Technology is constantly evolving. It is important for teachers to also evolve with technology so that they can prepare students to utilize new technology in a constructive manner. As I progress through my GAME plan, I have discovered that there are many pieces of technology out there for me to learn and various strategies for integrating these technologies into my classroom. The GAME plan is a step-by-step process that teachers, and even students, can follow as a guide for self-directed learning (Cennano, Ross, Ertmer, 2009, p7). I established for myself two goals that I would like to achieve prior to the completion of this course. The goals I developed are based upon the National Educational Technology Standards (www.iste.org) for educators.
I am having absolutely no trouble finding the information and resources I need to fulfill the goals I have listed for my GAME plan. The first goal I set for myself is to, “model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning (www.iste.org).” I have discovered another piece of technology that I would like to incorporate into my classroom. Through the use of the GAME plan, I am slowly learning how to use and implement this program into my classroom. The newest program is called Google SketchUp and I am amazed at its capabilities. In my last blog post, I discussed how I was able to attend a professional development seminar that focused on learning Google Earth. Well, what I have learned since then is that both Google Earth and Google SketchUp can be used with one another. Google SketchUp is a program that allows a person to “create, modify and share 3D models” (http://sketchup.google.com), which can also be made for Google Earth. Currently, my students are reading a book that is based on a neighborhood in Spanish Harlem, called Bodega Dreams. I believe that the use of this program, along with Google Earth, will allow my students to re-create the neighborhood based on how they “see it” in the book. I feel that by instituting this activity, students will have an opportunity to turn their thoughts about the book into images they can see.
This activity of re-creating the neighborhood in the novel also aligns with my second goal, “which focuses on addressing students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources (www.ISTE.org). “ I have also developed a survey using an online survey tool called Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com) to learn the learning styles and working strategies of my students. I have found so far that many of my students learn best through visual and hands-on activities. Each student has provided in some detail their learning preferences and an explanation as to why they feel they learn best using the method they stated. I was surprised to find how many students are aware of their learning style(s). The one new question that has arisen while working towards this goal is how I am going to get students to feel comfortable learning using methods that do not align with their learning needs. I feel that this is important because life does not always cater to our every need and therefore, we sometimes have to be flexible to learn in ways we do not necessarily prefer.
Overall, I believe that I am making great progress towards achieving my goals and I do not feel I need to modify my GAME plan in any way. Since I have started working through my GAME plan, I have definitely taken a different approach in developing lessons and setting goals for my students. I am now more aware of my students’ needs and I am more open to learning and trying new technologies that I am not so comfortable with using.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Google Earth. http://earth.google.com/
Google SketchUp. http://sketchup.google.com
ISTE International Society for Technology in Education. (2008) NETS-T.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
My Action Plan – In response to my GAME plan.
There are a variety of resources I will need in order to carry out my GAME plan. First and foremost, I will need to gain access to professional development seminars so that I can learn a new technology each month. I believe that this is the most important resource because without learning how to properly implement a new technology in my classroom each month, I may not execute it in an effective manner (or the most effective way possible).
Another resource that I will need access to in order to carry out my plan is a survey tool that each student can take upon entering my class. I would like for the survey to be digital and flexible. Being flexible to me means it is not concrete. I want to be able to change the survey as the times change. I understand that learning styles will always be learning styles. However, the way in which I phrase a particular question may need to be altered in the event technologies or educational tools become obsolete or replaced by others.
The strategy I plan on using to learn how to use these tools is going to be a combination of self-guided learning and teacher collaboration. I believe that one can learn a lot simply by collaborating with his or her peers. Teachers who have used digital technologies in the past can guide me in choosing a tool that best fits my students’ needs. In addition, fellow teachers can also share their own experiences when using particular technologies that can further my knowledge base. Polling teachers on their thoughts/ concerns of using a particular tool in the classroom can also save me time when deciding which tool to use.
The only step I have taken so far is to attend a professional development on Google Earth. The seminar was amazing and I left with an array of lesson ideas that I can use to introduce the program as well as get the students involved in using it. As far as the survey is concerned, the only step I have taken was research what a current classmate suggested, and that was to go online and search for pre-made surveys online. As of today, I have not found anything that I particularly like, but I did come up with the idea of making it a digital survey.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Google Earth. http://earth.google.com/
Another resource that I will need access to in order to carry out my plan is a survey tool that each student can take upon entering my class. I would like for the survey to be digital and flexible. Being flexible to me means it is not concrete. I want to be able to change the survey as the times change. I understand that learning styles will always be learning styles. However, the way in which I phrase a particular question may need to be altered in the event technologies or educational tools become obsolete or replaced by others.
The strategy I plan on using to learn how to use these tools is going to be a combination of self-guided learning and teacher collaboration. I believe that one can learn a lot simply by collaborating with his or her peers. Teachers who have used digital technologies in the past can guide me in choosing a tool that best fits my students’ needs. In addition, fellow teachers can also share their own experiences when using particular technologies that can further my knowledge base. Polling teachers on their thoughts/ concerns of using a particular tool in the classroom can also save me time when deciding which tool to use.
The only step I have taken so far is to attend a professional development on Google Earth. The seminar was amazing and I left with an array of lesson ideas that I can use to introduce the program as well as get the students involved in using it. As far as the survey is concerned, the only step I have taken was research what a current classmate suggested, and that was to go online and search for pre-made surveys online. As of today, I have not found anything that I particularly like, but I did come up with the idea of making it a digital survey.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Google Earth. http://earth.google.com/
Saturday, November 14, 2009
When Technology is a Bust....
I love technology! Some people say they cannot live without their cellphones, well, I cannot live without my computer! Life would not be the same. However, I can live without some of the problems technology creates in a person's life. For example, I just spent almost 20 minutes responding to the comments that some of my classmates posted on my blog. When I was finished, I clicked the post button and I received a message saying that it could not be posted! So, I copied my lengthy responses and refreshed the page being that it sat idle while I was typing. When I proceeded to paste the lengthy response only a section of it appeared...which means part of it did not copy! Therefore, I had to re-write 90% of it, forgetting some of the information I originally typed up. Why can't technology be perfect? Why does it present an opportunity for something to go wrong? If I would have hand-written my responses, they would not have disappeared off of the page. I would not have had to do double the work! Does anyone else ever find situations like this one frustrating?
Thursday, November 12, 2009
My Personal GAME Plan
After visiting the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), I chose two areas within the National Education Standards for teachers that I feel I can improve upon. Although there are others areas that probably could use some tweaking, these areas I feel the least proficient in.
2c. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
Although I feel that I develop lessons that suit everyone’s personal preferences when it comes to learning, the reality is, I do not. There have been occasions when I have assumed a student knew something or understood something because I said it or showed it in a certain way.
However, it is unfair for me to think that every student is learning simply because I said it in a way that I would understand.
Goal: I would like it so that each and every one of my lessons addresses the learning styles of every student. I want the lesson to address their working strategies and I want it to fit within their technological abilities – even if it means creating an additional lesson that taught them how to do something.
Action: First, I will have to take the time to really get to know each of my students as far as their learning preferences are concerned (this could almost be a goal within itself). I can do this by interviewing or speaking to each student individually. I then have to create and execute a lesson where I exert what I learned from the students into the lesson.
Monitor: One way to monitor whether or not I am on my way to achieving my goal is to go back and re-pole or question the students. I can ask them to compare and contrast some of the things I did in the current lesson to past lessons. I can also monitor my achievement by assessing the students. Did John Doe perform better when I targeted his learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources? Was there a difference in the level of engagement when I took the time to create my lesson based upon their learning needs rather than developing a lesson based on what I feel is right?
Evaluation: Whether or not I met my goal will be based upon the conclusions I make while I monitor my progress. If my students’ content knowledge and levels of engagement increase, than I know I am creating lessons that are specific to their needs. This will be evident because the students will be responding positively to the lessons I plan.
3d. Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.
I am the type that tends to use the technology that I am comfortable with – even though there are better technologies out there.
Goal: To learn and implement and continue the use of one new technology into the classroom a month.
Action: I will begin by creating a list of new technologies that I am unfamiliar with. I will then take the necessary steps to learn the new technology and then implement the use of that technology into my classroom. In doing so, I will create lessons that can be used to introduce the technology to the students. I will also create lessons where the technology is a component of the lesson.
Monitor: I will monitor my progress as to how well the students use and respond to the new technology. If I teach my students how to use a concept-mapping program, one way of monitoring my progress is through their use of the program. Is it a technology that the students have begun using in their own assignments/ projects? Did I model and facilitate effective use of the digital tool? How will I know… are the students utilizing the tools in an effective manner?
Evaluate: I will evaluate myself through the students. I will know that I achieved my goal because my students will be actively involved in the use of the new technology I introduce to them (or not introduce to them because chances are they might already be familiar with the technology). I will also evaluate myself based on the conclusions I make as I monitor my progress.
ISTE International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). NETS-T. Retrieved November 9, 2009, from Http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/FroTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T__Standards_Final.pdf
2c. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
Although I feel that I develop lessons that suit everyone’s personal preferences when it comes to learning, the reality is, I do not. There have been occasions when I have assumed a student knew something or understood something because I said it or showed it in a certain way.
However, it is unfair for me to think that every student is learning simply because I said it in a way that I would understand.
Goal: I would like it so that each and every one of my lessons addresses the learning styles of every student. I want the lesson to address their working strategies and I want it to fit within their technological abilities – even if it means creating an additional lesson that taught them how to do something.
Action: First, I will have to take the time to really get to know each of my students as far as their learning preferences are concerned (this could almost be a goal within itself). I can do this by interviewing or speaking to each student individually. I then have to create and execute a lesson where I exert what I learned from the students into the lesson.
Monitor: One way to monitor whether or not I am on my way to achieving my goal is to go back and re-pole or question the students. I can ask them to compare and contrast some of the things I did in the current lesson to past lessons. I can also monitor my achievement by assessing the students. Did John Doe perform better when I targeted his learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources? Was there a difference in the level of engagement when I took the time to create my lesson based upon their learning needs rather than developing a lesson based on what I feel is right?
Evaluation: Whether or not I met my goal will be based upon the conclusions I make while I monitor my progress. If my students’ content knowledge and levels of engagement increase, than I know I am creating lessons that are specific to their needs. This will be evident because the students will be responding positively to the lessons I plan.
3d. Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.
I am the type that tends to use the technology that I am comfortable with – even though there are better technologies out there.
Goal: To learn and implement and continue the use of one new technology into the classroom a month.
Action: I will begin by creating a list of new technologies that I am unfamiliar with. I will then take the necessary steps to learn the new technology and then implement the use of that technology into my classroom. In doing so, I will create lessons that can be used to introduce the technology to the students. I will also create lessons where the technology is a component of the lesson.
Monitor: I will monitor my progress as to how well the students use and respond to the new technology. If I teach my students how to use a concept-mapping program, one way of monitoring my progress is through their use of the program. Is it a technology that the students have begun using in their own assignments/ projects? Did I model and facilitate effective use of the digital tool? How will I know… are the students utilizing the tools in an effective manner?
Evaluate: I will evaluate myself through the students. I will know that I achieved my goal because my students will be actively involved in the use of the new technology I introduce to them (or not introduce to them because chances are they might already be familiar with the technology). I will also evaluate myself based on the conclusions I make as I monitor my progress.
ISTE International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). NETS-T. Retrieved November 9, 2009, from Http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/FroTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T__Standards_Final.pdf
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Reflection
Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom has been one of the best classes I have taken so far. I believe that the course materials and portfolio activity have taught me to integrate technology into the classroom in an effective manner. The knowledge I have gained has transformed the way I teach my students. I have also noticed positive changes in my classroom as far as learning goes. My students have been more engaged in their work and I feel as if they are appreciating the content more. This course has definitely equipped me with techniques and materials that will guide me in preparing my students for the 21st century.
The most striking revelation I had was when I was teaching the students how to locate resources when using the Internet for a project on New York State. I did not realize how little my students knew about the Internet. Although they did not use it directly, I did prepare a lesson on basic Internet usage. Throughout out the lesson, the students revealed little or no knowledge about its vast capabilities. It was then that I realized how important it was to teach the students about the Internet. I also understood how pertinent it is for me to continue to grow with my students. As the years go by technology will change and grow. Overall, I feel that I have learned how important it is to effectively teach my students the skills they need to properly engage in 21st century technology.
The knowledge and experiences I have gained from this course have already had a huge impact on my teaching practices. I have integrated technology into each of my lessons and have taken a softer role in the classroom. I am no longer front and center. I have learned that when students are provided with the opportunity to learn, they will and it can be fun. I now attempt to design activities that are interactive and interesting instead of more traditional assignments. I believe that I will continue to incorporate projects that are student driven and include using multiple modalities of communication.
Professional development is something I feel strongly about. I think it is important for teachers to continue to learn new, innovative ways to teach their students. However, in addition to attending professional development for updated teaching practices and lessons, I would like to expand my knowledge on technology in the classroom. One goal I have for myself is to master learning the new Leopard server at my school. I plan on doing this by attending workshops and conferences focused on managing the product. Having computers in a classroom entails setting up and managing a network. Since I face a high rate of turnover, I need to be able to create and manage accounts in a timely and effective manner. Learning the system will keep the class running smoothly and it will also help me maintain a safe learning environment for my students.
The most striking revelation I had was when I was teaching the students how to locate resources when using the Internet for a project on New York State. I did not realize how little my students knew about the Internet. Although they did not use it directly, I did prepare a lesson on basic Internet usage. Throughout out the lesson, the students revealed little or no knowledge about its vast capabilities. It was then that I realized how important it was to teach the students about the Internet. I also understood how pertinent it is for me to continue to grow with my students. As the years go by technology will change and grow. Overall, I feel that I have learned how important it is to effectively teach my students the skills they need to properly engage in 21st century technology.
The knowledge and experiences I have gained from this course have already had a huge impact on my teaching practices. I have integrated technology into each of my lessons and have taken a softer role in the classroom. I am no longer front and center. I have learned that when students are provided with the opportunity to learn, they will and it can be fun. I now attempt to design activities that are interactive and interesting instead of more traditional assignments. I believe that I will continue to incorporate projects that are student driven and include using multiple modalities of communication.
Professional development is something I feel strongly about. I think it is important for teachers to continue to learn new, innovative ways to teach their students. However, in addition to attending professional development for updated teaching practices and lessons, I would like to expand my knowledge on technology in the classroom. One goal I have for myself is to master learning the new Leopard server at my school. I plan on doing this by attending workshops and conferences focused on managing the product. Having computers in a classroom entails setting up and managing a network. Since I face a high rate of turnover, I need to be able to create and manage accounts in a timely and effective manner. Learning the system will keep the class running smoothly and it will also help me maintain a safe learning environment for my students.
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