When I first started this whole GAME plan I think I put more on my plate then my stomach could hold. I had big ideas but I don't think I thought of what could really happen in the time given to complete the goals. Now with a bit of rethinking and reworking of the goals I had put in place I can realistically make things happen.
One of my goals for standard 1b “engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources” (ISTE, 2008) was to develop my own WebQuest from scratch. I know that could do this but just not in the time frame given. After doing research on other WebQuests that are already out there I felt that there are some great WebQuest that I can pick from to get started. I have learned that there are some great things already out there for teachers to use. I often want to do all my lessons and units on my own but I now leaning that there are is great stuff already out there for teachers to use.
As for standard 5c “evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning” (ISTE, 2008). This one has kind of been a thorn in my side. I have been working very hard to find tools and resources that support student learning. I have found many helpful tools and look forward to using them in the up coming school year. The hard part of this standard is the reflecting and sharing of what I have found. It is kind of scary because I have found that many teachers don't even know the basics of what I have found. This makes things very difficult when wanting to share the new stuff. I have had many teachers say I don't even know the first thing about technology. So now I see that this standards goals need to be adjusted to start at the very beginning.
All of this said I just need to keep working at the goals I have in place for my GAME Plan and things will start to fall into place.
Allison :)
ISTE, Initials. (2008). The Iste national educational technology standards (nets•t) and performance indicators for teachers. Retrieved from iste@iste.org, www.iste.org.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
The GAME Plan-Part 3
The goals of my game plan take time and effort to implement. I have spent some time researching different WebQuests that will fit for my classroom. I have found many useful tools from other people's WebQuests that I will be able to use in the one that I hope to create. I took the additional steps of registering the computer labs so that my students are able to have computer access to complete the WebQuests.
I have noticed that students need more attention during the first half of the school year versus the second half. So I am trying to figure out where the time will come to train first and second quarter students.
Putting standard 5C into practice has given me the greatest difficulty thus far. With it being summer break, contacting my colleagues is another challenge. I think this standard will have to be tackled during the school year. My hope is that by March staff development I will be able to have all necessary aspects in place.
I have noticed that students need more attention during the first half of the school year versus the second half. So I am trying to figure out where the time will come to train first and second quarter students.
Putting standard 5C into practice has given me the greatest difficulty thus far. With it being summer break, contacting my colleagues is another challenge. I think this standard will have to be tackled during the school year. My hope is that by March staff development I will be able to have all necessary aspects in place.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
GAME Plan Part 2
Part 2 to this GAME plan is going to take time and much effort for it to actually happen. To be able to complete standard 1b “engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources” (ISTE, 2008) of my GAME plan I will need for each student to have access to a computer and internet. I will need for my Web Quest to be fully developed and make sure that all links would be student appropriate. I would also like to complete the web quest to make sure that it is do able for my students. It would allow me to work out any kinks that the web quest may have. So far I have gathered the websites that I would like to use. I have also developed the questions that I would like students to answer.
For standard 5c “evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning” (ISTE, 2008) I will need to gather the information that would be beneficial for teachers to know. I would also need to set up the time for the teachers to be educated. Lastly, I will need to develop the survey that the educators will fill out. This is the hardest goal to work on at the moment. With all the other things going on I find it hard to sit down to get going on this.
I am willing to take any suggestions that will help me in the completion of my Game Plan.
References
ISTE, Initials. (2008). The Iste national educational technology standards (nets•t) and performance indicators for teachers. Retrieved from iste@iste.org, www.iste.org.
For standard 5c “evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning” (ISTE, 2008) I will need to gather the information that would be beneficial for teachers to know. I would also need to set up the time for the teachers to be educated. Lastly, I will need to develop the survey that the educators will fill out. This is the hardest goal to work on at the moment. With all the other things going on I find it hard to sit down to get going on this.
I am willing to take any suggestions that will help me in the completion of my Game Plan.
References
ISTE, Initials. (2008). The Iste national educational technology standards (nets•t) and performance indicators for teachers. Retrieved from iste@iste.org, www.iste.org.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The GAME Plan
Over the course of my teaching career I have set many goals. During the school year I have taken great pride in achieving the goals I had set. An area that I am now focused on improving is using technology to enrich my students learning environment. A way that plan to make this happen is by using “The Game Plan” explained in the book “Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use a Standards-Based Approach” by Cennamo, Ross and Ertmer. I will also be choosing two NETS*T standards that I would like to improve on.
The first standard I will be improving is 1b “engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources” (ISTE, 2008). The second standard will be 5c “evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning” (ISTE, 2008).
The “GAME Plan” starts with setting a Goal. My goal for 1b would be to find ways to use this standard in my content area. For 5c my goal would be to be more diligent in finding research on emerging and existing tools that can benefit my students in the classroom.
The next step in the “GAME Plan” is to tell what Action I will be taking to ensure that I achieve the goals I have set. For NETS*T standard 1b I will develop a Web Quest that will have students exploring the fast food that we Americans eat. The main goal will be for students to find a healthy meal at a popular fast food chain.
As for standard 5c I will work with my districts staff development team to ensure that all teachers are afford the opportunity to explore and learn about
Once I have set the Action part of my “GAME Plan” into affect I would then move into the Monitoring stage. A way that I would monitor standard 1c would be by conferencing with each student as they completed their Web Quest. By seeing how each student is doing I am able to help them with the technology and guide them in the learning process. For standard 5c I would ask other teachers to take part of a survey on the staff development courses that were offered on emerging technologies. By developing a survey I will be able to tell what is helping teachers.
The final part of my “GAME Plan” would be to Evaluate and Extend. I would blog my findings for both standards. This would help me and other teachers. I will be able to get feed back from others which would aid me in changing what didn’t work and what did.
As a teacher I take great pride in improving my teaching. By taking the time to use and implement the GAME Plan I am insuring that progress will take place. I look forward to hearing your responses.
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.
ISTE, Initials. (2008). The Iste national educational technology standards (nets•t) and performance indicators for teachers. Retrieved from iste@iste.org, www.iste.org.
The first standard I will be improving is 1b “engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources” (ISTE, 2008). The second standard will be 5c “evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning” (ISTE, 2008).
The “GAME Plan” starts with setting a Goal. My goal for 1b would be to find ways to use this standard in my content area. For 5c my goal would be to be more diligent in finding research on emerging and existing tools that can benefit my students in the classroom.
The next step in the “GAME Plan” is to tell what Action I will be taking to ensure that I achieve the goals I have set. For NETS*T standard 1b I will develop a Web Quest that will have students exploring the fast food that we Americans eat. The main goal will be for students to find a healthy meal at a popular fast food chain.
As for standard 5c I will work with my districts staff development team to ensure that all teachers are afford the opportunity to explore and learn about
Once I have set the Action part of my “GAME Plan” into affect I would then move into the Monitoring stage. A way that I would monitor standard 1c would be by conferencing with each student as they completed their Web Quest. By seeing how each student is doing I am able to help them with the technology and guide them in the learning process. For standard 5c I would ask other teachers to take part of a survey on the staff development courses that were offered on emerging technologies. By developing a survey I will be able to tell what is helping teachers.
The final part of my “GAME Plan” would be to Evaluate and Extend. I would blog my findings for both standards. This would help me and other teachers. I will be able to get feed back from others which would aid me in changing what didn’t work and what did.
As a teacher I take great pride in improving my teaching. By taking the time to use and implement the GAME Plan I am insuring that progress will take place. I look forward to hearing your responses.
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.
ISTE, Initials. (2008). The Iste national educational technology standards (nets•t) and performance indicators for teachers. Retrieved from iste@iste.org, www.iste.org.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Reflection: Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom
Over the course of this class I have learned a great deal about ways to teach and engage students in the world of 21st century technology and literacy. I have been able to strengthen my own literacy skills during the course while also having the opportunity to build my students skills of inquiry based learning. I have been introduced to many literacy strategies and web-based tools that will aid my students in searching, evaluating, and synthesizing information from the internet.
One of the most striking revelations that I have had during this course was how important it is to use essential questions when having students work on an inquire based project. I learned that students often times just start a project and never ask a single question. “Children and young adolescents frequently initiate research without explicit research questions or a plan of action; therefore, we need to help them develop strategies for this important first step in the inquiry process” (Eagleton & Dobler 2007, p. 84). Now knowing this has changed how inquire projects are completed in my classroom. I now assess each class by using the handout provide in the book “Reading the Web” by Eagleton and Dobler. It has truly changed how learning is done in my classroom.
As I move forward in my teaching career I will now be taking the time to ensure that my students are asking important questions, searching and locating information in the proper way, evaluating the information they have gathered and resources they have found, that they are synthesizing information and lastly able to communicate all of this effectively. Now knowing how to do this will benefit my students. They will leave my class with 21st century literacy skills that will encourage them for the rest of their education.
A goal that I have for myself after taking this course is to utilize what I have learned and develop more inquire based literacy projects for my students that will prepare them to enter the 21st century world. “Besides having basic literacy skills, today’s students also need technology skills for communicating, investigating, accessing and using information, computing, thinking critically about messages inherent in new media, and understanding, accessing and evaluating data.” (Gahala &Holum, 2001, p.1). By taking on the task of developing more inquiry based projects it will challenge me to stay on top of the new types of technology and inquiry based literacy skills. To make sure that I reach this goal, I will stay up to date by reading and researching literacy and technology on a regular basis. I will also take time to find any professional development seminars that may be offered on this topic or that may be related to this topic.
This course was an eye opening experience for me in the world of literacy and technology. I was able to increase my knowledge of what literacy and technology means in today’s world. I now have many strategies that will enable me to effectively teach my student and leave me with the confidence that I have done my best to prepare my students to enter the world.
References
Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for
internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.
Holum, A., Gahala, J., & North Central Regional Educational Lab., O. (2001). Critical
Issue: Using Technology To Enhance Literacy Instruction. Retrieved from ERIC database.
One of the most striking revelations that I have had during this course was how important it is to use essential questions when having students work on an inquire based project. I learned that students often times just start a project and never ask a single question. “Children and young adolescents frequently initiate research without explicit research questions or a plan of action; therefore, we need to help them develop strategies for this important first step in the inquiry process” (Eagleton & Dobler 2007, p. 84). Now knowing this has changed how inquire projects are completed in my classroom. I now assess each class by using the handout provide in the book “Reading the Web” by Eagleton and Dobler. It has truly changed how learning is done in my classroom.
As I move forward in my teaching career I will now be taking the time to ensure that my students are asking important questions, searching and locating information in the proper way, evaluating the information they have gathered and resources they have found, that they are synthesizing information and lastly able to communicate all of this effectively. Now knowing how to do this will benefit my students. They will leave my class with 21st century literacy skills that will encourage them for the rest of their education.
A goal that I have for myself after taking this course is to utilize what I have learned and develop more inquire based literacy projects for my students that will prepare them to enter the 21st century world. “Besides having basic literacy skills, today’s students also need technology skills for communicating, investigating, accessing and using information, computing, thinking critically about messages inherent in new media, and understanding, accessing and evaluating data.” (Gahala &Holum, 2001, p.1). By taking on the task of developing more inquiry based projects it will challenge me to stay on top of the new types of technology and inquiry based literacy skills. To make sure that I reach this goal, I will stay up to date by reading and researching literacy and technology on a regular basis. I will also take time to find any professional development seminars that may be offered on this topic or that may be related to this topic.
This course was an eye opening experience for me in the world of literacy and technology. I was able to increase my knowledge of what literacy and technology means in today’s world. I now have many strategies that will enable me to effectively teach my student and leave me with the confidence that I have done my best to prepare my students to enter the world.
References
Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for
internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.
Holum, A., Gahala, J., & North Central Regional Educational Lab., O. (2001). Critical
Issue: Using Technology To Enhance Literacy Instruction. Retrieved from ERIC database.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Reflection on Technology
Over the last few weeks I have moved from being a digital immigrant to being an educator who is a digital native. I have seen the valuable resources available for teaching students - students who are spending a great deal of time using technology. I now see the importance of using 21st century technology in my classroom. “Today’s students, the “digital natives” as they are sometimes called, are practically inseparable from their computer, video games and the Internet” (Miners & Pascopella). If I had not taken this class I would have still been teaching my students in a 20th century way when they are in a 21st world.
The course has helped me in many ways to develop my technology skills. Before this course I was a person that was doing things different but not differently. I did not know what was out there and how it could benefit my classroom and students. “We live in a world where it is commonplace for technology to be used to do different things, not just old tasks, differently. We have the capacity to use technology to transform educational practices in ways that were impossible twenty years ago.” (Thornburgh 2004). This course has shown me what a 21st century classroom needs to look like in order for students to be prepared to enter the world of ever-changing technology. I was shown through this course that much of how I was teaching was not preparing my student in the right way. “It’s their after-school education, not their school education, that’s preparing our kids for their 21st century lives—and they know it.” (Prensky). I saw that students were using technology in many ways and it was time I started using it to help in educating my students.
My skills have been developed in blogging, using wikis and podcasting. Each of these things I had never before used in my classroom, but as of today, each one has been incorporated into my classroom life. I can now say that I teach my students in the way they have been learning all their life. “Often from the Natives’ point of view their Digital Immigrant instructors make their education not worth paying attention to compared with everything else they experience-and then they blame them for not paying attention!” (Prensky 2001). I have been able to deepen my knowledge of learning by expanding my thoughts and ideas of how technology can be used. I had always thought of technology in the classroom as just using the internet. I had no idea that Web 2.0 technology was even out there. I see now that students do not have to do all book-based learning for school to be a place of learning. Students spend a great deal of their time using technology and so should our schools. We are hurting our students by trying to block out the world of technology from them. The skills I have gotten from this course have made me a better educator and a teacher that is preparing my students for a 21st century world.
I have been able to turn my classroom from being a teacher-centered place to a student-centered classroom by allowing myself to be open-minded and entering a new world. I now give my students a chance to be more expressive by blogging about what they have learned or by my recording my classes and Podcasting them for students who were absent. Each of these small things have transformed my classroom from being teacher-oriented to student-oriented. “In student-centered learning, faculty must become facilitors and collaborators, and instruction must move memorization to problem solving.” (Keengwe, Onchwari & Wachira). It takes time and a great deal of effort to integrate these new ideas but I have been willing to go the extra step for my students. My students are going to be entering a 21st century world and it is my job to make sure they are prepared for it. By adding blogging, wikis and Podcasting to my class I am helping my students be prepared and showing them that I am willing to teach them in the way that they learn. “It is not actually clear to me which is harder -“learning new stuff” or “learning new ways to do old stuff”” (Prensky 2001). It takes a lot for a teacher to turn a classroom upside-down and to start teaching in a new way, but as educators we must do what is best for our students.
I will continue to expand my knowledge of learning by staying current with the new 21st century technologies. I now subscribe to many educational blogs which keeps me up-to-date with what is going on in the world of technology and education. Prior to this course I had never used the internet or blogging to stay current with education. I now see which vital tools are out there for teachers. I also see now how important it is for teachers to stay connected with other teachers. This was an area in which I was not adept prior to this course. I will use the new ways of communication to stay in touch with other Family and Consumer Science teachers.
I find that having goals for making my classroom 21st century ready is key to making sure that my students are 21st century ready. My first goal is to have 21st century tools available. I am now in the beginning stages of writing a grant to receive a presentation station for my classroom. I know that the district is unwilling to provide me with the tools needed to make a 21st century classroom therefore my goal is to find ways to make this happen. I will strive to move my school and classroom toward the future. “Offer classes in programming robotics, long-distances collaboration, and cutting-edge science” (Prensky). These types of classes are what 21st century students need to be taking. I will be working on making administration aware that classes need to start integrating 21st century technology and this can only be done with the right tools. “Imagine a classroom, for example, where a teacher can respond to a student’s question with immediate search and retrieval of a video clip illustrating, for example, a scientific observation, or historical event” (Thornburgh 2004). This is what a classroom should look like and one of my goals is to make it happen.
My second goal is to help teachers that are digital immigrants become digital natives. I will accomplish this goal by sharing what I have learned with anyone that will listen. I was recently involved in a presentation at a staff development day. I was able to share what I had learned in this class. Many teachers came and told me later that they had never heard of much of what I had presented. By sharing what I have learned, I will help many teachers who I work with move from digital immigrants to being digital natives. “It’s very serious, because the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an out-dated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language” (Prensky 2001). My hope with setting this goal is to not only help the students that have these educators but to also show the educators that teaching is no longer just textbooks and a chalkboard.
After taking this course I have a new found respect for educational technology. I now see that is must be a staple in all classrooms. I look forward to expanding my knowledge on what is out there and being able to truly send my 21st century students into the world where they will be successful.
Keengwe, J., Onchwari, G., & Wachira, P. (2008). The use of computer tools to support meaningful learning. AACE Journal, 16(1), 77รข€“92
Miners, Z., & Pascopella, A. (2007). The new literacies. District Administration, 43(10),
26–34.
Prensky, M. (2001a). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).
Prensky, M. (2001b). Digital natives, digital immigrants, part II: Do they really think differently? On the Horizon, 9(6).
Prensky, M. (2008, March). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40–45.
Prensky, M. (2005). Listen to the natives. Educational Leadership, 63(4), 8–13.
The course has helped me in many ways to develop my technology skills. Before this course I was a person that was doing things different but not differently. I did not know what was out there and how it could benefit my classroom and students. “We live in a world where it is commonplace for technology to be used to do different things, not just old tasks, differently. We have the capacity to use technology to transform educational practices in ways that were impossible twenty years ago.” (Thornburgh 2004). This course has shown me what a 21st century classroom needs to look like in order for students to be prepared to enter the world of ever-changing technology. I was shown through this course that much of how I was teaching was not preparing my student in the right way. “It’s their after-school education, not their school education, that’s preparing our kids for their 21st century lives—and they know it.” (Prensky). I saw that students were using technology in many ways and it was time I started using it to help in educating my students.
My skills have been developed in blogging, using wikis and podcasting. Each of these things I had never before used in my classroom, but as of today, each one has been incorporated into my classroom life. I can now say that I teach my students in the way they have been learning all their life. “Often from the Natives’ point of view their Digital Immigrant instructors make their education not worth paying attention to compared with everything else they experience-and then they blame them for not paying attention!” (Prensky 2001). I have been able to deepen my knowledge of learning by expanding my thoughts and ideas of how technology can be used. I had always thought of technology in the classroom as just using the internet. I had no idea that Web 2.0 technology was even out there. I see now that students do not have to do all book-based learning for school to be a place of learning. Students spend a great deal of their time using technology and so should our schools. We are hurting our students by trying to block out the world of technology from them. The skills I have gotten from this course have made me a better educator and a teacher that is preparing my students for a 21st century world.
I have been able to turn my classroom from being a teacher-centered place to a student-centered classroom by allowing myself to be open-minded and entering a new world. I now give my students a chance to be more expressive by blogging about what they have learned or by my recording my classes and Podcasting them for students who were absent. Each of these small things have transformed my classroom from being teacher-oriented to student-oriented. “In student-centered learning, faculty must become facilitors and collaborators, and instruction must move memorization to problem solving.” (Keengwe, Onchwari & Wachira). It takes time and a great deal of effort to integrate these new ideas but I have been willing to go the extra step for my students. My students are going to be entering a 21st century world and it is my job to make sure they are prepared for it. By adding blogging, wikis and Podcasting to my class I am helping my students be prepared and showing them that I am willing to teach them in the way that they learn. “It is not actually clear to me which is harder -“learning new stuff” or “learning new ways to do old stuff”” (Prensky 2001). It takes a lot for a teacher to turn a classroom upside-down and to start teaching in a new way, but as educators we must do what is best for our students.
I will continue to expand my knowledge of learning by staying current with the new 21st century technologies. I now subscribe to many educational blogs which keeps me up-to-date with what is going on in the world of technology and education. Prior to this course I had never used the internet or blogging to stay current with education. I now see which vital tools are out there for teachers. I also see now how important it is for teachers to stay connected with other teachers. This was an area in which I was not adept prior to this course. I will use the new ways of communication to stay in touch with other Family and Consumer Science teachers.
I find that having goals for making my classroom 21st century ready is key to making sure that my students are 21st century ready. My first goal is to have 21st century tools available. I am now in the beginning stages of writing a grant to receive a presentation station for my classroom. I know that the district is unwilling to provide me with the tools needed to make a 21st century classroom therefore my goal is to find ways to make this happen. I will strive to move my school and classroom toward the future. “Offer classes in programming robotics, long-distances collaboration, and cutting-edge science” (Prensky). These types of classes are what 21st century students need to be taking. I will be working on making administration aware that classes need to start integrating 21st century technology and this can only be done with the right tools. “Imagine a classroom, for example, where a teacher can respond to a student’s question with immediate search and retrieval of a video clip illustrating, for example, a scientific observation, or historical event” (Thornburgh 2004). This is what a classroom should look like and one of my goals is to make it happen.
My second goal is to help teachers that are digital immigrants become digital natives. I will accomplish this goal by sharing what I have learned with anyone that will listen. I was recently involved in a presentation at a staff development day. I was able to share what I had learned in this class. Many teachers came and told me later that they had never heard of much of what I had presented. By sharing what I have learned, I will help many teachers who I work with move from digital immigrants to being digital natives. “It’s very serious, because the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an out-dated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language” (Prensky 2001). My hope with setting this goal is to not only help the students that have these educators but to also show the educators that teaching is no longer just textbooks and a chalkboard.
After taking this course I have a new found respect for educational technology. I now see that is must be a staple in all classrooms. I look forward to expanding my knowledge on what is out there and being able to truly send my 21st century students into the world where they will be successful.
Keengwe, J., Onchwari, G., & Wachira, P. (2008). The use of computer tools to support meaningful learning. AACE Journal, 16(1), 77รข€“92
Miners, Z., & Pascopella, A. (2007). The new literacies. District Administration, 43(10),
26–34.
Prensky, M. (2001a). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).
Prensky, M. (2001b). Digital natives, digital immigrants, part II: Do they really think differently? On the Horizon, 9(6).
Prensky, M. (2008, March). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40–45.
Prensky, M. (2005). Listen to the natives. Educational Leadership, 63(4), 8–13.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Technology Interviews
8th Graders on their thought of technology in the 21st century
http://allisonfitzpatrick.podbean.com/#
Be sure to let me know what you think.
http://allisonfitzpatrick.podbean.com/#
Be sure to let me know what you think.
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