ABC Community Schools

March 8, 2016
Jesse Sanchez-Serge

Jesse Sanchez-Serge
EDU 214-1002
Technology at ABC Community School
With recent budget cuts and the excess focus on preparing students for standardized tests
in the fall we have been pushed to alleviate technology from our classrooms. Technology plays a
huge role into education as most of you know, it has become the main vessel for all of the lessons
we teach to get to the students you deem necessary for funding. The students have become
accustom to technology in their life and to eliminate this from their schooling would only create
a larger gap between school and learning. I ask to keep technology in our schools because, here
at ABC Community schools we have found that technology has shown an overall increase in
retention, motivation for students, collaboration with one another, and an ultimate increase in
classroom success.
If we seek success on standardized tests, then technology will prove to do just that. With
an increase in retention and memory technology will help those students using it retain more
information that is needed for the tests and use it when needed. The more ways information is
presented it can be shown in all of the learning styles and students can pick up on various way to
interpret, remember, and apply the knowledge need for the test. Technology can be used to give
students a huge advantage on standardized tests with practice tests on the device that provide
instant feedback on all things the students need to practice on and correct while taking the test. In
a study done by the department of education students were seen with an increased motivation
and self-esteem as they mastered and used technology and the role technology has in our society
(Department of Education 2016). The students motivated themselves to learn and grow more
with technology and use it to their advantage, when the student is motivated and learning at the
same time their overall success is seen to increase and with more success comes more retention.

One teacher said in the study, Technology is the ultimate carrot for students. Its something they
want to master. Learning to use it enhance their self-esteem and makes them excited about
coming to school (Department of Education 2016). Showing how teachers see education
valuable to their classroom and how students enhance their own learning with technology by
themselves increasing their own success. Students want to master technology and use technology
as it holds value in our society and mastery of such an area comes with much respect.
The other field technology will increase is their collaboration with one another. Looking
from the outside some may see this as cheating, but the best way to learn something is ultimately
to teach it to another. Using your own knowledge to reinterpret and find ways to show some else
is the greatest way to learn something yourself and accommodate another learner. When using
technology students use this with one another as they want to show one another they know how
to use technology and their superiority in the classroom. If we have students trying to be the best
in their classroom, then the tests will only come easier to them and passing the standardized tests
jeopardizing technology will only be conquered by the students and their use of technology.
Using these details pertaining technology in education, I think that using technology will
become the better in teaching students to retain and acquire more knowledge necessary for the
standardized tests. Technology can promote more retention, motivation and cooperation as a
means to increase the success of education. I only see technology in the future being beneficial to
the cause of increasing standardized test score and success rates.
Jesse Sanchez-Serge
EDU 214-1002
Identification of Standards
Standards: Clark County: Content Standards 3.0 Research Tools students use
various technologies and tools to research information and evaluate its accuracy and
appropriateness in order to solve problems and make decisions.
Nevada: C. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the
appropriateness to specific tasks.
National 3. Research and Information Fluency Students apply digital tools to
gather, evaluate, and use information to plan strategies and guide inquiry.
After researching the standards, I decided on focusing on a research based project that
synthesizes a superhero from a key figure in history. These standards seem to be on the same
lines and the same path as one another as they should be. From a county level to a national level
a similarity is seen throughout, as the county is more detailed in what students and teachers
should do the national level gives a basic outline and guide for what each party should do. In my
lesson I will include the use of research and using good source choices as well as valid source
choices and show the students how to take that research and then synthesize their individual hero
with these research results. Each level asks students to evaluate each source they use and also to
choose appropriate sources for their projects whilst the county and state levels go beyond this to
ask for timely and accurate sources where the national level seems to leave that out in the
students standards.

For the county, the standard was very detailed and had the most criteria in it, showing the
detail inside of the standard itself. It instructs students to use various technologies in order to
evaluate and research sources that are appropriate and accurate based on their necessity to the
project. The county and state standards seem to be very similar in their description of what
students should be doing and what should be done in the project and assignment. The major
difference in the county and state standards is the State standards call for more use of digital
resources in the project or assignment being worked on. While the county just to use sources that
are appropriate and dont exactly specify whether they have to be digital or not. The county then
is the only one to ask the students to solve problems based on their research done while the state
and nation dont. The county seems to focus on higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy and using
research to go beyond using it in a project but to promote growth in students as they finish their
project. The county seems to go beyond using research and having students grow with research
as they use it for projects but evaluate and synthesize conclusions from research to create rather
than solely use.
The national level of standards asks go beyond using as well as to plan their research and
what they will find and in which way. Students tend to never think about this part and always get
lost on one or two pages when the research for their papers or projects is out there and they seem
to never find it. There can be so much more found on the websites usually scrolled past on
google searches or database searches. These resources are the best as they introduce new ideas to
students for evaluation and use in their project. Students should be shown to use these resources
and to have an open mindedness to open the search results to absorb and use new ideas for their
papers and projects. Both the State and National level ask for digital resources and the use of
evaluating sources for the use in their project and assignment. To assemble plans and strategies
in using sources to enhance their project instead of just being used in it.
The county standards seem to focus more on advance up the ladder in Blooms a
Taxonomy instead of staying at the lower levels in researching and applying. The higher levels
promote the most growth in students and the most retention in students as well. If students can
synthesize and evaluate research for projects their research and sources can be used even more
effectively.

Lesson Title: Super Hero Historical Figure

Grade Level: 8th-12th grade
Technology Standard Addressed: Clark County - Standard 3.0 Students use various technology
tools to research information and evaluate its accuracy and appropriateness in order to
solve problems and make decisions. Differentiates between the various types of
information and makes refined selections of most reliable, authentic timely sources.
Creates a comprehensive Bibliography or works cited page.
Standards Addressed: H2.[6-8].9 Describe the events, course and results of the American
Revolution and the contributions of Women, African Americans and Native Americans.
H2.[9-12].5 Assess the contributions of immigrant groups to the development of the United
States
Objectives: SWBAT format their project onto a PowerPoint or presentation software that
includes all parts of the project
SWBAT conduct appropriate research for each historical figure assigned
SWBAT create and synthesize powers and ideas each super hero will have
SWBAT present their project in front of their peers and conduct reviews in a respectable manner
SWBAT cite sources used in their project in a slide all its own
SWBAT create a visual of their super hero created

SWBAT create a profile that suits their super hero using facts from their actual historical figures
life and experiences
SWBAT create a biography in which their super hero got their powers and how they were created
Materials Needed: Power Point of any presentation software
Projector and Screen for students presentation
Computer and Computer time for students to work in class and research in class
Peer Review Work Sheets
Internet and Library Access for research purposes
Group Size: Individual Project
Procedures: Students will be assigned a historical figure from a list given to them, if they dont
find one they like they can show me one their own and prove their importance and I will decide
if their presented figure will suffice for historical importance.
Students will then research historical figures life and achievements
Students will then begin a visual on how their super hero will look and which powers they will
have.
Students must explain these powers and how they fit with their character (1-4 powers)
Students will then create: a biography for super hero that includes their past, how they got their
powers, enemy and nemesis or weakness that their super hero has, and their favorite things to do
besides being superhero. (This will not be entirely made up as some historical facts and research
are needed to make their super hero and actual figure coincide.)
Students will then incorporate this into a PowerPoint or presentation software in which their
super hero is shown along will all their powers and their importance in history.
Students will cite their sources in the last slide
Students will then present their super hero to the class, presentation will be timed and will only
last 5 minutes to moderate what students talk about
Students will fill out accompanying peer review sheet and will then vote on which super hero
should have a: comic, movie, and novel (Three different heroes). The winners of these categories
will receive extra points on the assignment itself or on a future assignment as reward for being
voted.
Assessment: The peer review and a survey in which the students decide which super hero they
would like to see in a comic, movie, and novel.