Integrated Unit - TLCP Framework

Prezi Presentation: http://prezi.com/fshn6vsgndvu/brent-furtney-tlcp-framework/

Brent Furtney Blog: www.brentfurtney.blogspot.ca

Reflection Final Project

This is my final assignment for EDUC 9F77 – Basic Junior Qualifications. We were required to create an integrated unit with a TLCP framework. For a variety of reasons I chose to focus my unit on the Olympic Games. First, it is a relevant topical focus that I believe students have great interest in, and second, the possibilities for a cross-curricular focus are immense – as you will hopefully see in the text and presentation component.

I began by focusing on a big idea – something that I wanted to frame the unit. From there I developed the culminating task – and while this is depicted in the last slide of my Prezi presentation, it came first in my “scribbles”. After I figured out where I wanted the unit to end, I had to decipher the skills that needed to be taught (in order to get there). A diagnostic assessment is needed to decide how much teaching – and using what strategies – would be needed. Now obviously I have a framework here. The lessons (which are only an overview) are fluid in nature and would be altered based on the information gathered during the diagnostic, and the assessments performed throughout the unit. I spent a significant amount of time pulling both overall and specific expectations from the Ontario Curriculum documents. This was – quite honestly – the most time-consuming aspect of the assignment (well that and figuring out Prezi).  I had certain tasks I wanted the students to do, and early in the process I just hoped that they would fall into a category here and there. However I changed my thinking soon thereafter and used the curriculum expectations to frame the tasks I had in mind. This was an appropriate change of course.

After speaking with my instructor Zoe a number of days before I began the assignment, she introduced me to an organizing website called Prezi. This was my first time using the resource and I found it to be quite beneficial – and really added an element to the final piece that I otherwise would not have had. I am sure that I have not created the most innovative or bountiful Prezi presentation, but it being my first time, I believe it was a success...especially with the amount of information that needed to be displayed.

Overall I found this to be a very cathartic experience because it tied together most of the elements of the course – and gave us the opportunity to apply our knowledge into an assignment that we can use in the classroom. I want to thank Zoe and the educators that have taken part in this course, because I am a much better educator and reflector now than I was before.