Reflection

            Having a GAME plan for developing lessons allows teachers to improve instruction.  By “setting goals, taking action, monitoring progress and evaluating” (Cennamo, Ertmer, & Ross, 2009, p. 3), this method allows for a “customized approach to learning goals and develops relevant skills important to you” (Cennamo, et al., 2009, pp. 3-4) this to your students.

            Using the GAME plan template to create my unit on Google Maps helped me to see where we are, what we needed to learn and where we can build on knowledge after completion of the lesson.  It lays out the lessons nicely and I can make adjustments where necessary.  The first adjustment that I would make would be to extend the unit for an additional class period.  The students really enjoyed the research on the volcanoes and earthquakes and I had to limit them because of time.  Next time I will build an extra class period in so that they may extend their research.  Another adjustment that I would make for the future would be for the students to collaborate with a small group or partner from start to finish, instead of the students collaborating at the end for the assessment portion.  This project would do well with the collaborative nature of a digital storybook and the technology aspect. 

Sharing this unit with my learning community, I was able to get great constructive feedback from my peers.  Upon reflection and a suggestion from my group, I would like to include a video chat with a volcanologist at the beginning of the lesson to serve as a motivation for the students.  This will also offer insight into certain volcanoes and earthquakes and students may ask any questions that they might have.  The lessons have a high engagement level but I think that video conferencing with an expert would send it over the top. 

I have set some goals for myself in regards to technology integration.  Upon reflection of digital storytelling, online collaboration and project based learning; I wish to have my students produce their own portfolio of work that they can look back on for a reference.  By using portfolios as a learning tool and as an assessment tool offers many benefits.  For instance, portfolio’s can stretch across curriculums, “easy to repurpose, and easy to distribute work” (Cennamo, et al., 2009, p. 13).  Also, and most importantly they can show students growth and change over a time period. 

In closing, technology opens up many possibilities.  Implementing the structure of a GAME plan can allow teachers to focus on the collaborative technology that can enrich the learning experiences of 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.

Monitoring My GAME Plan

           As I am working towards the goals in my GAME plan, I am feeling overwhelmed.  With so many new resources that I have found or have been suggested by my professional learning community, I am having trouble focusing and must narrow my scope in order to feel that I am accomplishing something.

            I originally wanted to focus on collaboration and simulations.  I have seen proven success with Voice threads and the collaborative characteristics of them.  I would like to try WallWisher (www.wallwisher.com).  Using this website students can brainstorm, share ideas, and then comment on them.  I would implement this at the beginning of a lesson like a concept map in order to see the students prior or background knowledge on a topic.  For example, to introduce a unit on natural disasters I could have students post their knowledge of volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunami’s on the wall and then make connections between them. 

            To address the professional development goal I have, I want to survey the teachers in my school (using www.surveymonkey.com) to see that technology they are comfortable using, what they want to know more about, and what they are willing to try.  It can be anonymous to make them feel more comfortable answering, but I really want to see what types of staff development can be brought in to help them and make their lessons multi-sensory.  Not just another time wasting professional development session.  I have also started to connect to other computer teachers in the private sector and hope to connect with public school to see what they do with technology and what is expected from students when they enter and exit school.

            With all this being said, it is exhausting thinking about all of the options.  Technology truly is a double edged sword.  In so many ways it helps us in our everyday lives (i.e. cell phones, computers, Smart Boards).  However, it is also growing at such a fast pace that it is difficult to learn something, implement it, evaluate and perfect it before it is obsolete.  Does anyone else feel this way?

 

Carrying out my GAME plan

            In order to continue to grow professionally, integrating technology into my lessons must occur.  My goals are to “facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity and to engage in professional growth and leadership” (International Society for Technology Education, 2008) so ongoing changes will have to lead me to my aim.

            Being in the computer lab with unlimited resources allows me to be creative in planning lessons.  My school is restrictive about communications with outside schools but with a new campus opening in September I am hopeful that we can work collaboratively with the other campus.  I believe it is through collaboration that real inspirations come to life.  When planning out a lesson, I never underestimate the student’s ability to take an idea and run with it.  By using a Prezi or a Voice Thread I would like to do more collaborative projects with the students.  My students can always offer an interesting perspective or suggestion for a final product.  So I will continue to incorporate their suggestions for future lessons.  As far as my professional growth, I have signed up for additional training on google tools in the classroom, virtual environments and simulations as well as all of my coursework at Walden. 

            I can always rely on my colleagues to bounce ideas off of as well as the Director of Technology.  I often bring a portion of an idea and she can help me get the objectives and the technology piece into the lesson.  Conversely, other teachers come to me and have a topic but do not know how to incorporate technology and we work together to reach that goal.

Resources:

International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE): NETS for Teachers 2008 http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx

My GAME Plan

           In order to keep connected with technology in the classroom, looking at current practices and integrating technology as much as possible helps to develop lessons that incorporate 21st  century skills.  Through reflection on my own performance and keeping the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the National Education Standards for Teacher (NETS-T) in mind, I can focus on two goals.

            In order to “facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity” (International Society for Technology Education, 2008), I would like to incorporate more experiences with virtual environments.  Some strategies that can be used are collaboration via video conferencing or blogs.  “Computer conferencing allows students to engage directly in knowledge creation with others who are not physically present…and with multiple perspectives, students are challenged to think more deeply about the topic” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 74).  Another goal that I have is to “engage in professional growth and leadership” ((International Society for Technology Education, 2008).  Recently I attended a technology conference and found the information and practical applications so helpful.  For example, creating a customized search engine (CSE) for my students will allow them to search frequently and narrow the results to appropriate sites.  There are many more opportunities for staff development with the outside community.  My job title will be changing for next year and I will not only be the computer teacher but also the technology specialist for the building, so I need to develop my skills and be able to disseminate the new technology to my peers. 

            To monitor the progress of both of my goals, I will reflect on the new lessons and the implementation of web conferencing.  Getting input from students on projects will also be helpful for future plans.  In addition to that, getting ideas for lessons on technology from the students.  Using them as a resource to bring technology to the classroom not only motivates them to find the newest technology out there but brings inherent interest to the classroom. 

            In the end, setting goals and planning carefully to achieve them is part of being a good teacher.  By constantly reflecting on the ISTE NETS-T indicators and using technology to “facilitate group and community learning” (Cennamo, et al., 2009, p. 79), that goal can be closer to achieving.

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. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T).  Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx

Reflection

            Throughout this course, my opinion has changed on how students learn.  With all of the learning theories, instructional strategies, and technology tools at my disposal, various theories can be instituted to meet the needs of my students.  By implementing different combinations, each lesson can be learner centered.

            I feel that students learn in different combinations.  Taking different factors into account like multiple intelligences and language disabilities, a teacher must differentiate the lesson in order to deliver effective instruction.  I believe that learning should be put the learner as the focus whenever possible.  Given my classroom setting in the computer lab, certain projects really lend themselves to cooperative learning groups.  By making an effort to provide the students with the opportunity to “work in cooperative groups, they make sense of, or construct meaning for, new knowledge by interacting with others” (Johnson, Johnson, & Stanne, 2000).  Other theories also apply in my room.  For example, by constructing a product, whether it is a spreadsheet, slideshow, Voice Thread, or paragraph, the ownership is on the student. 

            Some changes that I have already made in my instructional goals are using more of the new technologies available.  For instance, the concept mapping tools and Voice Thread have already been used to display and organize information so that students can better understand a concept.  As part of my long term goals I envision my students being able to participate in a wiki collaboration with our New York City campus due to open in two years.  With the anticipated success of that project, hopefully administration will allow the students to participate with other schools over long distances to strengthen their collaboration skills.  In addition I would also like to see the students Skype with the other campus in order to do a school wide project that helps to build wells in South Sudan.  This is all due to the fact that “now students can collaborate through the web and other students in their school, subject experts, and multi-user game players…they can even collaborate across the globe” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007, p. 144).

            To conclude, I do not feel that there is one single theory, strategy and technology tools for an entire classroom of children.  It is important to prepare the students for a “fast paced, virtual work place that they will inherit, today’s students need to be able to learn and produce work cooperatively” (Pitler, et al., 2007, p. 138).  It is not only more interesting but also more research driven to incorporate certain strategies at certain times in order to deliver effective instruction. 

Resources:

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

Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., & Stanne, M.B. (2000).  Cooperative learning methods: A meta-analysis. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota.  Retrieved May 4, 2006, from http://www.co-operation.org/pages/cl-methods.html

Connectivism and Social Learning Theory

            Everything in learning has a connection.  Whether a skill is built upon or connected to other skills at the same time, it is the “intersection of prior knowledge, experience, perception, reality, comprehension, and flexibility that learning occurs” (Orey, 2007, p. 1). 

            The cooperative learning theory is a “methodology that employs a variety of learning activities to improve students understanding of a subject by using a structured approach which involves a series of steps, requiring students to create, analyze, and apply concepts” (Kagan, 1999). 

            Due to the fact that cooperative learning has similar characteristics to Vygotsky, Piaget, and Kohlberg’s theories building on prior knowledge and real life experiences can help students make the necessary connections thus storing information in their long term memory.  By “combining teamwork and individual accountability, students’ work toward acquiring both knowledge and social skills” (Orey, 2007, p. 3). 

            By using cooperative learning in a classroom it can create an “atmosphere of achievement” (Panitz, 1996), where students can get a “deeper understanding of the material and more potential to retain the material” (Orey, 2007, p. 3).  After all, the whole point of any instruction is for the students to remember the information and if the process of learning was enjoyable they are more likely to remember it.

          For this weeks application, we were asked to create a voice thread.  The link to my voice thread is https://voicethread.com/share/3479471/

Resources:

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page

Kagan, S. Educational Leadership (Jan. 1990).  Retrieved September 2, 2003, from: http://home.capecod.net/~panitz/tedasrticles/coopdeinition.htm

Panitz, T. (1996).  A definition of collaborative vs. cooperative learning.  Retrieved June 28, 2012, from:  http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/deliberations/collaborative-learning/panitz-paper.cfm

Constructivism in Practice

         While reading about constructivist classrooms in this week’s resources, I began to reflect on the different strategies that were presented.  In order to use technology in a manner that is helpful and provides students with applicable skills many different activities can be done.

          By having students work on generating and testing a hypothesis three things occur.  First, they are “engaging in complex mental processes” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007, pp. 202).  Secondly, they can “apply content knowledge” (Pitler, et al., 2007, pp. 202).  Lastly, students can “enhance their overall understanding” (Pitler, et al. 2007, pp. 202).  By using the help of technology teachers can achieve the six tasks which are “system analysis, problem solving, historical investigation, invention, experiential inquiry, and decision making” (Pitler, et al., 2007, pp. 203).  The technologies that are out there to support these tasks are spreadsheet software, data collection tools, and various web resources.  By using these programs the goals for the teacher can be achieved in a measureable way.  Using MS Excel for example, can help gather data to help support a hypothesis.  Most importantly, web resources can foster “interactive applets and simulations allow students to use background knowledge, make decisions and see the outcomes in a virtual setting” (Pittler, et al., 2007,  pp. 212).

          Whether you believe that students create their own meaning (constructivist) or that learning takes place when something is produces (constructionist) or a combination of both theories, using technology can help assimilate, accommodate, equilibrate, and increase scheme (understanding) on a topic.  These are all mechanisms for learning or how children acquire and remember new information.  The learner must be able to strike the balance between reality and their own understanding and if they are vastly different then the student must assimilate their own reality to the outside world or make accommodations to their schema to align with the reality.  Technology can seek to change the interpretation of the information for the student.  For example, by using a slideshow presentation, a student can seek to demonstrate how to conserve natural resources after they have researched how these resources are not replaceable and if we do not conserve now, future generations will suffer.  This might change how they view the world in their own reality, but they are constructing something to show that they understand the concept of conservation and how nature functions in a broader sense.

          To summarize, by using technology students can apply their knowledge to make learning more meaningful.  The flexibility that technology affords makes it easier for students to adapt their thinking to the worlds views. 

 

Resources:

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