abugslife.wikispaces.com

Hi Helen! Congratulations on a very well researched and comprehensive unit of work. I'm so impressed with all the websites you included and how well thought out each step of your unit is. I look forward to seeing the unit in action this year (hope you don't mind if I stick my head in to stickybeak occasionally!) See you at school! Meredith =**A Bug’s Life – Feedback from Alan!**=


 * //Pre-feedback comments://** Thanks for letting me look over your work Helen. The natural world around us, **//as curriculum//**, is something that is especially close to my heart so I am enjoying the theme of this unit from the start! It is also interesting as we are at opposite ends of children’s’ schooling – you working with Preps and me with Year 11/12, so this provides an interesting perspective for me as well.

You have taken the theme of insects beyond shallow identification, (eg “this is a grasshopper“, “this is a weevil” etc, which is little more than knowledge), to considering the actual life of specific insects and evaluating their requirements for living in comparison to other insects, even relating this to us and how we live. It is particularly powerful that you require them to actually find an actual insect rather than just find one on the Internet, in a book or whatever. Having to role play the insect will ensure that they really think about the insect’s perspective on life, rather than just being an observer of the insect. This will promote student centred learning, letting them choose their directions.
 * __Introductory Document or Presentation__**

Your //Tuning In// PowerPoint makes the task clear. Do they also say what they already know about insects at this point? It seemed implied in the PowerPoint.

You have embedded 21st century skills and H.O.T. throughout, and utilise Web 2 applications with the Wiki and Blog. Making these with such visual (pictorial) queues, rather than written, caters for students who are unable to read (I suppose you would have most of them in that category in Preps?). I could not think of any child who whose learning would be hindered through the limitations of incompatible learning styles.

If I have understood correctly, your summative assessment is over several tools. I would imagine this is a difference in catering to the capabilities of young children rather than older students. Your assessment tools do not overwhelm them by covering everything at once. Your ICT rubric focuses on the skills they need to do their drawings and the speaking and listening rubric on their presentation skills. The checklist had an assessment aspect to it. I was looking for was the rubric, which I imagine will assess the CFQs, particularly the UQs. How will you assess these? You have a rubric listed in your Unit Plan but I could not see it in your showcase.
 * __Student Sample Summative Assessment__**

Initially I was wondering how you were going to achieve addressing the CFQ’s using a picture only, but the Blog answered this brilliantly! Having the students write a story with the help of a Year 6 mentor/buddy will work fantastically for everyone.
 * __Student Sample__**

How will you monitor that the work is that of the Prep student and not that of the Year 6? Will the Year 6 have a set of guidelines regarding this? Just wondering how this will work.

Your supports, both online and human, work really well. I tried to imagine I was a student in your Prep class doing this project. What supports do I have? From the start I know I have to find and insect and study it and I know what I am studying it for. I can see a sample of a picture. I have rubrics that I can use to let me know how I am going, and if I am stuck then I have my Yr 6 buddy to talk with. I can probably even go up to him or her in the play ground to look for bugs. It feels good Helen. I have a checklist that I can use. I have a blog to post to and I can show my family my work online and get feedback.
 * __Student Support or Facilitation Resource__**

I see you have **HELP** cards. In what way are they going to be used? Who fills them out? Are they individualised or for everyone? Are they to ask for help (like posting sticky notes with questions) or are they for receiving help?
 * __Other Resources__**

An excellent unit that looks like curriculum that students will really enjoy doing. Higher Order Thinking is clearly apparent throughout, with the unit incorporating much beyond just looking at bugs. It has a clear PBL approach. There is a support structure in place that guides without inhibiting student choices. The ICT skills required are many and varied. Working in teams with the Yr 6 buddy provides support that is highly motivating for the Prep student and will in itself support the development of communications and collaboration skills (also for the Yr 6 students). All nine 21st century skills are evident.
 * __Entire Unit Portfolio__**

Having students use short videos that they make themselves, posted to the blog or wiki, could be fun! Being recorded with their particular bug crawling around on the end of their finger (for those brave enough) and talking about how it lives and what it does and so on, would involve a lot of skills. Would having an online showcase like we are doing here for Intel EOL work? Could you get a greater audience to provide feedback – parents, grandparents or Aunty Yogini who lives in India, etc..
 * __Other Comments/Notes:__**

(Outside feedback, and just FYI, as you mention butterflies in particular, would keeping caterpillars in the class and waiting until they become butterflies enrich their experience? I have a contact for obtaining butterflies, as adults or caterpillars.)

I really enjoyed looking through your unit Helen. Must be fun working with little people! I can picture them all excitedly showing their creepy crawlies to each other in class and sharing their new found understanding of what lives under the house with their families. I’m thinking now about how I can enhance my students’ learning through peer support in the lower year levels, maybe as a means of providing feedback? Hmm … thinking ….

more feedback....


 * From David**

Hi Helen

I've got very little to add to what Alan and Meredith have said, only to add my congratulations for a wonderful unit.

Having a son in a prep class, I can only wish that you were his teacher! This is an comprehensive and innovative project, that incorporates both higher order thinking and web 2.0 tools in a way that 5 and 6 year olds can cope with. The support material you've also produced will also help them along the way, as will the Grade 6s! Using Paint for your Student Sample is very clever and age appropriate.

Congratulations again on a fantastic project.

David