As a result from my GAME plan I have learned that I need to follow through with my ideas. So often I will say I am going to do something as it sounds neat and interesting but then push it aside because doing my normal routine takes less effort. However, as I have found out there are so many more benefits to setting up a GAME plan and following it. By doing so I do not feel as if I have to have everything accomplished in one day, I can implement this over a period of time which does not seem as overwhelming. My students are much more engaged and eager to learn what I am teaching when I think of new ways to present the concepts to them. I also like the monitoring and evaluating piece of the GAME plan. It makes you sit down and reflect of what went well and what did not. I will definitely maintain using the GAME plan as I continue to put into practice new strategies and ideas.
I do not feel as if there will be any immediate adjustments to my instructional practice regarding technology as I have already done so with my GAME plan. However, I will continue doing what I am currently doing such as blogging with my students and creating more assessments using the interactive clickers. As I have learned in this course to be successful with integrating technology into your course is to feel confident with the technology you are using. I am still doing so as I try my new ideas with the pieces of technology I am currently using with my students. We are getting ready to change semesters and I will try my hardest to implement something new then.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Using the GAME Plan Process with Students
To start off, I would develop a GAME plan with my students by taking them through the process step by step and take time to talk about the great benefits of setting up a GAME plan. I would make a goal that would be applicable to all students, something very simple. We would then discuss actions we could take to meet this goal. Once we have a few suggestions, as a class we would narrow it down to two actions allowing students to have some say of how they will obtain this goal. Once we have decided that, we will then talk about ways we are going to monitor our progress and decide on again two ways to do that. Lastly, we will talk about how we could evaluate ourselves in a week to decide whether or not we have met our goal or not. Each day I would take 10 – 15 minutes to have a group discussion about how their GAME plan is coming along. I would take this time to answer any questions the students may have.
Once I felt confident the students understood what exactly a GAME plan is, I will have created a mini-project coinciding with the concepts I would currently be teaching. Students would need to come up with a GAME plan in order to produce a quality project to be turned into me. I would incorporate the Technology Standards for Students into the project by handing them a rubric I have created. It would be very easy for me to use Creativity and Innovation, Communication and Collaboration, Research and Information Fluency, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making, Digital Citizenship, and Technology Operations and Concepts as the categories for my rubric. I would then need to decide the details of how students would earn a 4, 3, 2, or 1 for the specific category. I feel that if I would hand this out to the students before hand, they would know exactly what I was grading them on; of course it would pertain to my math curriculum as well.
By students seeing students’ final projects it would tell me if students understand the Technology Standards with out having to go through each and every standard individually.
Once I felt confident the students understood what exactly a GAME plan is, I will have created a mini-project coinciding with the concepts I would currently be teaching. Students would need to come up with a GAME plan in order to produce a quality project to be turned into me. I would incorporate the Technology Standards for Students into the project by handing them a rubric I have created. It would be very easy for me to use Creativity and Innovation, Communication and Collaboration, Research and Information Fluency, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making, Digital Citizenship, and Technology Operations and Concepts as the categories for my rubric. I would then need to decide the details of how students would earn a 4, 3, 2, or 1 for the specific category. I feel that if I would hand this out to the students before hand, they would know exactly what I was grading them on; of course it would pertain to my math curriculum as well.
By students seeing students’ final projects it would tell me if students understand the Technology Standards with out having to go through each and every standard individually.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Revising Your GAME Plan
I am still working on providing students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching. I tried my problem-based learning lesson plan that I created for last week. I teach a PSSA prep class to 11th graders who are struggling to score proficient on the PSSA’s. So this week, instead of given them an actual paper/pencil test, I made them complete a project using all the concepts we discussed. They could work with a partner or by themselves and they had to complete their final project using Microsoft Word. I provided the students with a rubric I created and then I left them go from there. I am thrilled at the final projects these students are turning into me to be graded. I am going to keep this idea in the back of mind as all of my students were on task and engaged in the project at hand. Very successful lesson!
As of right now, I do not think I am ready to set new goals for myself. I feel as if I have not explored enough different options for my current goals. I have implemented a new way for assessing the students through a project and clickers; and I have also had my class create a personal blog for reflection. However, a statement that sticks in my mind is to give the students choices. I do not feel I have fulfilled that task. Just trying one new teaching style is not enough for me. I would like to get maybe one more in each category so then it would give the students some options.
I have learned that students love to work on computers. Therefore, when I try to implement new assessments and reflection strategies, I am going to try my hardest to incorporate the computer. Students are asking me everyday, “are we going to blog today?” I love the fact that they are so eager to blog but I also do not want blogging to loose its spark with the students. I try to get them to blog once a week. I felt that once a week would not wear out its welcome! This is the biggest piece I have learned so far and again, that is the more technology I can incorporate the more interested, motivated, and engaged my students are.
I am going to try more problem-based learning lessons with my students as I have found they very much enjoy them and they do a fabulous job at it. Although it does take a little more time to plan and prepare for, it is very beneficial for the students and very rewarding to me to see them succeed!
As of right now, I do not think I am ready to set new goals for myself. I feel as if I have not explored enough different options for my current goals. I have implemented a new way for assessing the students through a project and clickers; and I have also had my class create a personal blog for reflection. However, a statement that sticks in my mind is to give the students choices. I do not feel I have fulfilled that task. Just trying one new teaching style is not enough for me. I would like to get maybe one more in each category so then it would give the students some options.
I have learned that students love to work on computers. Therefore, when I try to implement new assessments and reflection strategies, I am going to try my hardest to incorporate the computer. Students are asking me everyday, “are we going to blog today?” I love the fact that they are so eager to blog but I also do not want blogging to loose its spark with the students. I try to get them to blog once a week. I felt that once a week would not wear out its welcome! This is the biggest piece I have learned so far and again, that is the more technology I can incorporate the more interested, motivated, and engaged my students are.
I am going to try more problem-based learning lessons with my students as I have found they very much enjoy them and they do a fabulous job at it. Although it does take a little more time to plan and prepare for, it is very beneficial for the students and very rewarding to me to see them succeed!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Evaluating Your GAME Plan Progress
As a refresher the two goals I set for myself are as follows; I need to promote student reflection by using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes. I also need to provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.
To start off, I feel as if my actions helped a lot with meeting my goals. I took time to sit and really think of different and new ideas I could use in my classroom with my students to help myself meet these goals. With my students setting up their own personal blogs to use for reflection and the explanation part on open-ended questions for my math class, they are not grumbling anymore when they have to complete them. They love to get on the computer to type up their responses as well as placing pictures and gadgets on their blogs. Also, it takes a little bit of time to make, but I have made more assessments to align with my set of “clickers.” Students are more engaged and eager to participate.
So far with my GAME plan, I have learned there are many different ways to implement reflection, explanations, and assessments without using the old fashion paper and pencil. Students seem to be more intrinsically involved when I do something different than plain paper and pencil.
I am still learning and getting comfortable with all the different technology tools than can be used. In my next GAME plan, I would love to incorporate wikis with my classes. But again, I need to get to know more about them myself before I will feel comfortable using them with my students. No new questions have come up; I am focused right now on using our blogs for reflection and my clickers for assessments.
I am not in need of anything right now so I do not foresee any adjustments will be made to my GAME plan. I am feeling very confident and proud of what I have accomplished so far with my students.
To start off, I feel as if my actions helped a lot with meeting my goals. I took time to sit and really think of different and new ideas I could use in my classroom with my students to help myself meet these goals. With my students setting up their own personal blogs to use for reflection and the explanation part on open-ended questions for my math class, they are not grumbling anymore when they have to complete them. They love to get on the computer to type up their responses as well as placing pictures and gadgets on their blogs. Also, it takes a little bit of time to make, but I have made more assessments to align with my set of “clickers.” Students are more engaged and eager to participate.
So far with my GAME plan, I have learned there are many different ways to implement reflection, explanations, and assessments without using the old fashion paper and pencil. Students seem to be more intrinsically involved when I do something different than plain paper and pencil.
I am still learning and getting comfortable with all the different technology tools than can be used. In my next GAME plan, I would love to incorporate wikis with my classes. But again, I need to get to know more about them myself before I will feel comfortable using them with my students. No new questions have come up; I am focused right now on using our blogs for reflection and my clickers for assessments.
I am not in need of anything right now so I do not foresee any adjustments will be made to my GAME plan. I am feeling very confident and proud of what I have accomplished so far with my students.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monitoring Your GAME Plan Progress
1. Are you finding the information and resources you need?
I am definitely finding the information and resources I need in order to follow through with my GAME plan. I just got my very own LCD projector installed into my classroom today!!! This will help to display my PowerPoint presentations that associate the hand-held devices my students will be able to use more on a daily basis. This will provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments. I also took my class one step at a time as each of them set up their very own blog to use in my class. I am going to use these to allow students time for reflection and to practice open-ended questions for their state tests. These blogs will promote student reflection by using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
2. Do you need to modify your action plan?
I do not feel as if I need to modify my action plan as it all seems to be coming together quite nicely. I feel as students are becoming more intrinsically motivated while using these technology tools in the classroom. With students being more engaged, I feel this will result in my students being successful math students.
3. What have you learned so far?
So far while implementing my GAME plan I have learned that students are more engaged and eager to learn. They come into the classroom very excited to get started with the day’s lesson. They continually ask, “When are we going to use the clickers?” They love them! I have also found the more creative I can be, the more creative the students are when completing the tasks at hand. I have seen a lot of students go above and beyond their abilities.
4. What new questions have arisen?
No new questions have really come up as I am going through my GAME plan. Other than, I wish I would have started this at the beginning of the year. This could have been my “hook” to get my students involved and interested in my math class!
I am definitely finding the information and resources I need in order to follow through with my GAME plan. I just got my very own LCD projector installed into my classroom today!!! This will help to display my PowerPoint presentations that associate the hand-held devices my students will be able to use more on a daily basis. This will provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments. I also took my class one step at a time as each of them set up their very own blog to use in my class. I am going to use these to allow students time for reflection and to practice open-ended questions for their state tests. These blogs will promote student reflection by using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
2. Do you need to modify your action plan?
I do not feel as if I need to modify my action plan as it all seems to be coming together quite nicely. I feel as students are becoming more intrinsically motivated while using these technology tools in the classroom. With students being more engaged, I feel this will result in my students being successful math students.
3. What have you learned so far?
So far while implementing my GAME plan I have learned that students are more engaged and eager to learn. They come into the classroom very excited to get started with the day’s lesson. They continually ask, “When are we going to use the clickers?” They love them! I have also found the more creative I can be, the more creative the students are when completing the tasks at hand. I have seen a lot of students go above and beyond their abilities.
4. What new questions have arisen?
No new questions have really come up as I am going through my GAME plan. Other than, I wish I would have started this at the beginning of the year. This could have been my “hook” to get my students involved and interested in my math class!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Carrying Out Your GAME Plan
Reviewing my GAME plan my two goals I have set for myself are as follows: (1) In order to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity I need to promote student reflection by using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes and (2) I also need to provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.
Resources I will need in order to carry out my GAME plan: I will need an LCD projector in my room on a daily basis, a set of the SMART “clicker”, and access to the Internet of needed. In order to promote student reflection I would love for each of my students to set up their very own blog and be able to give them time in class throughout the week to post new ideas and reflections. I would use their blogs very similar to how we are using it for our courses here at Walden. Second, in providing students with various forms of assessment, I would love to use the interactive “clickers” with them. This would eliminate the boring paper and pencil style of assessment.
Additional information that I would need in order to carry out my GAME plan: I would need to take a survey with my students to find out how many students have access to the Internet at home. This would make me aware of whether or not I could give assignments using their blogs outside of the school building.
Steps I have taken so far, I have talked to my classes about setting up blogs and they all seem very excited about it. I have also talked to my department leader about getting a permanent LCD projector in my room and I should hopefully have one by the end of our first semester.
Resources I will need in order to carry out my GAME plan: I will need an LCD projector in my room on a daily basis, a set of the SMART “clicker”, and access to the Internet of needed. In order to promote student reflection I would love for each of my students to set up their very own blog and be able to give them time in class throughout the week to post new ideas and reflections. I would use their blogs very similar to how we are using it for our courses here at Walden. Second, in providing students with various forms of assessment, I would love to use the interactive “clickers” with them. This would eliminate the boring paper and pencil style of assessment.
Additional information that I would need in order to carry out my GAME plan: I would need to take a survey with my students to find out how many students have access to the Internet at home. This would make me aware of whether or not I could give assignments using their blogs outside of the school building.
Steps I have taken so far, I have talked to my classes about setting up blogs and they all seem very excited about it. I have also talked to my department leader about getting a permanent LCD projector in my room and I should hopefully have one by the end of our first semester.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
GAME PLAN
Integrating technology in the classroom effectively requires: knowledge, confidence, beliefs, and supportive culture (Laureate, 2009). Teachers need to have knowledge of technology skills in order to use different tools with their students throughout their classroom. Teachers also need to be on board that technology has many tools that can be used to enhance student learning. Most of all teachers need to have the confidence to use the different technology tools with their students in order to practice successful lessons.
Two indicators I feel that I need to strengthen my confidence in are: 1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity and 2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. To build my confidence in these two areas my GAME plan is as follows:
GOALS: In order to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity I need to promote student reflection by using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes. I also need to do a better job at modeling collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments. Second, to design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments; I need to customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources, and I also need to provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.
ACTION: The first step in my action plan is to have students reflect on their understanding of concepts taught in each unit. Students will start a journal and will need to submit an entry after each unit that will tell me what they have learned in the past week or so. I could set up a class blog in which each student could post their reflection and other students could give a little feedback. The next step for me is going to look at different strategies that will address all learning styles in my classroom. Along with that I need to come up with multiple assessments rather than traditional paper and pencil.
MONITORING: In order to monitor my progress I will set up a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet in which I will give myself deadline dates as to when I must be ready to implement my different steps. If I can give myself a checkmark beside the goal, it will mean that I have met my goal and I am ready to move onto my next goal. I will continue this process until I have achieved all my goals.
EVALUATE: To evaluate my progress I have decided to keep a journal. In this journal I will reflect on what is working with my students and what I need to modify in order for my students to be more successful. I will journal after each time I feel I have met a goal or I have tried to implement something new in my classroom.
Laureate Education Inc. (2009). “Enriching Learning Experiences with Technology.” Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education Inc.
National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.
Two indicators I feel that I need to strengthen my confidence in are: 1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity and 2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. To build my confidence in these two areas my GAME plan is as follows:
GOALS: In order to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity I need to promote student reflection by using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes. I also need to do a better job at modeling collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments. Second, to design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments; I need to customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources, and I also need to provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.
ACTION: The first step in my action plan is to have students reflect on their understanding of concepts taught in each unit. Students will start a journal and will need to submit an entry after each unit that will tell me what they have learned in the past week or so. I could set up a class blog in which each student could post their reflection and other students could give a little feedback. The next step for me is going to look at different strategies that will address all learning styles in my classroom. Along with that I need to come up with multiple assessments rather than traditional paper and pencil.
MONITORING: In order to monitor my progress I will set up a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet in which I will give myself deadline dates as to when I must be ready to implement my different steps. If I can give myself a checkmark beside the goal, it will mean that I have met my goal and I am ready to move onto my next goal. I will continue this process until I have achieved all my goals.
EVALUATE: To evaluate my progress I have decided to keep a journal. In this journal I will reflect on what is working with my students and what I need to modify in order for my students to be more successful. I will journal after each time I feel I have met a goal or I have tried to implement something new in my classroom.
Laureate Education Inc. (2009). “Enriching Learning Experiences with Technology.” Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education Inc.
National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Final Reflection EDUC-6712-3
Teaching in a district with limited technology resources, I thought that this course was going to be quite challenging. However, as I went week by week it seemed to get easier and easier to incorporate the new literacy skills into my lessons. Students did not necessarily need to be in front of the computer; we could do it as an entire class.
A striking revelation I had about teaching the new literacy skills to my students was, how much more students were engaged in my lessons and their ability to rise to my high expectations. This was an entirely new experience for me and the students and they did a fabulous job with it. I would implement a mini lesson and the students would then run with it. I had students talking, discussing, and asking questions that did not say more than two words before. Each day the students would come into class asking what we were doing that day. It’s amazing when stepping outside of your comfort zone the success you are capable of by practicing with confidence. The students buy into it and produce some very impressive projects!
The knowledge and experience gained in this course will influence my teaching practices by giving me the confidence I needed to try new activities and strategies with my students. Even if I have not tried anything like it before, this course has shown me how successful I still can be. It’s all about getting the students ‘hooked’ into the concept and they will produce.
One professional development goal I would like to purse that will build upon my leaning in this course is to complete two projects with my students like the one I created for this course. By following through with this goal it will allow me to continue my own development of the new literacy skills as well as keep them fresh in my head. So often we are taught something and put it aside and when we are ready to go back to it, we forget. The steps it is going to take for me to accomplish this goal is first, I will have to look at my curriculum and pick out four concepts that would work for this type of project. Second, I would have to do some research myself to create an example of what I would expect my students to produce. This step would allow me to determine what considerations would need to take place during each project. Next, I am a big believer in rubrics, so creating them ahead would be a must. The last step is to implement the project. If students are as enthusiastic and engaged as this last project, I foresee no problems in them being successful with the new projects to come.
A striking revelation I had about teaching the new literacy skills to my students was, how much more students were engaged in my lessons and their ability to rise to my high expectations. This was an entirely new experience for me and the students and they did a fabulous job with it. I would implement a mini lesson and the students would then run with it. I had students talking, discussing, and asking questions that did not say more than two words before. Each day the students would come into class asking what we were doing that day. It’s amazing when stepping outside of your comfort zone the success you are capable of by practicing with confidence. The students buy into it and produce some very impressive projects!
The knowledge and experience gained in this course will influence my teaching practices by giving me the confidence I needed to try new activities and strategies with my students. Even if I have not tried anything like it before, this course has shown me how successful I still can be. It’s all about getting the students ‘hooked’ into the concept and they will produce.
One professional development goal I would like to purse that will build upon my leaning in this course is to complete two projects with my students like the one I created for this course. By following through with this goal it will allow me to continue my own development of the new literacy skills as well as keep them fresh in my head. So often we are taught something and put it aside and when we are ready to go back to it, we forget. The steps it is going to take for me to accomplish this goal is first, I will have to look at my curriculum and pick out four concepts that would work for this type of project. Second, I would have to do some research myself to create an example of what I would expect my students to produce. This step would allow me to determine what considerations would need to take place during each project. Next, I am a big believer in rubrics, so creating them ahead would be a must. The last step is to implement the project. If students are as enthusiastic and engaged as this last project, I foresee no problems in them being successful with the new projects to come.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Final Blog Posting
It is imperative that teachers begin the transfer process with a full understanding of learning so that they can plan and implement appropriate instruction that will result in learning success (Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2008, pg. 10). With such a wide variety of learning styles in a classroom, teachers need to be aware of different methods to use in order to reach each student. Continuing professional development and the use of educational technology educators will be able to teach to their students and not to tests. After spending eight weeks learning how to bridge together learning and technology I have found it goes hand in hand with my personal theory of learning. I am an educator who likes to facilitate my lessons as much as possible making the students responsible in learning the material in their own way. This course has given me more tools and avenues to explore with my student as I teach them the skills that will make the successful in the 21st century.
An immediate adjustment that will take place in my instructional practice is to modify my PowerPoint presentations. As Dr. Orey stated, “PowerPoint is a great instructional tool for teachers if they use it right. Instead of all the words, put images and pictures to present the information” (Laureate, 2009). I am going to try and take his advice and spice up my PowerPoint presentations for the students. I hope to get the students actively engaged to construct their own artifacts in which they will be able to share with their peers (Laureate, 2009).
One technology tool I would like to use with my students is voicethread. I found voicethread to be a helpful, fun, fascinating, and easy to work with tool that any student could use with little guidance. As I stated in my lesson plan, I will use it more for homework purpose and group work projects. I like when students work in groups as they can learn so much from one another and I feel this is a tool that can be used in and out of the classroom which will allow student collaboration to continue.
A second technology tool I want up and running in my classroom is a class blog. Again, this is something that can be used in and out of the classroom in which my students would be able to communicate with one another and even myself at anytime. I see students helping one another with homework problems, or even to help each other study for quizzes and tests. This is a tool that is very beneficial to all students and especially to the student who is timid during the class period. This technology tool gives them a chance to ask questions and interact with their classmates outside of school to hopefully build their confidence when in school.
The first long-term goal change I would like to make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration is to continue using the technology tools I have been introduced to in this technology program thus far. Blogs, wikis, concept maps, voicthreads, discussion boards, etc. are technology tools that I did not know existed before starting the program. I feel that if I continue to use them daily or weekly I will feel comfortable working with these tools making it easier for me to integrate them into my lesson plans. This will give the students the opportunity to work with these amazing tools as well. I foresee them making learning more interesting and fun for the students. My strategy for achieving this goal is to take one lesson plan and modify it by incorporating a technology tool each week for the rest of the summer. Therefore, my lesson plan will be ready to go for the upcoming school year and it will give me a chance to get accustomed to the tool.
My second goal is to have students present their work using technology as well. Instead of students coming up and writing on the board to explain their work, I want them to construct their own artifacts that they can share with the class. For example, students could use an Excel spreadsheet, a PowerPoint presentation, or even a voicethread presentation. The more the students see me using these tools the more they are going to want to use them as well. A strategy for achieving this goal is to pick three or four names out of a jar, give them an extra assignment for the week in which they may work together or individually in which they would then have to present their work to the class the following week. I would continue this until everyone in the class has completed an extra technology assignment for the marking period.
In conclusion, each learner in my classroom is likely to have a unique cognitive style and a unique learning style (Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2008, pg. 19). Therefore, it is my will as an educator to accommodate to each one of these learners. I will continue to do my best by providing the best for my students in order to produce the best children of tomorrow.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.
Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
An immediate adjustment that will take place in my instructional practice is to modify my PowerPoint presentations. As Dr. Orey stated, “PowerPoint is a great instructional tool for teachers if they use it right. Instead of all the words, put images and pictures to present the information” (Laureate, 2009). I am going to try and take his advice and spice up my PowerPoint presentations for the students. I hope to get the students actively engaged to construct their own artifacts in which they will be able to share with their peers (Laureate, 2009).
One technology tool I would like to use with my students is voicethread. I found voicethread to be a helpful, fun, fascinating, and easy to work with tool that any student could use with little guidance. As I stated in my lesson plan, I will use it more for homework purpose and group work projects. I like when students work in groups as they can learn so much from one another and I feel this is a tool that can be used in and out of the classroom which will allow student collaboration to continue.
A second technology tool I want up and running in my classroom is a class blog. Again, this is something that can be used in and out of the classroom in which my students would be able to communicate with one another and even myself at anytime. I see students helping one another with homework problems, or even to help each other study for quizzes and tests. This is a tool that is very beneficial to all students and especially to the student who is timid during the class period. This technology tool gives them a chance to ask questions and interact with their classmates outside of school to hopefully build their confidence when in school.
The first long-term goal change I would like to make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration is to continue using the technology tools I have been introduced to in this technology program thus far. Blogs, wikis, concept maps, voicthreads, discussion boards, etc. are technology tools that I did not know existed before starting the program. I feel that if I continue to use them daily or weekly I will feel comfortable working with these tools making it easier for me to integrate them into my lesson plans. This will give the students the opportunity to work with these amazing tools as well. I foresee them making learning more interesting and fun for the students. My strategy for achieving this goal is to take one lesson plan and modify it by incorporating a technology tool each week for the rest of the summer. Therefore, my lesson plan will be ready to go for the upcoming school year and it will give me a chance to get accustomed to the tool.
My second goal is to have students present their work using technology as well. Instead of students coming up and writing on the board to explain their work, I want them to construct their own artifacts that they can share with the class. For example, students could use an Excel spreadsheet, a PowerPoint presentation, or even a voicethread presentation. The more the students see me using these tools the more they are going to want to use them as well. A strategy for achieving this goal is to pick three or four names out of a jar, give them an extra assignment for the week in which they may work together or individually in which they would then have to present their work to the class the following week. I would continue this until everyone in the class has completed an extra technology assignment for the marking period.
In conclusion, each learner in my classroom is likely to have a unique cognitive style and a unique learning style (Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2008, pg. 19). Therefore, it is my will as an educator to accommodate to each one of these learners. I will continue to do my best by providing the best for my students in order to produce the best children of tomorrow.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.
Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice
Social learning is when students are actively engaged in constructing artifacts when conversing with others (Laureate, 2009). In the video and readings this week, we were exposed to new strategies in which all were dealing with students working groups. While students work in groups or even with just one other students they are involved in the social learning process as they construct meaning through interacting with their peers. Dr. Orey talked about a neat strategy he referred to as the “Jigsaw Strategy.” The students start off in a “base” group and break out into another group where they are informed and/or learn about a concept. They then need to take this new concept back to their base group and teach them what they have learned. This fits social learning like a glove. Students are interacting with other students to build their own artifacts of the concepts being taught in the classroom.
Another instructional strategy is cooperative learning which focuses on having students interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 139). The particular strategy correlates with the principles of social learning theories as it is based around students working together in groups to give them a stronger understanding of what is being discussed in class. No matter what job a person takes in this fast-paced world, they will always need to be able to work with and respect others. Technology can enhance cooperative learning as it provides structure for group tasks and allows groups to communicate even if they are not face to face (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 140).
I feel student/peer – centered classroom are so important in today’s educational world. Interaction among students not only builds their social skills it allows them to see there are different ways of comprehending or interpreting a concept. In order to be prepared for the fast-paced, virtual workplace that they will inherit, today’s students need to be able to learn and produce cooperatively (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 139). If we educators can get them working cooperatively and socially at an early age it will make them more successful in tomorrow’s world.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Another instructional strategy is cooperative learning which focuses on having students interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 139). The particular strategy correlates with the principles of social learning theories as it is based around students working together in groups to give them a stronger understanding of what is being discussed in class. No matter what job a person takes in this fast-paced world, they will always need to be able to work with and respect others. Technology can enhance cooperative learning as it provides structure for group tasks and allows groups to communicate even if they are not face to face (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 140).
I feel student/peer – centered classroom are so important in today’s educational world. Interaction among students not only builds their social skills it allows them to see there are different ways of comprehending or interpreting a concept. In order to be prepared for the fast-paced, virtual workplace that they will inherit, today’s students need to be able to learn and produce cooperatively (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 139). If we educators can get them working cooperatively and socially at an early age it will make them more successful in tomorrow’s world.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Constructivism in Practice
When students generate and test hypotheses, they are engaging in complex mental processes, applying content knowledge like facts and vocabulary, and enhancing their overall understanding of the content (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 202). This strategy very easily allows educators to create project-based, problem-based, or inquiry-based approaches to student learning. Technology plays a vital role in this specific strategy as it permits students to spend more time interpreting, and analyzing data rather than gathering the data – a process that can be tedious and error prone (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 203). Students can use what they learn about the data to build presentations to share with others.
With the use of the technology students can create artifacts in order to resolve their disequilibration (Laureate, 2009) by making assimilations or accommodations to their current beliefs and understandings. Students are more likely to learn or modify a concept by a hands-on activity verses the chalk and talk. Using the constructivist/constructionist learning theory approach it provides an engaging learning environment which will increase motivation and lead to retention in learning (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 213).
By using project-based, problem-based, or inquiry-based approaches it allows student-centered learning to take place in your classroom rather than teacher-center learning. From the time we learn to walk and say our first word while growing up it is a student-learning environment all around us. We learn everything we know by exploring and building on our equilibration by accommodating or assimilating our understandings of the real-world concepts. We as educators need to use that approach in our classrooms to allow our students to build their own stuff that will eventually make them responsible and successful in the future. The strategies discussed in this week’s resources are tools that will allow our students to construct their own thoughts and ideas with the help of us teachers facilitating rather than showing or doing.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
With the use of the technology students can create artifacts in order to resolve their disequilibration (Laureate, 2009) by making assimilations or accommodations to their current beliefs and understandings. Students are more likely to learn or modify a concept by a hands-on activity verses the chalk and talk. Using the constructivist/constructionist learning theory approach it provides an engaging learning environment which will increase motivation and lead to retention in learning (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 213).
By using project-based, problem-based, or inquiry-based approaches it allows student-centered learning to take place in your classroom rather than teacher-center learning. From the time we learn to walk and say our first word while growing up it is a student-learning environment all around us. We learn everything we know by exploring and building on our equilibration by accommodating or assimilating our understandings of the real-world concepts. We as educators need to use that approach in our classrooms to allow our students to build their own stuff that will eventually make them responsible and successful in the future. The strategies discussed in this week’s resources are tools that will allow our students to construct their own thoughts and ideas with the help of us teachers facilitating rather than showing or doing.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Cognitivisim In Practice
After watching the DVD on Cognitive Learning Theories, I learned that cognitive learning is broken up into three stages. First is the sensory stage which information is received by the brain. Second, if the information is attended to it will make its way to short term memory. Finally, if the information is rehearsed enough it will make it the entire way to long-term memory (Laureate, 2009). When students are given new information their brains can only process seven +/- 2 pieces of information at once (Laureate, 2009). This week in our textbook we looked at two instructional strategies that will help educators stay aligned with the process of learning new concepts.
The first strategy we read about was “cues, questions, and advance organizers.” This particular strategy focuses on enhancing students’ ability to retrieve, use, and organize information about a topic (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 73). The concept map is a very powerful tool for this particular strategy as it help students organize and make connections from their previous knowledge to what they are about to learn. Technology too can be another tool used with this strategy which takes this to a whole new level as students and teachers can use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. to create well-organized, visually appealing organizers (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 74). The concept map and technology tools assist teachers in quickly capturing student responses and organizing the responses into useful information (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 75) that will be processed and moved into long-term memory.
The second strategy we read about was “summarizing and note taking.” This strategy focuses on enhancing students’ ability to synthesize information and distill it into a concise new form (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 119). Teachers’ help students take information and state it in their own words in order for it to make sense to them. From here it will be easier for students to process the information and put into their long-term memory. Technology can also be of assistance to students with the strategy. Microsoft Word is an excellent source in which it can help students with summarizing a passage from a book or even their notes they take during class. It will pick out the key concepts for them and even pull out redundant sentences only keeping the important information the students need to know. Concept maps are another great tool for this strategy in which again, it will make connections for the students to their prior knowledge.
Both of these strategies can also be an asset to one’s cognitive learning by allowing the students to physically see the connections to the information they are learning or talking about in their classroom. As Dr. Orey says “images are powerful tools” (Laureate, 2009).
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
The first strategy we read about was “cues, questions, and advance organizers.” This particular strategy focuses on enhancing students’ ability to retrieve, use, and organize information about a topic (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 73). The concept map is a very powerful tool for this particular strategy as it help students organize and make connections from their previous knowledge to what they are about to learn. Technology too can be another tool used with this strategy which takes this to a whole new level as students and teachers can use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. to create well-organized, visually appealing organizers (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 74). The concept map and technology tools assist teachers in quickly capturing student responses and organizing the responses into useful information (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 75) that will be processed and moved into long-term memory.
The second strategy we read about was “summarizing and note taking.” This strategy focuses on enhancing students’ ability to synthesize information and distill it into a concise new form (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 119). Teachers’ help students take information and state it in their own words in order for it to make sense to them. From here it will be easier for students to process the information and put into their long-term memory. Technology can also be of assistance to students with the strategy. Microsoft Word is an excellent source in which it can help students with summarizing a passage from a book or even their notes they take during class. It will pick out the key concepts for them and even pull out redundant sentences only keeping the important information the students need to know. Concept maps are another great tool for this strategy in which again, it will make connections for the students to their prior knowledge.
Both of these strategies can also be an asset to one’s cognitive learning by allowing the students to physically see the connections to the information they are learning or talking about in their classroom. As Dr. Orey says “images are powerful tools” (Laureate, 2009).
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Behaviorism in Practice
The first instructional strategy, reinforcing effort, allows students to see immediate feedback on their effort put forth in class. This instructional strategy of reinforcing effort enhances students’ understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing their attitudes and beliefs about learning (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 155). Ms. Powell and Mr. Rodriquez wanted the students to see a correlation between their effort and their achievement on tests and quizzes. Students made charts from their excel spreadsheet which gave them a visual of how successful they were. By looking at the chart, students can clearly and immediately see the relation between their effort and grades they earned on their tests (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 159). Hopefully by students seeing how good or how poor they did on a certain week, they would want to continue or try to improve their score which would reflect how much effort was being put forth.
Depending upon how students look at the homework and practice strategy it can be rewarding to them or it could not. A lot of times students cringe at the word homework. They hate it. However, in this chapter of the book it gives numerous ideas of how to use technology to students’ advantage in completing homework. For Emma, the fifth grader, having access to Microsoft Word tools gave her feedback as to how well she was writing a report. It let her know what grade level she was writing at and it also summarized her work, making sure she stayed focused on her topic (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 190). These tools allowed Emma to feel satisfied with what she wrote or if she felt the need to enhance her writing she could do that due to the immediate feedback she received. Another use of technology was using the Internet in which students were engaged in interactive learning, making it fun. Some even gave certificates to reward the students that they could print out and share with family and friends.
I feel both strategies are good examples of the behaviorist learning theory with the use of technology. Although kids are not getting rewarded with tangible items necessarily, it is making the students work for things that bring them positive feelings, and for approval from people they admire (Orey, 2001).
Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Depending upon how students look at the homework and practice strategy it can be rewarding to them or it could not. A lot of times students cringe at the word homework. They hate it. However, in this chapter of the book it gives numerous ideas of how to use technology to students’ advantage in completing homework. For Emma, the fifth grader, having access to Microsoft Word tools gave her feedback as to how well she was writing a report. It let her know what grade level she was writing at and it also summarized her work, making sure she stayed focused on her topic (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, pg. 190). These tools allowed Emma to feel satisfied with what she wrote or if she felt the need to enhance her writing she could do that due to the immediate feedback she received. Another use of technology was using the Internet in which students were engaged in interactive learning, making it fun. Some even gave certificates to reward the students that they could print out and share with family and friends.
I feel both strategies are good examples of the behaviorist learning theory with the use of technology. Although kids are not getting rewarded with tangible items necessarily, it is making the students work for things that bring them positive feelings, and for approval from people they admire (Orey, 2001).
Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Reflection
Before I started this class I had no idea what blogs, wikis, or podcasts were. Having to journey through the web 2.0 tools has given me many ideas for my own classroom and has made me a strong “technology” person. It has given me the confidence that if I can create these things, my students can definitely be successful with them also. This course has opened many doors for my classroom in which my students will be able to explore new ideas and concepts on their own to build their educational foundations.
A way in which I have deepened my knowledge of the teaching and learning process is that students need to collaborate with one another more in and out of the classroom. I see how much I learned in this short eight weeks researching and collaborating with my classmates. It would be amazing to see how much my students could learn in 90 days!
I have come to realize that learner-centered teaching allows ideas and concepts to stick with students better than me up at the board chalkin’ and talkin’ to them. Students can memorize concepts but if they can not apply the concept then it is going to get them no where and be a waste of time.
I will start and continue using the web 2.0 tools I have learned about in this course in my very own classroom. I will also participate in any professional development my district has to offer. I will do everything in my power to get my colleagues on board with integrating technology into their classroom in order to try and make this a school wide goal. The more consistent we educators are the more confident and successful the students will be in the learner-centered environment.
My first goal in transforming my classroom is to get a class discussion board up and running. My students work so well with one another in class, they complain when they go home; they have no one to work with. I have been fortunate to be enrolled into blendedschools.net which allows us to have a class discussion board that everyone has access to anywhere, anytime. The students absolutely love it and wonder why we didn’t start this at the beginning of the year.
My second goal is to create a class wiki in which my classes from year to year can use and add to this classroom resource. I would start the wiki by setting up the specific pages and students would be responsible for adding and changing the content on the page. I would start this project in school with my students by taking them to the computer lab and allowing them to explore for a class period. After that, they would have to find their own time whether it be at home or before or after school in the school’s computer lab.
A way in which I have deepened my knowledge of the teaching and learning process is that students need to collaborate with one another more in and out of the classroom. I see how much I learned in this short eight weeks researching and collaborating with my classmates. It would be amazing to see how much my students could learn in 90 days!
I have come to realize that learner-centered teaching allows ideas and concepts to stick with students better than me up at the board chalkin’ and talkin’ to them. Students can memorize concepts but if they can not apply the concept then it is going to get them no where and be a waste of time.
I will start and continue using the web 2.0 tools I have learned about in this course in my very own classroom. I will also participate in any professional development my district has to offer. I will do everything in my power to get my colleagues on board with integrating technology into their classroom in order to try and make this a school wide goal. The more consistent we educators are the more confident and successful the students will be in the learner-centered environment.
My first goal in transforming my classroom is to get a class discussion board up and running. My students work so well with one another in class, they complain when they go home; they have no one to work with. I have been fortunate to be enrolled into blendedschools.net which allows us to have a class discussion board that everyone has access to anywhere, anytime. The students absolutely love it and wonder why we didn’t start this at the beginning of the year.
My second goal is to create a class wiki in which my classes from year to year can use and add to this classroom resource. I would start the wiki by setting up the specific pages and students would be responsible for adding and changing the content on the page. I would start this project in school with my students by taking them to the computer lab and allowing them to explore for a class period. After that, they would have to find their own time whether it be at home or before or after school in the school’s computer lab.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
21st Century Skills
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/ is a very informative website that I think all educators need to be aware of. For me, it gave me a better understanding of what is to be expected from me as an educator that will help me gear my students to be the children of tomorrow. I was very shocked to see that only 9 out of our very own 50 states gave a commitment to revise their standards, create assessments, and implement the 21st century skills in their classrooms. No wonder our nation’s students are being outperformed by foreign countries. If we want our students to adapt and be able to use these skills we need to be able to provide them with the necessary tools on a daily basis.
I do not disagree with anything on this website. I wish more people would get on board with implementing the 21st century skills in the classroom. Team work is a big part of these skills and if our government, school boards, administrators, teachers, and community can not work together as a team how do we expect our students too? Again, implications that I see my district running into, is not have the technology resources needed in order to make our students successful for life beyond high school. Not only do we need to get these students ready for the real-life we need to get our students ready and wanting to go to college. They are going to need these skills for both.
I do not disagree with anything on this website. I wish more people would get on board with implementing the 21st century skills in the classroom. Team work is a big part of these skills and if our government, school boards, administrators, teachers, and community can not work together as a team how do we expect our students too? Again, implications that I see my district running into, is not have the technology resources needed in order to make our students successful for life beyond high school. Not only do we need to get these students ready for the real-life we need to get our students ready and wanting to go to college. They are going to need these skills for both.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Blogging in the Classroom
Blogging in the classroom, I would start off simple. I would use the blog for homework. Allowing it to be a place where students could interact with one another to obtain help on their homework. They would also be able to get the assignment off the blog page if they lost the assignment or just didn’t write it down. I would put examples done in class on the blog for them to use as a second resource other than their classmates or myself. My main intention would be to spark some interaction between my students outside the classroom. So often, students do not want to talk or discuss problems face to face because they are afraid of getting the wrong answer. By using this blog, it will expand the walls of my classroom (Richardson, 2006, pg. 27) and allow students to get help with their math around the clock.
I currently teach 10th grade mathematics and I feel that a blog for my class would be a great tool in which it would get my students interacting; students would be able to get help if they were to get stuck on a homework problem, and hopefully it would enhance quiz and test grades if students are able to obtain answers to their questions right away. With research still being gathered it is my hope that my students will show more interest in their work, they will enhance their ability to locate and reflect upon their work, and expand opportunities for collaborative learning (Richardson, 2006, pg. 28). I love teaching, I love technology, and together I can and will produce successful students of tomorrow.
Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousands Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
I currently teach 10th grade mathematics and I feel that a blog for my class would be a great tool in which it would get my students interacting; students would be able to get help if they were to get stuck on a homework problem, and hopefully it would enhance quiz and test grades if students are able to obtain answers to their questions right away. With research still being gathered it is my hope that my students will show more interest in their work, they will enhance their ability to locate and reflect upon their work, and expand opportunities for collaborative learning (Richardson, 2006, pg. 28). I love teaching, I love technology, and together I can and will produce successful students of tomorrow.
Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousands Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
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