Module 4 Reflection

1. How can the creation of a student sample help me clarify my unit expectations and improve my instructional design? 
2. How can I ensure students will achieve the learning objectives when creating their student projects?
   The creation of a student sample can greatly help me clarify my unit expectation and improve my instructional design. It enables me to to decide if the project requirements are appropriate for my students. It is also a great way to determine if the resources are readily available as well as tells me what content needs to be included into my lessons. It is ideal to know exactly what you want your students to know and know how you are going to have them demonstrate that they do indeed know the content. If I were to just create a project with instructions this is what needs to be included and maybe it not hit my objectives and I am teaching to the objectives there is a minor disconnect that the students are very likely to not know the answers because it was not covered throughout the unit. It is vital that the objectives match/ meet your requirements for the project itself. You want to be able to assess that the students do indeed know what you set out in the beginning for them to know. A way to ensure that the learning objectives are met by students when they create the project is to provide them with a checklist or a rubric so they know exactly what topics or information is being looked for. The whole idea is for students to demonstrate their knowledge of the content and objectives you have set forth in the unit plan and subsequently covered in lessons throughout the unit.
   
   
   I personally chose to have my students create a brochure to explain their knowledge of the solar system, stars, the moon, the sun and our earth. I created a checklist to ensure that all topics were included into the project.