NB2

=**Big Idea Micropedia**=

**Abstract**
Throughout a science unit of study students will add, revise, and review BIG IDEAS (concepts) about Infectious Disease via a class protected Micropedia. By the end of the unit of study, students will have a depth of evidence gathered through many lines of evidence to use a resource to write their Big Idea Thesis.

**Learners & Context**
Learners are a diverse group of seventh grade students, ranging in ability, experience, and computer access. Learners will be able to access the Micropedia either in class or from outside locations. This Micropedia will be used during a four-week unit of study on Micro-Life & Infectious Disease. Learners have little or no prior knowledge in this content, however students have experience using MOODLE for class collaboration such as forums, chats, assignments, and glossaries, but not wikis.

**Learning Goals**
Short Term Goals (lesson goal): Long Term Goals (unit goal):
 * Students will be able to identify the difference between an infectious and noninfectious disease.
 * Students will be able to identify what causes infectious diseases and how infectious disease spreads (including carriers and vectors)
 * Students will be able to identify three infectious diseases and what effects it has on a human body.
 * Students will be able to explain why some infectious diseases are emerging and reemerging.
 * Students will understanding why influenza is continuously problematic for humans.
 * Students will be able to weigh the trade-offs of ways to battle infectious disease.
 * Students will understand the global issues caused by infectious disease
 * Students will be able to write a Big Idea Thesis based on evidence they have gathered that determines what the public should know and do about infectious disease.

**Required Resources**
This Big Idea Micropedia will encourage students to build conceptual understanding as they add more research and evidence. At the end of each learning experience, students will be asked to summarize the big idea and add it to the Micropedia. The unit has a total of 18 learning experiences where students will post their Big Idea summaries and additional research. Learning experiences utilized in this unit include:
 * Internet search for guided research and simulations
 * In class investigations/experiments/demonstrations (SALI)
 * Research from textbook, articles, and books
 * Educational Videos: PBS video series and www.unitedstreaming.com
 * Videoconferencing and iChats: Questions and answers with UCSD scientists, globalhealth.org President, and student scientists

**Tools and Models**
A new teaching model, the Big Idea Approach, will be used to outline the unit of study (see graphic below). Students will also use MOODLE as a tool to post their Big Ideas to the Micropedia. A class laptop cart with twenty laptops with internet access is needed. Students are already familiar with MOODLE and already have established accounts.

**Process**
//Establish On-line Management System// 1. Establish a MOODLE course (or other similar course) that allows Wikis. 2. Outline the unit of study so students have access and are familiar with an online class management system. Students need to be familiar with appropriate on-line interaction. See outline example below:

//Establish Big Idea Approach// 3. Organize unit of study around a trigger, something that grabs a students attention. This could be a news report, startling article in a newspaper, or a hypothetical situation. 4. After discussing the Trigger connect the trigger to the real world. Explain the Big Problem they will be trying to solve for the unit. The Big Problem is often a real life issue that does not have a clear answer. 5. Explain to students they will be gathering their evidence through in class and out of class experiences. Each line of evidence they gather will enhance their ability to answer their Big Problem.

//Establish Infectious Disease Wiki// 6. In Activity thirty-one, each table of students will be assigned a question to research. Questions such as: What is an infectious disease? How are infectious diseases spread? What is an emerging or reemerging infectious disease? Do scientists now have all infectious diseases under control? Explain. Each group will be linked to a particular website that enables students to find answers to their questions. Each group will be required to gather research, cite their information, and summarize it into a one or two paragraph answer. See graphic below for example MOODLE webpage: 7. The teacher will then explain the use of a Wiki and a Micropedia. The teacher should also show wikipedia.com enable students to really visualize what the purpose of a wiki is. (Make sure wikipedia.org is not blocked from your school site.) 8. Have each group of students access a computer, open up a word processing program and type their 1-2 paragraph answer. 9. After each group types up their answer, have one representative from each table be in charge of posting the groups work. Starting with group 1, have their representative add their answer to the class wiki on Infectious disease. After group 1 has posted, have each group post, one representative at a time to the class wiki. Representatives consecutively post after the group prior to them. 10. Have students now work in pairs. Give students time to log into MOODLE, read and discuss the wiki. Pose the following questions: 11. Lead students in a discussion about the trade-offs of creating a class Wikipedia. Create a t-chart from student ideas that outlines the pros and cons. 12. Explain to students to goals of using the Micropedia. Explain that after each learning experience, either class or individual, students can post their new big ideas to the class Micropedia on infectious disease. Students will be asked to do this both in class and on their own time but as the wikipedia grows, the larger the resource it will become. 13. At the end of the unit, students will be able to use their Infectious Disease Micropedia to assist them in writing their Big Idea Thesis. This can become a resource they can cite in their thesis.
 * Are there any words or phrases you do not understand in this text? (have each student or pair to research and add a glossary definition to the wiki.)
 * Does the order of topics (flow of the article) seem to make sense? (encourage students to reorganize so the flow builds upon the previous topic)
 * Is there any information that seems inaccurate to you? (encourage students to find additional research to back up or refute evidence provided)
 * Is there any information that you think is missing? (encourage students to continually add more evidence to wiki)
 * Are you curious and want to know more about a particular part? (encourage students to seek out answers for the whole class)

**Rationale**
Middle school students are social by nature. Allowing time for students academically interact and collaborate, they begin to build conceptual understanding and they enjoy learning. Students are already using other features in MOODLE that have already proven to enhance student understanding, collaboration, and enthusiasm. To allow this additional piece to become an overarching concept builder will take student learning to a new level.

**Evaluation**
Evaluating this tool in learning, the teacher needs to be active in the Micropedia. Checking on a daily or weekly basis will provide feedback on the quantity and quality of the posts. Determining how many students are posting and when they are posting would be good information to determine how to encourage more students to participate.

**Reflection**
I am very excited about the learning potential this adds to our units of study. I have seen many unmotivated students become inspired by using technology and allowing them to determine how they are going to learn. I feel that adding this Micropedia, to the other learning tools MOODLE provides, will enhance student learning greatly and get kids excited about being part of a learning community driven by students, not by the teacher.

I still have a few challenges and questions. I do not want to force students to post. I want this to be something they want to do. How do I get all students excited about posting without forcing all students? I have thought about extra credit points and requiring at least two additions or revisions throughout the unit, but I feel the requirement may take the fun out of it. Also, I have a group of students that love interacting on Moodle. They go home and spend hours on MOODLE looking for more forums and glossaries to post to, however I have another group of students who are less motivated. How do I get them motivated? I am also curious about each student only being able to log in at one time. How can I make sure students don’t get trumped out. I think experience is the only “skill” I need to gather to be able to utilize this new tool.

Another challenge I have started from a conversation with my principal. She had mentioned that she believes what we are doing with collaboration through moodle will show results in our test scores, more so with our "blessed" students. She was worried that instead of closing the gap between students it is going to increase the gap between the "haves" and the "have nots". This is unsettling to me for so many reasons. My hope would be rather than worrying about increasing the gap, but actively finding ways to get all students motivated to use technology as a means to collaborate and increase their understanding. Almost all students get motivated to learn within the classroom to collaborate with technology. The challenge is fostering interested after they leave school, reaching students who do not have access at home, and monitoring outside work.

Science is all about collaboration, however over the past few years the tools to collaborate have become much more advanced. Instead of kids working in groups and sharing out to a class on a large piece of chart paper, they are able to post their finding to a class website and get almost immediate feedback from their peers and teachers. Preparing kids to be globally marketable, they need to leave school with these skills. It is a very exciting time in education, and I am glad I get to be a part of it!