Creating Products to Assess Mastery in the Online Environment

1. Summarize the project, assignment or assessment in its current form. 
   
   The current assignment requires students to explore the three (even though there for 4) parenting styles discovered via Diane Baumrind's research.  The students have a series of questions to answer in regard to each parenting style but the assignment requires no application.  It is just repetition of the information provided via notes and the textbook.  The assignment concludes with a short reflective piece about what type of parenting style the student may implement in the future. 
2. Explain the objective and the requirements (one paragraph). 
1. Discuss the strengths and shortcomings of this assessment. Consider the accessibility of the assessment and how it may, or may not, work for different student populations (one paragraph).
   
   The strengths of the assignment is that it is focused on a College Board standard that I am directly accountable for sharing with my students.  There are numerous researchers in our development unit that students are expected to be familiar with.  The assignment covers the basics of what they need to know.  The short coming is that the assignment is not memorable; the product requires no analysis or application to make the learning meaningful.  The assignment works for students who just want to get to the point and don't want the application; however for others the assignment is not helpful because it is simple memorization.Keeping in mind the various types of resources presented in this lesson, discuss at least two ways you could transform the project, assignment, or assessment to be more accessible and better meet the needs of a variety of students (two paragraphs). Use the following questions to help guide you and to generate ideas:
2. How could you alter the requirements of the final product to be more malleable and better meet the needs of a diverse student body?
3. Could you incorporate opportunities for choice?
4. What types of online resources or software applications could you require or recommend to either present or create the final product(s)?
5. What options could students have for submitting or presenting the final product(s) in a blended or online class format?
   
   One option that I envision for this assignment is the creation of three families who all implement one of the parenting styles.  The family structure would have to include at least one caregiver and one dependent.  I would require the students to create a family profile that highlights daily expectations and routines based on parenting styles.  I could even offer the choice for students to make a script that exemplifies the ways in which the family interacts.  Students would also be asked to reference the family structure in 20 years (i.e. how would the dependent turn out based on the parenting style). Students could use various types of technology for their final product: Word for a script, a cartoon script generator like Animaker, or even something like an interactive image (students could post a generic family picture and label roles).  The final product would be uploaded to a dropbox.  I could showcase student work in a news announcement (I often do for student recognition).
   
   Another option I envision is a Venn diagram.  Because the parenting styles can be compared and contrasted, a Venn diagram would create a visual representation of the material.  This way students can see why authoritative parenting is the best as it is a combination of the other main two.  Students would have to synthesize details of why the styles are alike and different given life experiences of a dependent.  An option for this could also be a hierarchy chart.  The point is to make a visual that can distinguish the parenting styles.  There are numerous options for the creation of a Venn diagram.  Word or PPT, but also new options such as Canva and Excel.  The final product would be uploaded to a dropbox just for authenticity purposes.  I do not accept linked work in my class.