design instruction - 10/14/2006

This week I spent designing instruction for learning to write checks and balance a checkbook. I originally was just going to have a lesson on balancing a checkbook, but I realized that students first needed to know how to write checks.

The instruction starts with an attention grabber that will simultaneously demonstrate the importance of this task. I want to include a check-writing clip from the movie Catch Me If you Can (2002) with Leonardo DiCaprio & Tom Hanks. Then instruct students how to write out checks and balance their checkbook. They will then practice filling out checks and subtracting the amount of the check from their current balance; during the practice, there will be corrective feedback. When they are able to demonstrate proficiency filling out the check and finding the new balance correctly four out of five trials, they will be moved on to the fourth and final step of instruction. They will be tested with the same type of scenario that they had in the practice exercises. This next week I will test the paper based instruction with similar students to those who will use the final product.