Technology-Rich Unit Design and
Classroom Observation Template,
Version 1
Our Goal
Create a unit (re)design template and/or classroom walkthrough template that will allow
educators to think about technology integration within the context of student agency and
higher-order thinking skills steeped in important disciplinary concepts
Tips for Using trudacot
Pick ONLY A FEW sections or bullet points to address (unless, perhaps, it is a multi-week
project). Technology integration always should be purposeful and targeted. Hopefully
students will get to live in all of these areas multiple times (mix it up throughout the year!)
but for any given lesson or activity, target just a few. The goal is not to hit every aspect of
trudacot every time for every lesson, unit, or activity. A more reasonable goal is for
students to have multiple opportunities to experience all of the aspects of trudacot
multiple times over the course of a year, hopefully in combination.
If possible, focus up front during the design and planning stages rather than after the
lesson, activity, or unit has been developed or delivered.
Focus on desired answers (e.g., If we wanted the answer to the question to be this
instead of that, how could we (re)design the lesson, activity, or unit differently?).
Focus on brainstorming, idea generation, and dialogue, not judgment or evaluation. This
should not be used as a gotcha mechanism by administrators.
Focus on growth over time. Pick small areas in which to shift and then build upon those
successes.
Practice using trudacot on lessons that arent your own (the videos and lesson plans from
the Arizona Tech Integration Matrix might be a good place to start).
Get students involved in the conversation; they can help (re)design with you!
A. Personalization / Individualization / Differentiation
Learning Goals. Who selected what is being learned?
Learning Activity. Who selected how it is being learned?
o
Students / Teachers / Both
I, the teacher, chose what is being learned and how it will be taught for this lesson
Assessment of Learning. Who selected how students demonstrate their knowledge and
skills and how that will be assessed?
o
Teachers
B. Agency / Control / Ownership / Choice / Interest / Passion
Talk Time. During the lesson/unit, who is the primary driver of the talk time?
o
Work Time. During the lesson/unit, who is the primary driver of the work time?
o
Students / Teachers / Both
Students / Teachers / Both
Technology Usage. Who is the primary user of the technology?
o
Students / Teachers / Both
C. Communication
Audience. How are students communicating?
o
Alone / In pairs / In triads / In groups larger than 3
Communication Technologies. Are digital technologies being used to facilitate the
communication processes?
o
Yes / no
If yes, in which ways? (circle all that apply)
Writing / photos and images / charts and graphs / infographics /
audio / video / multimedia / transmedia
D. Collaboration (co-working, co-creating; more than just communication)
Collaborators. How are students working?
o
Alone / In pairs / In triads / In groups larger than 3
Collaborative Technologies. Are digital technologies being used to facilitate collaborative
processes?
o
Yes / No / Somewhat
If yes, in which ways? (circle all that apply)
Online office suites, email, texting, wikis, blogs, videoconferencing,
mindmapping, curation tools, project planning tools, other
E. Authenticity / Relevancy
Real or Fake. Is student work authentic and reflective of that done by real people outside
of school?
Yes / No / Somewhat
Contribution. Does student work make a contribution to an audience beyond the classroom
walls to the outside world?
o
Yes / No / Somewhat
F. Discipline-Specific Inquiry
Domain Knowledge. Are students learning discipline-specific and -appropriate content and
procedural knowledge?
o
Yes / No / Somewhat
If yes, is student work focused around big, important concepts central to the
discipline?
Domain Practices. Are students utilizing discipline-specific and -appropriate practices and
processes?
o
Yes / No / Somewhat
Yes / No / Somewhat
Domain Technologies. Are students utilizing discipline-specific and -appropriate tools and
technologies?
o
Yes / No / Somewhat
G. Critical Thinking (HOTS + metacognition) / Creativity / Initiative / Entrepreneurship
Deeper Thinking. Do student learning activities and assessments go beyond facts,
procedures, and/or previously-provided ways of thinking?
o
Yes / No / Somewhat
Creativity. Do students have the opportunity to design, create, make, or otherwise add
value that is unique to them?
o
Yes / No / Somewhat
Initiative. Do students have the opportunity to initiate, be entrepreneurial, be self-directed,
and/or go beyond given parameters of the learning task or environment?
o
Yes / No / Somewhat
Metacognition. Do students have the opportunity to reflect on their planning, thinking,
work, and/or progress?
o
Yes / No / Somewhat
If yes, can students identify what theyre learning, not just what theyre doing?
Yes / No / Somewhat
H. Technology
Technology as Means, Not End. When digital technologies are utilized, do the tools
overshadow, mask, or otherwise draw the focus away from important learning?
o
Technology Adds Value. Does technology add value so that students can do their work in
better or different ways than are possible without the technology?
o
Yes / No / Somewhat
Yes / No / Somewhat
Meaningful Technology Usage. Are digital technologies utilized appropriately and
meaningfully for the learning tasks?
o
Yes / No / Somewhat
I. Assessment
Alignment. Are standards, learning goals, instruction, learning activities, and assessments
all aligned, both topically and cognitively?
o
Authentic Assessment. Are students creating real-world products or performances?
o
Yes / No / Somewhat
Yes / No / Somewhat
Assessment Technology. Are digital technologies being used to facilitate the assessment
process?
o
Yes / No / Somewhat
