Google Classroom: NSQ Standards for Quality Online Teaching (Standard H: Instructional Design)

As I mentioned in my last post, as part of my first use of Google Classroom I created two activities related to third grade math.  The Mathematics Virginia Department of Education SOL that I chose to concentrate on was "3.12 a) The student will define polygon," and "3.12 b) The student will identify and name polygons with 10 or fewer sides," (Virginia Department of Education, 2016).

In this post I will be taking a look at how my two activities address Standard H from the NSQ Standards for Quality Online Teaching.  After looking through the six different options under Standard H, I chose to focus on standard H5, "The online teacher continuously reviews and aligns all course content with applicable course objectives and standards," (National Standards for Quality Online Teaching).

I believe that both of the activities that I chose to include in my Google Classroom meet standard H5.  I specifically chose activities that would align directly with the standards that I was trying to teach in my polygon math unit.  VDOE SOL 3.12a talks about being able to define what a polygon is.  My first activity is a short response question that asks the students that very question, as well as a variation on that question (to see if they also know what a regular polygon is).  My second activity is an eight question multiple choice quiz which directly tests VDOE SOL 3.12b (seeing if the students know the names for polygons with sides between three and ten).  

My intent was to create activities that would best allow me to see whether or not my students understood the learning targets that went along with my chosen SOL.  By creating formative assessments that relate directly to those learning targets, I would be able to continuously adjust my lesson content and delivery in order to meet the standards that were being covered.

My vision for incorporating Google Classroom into my future blended classroom would be to address exactly what Standard H5 talks about.  By using the Google Classroom technology to compliment my in person teaching, I would better be able to monitor my students progress as it relates to the learning objectives of any particular unit.  I would then make informed decisions about how to continue teaching the unit based on the information gathered from the Google Classroom activities.   

References:

National Standards for Quality Online Teaching. (n.d.) National Standards for Quality Online Teaching.  Retrieved from https://www.nsqol.org/the-standards/quality-online-teaching/

Virginia Department of Education. (2016) Mathematics Standards of Learning for Virginia Department of Education (3rd Grade).  Retrieved from https://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/mathematics/2016/stds/stds-grade3.pdf