it is still something to be aware of.
Concluding Paragraph

While there are many ways to differentiate instruction, technology opens up possibilities
and has a lot to offer both the student and the teacher. Technology gives students a way to show
their creative side while in a safe environment. Teachers are able to monitor what students are
creating and encourage them to think outside of the box.

References:
Akkaya, R., Karakrk, E., & Durmu, S. (2005). A computer assessment tool for concept
mapping. Turkish Online Journal Of Educational Technology, 4(3), 3-6.
Campbell, T., Shaing Kwei, W., Hui-Yin, H., Duffy, A. M., & Wolf, P. G. (2010). Learning with
web tools, simulations, and other technologies in science classrooms. Journal Of Science
Education & Technology, 19(5), 505-511. doi:10.1007/s10956-010-9217-8.
Ching, D. (2012). Passion play: Will Wright and games for science learning. Cultural Studies Of
Science Education, 7(4), 767-782. doi:10.1007/s11422-012-9456-5.
Kessinger, J., & Berge, Z. L. (2009). Blogs as an instructional medium. Malaysian Journal Of
Distance Education, 11(2), 1-11.