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Operation Lethe – Teacher Page
Should We Have the Right to Be Forgotten?: A Project-Based Learning WebQuest
TP-Overview

Overview

Operation: Lethe is a project-based learning WebQuest created for my Curriculum Integration of Technology class in the MAT program at UDC. It is designed for students to learn about the "right to be forgotten" which exists in the European Union. Students are asked to play the role of policy advisor to a member of the House of Representatives who is looking for an issue to help her get re-elected. Students work in groups of 4 to research the issue and recommend on what position the Representative should take on the issue. Over the course of the WebQuest, students as a groups create a concept map, draft a briefing paper, revise the briefing paper, and create an issue ad in support of the recommendation. Students also do a spoken reflection at the end. 

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The Scenario. The student team has been hired by Rep. Angelica Hewes (I-UDC), a veteran member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She is worried that she will face a much younger challenger in her next election and wants to improve how she is viewed in relation to privacy and technology policy. Therefore, she hired a team of internet-savvy Zoomers—a special internet team ("or SpIT")—to assist her, starting with the right to be forgotten.​

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During a recent trip to Europe, Rep. Hewes heard about the right to be forgotten and wants to learn more about it. She needs to decide whether to support bringing the right to be forgotten to the United States. She believes this will be a key issue in her next campaign and will show she is tech savvy and knows online privacy issues. The SpIT squad has been hired to research the right to be forgotten, educate Rep. Hewes, and recommend the position she should take on the issue. The students will create a concept map about the issue, write a short briefing paper for Rep. Hewes, meet with Rep. Hewes, revise the briefing paper, and create an issue ad to run at bus stops.

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Within their SpIT squad, the students will take on both a functional role and a content researcher role. â€‹â€‹As the teacher, you will play the roles of Rep. Hewes and her Chief of Staff, Hamish Ovechkin. ​​​​​​

TP-Lesson Plan

Step Through the Lesson

(Click here for a PDF version of this section of the page)

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Items to consider before starting

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Based on tentative time estimates, assuming all work is done in class, this WebQuest will likely span 6–7 days. You should adjust the time estimates based on your experience and knowledge of your students.

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In advance, you should make certain preparations and resolve specific questions:

  1. Ahead of time you should determine how you want students to submit the concept map, briefing paper and its revision, and bus-stop-issue ad. The WebQuest is set up for them to submit them within the WebQuest, but you will determine what will work for you and your class, and then make that clear to the class.

  2. Decide whether to use the examples of the 3 assignments created using a different issue or "samples" using the right to be forgotten. 

  3. The WebQuest assumes students understand how to concept map. If not, you should add that to your lesson plans.

  4. Decide whether you will give the teams feedback on the concept map orally as contemplated by the WebQuest. You may find recording the feedback on something like VoiceThread will allow you to distribute to all the teams simultaneously and no team has to wait while you are giving feedback to the other teams.

  5. Create a Google doc for students to record their team name and assigned roles (Process–Step 1/DAY 2 (below)). Here is a template.

  6. In Process-Step 3/DAY 3 (below), the students are asked to decide on their position/ recommendation using consensus. There is a little in the WebQuest on what consensus means and a link to a guide on reaching consensus, but it is a little long. If your students are not familiar with consensus, it is recommended you add a brief lesson on consensus to the plan.

  7. Plan out the non-consecutive multi-day schedule making sure to give yourself time to provide necessary feedback at the indicated times. Think specifically about how you want to handle DAYS 5, 6, and 7. They can be combined in various ways.

Prep
 

Washington, DC Social Studies Standards for Government & Civics

  • GC.5 Evaluate the principles of the US Constitution, including the rule of law, consent of the governed, limited government, separation of powers, and federalism, and evaluate the way in which these principles function today.

  • GC.28 Evaluate the role of government, individuals and corporations in ensuring public access to accurate information, including the impact of algorithms and machine learning in directing and influencing individuals’ access to information.

  • GC.49 Analyze the origins of a public policy issues, and present a proposal defending a position or invoking a call to action at the local, state or national level.​​

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Compelling Question. Should the United States adopt the right to be forgotten available in the European Union (EU)?

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Step through the lesson day-by-day

 

​​Jump to a specific day

DAY 1 – Orientation, Introduction & Background for Everyone (70 minutes)

DAY 2 – Assign Team Members Roles & Concept Mapping (60 minutes)

DAY 3 – Research & Share (70 minutes)

DAY 4 – Draft Briefing Paper (~75 minutes)

DAY 5 – Meet with Rep. Hewes (10–15 minutes/team)

DAY 6 – Create Bus-Stop-Issue Ad (70 minutes)

DAY 7 – Revise Briefing Paper & Reflection (60 minutes)

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​​​​​​​​​​*The relevant steps in the Big6 model are indicated below in square brackets.

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DAY 1 – Orientation, Introduction & Background for Everyone​

(70 minutes)

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Operation Lethe Orientation/Kick-off (15 minutes)

  • Introduce students to the idea of a WebQuest and explain in general what they will be doing.

  • Show them how to find the WebQuest and then how to navigate it.

  • Create teams of 4 to work together.

  • Explain they will take on specific roles within the team and that there will be group grades on the projects within the WebQuest and also an individual grade. The WebQuest includes the rubrics.

  • Clearly tell students how you will want them to submit their team projects.

  • Explain a lot of things will be explained as they work through the WebQuest and then answer any questions

  • Today will be spent on learning about the scenario and the right to be forgotten.

Set them loose.

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Operation Lethe: Intro (15 minutes) [Big6 #1]

  • Give students time reorganize themselves into their teams.

  • Intro page describes the right to be forgotten, its origin in the EU and asks the question, "Should the right to be forgotten be brought to the United States?"

  • Includes a video from Google giving a basic overview of the right to be forgotten (2:17) .(The video is longer, but they should only watch the first 2:17.)

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Operation Lethe: Task (40 minutes) [Big6 #1]

  • Task page gives more detail on the scenario where they are new hires in Rep. Hewes's office. 

  • Links to the rubrics.

  • Provides background information to everyone using 3 videos

    • A second portion of the Google video (2:14 (skipping 2:17 to 4:56))​

    • An interactive Google video which explains how Google decides what to delist and goes through a few scenarios asking the viewer to provide an answer before giving the answer (10:46)

    • A TED Talk that covers the right to be forgotten, the reason is was adopted in the EU, and reasons for an against it (15:41)

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*A check-in for questions at the end of Day 1 or the beginning of Day 2 is recommended.​

DAY 1
DAY 2

DAY 2 – Assign Team Member Roles & Concept Mapping

(60 minutes)

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​Explain what will be happening on the second day of the WebQuest—pick a team name, assign roles among the team members, and brainstorm about the issue. Remind them to read all of the directions for each step and follow them and also to make sure to play their roles (e.g., the Concept-Mapping Lead lead the collaboration on that activity). 

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*Knowing your students you may want to adjust the 45-minute time estimate for concept mapping.

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Operation Lethe: Process – Step 1 – Assign Team Roles​ (15 minutes) [start of Big6 #3]

  1. Each team needs to pick a name​​

  2. Each team will collaborate to assign each other their roles for the WebQuest. Each team member gets 2 roles—one research role and one functional lead role. (See ***Possible Accommodations note below) The roles are:

    • Research Roles

      • Pro-Researcher: Research the reasons to implement the right to be forgotten in the United States.

      • Anti-Researcher: Research the reasons to block any implementation of the right to be forgotten in the United States.

      • Subject-Matter Expert: Research how Google and Bing implement the right to be forgotten.

      • Free Speech Expert: Research how the right to be forgotten may infringe upon free speech and violate the First Amendment of the Constitution.

    • ​Functional Lead Roles

      • ​Concept-Mapping Lead: Responsible for creating the team’s concept map in coordination with the rest of the team.

      • Briefing-Paper Lead: Responsible for creating the team’s briefing paper for the Representative in coordination with the rest of the team.

      • Bus-Stop-Ad Lead: Responsible for creating the team’s issue ad in coordination with the rest of the team.

      • Revision/Feedback Coordinator: Responsible for taking notes when the team receives any feedback, ensuring the team considers the feedback in subsequent work on the WebQuest, and revising the briefing paper in coordination with the rest of the team.

  3. Then the team will enter their team name and the roles they have taken on into a Google doc.​​​

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***Possible Accommodations: You may choose to assign roles, instead of letting the teams do it themselves, keeping in mind your students’ strengths.

  • The Subject-Matter-Expert has probably the most material to review and the Pro-Researcher the least.

  • Concept-Mapping and Bus-Stop-Ad Leads may be best suited for students with more difficulty with writing, given this may not be the context (i.e., group work) to challenge them.

  • You could also reassign oversight of the reference list for the briefing paper to the Revision/Feedback Coordinator. 

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Operation Lethe: Process – Step 2 – Concept Map (45 minutes) [Big6 #1, 2 & 3.1]

The concept map assignment is an attempt to get students to think through the issue and what they need to do to be able to make a recommendation. ​Despite this WebQuest having a closed set of resources, the concept map simulates the first few steps in the Big6 framework—with Big 6 #1.2 (identify the information needed), Big 6 #2 (information seeking strategies), and Big6 #3.1 (locate sources).

 

*​​​The WebQuest assumes that students are familiar with concept mapping as a brainstorming activity, and does not spend time explaining the process. 

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The Process page leads them through the following steps for the concept map:

  1. The Concept-Mapping Lead should lead the team's collaboration on creating the concept map.

  2. In working on the concept map, the team is directed to attempt to reach agreement, but if they cannot, the concept map should be inclusive and reflect the ideas of all team members.
  3. The concept map should address: ​
    • ​The specific issue/question: "Should the United States adopt the right to be forgotten available in the EU?"
      • Potential reasons to adopt the right to be forgotten 
        • Potential reasons to oppose the right to be forgotten 
    • What types of information you should look for
      • Where you might find that information
    • What factors are important in deciding the question?
    • Any other issues or questions that the team believes need to be addressed.​​
  4. The team is asked to consider the following questions as they create the concept map:​
    • The importance of privacy in this decision​
      • ​What should people be able to keep private even though it has already been publicly disclosed?
      • What should the public have a right to know about someone​
    • ​Should it matter that the information is accurate?​
    • If the United States were to adopt the right to be forgotten, what should the rules be about what can be "forgotten"? What are the factors to consider?
      • What types of information should be allowed to be "forgotten"? Or not be allowed to be "forgotten"?​
    • Who should decide what information is "forgotten" ?

      • Who would decide what factors to consider?​

      • Who would decide on whether each request should be granted?

      • Should this be the companies? The courts? ​Someone else?

    • How this will impact using search engines and the internet in general?

      • Does it make using the internet better/worse​​​​​?

    • ​What problems might the right to be forgotten cause?​

    • Is the EU the only place with the right to be forgotten?

      • ***Possible Accommodations: You may choose adjust the above guidance to narrow the issues or accommodate the needs of your students.

  5. An example concept map is provided using the standardization of charging cords issue.​

  6. A link to the rubrics is provided and two concept mapping tools are identified for them to use. You can choose to use others as appropriate.​

  7. Upon completion, the concept map is submitted to Rep. Hewes' Chief of Staff (the teacher) who will review and provide oral feedback to the team. [Big6 #6.1]

    • It will be helpful for them to get this feedback before starting their research, but definitely before starting to draft the briefing paper.

    • The WebQuest is written as if this will be oral feedback. 

    • This is an opportunity for the teacher to check in with each team, make sure they are working in the right direction, and provide additional scaffolding if needed.

    • If you decided to record feedback for the teams, you will still want to check in with them.

​​​​DAY 3 – Research & Share

(70 minutes)


*Consider starting the day with a whole class Q&A session as a check in and to resolve any confusion. Time for this is not included in the above estimate.

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Receive/digest feedback on concept mapping assignment (10 minutes) [Big6 #6]

*It is assumed that students will receive feedback on the concept map before diving into the next step—research. If needed, you should adjust the time based on how you plan to provide the feedback.

*You may want to remind students that the Revision/Feedback Coordinator is responsible for working with their teammates to identify the feedback that each research roles should pay attention to. 

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Operation Lethe: Process – Step 3 – Research & Share (60 minutes) [Big6 #3.2, 4 & 5]

Step 3 has 2 parts. Review the curated sources of information and then share with you team. By the end of that meeting, the team should have decided on their recommendation so that they can move forward to draft their briefing paper.​

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  1. Part A. Research. (40 minutes) â€‹Each team member reviews the sources identified for their research role. (***Possible Accommodation: see note in role assignments on variations in workload.)

    • All roles are assigned a list of 300 examples in Google (n.d.) (Transparency Report), but are directed to coordinate and each should only review a few dozen examples. The Subject-Matter Expert is assigned the complete source.

    • One article—Bernstein (n.d.)—is assigned to the Pro-Researcher and Free Speech Expert because it has relevant information for both that is more accessible than in other potential resources.

    • Students are reminded to note all relevant information even if it not within the expertise of their role because some resources have helpful information related to other research roles.

  2. ​Part B. Share. (20 minutes) The teams then meet to share what they've learned and decide on a recommendation. They have the following goals:

    • ​​​​Share what they learned with each other.

    • Talk through the issues they identified in their concept map, making sure all members of the team have an opportunity to share their thoughts

    • They are directed to take into account any feedback on the concept map, considering 

      • What the right to be forgotten is

      • The reasons to and the reasons not to adopt the right to be forgotten

      • Implications for privacy and free speech, making sure to discuss the . . ​

  3. Then they are directed to consensus to reach agreement on the team's position/ recommendation for Rep. Hewes. They basically have three options:

    • Yes, as implemented in the EU

    • Yes, but with changes (You will also have to decide on what changes)

    • Not at all

      • There is a brief description of consensus in the WebQuest and a link to a brief guide on using consensus (which is likely longer then most students will want to review).

      • *If students are not familiar with consensus, you want to consider doing a side lesson on consensus.

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The next step is to turn to writing the briefing paper for Rep. Hewes, coordinated by the Briefing-Paper Lead. Students are encourages to parcel out the drafting of paragraphs and bullet points among the team members to take advantage of their research expertise. â€‹

DAY 3

​​​​DAY 4 – Draft Briefing Paper

(at least 75 minutes)

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*You should adjust the timing based on your understanding of the time your students will need to draft the briefing paper, including whether it will occur in class only.

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Operation Lethe: Process – Step 4 – Briefing Paper (at least 75 minutes) [Big6 #5]

After agreeing on a recommendation, the teams will now collaborate to draft the briefing paper for Rep. Hewes explaining the right to be forgotten and their recommendation.  The Briefing-Paper Lead should coordinate this effort and is responsible for putting the final paper together and submitting it.

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***Possible Accommodation: You should adjust these requirements to match your students capabilities and needs.

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The briefing paper should meet the following requirements

  1. Memo format (example below).

  2. Include references—a list of the materials you rely upon—with citations to them. Use APA style. Provides a link to Purdue OWL's online APA guide.

  3. 500–1500 words in length (about 2–3 pages, single-spaced). Length should help students understand the level of detail to include.​​

  4. Include 

    • A clear and brief statement of the question and your team's recommended answer.

    • A brief description of what the right to be forgotten is and how it is implemented by Google and Microsoft in the EU.

    • A clear and brief statement of the question and your team's recommended answer.

    • A brief description of what the right to be forgotten is, how it is implemented in the EU, how Google and Microsoft handle requests, and what type of information can be “forgotten.”

    • A fuller statement of your team’s recommendation and why you are making this recommendation.

      • Include at least 3 supporting reasons

      • Include at least 3 supporting facts drawn from your research with appropriate citations

      • If you are recommending adoption of the right to be forgotten, but with changes from how it is implemented in the EU, you need to explain the changes you would recommend.

    • Identify at least 2 opposing arguments​

      • Include at least 1 supporting fact drawn from your research with appropriate citations

    • Recommend how Rep. Hewes should deal with the opposing arguments.

      • Think about how she would respond to a question from a reporter.

    • If you like, you can deal with opposing arguments and responses in Q&A format.

      • The question poses the opposing argument in a way asking Rep. Hewes what she thinks about the issue. ​

      • The proposed answer is what you believe Rep. Hewes should say in response to the question.

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The team then submits their briefing paper to Chief of Staff Ovechkin (teacher). The next step is to meet with Rep. Hewes (​teacher).

DAY 4
DAY 5

​​​​DAY 5 – Meet with Rep. Hewes

(10–15 minutes per team) 

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*Consider how you want to handle scheduling the 10–15 minute meetings with each team. How you do that may depend on how you want to combine DAYS 5, 6, and 7—Meet with Rep Hewes, revise briefing paper, and create bus-stop-issue ad. One option is to combine DAY 5 and DAY 7 and have the teams start working on their bus-stop-issue ad while you meet with each team seriatim.

  • They cannot start on revising the briefing paper (DAY 6) until after the meeting with Rep. Hewes.

  • If you go with this option, you will need to explain that to students because the WebQuest has them meet with Rep. Hewes before starting on the bus-stop-issue ad.

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Operation Lethe: Process – Step 5.A – Meet with Rep. Hewes (10–15 minutes per team) [Big6 #5 & 6]You will need meet with each team playing the role of Rep. Hewes/Chief of Staff Ovechkin to answer questions.

 

Students have been given the following guidance for the meeting

  • Before the meeting, the team needs to talk through ideas for the bus-stop-issue ad.

  • The team should also talk about what they want to emphasize at the meeting—for example, what is your strongest argument.

  • The meeting will last about 10 minutes

  • They should be prepared to explain, and answer questions about:

    • The right to be forgotten and how it is implemented in the EU

    • Your recommendation and supporting reasons and facts

    • Opposing arguments and any support for them

    • Which arguments are the strongest

    • How Rep. Hewes should respond to opposing arguments

    • Share your preliminary ideas about the the Bus-Stop Issue Ad.

  • Whichever student has the relevant expertise should lead the response to a particular question, but others should also be prepared to share their thoughts.

  • The Revision/Feedback Coordinator will take notes for the team.

 

*To be efficient, it is recommended that you only provide substantive feedback on the briefing paper at the meeting and provide non-substantive feedback contemporaneously in writing. 

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Here is a draft agenda/questions for the teacher to use at the meeting:

  • Welcome

  • Thank you for your recommendation.

  • Before we start, can everyone tell me what their team roles were?

    1. Research roles: Pro-Researcher, Anti-Researcher, Subject-Matter Expert, and Free Speech Expert

    2. Functional Roles: Concept-Map Lead, Briefing-Paper Lead Bus-Stop-Ad Lead, and Revision/Feedback Coordinator

  • Can you repeat your recommendation?

  • What is your strongest argument in favor of it?

    1. Ask a question digging deeper the argument or support or mention conflicting facts

  • What is the strongest argument against your recommendation?

  • How close a call was this for you all? Did you have any difficulty reaching consensus?

  • Was there any consideration that trumped everything else for you?

  • How important in your decision was

    1. Privacy

      • Should people have mistakes follow them around forever

    2. Free Speech

      • If it wasn’t for the First Amendment, would your recommendation be different?

  • What would be the negative outcome if the U.S. did the opposite of your recommendation?

  • Use their briefing paper to ask some questions where things aren’t clear or there is a hole in their argument.

  • Explain that you’ll give substantive feedback now on the briefing paper and then give them a marked up version with the rest of the comments [at the end of the meeting].

  • Areas to provide substantive feedback on the briefing paper:

    1. Praise a strength of the briefing paper

    2. Is anything missing

    3. How could it be improved or the argument made stronger

    4. Are there any internal conflicts

    5. Is there anything that needs clarification or fleshing out

  • ​Close on: What are your ideas for the bus-stop-issue ad?

  • Thank you for your hard work.

(Here is a Word document with the above outline/agenda for the Rep. Hewes meeting that you can customize.)

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***Possible Accommodations: You can change questions to accommodate different students.

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After the meeting, the students are directed to meet to address 2 items:

  1. Agree on the substance of any changes to the briefing paper based on feedback at the meeting. The Revision/Feedback Coordinator should coordinate this and is responsible for submitting the revised briefing paper.  

  2. Finalize ideas for the bus-stop-issue ad. The Bus-Stop-Ad Lead should coordinate this.

The next step is to get started on both.

DAY 6

​​​DAY 7 – Revising Briefing Paper & Reflection

( minutes) 

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*As noted above in DAY 5, you may want to consider combining DAYS 5, 6, and 7 in some manner.

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Operation Lethe: Process – Step 5.B – Revise Briefing Paper (40 minutes) [Big6 #5 & 6.1]

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*Initially, this task (revising the briefing paper) was added to give enough substance to a 4th functional lead role. You could drop this and go to 3-person teams with research sources redistributed. However, this task has two valuable benefits:

  • It's authentic. It commonly occurs in the real world.

  • If you give students the option to revise assignments, some students may be reluctant. So this provides an illustrative example to students of the benefits of revision in general and to improve their grade.

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The revised version should be the one used for the final grade on the briefing paper. There is one category in the briefing paper rubric to account for the quality of the revision. It is recommended that it be due with the bus-stop-issue ad. The revision can occur while the bus-stop-issue ad is being created and may help if its hard for 4 students to work on the ad at the same time.

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Operation Lethe: Conclusion – Reflection (minutes) [Big6 #6]​​​​

Yay! All that is left is for a spoken reflection. Using VoiceThread, students are asked to individually provide a spoken reflection on Operation Lethe. They are asked to respond to these questions:

  • What is your personal position on the right to be forgotten? Support your answer.

  • What was most interesting about this project?

  • What did your team do well? What could your team have done better?

  • What do you think you did well as part of your team? What would you do differently next time to make the team work better?

  • What would you change about this project to make it better?

  • Did you like this assignment? Why/why not?

​​​​DAY 6 – Create Bus-Stop-Issue Ad

(70 minutes) 

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*As noted above in DAY 5, you may want to consider combining DAYS 5, 6, and 7 in some manner.​​​​​

*This may seem out of order, but revising the briefing paper and reflection can be done on the same day when the bus-stop-issue ad probably needs a day of its own. However, the WebQuest contemplates the revision to the briefing paper and the bus-stop-issue ad can be done at the same time.

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​​​​​Operation Lethe: Process – Step 6 – Bus-Stop-Issue Ad (70 minutes ) [Big6 #5]

Led by the Bus-Stop-Ad Lead, the teams must now design an advertisement to support their recommendation to Rep. Hewes that can be run at bus stops in her congressional district. An example is provided (and below). 

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The bus-stop-issue ad has the following requirements:

  • No more than 50 words of text.

  • Issue and your position on it should be clear from viewing the ad

  • Include 2 or more graphic elements

  • Include relevant supporting information that strongly supports your position

  • Visual stunning to grab the attention of someone walking by

  • No video, but simple animation (e.g., flipping between a few illustrations) is okay, but not required. (Many bus stops now have digital screens to show ads, making this possible.)

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Links to 3 different online tools are included, along with a link to the rubrics.

DAY 7
TP- Rubric

Rubrics

There are 4 rubrics. One each for the concept map; the briefing paper, meeting, and revised briefing paper; the bus-stop-issue ad; and individual team members. They are available on Evaluation page.

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To allow you to customize the rubrics, here is an Excel version of the rubrics. Each rubric is on a separate tab in the spreadsheet.

TP-Standards

Washington, DC Social Studies Standards for Government & Civics (12th Grade)

—GC.5 Evaluate the principles of the US Constitution, including the rule of law, consent of the governed, limited government, separation of powers, and federalism, and evaluate the way in which these principles function today. —GC.28 Evaluate the role of government, individuals and corporations in ensuring public access to accurate information, including the impact of algorithms and machine learning in directing and influencing individuals’ access to information. —GC.49 Analyze the origins of a public policy issues, and present a proposal defending a position or invoking a call to action at the local, state or national level. Also aligns with a standard in 8th grade Action Civics: 8.41 Evaluate contemporary debates about the proper application of the rights reserved through the Bill of Rights, and develop a proposal for personal or collective action to address the issue. SOURCE: Office of the State Superintendent of Education. (2023, June). Washington, DC K-12 social studies standards: 2023 standards. Government of the District of Columbia.

ISTE Standards: For Students

—1.1 Empowered Learner – Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences. ——1.1d Technology Fundamentals – Students understand fundamental concepts of how technology works, demonstrate the ability to choose and use current technologies effectively, and are adept at thoughtfully exploring emerging technologies. —1.3 Knowledge Constructor – Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others. ——1.3.c Curate Information – Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions. ——1.3.d Explore Real World Issues Students – build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories, and pursuing answers and solutions. —1.4 Innovative Designer – Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions. ——1.4.a Design Process – Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems. ——1.4.d Open-Ended Problems – Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems. —1.6 Creative Communicator – Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals. ——1.6.a Choose Platforms or Tools – Students choose the appropriate platforms and digital tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication. ——1.6.b Original and Remixed Works – Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations. ——1.6.c Communicate Complex Ideas – Students use digital tools to visually communicate complex ideas to others. ——1.6.d Customize the Message – Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences. —1.7 Global Collaborator – Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally. ——1.7.b Multiple Viewpoints – Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts and community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints. ——1.7.c Project Teams – Students contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal. ——1.7.d Local and Global Issues – Students explore local and global issues, and use collaborative technologies to work with others to investigate solutions. SOURCE: International Society for Technology in Education. (2024). ISTE standards: For students [Version 4.01].

ISTE Standards: For Educators

—2.2 Leader – Educators seek opportunities for leadership to support student empowerment and success and to improve teaching and learning ——2.2.c Model Digital Tool Use – Model for colleagues the identification, exploration, evaluation, curation and adoption of new digital resources and tools for learning. —2.4 Collaborator – Educators dedicate time to collaborate with both colleagues and students to improve practice, discover and share resources and ideas, and solve problems. ——2.4.c Use Collaborative Tools – Use collaborative tools to expand students' authentic, real-world learning experiences by engaging virtually with experts, teams and students, locally and globally. —2.5 Designer – Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments that recognize and accommodate learner variability. ——2.5.a Accommodate Learner Differences – Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster independent learning and accommodate learner differences and needs. ——2.5.b Design Authentic Learning Activities – Educators design authentic learning activities that align with educational standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize learning. —2.7 Analyst – Educators understand and use data to drive their instruction and support students in achieving their learning goals. ——2.7.a Offer Alternative Assessments – Provide alternative ways for students to demonstrate competency and reflect on their learning using technology. ——2.7.b Use Tech to Create Assessments – Use technology to design and implement a variety of formative and summative assessments that accommodate learner needs, provide timely feedback to students and inform instruction. SOURCE: International Society for Technology in Education. (2024). ISTE standards: For educators [Version 4.01].

TP-References

Other Resources​

Click here for a PDF of the list of references. 

TP-ExampleSamples

Examples using standardization of

charging cables as the issue 

(click on concept map & briefing paper to open PDFs)

concept map.png
Op. Lethe Example Save your Mother & Your Wallett.png

Samples for Operation: Lethe issue

(click on concept map & briefing paper to open PDFs)

Operation Lethe: A PBL/WebQuest was created to fulfill an assignment in EDUC 590: Curriculum Integration of Technology as I pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) at the University of the District of Columbia.

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Permission to Use: Permission is granted for any educator to use any part or all of this WebQuest for any educational purpose. If a significant portion (≥30%) of this WebQuest is copied and used, please provide credit and attribution. No part of this WebQuest may be copied or used for commercial purposes.

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Technology Credits:

  • Wix was used to create the webpages of this WebQuest

  • Canva's Magic Media AI tool was used to create the header background for the WebQuest

  • MindMup was used to create both the example and sample concept maps

  • Canva was used to create both the example and sample bus-stop-issue ads

  • Microsoft Word was used to create both the example and sample briefing papers

  • Microsoft Excel was used to create the rubrics with Rubistar used as a starting point for the rubrics

  • VoiceThread is used to collect the spoken reflections

  • Google Docs was used to create the pages used to display the questions in VoiceThread for the reflection is used to collect the team names and role assignments

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If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out.

TP-About-Permission

© 2024 Matthew C. Hammond

© 2024 by Matthew Hammond. All rights reserved.

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