This document outlines a lesson plan for a 1st grade class to create "how to" snowman vodcasts. Students will paint snowman bodies, write step-by-step instructions using transition words, take photographs, and record themselves reading their stories to create vodcasts. The teacher will introduce the project, instruct on art and writing, and facilitate vodcast creation. Students will be evaluated using a rubric assessing elements like neatness, spelling, use of transition words, fluent reading, and inclusion of photographs. The teacher reflects that incorporating photography and vodcasting engages students and supports cross-curricular learning, and hopes to continue using this technology in future lessons.

1. MCOM 532 Final Project
Susan Scheurer
12/12/11
Analyze Learners
Age, Grade Level, Learning Styles, Different-learning abilities
(This section may be the mostly same for each project). Include the following about
learners:
 What is the age of learners, grade/learning level, learning styles and different
learning abilities – including a learning disability that you can accommodate with
your technology?
 What are the common student misconceptions about the content and/or process?
 What are things that the students generally do understand about the content or
process?
 Cite a resource that supports your thinking - if appropriate.
First Grade Students (6-7 years), 10 girls, 6 boys, 12 Caucasian, 1
African American, 3 Hispanic. Mixed levels (Below, On, and Above
Level), 6 receive math intervention, 1 ESOL learner, 2 gifted
learners and 1 student in a wheelchair.
Students already learned vodcasting, basic photo techniques and
writing “how to” in previous lessons. They are now demonstrating
that they can write “how to” stories independently by this summative
project that involves photography and vodcasting.
The students struggle with writing “how to” in first person language
instead of writing generic directions. Students do know how to make
a snowman and the way they would make a snowman. However,
students struggle with breaking down the parts of making a
snowman into four parts. Students have used graphic organizers
before but not one that will become a work of art. Paivio’s dual
coding theory reinforces the concept that verbal knowledge and
mental images are linked, and with both simultaneous verbal and
visuospatial processing can be performed. In addition, students have
enhanced retention when learners study pictures accompanied by
verbal information (Paivio, 1986). Students will do well creating this
“how to” writing piece using the snowman graphic organizer,
reading and seeing their story and pictures on the vodcast.
o References mentioned above taken from Learning with Concept and
Knowledge Maps; A Meta-Analysis, written by Nesbit and
Adescope in 2006.

2. Justification – Answer the following questions:
 Why bother using this technology?
 How does it support how we know students learn (learning theories and/or
learning styles)?
 What is one way that you are accommodating a learning disability with your
technology?
 How does it NOT support how students learn? (Because one-way of teaching
very rarely supports all kinds of learning!)
 Cite a resource that supports your thinking.
o The vodcast helps the students take pride in their work since
they know it will be published and everyone can see it. They
will do their best artwork on the snowman, best photography,
best penmanship and best fluent reading. The vodcast reaches
kinesthetic, auditory and visual learners, allowing them to
flourish in this activity.
o The ESOL learner is being stimulated with auditory reading
from the other vodcasts. The teacher will also be in the
classroom floating around and will devote more time to
helping this learner succeed.
o The process up to making the actual vodcast can take 3
weeks for all students to finish the artwork, photography and
revised writing. Two class periods are devoted to the artwork
and writing, and then students are expected to finish and take
pictures on their own during center time. When they are done
with their writing, they give the teacher their writing, and
then it is corrected. Students then write the corrected
sentences onto the snowman graphic before the vodcasting
process can begin. Since the project is largely self-directed,
some students will struggle with staying on task. Other
students will struggle because they are not hearing direct
auditory instruction. However, the final vodcasts will prove
beneficial for the auditory learners.

3. State Objectives
Academic Standard or Goal (Broad)
Teacher NETS – Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity by
modeling and supporting creative thinking and inventiveness.
Student NETS - Communication – communicate information and ideas
effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of digital environments.
Objectives (specific) – Audience (individual or group), behavior, condition and degree.
Students will be able to create a snowman vodcast explaining how to
make a snowman using transition words.
Time needed to complete:
1 hour to instruct art
1 hour to instruct “how to” transition words and writing assignment
5-10 days for students to independently complete art, photography and writing
during center time
3 hours for students to record vodcast and put pictures in
1 hour for the class to watch and discuss the vodcasts.
Select Methods, Media, and Materials
 URL resources used and website name
www.youtube.com, voice recorder, camera, microphone, computers, flash
drive, headsets
 Teacher resources/ student resources
Voice recorder, camera, microphone, computers, flash drive, headsets, paper,
paper plates, water color paints, cups, water, tape, pencils, graphic organizer
papers.
Utilize Media and Materials
 How will it be used (Individual viewing or for the class)
Students will be instructed in art and writing process as a group and then they
will finish independently during center time. Class will come together again at a
later date to create the vodcast in the computer lab.

4. Required Learner Participation
 Overview of the Lesson - Describe the lesson in detail. Include a description of
the following:
o How the lesson will be introduced?
o What students will do?
o What the teacher will do?
o What are the final outcome is – i.e., do the students create a project, report
on something, etc.?
Part 1: Show students the vodcast you made of “how to make a snowman” on
youtube.com. Explain that they are going to paint the snowman body, write
the steps of how to make a snowman, take pictures, record them reading their
story and finally make a vodcast.
Part 2: Explain to students how to use the watercolors and to paint one face
and four bodies. Students may create arms, hats, scarves, boots, etc.
Part 3: Explain what transition words are and how they help write “how to” do
something, such as make a snowman. Read your example to the students or
show them the vodcast again. Give them a paper with a graphic organizer for
the four parts: First, next, then and last. Students can start writing and when
they are done, will give to the teacher so corrections can be made. Teacher
will then return graphic organizer and students can copy sentences onto actual
snowman graphic organizer. This process may take 1-2 weeks since students
finish at an individual pace during center time. Students then cut out circle
snowman graphic organizer and glue to appropriate snowman plates.
Part 4: Once snowmen are assembled, students can take pictures and then
create the vodcast.
Part 5: Have a vodcast movie day and have discussion and positive feedback
after each vodcast is shown.
Evaluation
 Note you should have a student evaluation on the excel project, webquest, and
vodcast. The student evaluation may be a formal test or rubric for projects. It
could also be an informal “check for understanding” – a formative evaluation, but
even if it is an informal check, please list or describe what you expect the students
to understand, question, and not understand.
o Students have a rubric to asses if they followed the directions and
included all the essential elements to making a great “how to” make a
snowman vodcast. When we present the vodcasts, I will fill out a
rubric, as will other students, to give positive feedback to the student.
Higher learner students would be able to write a sentence or two to
the student giving encouragement and positive feedback. The only
rubric that will count grade wise is mine, but allowing the other
students to participate in giving feedback will keep them engaged and
make them critical thinkers.

5. Artwork is
neat, creative
and shows
personality of
snowman.
Writing is
neat, spelled
correctly and
uses all four
transition
words in order.
Reading is
fluent during
the vodcast.
Photos of each
snowman stage
are present.
Photos of
finished
snowman are
present.
Vodcast was
introduced,
presented and
discussed.

6. Reflection & Transfer: If this is in the self assessment – on the rubric- that is OK.
1.) Explain what you learned that might not be in the rubric. This may include
specific tools as well as processes, concepts, or reflections about what you have
learned. You may discuss how you might change what you've done, given the
chance to evaluate and revise your project.
I have taught this lesson before, minus the vodcasting part and photography, and it
took more than 2 weeks for some kids to finish their snowman due to being pulled out
at center time for remediation. Some kids were slow workers and I think having the
vodcast as a carrot dangling over their nose, so to speak, would help students stay
focused and work very hard. I love the vodcasting idea – I think it is a very cool way
to present a summative project and making a learning moment out of watching them
as a class can be really beneficial to students. I really want to try this (photography
and vodcasting) in my future classroom!
2.) Transfer: How could your idea be used in other settings? What else could you
do with it if you played, or were creative about it? OR, how could the student use
the knowledge gained in other settings?
What I really like about this particular lesson is that there is cross-curricular learning
going on. Students are creating art, writing, reading and using technology
(photography, recording voice and vodcast) to bring all those parts together. Using
the vodcast as a way to bring cross-curricular learning together has sparked many
ideas in my mind. I can see older kids independently creating vodcasts. I see groups
of students working together to make a vodcast of a math concept, so that when we
review for the test, students have resources at their fingertips. The possibilities are
endless. Vodcasts and podcasts are easy to do and I look forward to using them in my
future classroom.