Reflection

Course Reflection.

I feel that the GAME plan format is a very user-friendly format for teachers to use as they work to improve themselves, their instruction, their district and their students.  The GAME plan that I learned the most from in this course was the plan focused around iste.nets standard 1 Indicator D.  Indicator D calls for teachers to model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.  This is why I decided to create a professional learning community in my district with the hopes that down the road it could be county wide.  I began by gauging the interest of teachers in my district.  One of the most shocking discoveries I made was how little the technology coordinator in our district new about them and how strict the policies in our district were about social networking.  I knew that we couldn’t use Facebook, but all the other social sites were blocked by Board policy.  I had the support of co-workers and even some friends who are educators outside of the district to try and get this PLC going. 

            I now feel that this lack of liberty especially with closed forum sites like NING that are not accessible by the public that I need to make a push to change our schools policy (Laureate, 2009).   I can really transform my classroom from a traditional classroom to one that embraces the benefits of online collaboration.  I know it will help me, but this courses use of blogs, wikis, social networking and digital story telling have made it very clear that there is a place for these programs in our classroom. 

            I would not revise my plan at all.  I am currently working to create a PLC in my district and if I can open that door, maybe in time the benefits can be made clear to administration and can lead to our students being able to utilize these tools.  I think this is a great way to ease a major policy change into action.  If this action did not work, I could use the GAME plan format with my students as they created their own push to utilize technology.  As a class we can come up with a plan to reach the board members and administration to permit these types of technology sites.  Course resources stress how these mediums allow for students to build verbal communication, collaboration, writing, and technical skills as well (Laureate, 2009).  What better evidence that PLC’s are important than for the kids to demonstrate how similar technology can help them. 

            Due to the fact that right now board policy is prohibiting me from using such technology in my instructional practice, I am currently slatted to give a presentation at February’s Board meeting in which I hope to have internet rules relaxed, not done away with.  I understand the trouble that the Internet can create, but many of these can be made private.  I plan to show them that these communities can help teachers and students collaborate for their benefit.  I plan to point out that these networks let us expand beyond the text (Laureate, 2009). Initially this is about getting a PLC for my colleagues and myself, but I hope to take it a step further and open up the online world of learning for our children beyond simple Internet research.

            There is no doubt in my mind that I can use problem-based learning, social networking and digital storytelling in my curriculum.  That is a statement that I would have never made prior to this course.  The benefits are endless.  I would love to use digital storytelling for the creation of chapter reviews.  I think that by having students create the reviews to help their classmates a motivation to do well arises.  I also feel that the kids could really have fun whether they developed a song to remember the causes of the French Revolution or if the developed a graphic organizer to piece together their unit on Imperialism.  It also gives students who are uncomfortable with verbal communication the opportunity to express themselves (Laureate, 2009).  I would also love to give those students who need a little more time the opportunity to have it.  In the traditional classroom, that is not always a possibility, but with these technologies it can happen. The online environment also allows for extended collaboration and communication (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009 ).  

As teachers our job is to prepare our students for the jobs of tomorrow.  We live in the digital age and we must take initiative in preparing them to be successful.   When technology can connect them with individuals around the world for collaboration or information gathering purposes as teachers we can prepare them through the use of technologies such as Twitter and blogs.  If we in the education world can embrace these technologies and use them correctly we can go a long way in preparing today’s youth for the demands of tomorrow.

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.

Laureate Education,, Inc. (2009). Spotlight on technology: Digital storytelling. Part 1 Integrating technology across the content areas. [Webcast]. Baltimore, MD

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Spotlight on technology:Social networking and online collaboration, part 1.[Webcast]. Baltimore, MD: Autho

Monitoring My GAME Plan

As I continue to work on my game plan, I must admit that things are running quite smoothly.  I have been slowly moving forward with the creation of the technology PLC in my district.  I may have to slow down my timetable for a countywide PLC as the process of getting permission and gaining the technology access that is needed has taken much longer than I had anticipated. 

As I work on Standard three, Indicator two I have not had to modify my plan at all.  My students are doing a nice job as they learn to find credible resources.  We have only done one exercise or lesson and then they worked individually after that.  I will check all of their references when the projects are turned in to assess their level of understanding.  As discussed in this week’s learning resources this type of assessment will be based off of the problem-based assessment (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).  The authentic research that these students have been doing on the Presidential candidates mirrors the type of active citizenship outlined in the NYS Grade 12 curriculum and in real life.

This process has certainly reminded me that I am never too old to improve my teaching.  I have also become increasingly aware of how talented my students are in the use of creativity and technology.  The profiles that I am receiving are not only accurate, but contain elements of humor, sarcasm and art.  I often get bogged down in numbers and who is passing but with this process my viewpoint shifted and I really began to see my students as brilliant individuals capable of amazing things.

The biggest question that has arisen over the course of these GAME Plans has to do with my districts administration.  We have such tight constraints on our technology that I feel in some ways we are doing our students a disservice.  They are not able to interact with blogs or wikis.  I just feel that we can protect our students and we should, but I feel that my administration fails to see the benefits of technology.  I feel like creating an open mind in my district in terms of technology usage could be my next GAME plan!  For all of you who stop by my post in the next 24 hours, Happy Thanksgiving!

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 Progress

Last week I took some time to review the iste.nets standards for teachers.  After a reviewing each standard and the indicators that accompanied, it became obvious that I was comfortable with the job I was doing with a majority of the standards.  However, there were two that I decided that I needed to pay more attention to and work on.  Recognition is great, but now its time to figure out what I need to do personally to ensure that I improve on these areas.

The first standard that I felt needed attention was Standard 1 Indicator D.  Indicator D calls for teachers to model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.  I do believe that I collaborate well, but I don’t collaborate in virtual environments very well.  I checked and there is not a single Professional Learning Community in my district.  So what I did was send out a mass email looking for individuals who would be interested in becoming a part of the community and so far I have had about four express interest.  I also spoke with the IT coordinator and he is willing to work with us to create a virtual forum.  He admitted this was new for him but he is willing to try.  He did make one suggestion that I liked.  He reminded me that within our district there is an online chat option between the teachers.  He said in the early stages of the PLC’s development that could be an option.  I would like to have between seven and ten members in the PLC to start.  At this point I am going to need the district online chat option that works with our email and take it from there.  I would also like to in time create a Skype format where teachers can collaborate via the Internet with text, images, and sound.  I am looking forward to improving these methods, but this is an area that is so foreign to me that I just want to take it slow for now and get my feet wet.  I just feel that it is important for teachers who use technology to have some knowledge of their technology and a PLC can go a long way to creating a supportive culture for teachers who use technology (Laureate, 2009).

The second standard that I felt needed attention the second indicator that I would like to address falls under standard 3 entitled Model Digital Age Work and Learning which states that teachers model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate and use information resources to support research and learning.

            In order to improve in this area, I am going to have to use various methods of modeling along with the SMARTBoard and website evaluation forms.  I will also need the Computer Lab. This week it was pointed out that it is important to realize that students might come to the desired conclusions in a variety of ways (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).   I will have a variety of forms that students can fill out to correctly evaluate a website.  I will present these forms in both paper form and digital form and allow the students to use the method that they prefer most.  For the purpose of learning to evaluate websites, I will allow the students to choose the topic they want to look into, it does not have to be government based. Instead, students will be free to choose whatever topic works for them as long as they are doing the required work.  Initially, I will demonstrate how to fill out a couple of the website evaluation forms in front of the whole class.  Then, after that those who are comfortable can try on their own, those who are still uncomfortable will be allowed to walk through the process one more time with me.  Finally, students will be turned loose on the computers to evaluate websites in the format and on the topic that they choose.  Please note that my classroom aid and myself will be constantly moving around the room answering questions and evaluating progress.  The next class these skills will be applied to the government project they are doing.  I feel that by taking this approach I will have inserted some flexibility in terms of options for the kids that will allow for learning of students of every ethnicity and ability level (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).  I am very excited to put my plan to action as I feel the preparation is complete.

Resources:

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.

International Society for Technology in Education. (2011). Nets for teachers. Retrieved

from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx

Laureate Education Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Ertmer, P., Program 3: Enriching

content area experiences with technology part one. Integrating Technology Across

the Content Areas [Educational Video]. Los Angeles: Solution.

What Time is it? GAME TIME!

            This week I took some time to reflect iste.nets standards for teachers.  As I worked through the standards I found those that I was comfortable with and those that I was not so comfortable with.  When I finished with Standard 1 Indicator D, I could not help but revisit the description.

            Indicator D calls for teachers to model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.  Although I collaborate regularly, I don’t use technology to collaborate with teachers in my district and outside of my district.  This weeks learning resources pointed out that the best technology based projects are not listed on a Google search, but can be found through educators using programs such as Twitter to connect to teachers of the same content beyond the school (Laureate, 2009).  My GAME Plan for addressing this indicator is as follows:

Goal:  To broaden my collaborative comfort zone with colleagues with in my district as well as outside of my district in an effort to provide effective learning experiences.

Action:  In my district there are no professional learning committees at all, let alone one for increased teacher collaboration.  The first action I will take is to speak with the IT coordinator at our school to set up a PLC devoted to focusing teacher collaboration with an emphasis on technology usage in the classroom.  If that goes well I would like to also attempt to create a PLC that could use live streaming or video conferencing to connect the small rural county that I teach in.  Often there is only one subject teacher per school and to use the technology that we may incorporate in out classroom takes us one step closer to creating the virtual environments we would like for our kids.  This touches on the idea that effective teachers that use technology should be have some knowledge of their technology and it goes a long way to creating a supportive culture for teachers who use technology (Laureate, 2009).

Monitor:  Considering that this is something that is very new to my district and to the best of my knowledge the county.  I will be keeping a personal log as well as a log of our PLC meetings where I can not only record the events of the meeting but also reflect on what is working what isn’t and what can be improved.

Evaluate:  I will evaluate the effectiveness of the PLC by the responses of those involved as well as by implementing the projects and technology that the group explores and getting group feedback about the effectiveness of the technology and the developed projects.

After just recently completing a project where students used the web to research the personal and political backgrounds of the Presidential candidates, the second indicator that I would like to address is falls under the section entitled Model Digital Age Work and Learning which states that teachers model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate and use information resources to support research and learning.

Goal: To model the correct use of digital tools to efficiently locate and evaluate credible information through online research.

Action:  Model the proper ways to conduct online inquiry so that the best information is located in a timely fashion.  The students will watch me model that and then they will have guided practice in the same field prior to being turned loose for independent research.  I will also model the website evaluation worksheet as we fill the sheet in as a class via the SMARTboard.  We will discuss what credible URLs look like and practice together evaluating a website of my choice.  When I feel that the class is ready to be turned loose, they will have an opportunity to apply the strategies that I have modeled in their personal research.

Monitor:  As the students are completing these tasks, I will be monitoring the questions being asked, body language and evaluating their answers to questions to see if they truly understand the strategies and the level of work that is expected of them.  If I feel through my evaluation that they are able to try I will turn them loose.  If the whole class is lost we will do more guided practice as a group.  Finally, if some in the group are ready to start and others aren’t it will be no problem to take more time with that small group and provide the extra instruction that those students require.

Evaluation:  I mentioned above that some of the evaluation might take place while I am monitoring, that evaluation is informal.  I will be collecting the website evaluation worksheet as a final checkpoint for understanding.  If all is well then it is time to move on, if the students struggle I know that I need to reteach.

            The course text informs us that simply using technology does not promote creative thinking skill or engage students (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).  But if used in a calculated manner it is blatantly obvious that technology can create effective lessons and teachers who foster critical and creative thinking among their students.

Resources:

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.

International Society for Technology in Education. (2011). Nets for teachers. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx

Laureate Education Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Ertmer, P., Program 3: Enriching content area experiences with technology part one. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas [Educational Video]. Los Angeles: Solution.

Laureate Education Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Ertmer, P., Program 3: Enriching content area experiences with technology part two. Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas [Educational Video]. Los Angeles: Solution.

Course Reflection

                When I reflect back on my personal learning theory I can honestly say that my theory has not changed but following this course I have added so many tools to my teaching repertoire.   I now feel that I have the knowledge to reach the diverse sample of learners that I teach.   Dr. Orey has touched on a number of learning theories and strategies that I cannot wait to implement in my classroom.  This class also helped put a lot of what I already do into words.  I found that I use a lot of these theories without understanding that I am using them.  After this class, my efforts now have more direction and I feel comfortable knowing when to use each theory and strategy.  I know when to use dual coding, I realize that I have an emphasis on behaviorism and that I use technology more for an instructional strategy that a teaching tool.  These are very important to know and understand, those things that are good and those things that need to be reeled in like only using technology for a teaching tool need to be monitored.

                The biggest adjustment that I will make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration is not in the realm of using technology, but in how I use technology.  I believe that I am a great user of technology as an instructional strategy, but I really lack in using it as a learning tool.  I would love to use blogs and voice threads with my students.  The blogs will allow the students to interact in an environment that they are comfortable in.  The blog also allows for running dialogue between students and topics.  Maybe a student does not like to speak in front of people, but feels extremely comfortable commenting online, this helps them.  I love learning about the voice thread.  Not only is it down right cool, but the voice thread allows the students to use both linguistic and non-linguistic representations for the purpose of learning.  It is very easy to use and permits peer review and interaction.  The course talked about not having technology for technology’s sake and with blogs and voice thread software the technology has a profound importance.   I cannot wait to use virtual field trips in my class.  I teach 10^th Grade Global Studies and the Holocaust is a major topic.  To actually tour the Holocaust Museum will be a great instructional tool.

                There are a few changes I would like to make with my instruction regarding technology.  One change is that I would like to transform the SMARTBoard from an instructional tool to a Learning tool.  I would like to see students up and moving around the classroom and manipulating the board instead of using it as a high priced projector.   My second long term goal is to implement one project per unit that utilizes voice thread technology, blogs, wikis and the like.  I feel that it does not have to be a major project, but that the extra technology and time with content can only help student learning.

                As this class closes, I am finishing the course with knowledge that I had not anticipated learning.  I am confident that I can apply the lessons of this class to my classroom and truly benefit my students.   Whether they are creating PowerPoint presentations or Voice threads, the technology I use in my classroom will have a purpose and create meaningful learning experiences

Voice Thread

 This week, we were asked to work with the program Voice Thread.  The problem that my school has been dealing with is appropriate school dress.  I created a Voice Thread presentation that speaks to the issue and also discusses some of our specific rules and difficulties enforcing this issue.



http://voicethread.com/share/3150163/

Social Learning Theory and Cooperative Learning

According to the article Social Learning Theory; An Overview of Bandura’s Social Learning Theory people can learn new information and behaviors by watching other people.  Think back to your childhood, did you watch a parent and act like they did or if you are a parent, did your child ever say a phrase that you said when you were mad without fully understanding it?  If so, then you have experienced social learning.   This week this course took a closer look at the concepts of cooperative learning and the Social Learning Theory.  These two ideologies focus on the role of interaction between students and others in the classroom and how cooperative tasks can provide for a positive and lasting learning experience.

I really agree with the idea that students learn from each other and by working together to build an artifact.  There are a number of ways in which our students can use technology and collaboration to build understanding of content.  Some examples are given in the course text Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works such as creating a video project, webquests and the creation of a website.  Projects such as those listed above are a great way for students to work with each other to form understanding.  Dr. Orey states that through collaboration students are able t to bounce ideas off of each other,  get validation from each other for good ideas and encouragement as the attempt to complete the assignment (Laureate, 2010).  As digital natives our youth must be able to use the technology they have grown up with and be prepared to apply that to the larger global world that we now live in.   Teachers can help prepare students for such a difficult task by creating learning opportunities that embrace the social learning theory.  When this is done and done well, our students will not only be prepared for the demands of ever changing technology but they will also be comfortable in a work environment in which collaboration will be paramount.  

In social learning theory Albert Bandura (1977) states behavior is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning.   The concept of observational learning is very much a part of today’s classroom.  Teachers who embrace the opportunity for their students to learn from one another as they create an artifact are not only creating meaningful learning in the classroom, but preparing their students for success beyond the walls of the school in the real world.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). [Webcast]. Social learning theories. 

                Baltimore: Laureate Media.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). [Webcast]. Connectivism as a learning

                theory. Baltimore: Laureate Media.

McLeod, S. A. (2011). Simply Psychology; Bandura | Social Learning Theory. Retrieved from

                http://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom

                instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.