Standard+4

**Standard 4 - Teachers Know How to Teach** The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies, including the use of technology, to encourage children's development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills. ** Evidence 1 ** Jeopardy template created with PowerPoint used to review classroom material.

Genre Jeopardy is a PowerPoint-based interactive I designed for middle-school language arts students. Although this specific version was utilized in my classroom to reinforce student understanding of the various writing genres, it can also be used as a template to accommodate any material in need of review. For example, it has been used to review grade-level vocabulary as well. I used this interactive in conjunction with my SMART Board. Based on my research, I found that students spend a great deal of time playing video games. I figured if I could make a digitally interactive game, I could engage students in the learning process. Furthermore, by allowing students to move from their seats and manipulate the SMART Board, they were able to kinesthetically interact with the material.
 * Rationale **

Developing the Jeopardy game showed my understanding of using technology as an instructional strategy to encourage performance skills. The game was incredibly successful in the classroom and by setting up teams, I was able to encourage collaboration and avoid individual alienation. Rather than sending students home with flashcards and definitions to memorize, I was able to assess student retention and understanding through a medium very similar to a video game. When it came time for summative assessment, students were more successful when they reviewed using the Jeopardy game instead of more traditional formats. In addition, students regularly requested Jeopardy as a method of learning.

The PowerPoint-based Genre Jeopardy game illustrates enhancing the learning process through the use of technological resources. This SMART Board interactive game serves a template to use with any sort of instructional material that needs to be reviewed in a large group format.
 * 4.K.3 The teacher knows how to enhance learning through the use of a wide variety of materials and technological resources (e.g. computers, audio-visual technologies, videotapes and discs, local experts, primary documents and artifacts, texts, reference books, literature, and other print resources). **

Genre Jeopardy readily lends itself to a student-led activity. Once familiar with the rules and procedures, students easily assume the roles of participants and game show host while the teacher takes on the role of audience with only the occasional need to facilitate. In this manner, the instructor is able to vary his or her role in the teaching process.
 * 4.S.4 The teacher varies his or her role in the instructional process (e.g. instructor, facilitator, coach, audience) in relation to the content and purposes of instruction and the needs of students. **

Genre Jeopardy is specifically designed to develop skills essential to the writing process, but can be adapted to work with skill sets for any subject. Simultaneously, when the game is led by the students with the teacher as the audience, problem-solving skills are needed to overcome any conflict or adversity that may arise between team members or opposing players.
 * 4.D.1 The teacher values the development of students’ critical thinking, independent problem solving, and performance capabilities. **

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