Over the month, the project has changed from LBI to TBI. Too bad thebigidea.com is taken. We still need a name!
My friend, Marilyn Vierra, who is working on an “online Master’s program (in education) with the objective of teaching Social Studies in a secondary setting,” suggested that I articulate a scenario.
Good idea. I’ll have to do it graphically some day.
Here are three student scenarios and one adult scenario:
1) I learned my times tables from my grandmother in two weeks one summer while staying at her house. Say, that a year from now, Jane learns multiplication facts from her grandmother. She finds the merit point description for single-digit multiplication on her laptop, on a youth center’s or library’s computer, or on a print copy at the library. To show her mastery of multiplication and earn a merit point, she has to describe three ways that multiplication used in the community and teach a multiplication fact or group of facts to someone who doesn’t yet know them.
Jane comments about the tricks her grandmother showed her on the merit point page and links the merit point to a game on the Internet that helped her memorize the facts. She chats with a friend who is struggling with math and another friend who is doing well and wants a homework buddy to work on the phone to get the assignments right. Jane finds a librarian, youth center worker, or business owner and a witness to test and approve her accomplishment. A merit point is automatically added to her personally decorated and linked eportfolio/social networking page.
2) In social studies, Keoki is fascinated with the Obama campaign and presidency designs a merit point for getting involved with government. Keoki links the merit point page to http://whitehouse.gov. Earning the merit point requires knowledge of the presidency and the cabinet; activities like emailing, blogging comments, and taking community action; and an experience of how people in the community are involved with the president’s initiatives. Keoki’s social studies teacher and a local politician are both willing to approve his merit point.
3) Paul, an eighth grader, develops an interest in chess. The chess club teaches the game and holds tournaments for people at different levels. The club develops three merit points, one for each level of play. Paul sees how everyone starts at the lower level and sees what must be learned to get to the next level. Paul learns the basics of the game, plays in a tournament, and shows his friend Jake how to play. The chess club president approves and a chess player witnesses the approval of the merit point. Paul, who has been struggling in algebra, gains confidence. He begins to look more carefully at the merit points for algebra and sees many possible ways to learn it. Jake, who is doing well in Algebra, asks Paul if he can teach him the algebra concepts. Jake earns credit toward his merit point.
4) Jim is an adult with ten years of experience in computer web development. He is good at what he does but he sees that too many people are claiming to be web developers who don’t know the conventions. He’s cleaning up expensive messes for his new clients. He designs a series of merit points that lead to the expertise required for php programming of complex business sites. He tries them out on a potential new subcontractor and adjusts them. He links them to his blog and programmers rate and comment on his merit point pages. He is seen as an expert and is now able to charge more and gets better clients. He also has a means of assessing potential subcontractors.
{ 0 comments… add one now }