Profiling

= Before you can determine the direction you wish to take with e-learning in the creation of a unit of work for students, you will need to profile your students to determine the following learning management questions: =
 * what do my students already know?[[image:lynnieg-elearning/art-and-design-mindmap.jpg width="400" height="286" align="right" caption="Downloaded from: http://jazzjoll.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/art-and-design-mindmap.jpg"]]
 * where does the learner need to be by the end of the lesson/unit?
 * how does the student best learn?

What my student already knows
To ascertain what a student knows about a new topic, a variety of methods can be used. This could include formally or informally quizzing students about prior knowledge. More formal methods may include quick quizzes, either on paper or using an online source such as Survey Monkey. Assessments of this type can also be created in Microsoft PowerPoint with the addition of the free download [|Interactive Classroom], also from Microsoft.

Less formal methods such as[| mind mapping] and brain storming are also great ways of discovering what students already know. This can either be done the traditional way, that is, on a white board or large sheet of paper. A more engaging way is with online mind mapping tools such as [|Bubbl.us], [|Popplet], [|Lino] or [|Inspiration Lite].

Where does my learner need to be?
For this to be ascertained it is important to consult the appropriate curriculum to find the minimum year level requirements for the particular KLAs to be covered in the unit. If the KLAs being covered are English, Mathematics, Science or History the new Australian Curriculum needs to be consulted on the [|ACARA] website. For those KLAs not yet included here, Queensland Essential will be the required curriculum and can be found on the [|QSA] website. Should you be working in a school that teaches subjects not included in these curriculums such as religion, the curriculum of those particular schools needs to be consulted.

How do my students learn best
Before the creation of any lesson or unit for a class it is important to know the talents and abilities of the students. This can be achieved by discussion with previous teachers, looking at the previous year's reports and current assessments. In addition to this, it advantageous to know the learning styles and preferences of your students. There are many assessments available for this, but I prefer the Birmingham Grid for [|Multiple Intelligence Test]. Based on Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Test, it is easy and accurate for upper primary school children to use and, in fact, a fun class activity to do together!

In addition to this, I have been observing students in class and marking their work. More importantly, I have been getting to know them, finding out their likes, dislikes, interests, friends and family dynamics by talking with them before and after school and when I am on playground duty. Through these processes I have begun a using the template provided by Central Queensland University. For the purposes of privacy I have only used the children's initials. Obviously, this is an ongoing process and will continue throughout my embedded professional learning experience.

The unit we will be undertaking is on communities. Looking at my class profile, I can see that we have learners with a variety of learning styles and abilities. To secure the success of the unit, I will have to ensure that all learning styles have been addressed and activities are sufficiently scaffolded to support the required learning outcomes for each individual student.

Once these factors have been considered, we can then proceed to the creation of our unit.
 * =Unit Overview=