Build a Learning Site

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Step 1 - Storyboard, structure, scaffold

2018 Google Sites for Visible Teaching and Learning

First steps:

  • Google Drive - Learning Site Folder - New -
  • Google Sites - Publish - web address - anyone on the web - publish.
  • 'Storyboard' your learning site first - on large paper or a whiteboard (structure and design to support easy navigation)
  • Build header, navigation buttons, and footer on the first page, then 'duplicate page' to make the site building process faster. Storyboard your site first, then build and organise all of your pages using 'duplicate page'.
  • You may like to find a learning site or website that you like and model your design and layout on that.
  • Aim for 2-3 navigation clicks only to find content.
  • Click 'publish' to update your learning site.

Step 2: Page layout and design

Approaches

Online Instructional Design

Universal Design for Learning: On Tki, UDl Guidelines

Multi-modal

Multi-textual

Considerations:

  • Know your teacher - name, photo, contact
  • Know your class - name, people, theme
  • Engagement - age appropriate, personalised, fun
  • Navigation - consistent, simplified
  • Layout - consistent, accessible, multi-modal, LOs, SCs
  • Learning site driving the learning: visible, accessible

Learning through complex texts:

Texts aimed at different levels to improve understanding...

Accessing different:

  • perspectives and points of view
  • levels of credibility and reliability
  • modes: different ‘types’ of texts - written, audio, visual, symbolic...

Enriches LEARN phase by empowering learners to SELF-SCAFFOLD

  • ‘Bootstrapping’ occurs - learners read widely to improve comprehension and understanding for themselves

‘LEVERAGING UP, NOT DOWN’

Using multiple texts and modes with learn create share.

"Scaffolding is placed around the outside of a new building to allow builders access to the emerging structure as it rises from the ground. Once the building is able to support itself, the builder removes the scaffolding."

-Jennifer Hammond

Why Multiple Texts?

  • More learning requiring synthesis and comparison
  • Engaging with the same underlying concept in different texts and contexts facilitates deeper understanding and better transfer (Bransford, 2005)
  • Simpler texts can act as scaffolds that “boot-strap” students’ background knowledge (Stanovich, 1986)
  • Complementary texts support students to understand a key underlying idea
  • Competing texts require students to resolve disagreements and make judgements (cognitively challenging; particularly important in a digital world?)

Multiple texts may be linked by:

  • A topic or theme (e.g. competing or complementary texts related to NZ’s war history etc)