Module 1 - Commonly Confused Words: Contractions

Description: What will this course be about? Where/how will it be taught?

While taking the UWStout-EDUC 762 course last semester, I designed part of an online course that I would like to continue to add to for this course. Hopefully, it will be used in the future either by me and/or by a colleague. The course can be done totally online. It would be a three-module Language/Vocabulary unit called Commonly Confused Words. The first module would be Contractions, the second would be Homophones & Homonyms and the third module would be Synonyms & Antonyms. Each of the three modules would be two weeks in length for a total of six weeks. This time I will be focusing on the Contractions module.

Learners: Who are the learners? What do you know about them that might make a difference in what you design?  (Think about age, prior knowledge, familiarity with technology)

This course was designed with 5th graders in mind because that is the grade in which these concepts would be taught within the Grade 5 Reading/Language Arts section of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Curriculum 2.0 now being implemented in my County. Curriculum 2.0 is an upgrade to the previous curriculum and includes the new standards for English language arts. Based on the CCSS and what the students should have learned in the grades prior to 5th grade, they are ready to learn this material. This course would essentially be their formal introduction to the subject matter. Although, I could also see this course being used as a remedial tool for students who needed additional help and with a few modifications, being used with students whose second language is English. The 5th graders would all have access to computers and be familiar with how to use them.

Source: MCPS Curriculum 2.0 - https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/2.0/

Things that you want to accentuate in your course. This can be related to what or how you teach, how students respond, or about the technology.  What do you want to see happen in this course?

I would like this to be an interactive course between students/students and students/instructors. I hope to take advantage of the technology available. I want the students to reflect and make assessments throughout the learning process so I can adjust and modify the learning to make it more meaningful and successful for them.

Problems  that you’d like to avoid in your course. Based on past experience, what would you predict will drag you down?  It could be technology, disinterested students, lack of discussion, etc.

I think that the technology would probably be the thing to drag the course down. Approval would be needed from the school to use the software, online tools, and websites that would be part of the course. Before this course can begin, those software, online tools and websites would need to be available and able to be used throughout the course. It would be ideal for all the students to have access to a computer whether at home or at school. Gaining that access to computers and to the internet should not be a problem with the student population in my county.

What might be the most problematic aspect of this course as you teach it? 

I think the most problematic aspect would be making sure that the software, online tools and websites continue to work successfully during the course. If this becomes an issue, it could cause students to become frustrated, lose interest, and disengage in the learning process.

 
The most time-consuming aspect of this course as you teach it will be --

I think the most time-consuming aspects of this course for me would be reading everything the students do, checking their work, and giving them feedback in a timely fashion.