Please view the Prezi Student Samples
Student Sample 1
Student Sample 2
Modifying your curriculum or lesson plans can be extremely challenging. The most important factor is that whatever you integrate or change, must be able to reach every student in the classroom and hope that it can transform student's learning for the better. For the Wicked Problem Project, I wanted to choose a technology that could improve the learning process of Photosynthesis in my Biology class. Prezi goes far beyond PowerPoint, it is more interactive and student's can express their true creativity. A student needs to visualize the concept of Photosynthesis, they need to see what happens to the raw materials and how they give rise to a product which is important to a plant's growth and development.
It would be wishful thinking if I say that the implementation of my project went smoothly. But as teachers, we have experienced it many times, that there are always plenty of ups and downs. First, I did not start the implementation on the day I had planned. The previous unit needed a couple of more days of review and re-teaching. This made it difficult since it took days away from teaching the unit of Photosynthesis. This was the first time I was trying Prezi in my classroom, I had planned to provide students with enough days to work in class on their presentations. Unfortunately, I was forced to shorten this time. I reworked the timeline and had students spend more time at home working on their projects. Another obstacle that prevented a smooth implementation was the initial lack of motivation from students. I think they were hesitant to learn something new. Most of them felt they were more comfortable with PowerPoint and would have preferred to use that instead. On the upside, after my introduction and preview of Prezi, I felt the enthusiasm building up. After the first day of them working on their presentations, most were very motivated and were anxious to create something they would be proud of.
I provided two student samples above. Each met all the requirements in the rubric to receive a high score. If that alone indicates that they understand Photosynthesis, then it seems I have done my job. You would think they mastered this content. But unfortunately, we know that we need to find other modes of assessment. Photosynthesis is usually included in our second Benchmark. This exam has 35 questions and photosynthesis makes up about forty percent of it. After each Benchmark, the Biology Department gets together to determine which areas students were successful on. Last year, my results were less than impressive. Out of 90 students in all my classes combined, about sixty of them scored basic in this topic. In other words, most had very little comprehension of the topic. Although not perfect, this year there was a big improvement, out of 80 students only thirty of them scored basic. There were more students scoring proficient and advanced. Most students were able to remember the photosynthetic equation and answer questions based on it. To further assess their understanding, I also ended up giving a unit exam. There were 30 multiple-choice questions and 3 short answers. Again out of the 80 students about half of them scored 80% or better. I still do not want to assume that they have deeply learned Photosynthesis, but there is definitely an improvement. In the long run, I will have to wait and see the scores of the State Standards Exam.
The preparation, process, and implementation of this project using Prezi took my by surprise. I felt rushed and was not able to fully provide support to students with questions regarding the technology. I was not fully prepared to provide guidance. However, now that I had to work with many students at different levels, I feel that if I have to do it all over again, I have gained enough knowledge of this technology and can provide much more assistance. I would definitely approach it with full confidence and probably try to implement a collaboration part to the project.
There are some lessons that I would like others to learn. First, I would probably introduce Prezi with an easier topic. In my case, I feel Photosynthesis was a tough topic to use the first time out of the gate. Second, limit the number of slides. Third, make sure all the work gets done at school if this is the first time you are trying it out. I had a few students, who did not complete the home assignments because they had no support.
If I truly want to find out if this project does work, I definitely have to try it a few more times. There is not much I would change about the instructions, the rubric, or the timeline. It was my inexperience that made it a little difficult at first, but with my new gained confidence, I know I can make this a better learning experience for all students. Also, by introducing the project with student samples, I am sure students will have a clearer vision of what is required. Overall, this was a successful project and I would surely try it again.
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