Boston Holiday

The Singaporean $ has weakened by 10 %. What now? Opportunity Cost? The cost of an alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action. The benefits you could have received by taking an alternative action. Based on change in Exchange Rates Budget in US$ decreased from $1100 to $1000 Opportunity Cost of Entertainment and Food increased Necessary changes to itinerary

TimeActivity 7:00 Breakfast at Hotel – Boston Park Plaza 8:00 Walk to MIT Museum 9:00 Visit MIT Museum 10:00 Visit MIT Museum 11:00 Walk to and Tour Harvard University 12:00 Harvard University Tour and Photos 1:00 Lunch at the Bartley’s Burger 2:00 Lunch 3:00 Rent Bicycles ride Minute Man trail - visit historic Concord 4:00 Bicycles 5:00 Bicycles and Metro to Hotel to change clothing for dinner 6:00 Metro to North End and stroll neighborhood 7:00 Dinner at Giacomo’s – North End 8:00 Dinner - Italian Restaurant 9:00 Dessert at Mike’s Pastry Shop 10:00 Return to Boston Park Plaza via Taxi Decision to walk to MIT Museum based on change in ER Minimized Opportunity Cost based on preference for cultural activities Save time More sleep Safety Save time More sleep Safety

A journey through Opportunity Costs Math Vacation Benjamin Berte & Winnie Tan

GT: Opportunity Cost UG1: Evaluate decisions using opportunity costs Identify opp cost & give egs of scenarios Come up with grp decision explained by opp cost Informal assessment Journal Assessment of grp presentation (unit level) UG2: Analyze exchange rates Intro ex in class on conversion Intro assessment (short ex) Jigsaw– Group Exercise Informal class assessment, Tr assessment on blog entry UG3: Understand cultural differences Jigsaw - Research on travel activities (through online research and comm with fgn counterparts) Presentation of recc to home groups, with focus on how students have taken into account feedback by foreign counterparts UG4 : Communication of choices Final Presentation Targets of Difficulty Throughlines

Process of Design In the beginning – throughlines, targets of difficulty, GT, UGs – What informed our thinking? Big Picture (Wiske 1, Wiggins 2 ) 21st century understandings Throughlines Passion Bottomless quality (high degree of application in real life) Gap in curriculum (Economics) Generative Topic 1 Wiske, M.S. with Rennebohm Franz, K. and Breit, L. (2005) Teaching for Understanding with Technology 2 Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005) Understanding by Design

Process of Design (UGs) Started with SWU… Refining: (using Wiggins 3 and Anderson 4 ) - Levels of Understanding, Subgoals Further Refining: Thinking about Dimensions of Learning 5 Re-evaluation – Communication as explicit UG 3 Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005) Understanding by Design 4 Anderson, L.W. et al (Eds.) (2001) A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing 5 Wiske, M.S. (1998) Teaching for Understanding: Linking Research with Practice.

Performances of Understanding Short Exercises Journals, reflections Presentations Options to use multiple forms of expression Flexible, learning styles (Gardner 6 ) Began with demonstration of individual understandings Group Learning activities Peer feedback Individual -> Collaboration (Aided with technology) Levels of Understanding (Anderson 7 ) Incremental process of learning (vs Getting / Not Getting It) 8 Gradual Buildup to culminating performance 6 Veenema, S. & Gardner, H. Multimedia and Multiple Intelligences in The American Prospect vol. 7 no. 29, November 1, December 1, Anderson, L.W. et al (Eds.) (2001) A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing 8 Wiske, M.S. with Rennebohm Franz, K. and Breit, L. (2005) Teaching for Understanding with Technology

TECHNOLOGY?

Technology Repository (build up of knowledge) Build learning community – within class and with foreign counterparts Allow for diff forms of expression Monitoring of progress Online Blog Target of Difficulty: The How and Why of Math UG: Cultural Awareness ICT as transformative device 9 9 McCormick, R. & Scrimshaw, P. (2001) Information and Communications Technology, Knowledge, and Pedagogy in Education, Communication, and Information, vol. 1:1, UG: Effective Communication Scalability

Other technologies ICT as efficiency and extension device 10 Visual - Catering to multiple intelligences Graphing Tools UG4: Effective Communication Authentic (used in real world) Presentation Tools 10 McCormick, R. & Scrimshaw, P. (2001) Information and Communications Technology, Knowledge, and Pedagogy in Education, Communication, and Information, vol. 1:1,

Other technologies Target of Difficulty : Time Mgmt 21 st century understanding Life and Career Skills (Initiation & Self Direction) Planning Tools Currency, Authenticity of info Throughlines: Decision Making Trends Target of Difficulty: How & Why of Math Guided research e.g. Webquest

Other Technologies Authentic context Motivates learning Resource for future learning Continual Evolution Target of Difficulty: The How and Why of Math Throughline: Effective Communication “Donate” 11 e.g. Trip Advisor 11 Reich, J. and Daccord, T. (2009) The “Day in the Life of a Teenage Hobo” Project: Integrating Technology with Shneiderman’s Collect-Relate-Create- Donate Framework

Assessment Constructivist (Building up) Multiple sources A TeacherPeer Self (Author to Audience 12 ) Community (foreign counterparts) Global (“Donation” 13 ) 12 Wiske, M.S. with Rennebohm Franz, K. and Breit, L. (2005) Teaching for Understanding with Technology 13 Reich, J. and Daccord, T. (2009) The “Day in the Life of a Teenage Hobo” Project: Integrating Technology with Shneiderman’s Collect-Relate-Create- Donate Framework

Assessment Evaluation of both content and performance UG 1-3: Content Goals UG4: “Performance” Goal

Assessment Feedback and Sharing – Allows for self assessment of understanding in each performance of understanding (through sharing, feedback) – Reiterative process of building on understanding Creation of rubrics (student ownership) – Students taking control of understanding and generating own standards(possible due to gradual buildup to culminating performance )

Puzzles / Dilemmas Duration – over time or as a compressed unit? – How to keep students connected while giving time to work on reflections etc? Feedback process – How much time to spend on training students to give effective feedback? – What if students reinforce misconceptions? – Tedious for teacher to be monitoring