Developing+HOTS

__//** How can the use and creation of digital storytelling and dynamic media foster the development of higher order thinking skills (HOTS)? **//__

Students are engaged in dynamic and participatory media nearly every day of their personal lives in the form of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. It makes perfect sense that teachers should tap into this important passion of the 21st century learner. Teachers should learn the technology as best they can and utilize it to their advantage, guiding students through the process of adapting these new mediums to the purpose of learning. The utilization of dynamic media/digital stories in the classroom lends itself to covering all aspects of excellent teaching: Bloom’s Taxonomy, cooperative learning, timely feedback, peer coaching/assessment, P21 framework, etc. Dynamic and participatory media allow students to engage with a wealth of texts, receive feedback, publish findings, and take their learning to greater depths, all in real time. Each element detailed in this section contributes to student development of higher order thinking skills (HOTS).

__**Planning for HOTS**__

Royer and Royer ([|2002]) give a clear plan for the development of units of study that utilize dynamic media and digital storytelling. Following their plan ensures that students will focus on fostering the development of HOTS. Their plan is summarized below:

__//Steps for Designing Media-Based Tasks //__ 1) Determine the “Big Idea” for the unit. 2) Write the essential questions. 3) Create a task (involving dynamic media and/or digital stories) that addresses the unit questions. 4) Evaluate the task.

 They also suggests that teachers ensure that the task they have designed allows students to “ESCAPE the trappings of fact based activities.” Ask yourself the following:

//Are students required to… //
 * **E **xplain critical concepts through examples original to the learner?
 * **S **elect appropriate content from a larger body of knowledge in a purposeful manner?
 * **C **onnect ideas?
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">A **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">pply knowledge to previously held knowledge to develop a new product?
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">P **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">rovide analysis of the importanceof key concepts?
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">E **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">xpress viewpoints from different perspectives? <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-align: right;">Royer and Royer (2002)

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">__**A Sample HOTS Unit**__

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">An example of a lesson on Photosynthesis is presented below. Each level of Bloom’s is given, along with a media driven activity. The unit is designed so that students work their way up Bloom’s from LOTS to HOTS, continuously spiraling knowledge and relying on schema to drive the acquisition of new content understanding.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">__**21st Century HOTS**__
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Remembering // || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Students **identify**, from prior knowledge and **Google**, terms associated with photosynthesis. ||
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Understanding // || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Students **record** their own definitions of assigned terms on a class **blog**. Students can also **comment**, making improvements to the definitions submitted by their peers. ||
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Applying // || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Students **create** a comic strip showing the process of photosynthesis, integrating all vocabulary knowledge. This can be done in the **computer lab** using a resource like []. ||
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Analyzing // || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Students are given a puzzle kit which allows them to **compare** photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Students must also find a **valid** **online resource** for the study of cellular respiration, as well as provide an **analysis** of why it is an appropriate source. ||
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Creating // || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Student groups will **hypothesize**, **plan** and **design** an experiment, and then run and **monitor** the **experiment**. Over the course of the experiment, students can **communicate** with their lab groups via **email** or on a class **discussion board**. ||
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Evaluating // || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">After **publishing** their findings in the form of a **blog**, **videoblog, podcast,** etc., students can view the work of the peers and provide **feedback** via blog **comments** or a **discussion board**. ||

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Additionally, dynamic media and digital stories allow students to address a variety of standards and skills deemed necessary in today’s world. It is possible for //all// specific state subject matter standards to be addressed through dynamic media and digital stories if desired by the teacher. The University of Houston (2009) presents the first two tables below detailing how dynamic media and digital stories can address new standards.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">A variety of skills defined by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills ([|2009]) are also supported. Through the use and creation of dynamic media and digital stories, students will tackle the following skills, among others (please see the original source for a complete list).

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-align: center;">Think creatively. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-align: center;">Work creatively with others. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-align: center;">Implement innovations. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-align: center;">Reason effectively. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-align: center;">Use systems thinking. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-align: center;">Make judgments and decisions. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-align: center;">Solve problems. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-align: center;">Communicate clearly. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; text-align: center;">Collaborate with others.