Monitoring Your GAME Plan Progress

I think I have all the resources I am going to need to finish my game plan. What I need is support from my fellow teachers and my administration. I mentioned before how difficult I found it to get help at this time of year. The holidays and are looming test dates are coming quick. I received an idea from one of my groups mates (Abby) who suggested a blog to answer and ask questions. I loved this idea because it would allow people to comment and participate without taking up too much of their time. I like the idea of my students helping come up with their own goals. They are leaving high school soon, I think the responsibility of meeting, and setting goals should be a high priority.

The idea of incorporating more technology seems easy enough, but I need to make sure that my students are still meeting standards and able to pass or make substantial gains in the state reading test. I teach Remedial Reading and we have a much regimented lesson plan/ curriculum. I am not allowed much creativity or leeway. This has been an issue for me from the beginning. I need to find ways to creatively add more technology to my lessons

Carrying Out Your GAME Plan

The first thing I needed was a complete list standards from the NETS website; I needed to print out a copy and add this link to my favorite so it is always easy for me to locate. My first goal is to incorporate these standards into my daily lesson plans. The second goal is to start a technology group or forum was my fellow teachers discuss ways to incorporate technology into our lesson plans. My two goals are 2a design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity. 2b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.
My first goal I is the easier one because I have to rely on myself to get it done. I told my principal that I was going to be adding technology standards to my lessons and he thought it was great as long as I continue to teach my content. I need to get one of my classes on board with me and see how they feel about adding technology to our lessons. I want it be part of their own personal goals.

My second idea to start a technology group will probably not happen until next year. Timing is everything. One idea I got from my Walden classmates was to add current and former students to the mix. I like this idea. As long as the students are serious and willing to help, they will be welcomed. The problem will be my co-workers and time of year. We have four weeks until Winter Break and finals and when we get back, we fall into the FCAT (Florida’s state test) black hole until March. I will try to see if I can get my department to add a technology goal at our next meeting.
I have started planning for January and trying to add technology to my current plans.
How can I get people on board at this time of year? Does everyone feel like they are annoying people when they try to change the status quo?

References

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

GAME Plan

When I viewed the NETS website I found two standards that I feel I need to focus on to enrich my classroom and allow my lesson to enhance technology while focusing on content. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
2 Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers: 2a design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity. 2b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress. (Cennamo, Ross, Ertmer, 2009) I believe that I will be able to achieve my GAME plan.

My goals will be to include the previous standards in my daily lesson plans. I have learned several ways to incorporate technology while obtaining my masters degree. I believe that I need to make my lessons plans more relevant for my students that are leaving school next year and entering the workforce. One goal I have to set up a technology group at my school that works to add new technology to all classrooms. I know my county has a technology board, but no one knows what they do.

Take Action-I would like there to be an open dialogue about what inexpensive enhancements can be added to current lesson plans to make them successful for the 21-century learner. I will add the NETS standards to my lesson plans and make sure that I am using them to enhance my lessons.

Monitor- I will monitor my use of technology and make sure that I am including the two standards I previously mentioned and adding new ones until I feel I am using all the standards frequently. When I was first teaching I wrote my daily standards on the board every day, not just in my lesson plans. I think that I need to go back to basics and start doing that again. Doing this reminded me daily what my goals were.

Evaluate and Extend-I will evaluate my plan by the reaction and work of my students. If they seem engaged and excited about assignments, then I will be an accomplishment. The reaction of my colleagues will also evaluate how I am doing. If I can get dialogue about adding technology to our yearly reviews, beyond using an overhead, I will feel that I have succeeded.

References

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

Reflection

I think the most striking revelation that I had while taking this course was the awareness of the large amount of false information on the Internet. Application 4 was helpful in opening my eyes to this fact and made me more aware of how misleading Internet sites can be. I realized how much time I needed to spend with my students on establishing credible web sites and guided my students to reliable safe sites.
The knowledge and experience of this class and all the classes I have taken while at Walden influence will influence me in my classroom because they are relevant to what is happening in schools around the world. Technology is changing how things are done, taught and learned and it is exciting to be taking classes on the subject. I think as an educator I will be more aware of the issues my students face when dealing with technology because I also had a few issues. I am also excited about the ideas I obtained from this class, many of them borrowed from my classmates like ideas about how to use digital story telling.
When I think about a professional development goal that I would like to pursue I am reminded of The 21 century literacy skills and how they are needed for our students to be productive in this new century. I believe that for our students to remain competitive their teachers must make an effort to attain these skills. The ideas behind 21 Century Fluencies and traditional literacy skills are similar in the fact that they both want the student to achieve a similar goal, process information and utilize that information.“ All the 21st Century fluencies are learned within the context of the Digital Citizen, using the guiding principles of leadership, ethics, accountability, fiscal responsibility, environmental awareness, global citizenship, and personal responsibility.” (2010)
My favorite skill and one that I think would be beneficial to teachers is working in collaboration with other teachers and even parents. I know when I began teaching I had help from more experienced teachers, but not every teacher is as lucky. I feel that teachers should share more information and be encouraged to work in collaboration by their administration. Collaboration fluency is team working proficiency that has reached the unconscious ability to work cooperatively with virtual and real partners in an online environment to create original digital products.” (2010) My school motto has a line that says “…to build lifelong learners and I believe to teach lifelong learners you must be one yourself.


The 21st Century literacy Project The Fluencies,2010-http://committedsardine.com/fluencies.cfm

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REFLECTION

• My learning theory is definitely a blend of different learning theories. I believe that every student has a unique perspective and understanding that the student brings to my classroom. It is my job to help them understand how they learn. I don’t think my learning theory has changed, but I have been reminded by my classmates and Dr. Orey that our classrooms should be student centered.
• One thing I have learned while taking my last few courses is that I am just starting to fully understand my own learning style. It has changed even over this last year and the more I read and learn I that your learning style will change and grow, but the fundamentals will remain the same. As my knowledge of computers and how to integrate them in the classroom increases, I can expect my own classroom style to change and that is very exciting
Two new technology tools that I would like to use would have to be Voice Thread and Blogging. Voice Thread and Blogging are such innovative ways to get a class discussion going and to really bring about community learning.
• Two long term goals I would like to change in my classroom in regards of using technology are using more technology that is student based and taking more time to try new applications

Cooperative Learning

This week we read and discussed cooperative learning. In the text Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works, they explain, when students work in cooperative groups, they make sense of, or construct meaning for, new knowledge by interacting with others. Our students will experience a different work force when they enter and will be expected to be prepared for a fast-paced workplace where technology is used and where the clientele may be global.
I love the idea of using Keypals to communicate and collaborate with students and teachers in other parts of the country or world. Many of my students have a much-skewed view of the world because they have never left the South and I feel responsible in broadening their outlooks. Most of the books we read as a class are about other cultures or countries or have a minority lead character.
My students spend 25 minutes in small group instruction daily and I really liked the idea from our text about using different criteria for deciding groups. I notice that my groups often start feeling that it will be easy to let someone else do the work and then they become competitive and really, fight to see has the right answer, it becomes fun and the students remember answers better, maybe because they listen to see if their answer was correct.
I think cooperative learning is a fantastic way to design curriculum, however I think a mix of a more traditional one on one with this style is the best way. I also think Cooperative teaching might also benefit teachers and students for many of the same reason.

Reference
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD

Voice Thread

I think that if my remedial readers owned their own novels and were able to write in them they would be more successful. Please view my voice thread.
Thanks,
Mary

voicethread.com/share/1191648