Reflecting on My GAME Plan

I believe my original GAME plan was good, but much too ambitious for me at this point in my personal and professional life. My original goals focused on finding real world scenarios with which to incorporate technology into my classroom. I would like to continue with these same goals, but I will modify my plan to achieve them. Originally, I planned to keep a list of strategies I wanted to use, ans write a reflection each time I tried one. This was far too time consuming, as I had too broad of a focus. Although I was able to find many programs and applications I would like to use, figuring out how to implement them into my classroom, and then reflecting on them proved to be more work than I originally thought.

            I also suffered a setback when I was informed that I am not permitted to have my students register for Google accounts, which are required for most Google applications. Up to that point, I had focused solely on these applications. I did, however, come up with a few lesson ideas using Google forms, which I can create and use with my own Google account. I have already started using Google forms for one class of my students to respond to a critical thinking question each class period. So far, this has worked out beautifully, especially because the problem of lost papers has been eliminated.

            My immediate adjustment to my GAME plan has to do with time management of my plan. I plan on setting aside about fifteen minutes a few times a week to learn about new technologies. I will select a content standard to focus on, and look for technologies to use for that particular standard. This way, I will not get so overwhelmed, and I will already have an idea of the lesson I will create using this technology.

            I plan to introduce all of my students to the GAME plan. At the start of the new semester, I plan on starting a self-directed learning unit for my students. I will teach them how to create their own GAME plans. I foresee this taking quite a bit of effort on my part to monitor progress and help students achieve their goals, but I believe that once I show them how to be more self sufficient, this will carry over to other academic areas, and to their lives in general.

            I am excited to start using digital storytelling with my students. Many of them are anxious about speaking in front of the class, so I think pre-recording their digital stories will make this process more painless for them. 

Continuing with my GAME plan

I have found several resources to help me incorporate digital tools into my classroom. I have focused on the use of Google docs and Google forms. My original plan was to start searching for resources on the site http://www.teacherspayteachers.com. My original search did not turn up much. I did find a few documents about creating a quiz using Google forms, but my Walden colleagues had already suggested resources for doing just that. I was able to locate a video that explains Google docs that I can use to introduce the program to my students. This video can be found here. I am excited to show my students how they can work together using this program and how they can give each other feedback on their own time.

I have inquired about making Google accounts for each of my students. So far, I have not been given permission to do this. I am trying to adapt my plans so that they are still workable even if my request is denied. I hope that I am able to create Google accounts, so that I can show my students the applications available for use with the Google Chrome browser, in addition to Google Docs.

Progress on Goals

I have made some progress with my GAME plan this week. My first goal was to “engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources” (ISTE, 2000). So far, I have found several resources on using digital tools. I have compiled a list, and will begin testing out these tools in the near future.

My second goal was to “design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity” (ISTE, 2000). My colleagues in my PLC at school reminded me of the SMART notebook software that is to be used with my SMARTboard. I have been practicing with this software to create activities to use with the SMARTboard. I have begun using Google docs and Google forms with one of my classes. This particular class meets in a computer lab for the time being. Each class period begins with a bellringer activity. I noticed that many students in this class lost their bellringers by the due date. So, I created a google form for my students to send me their responses to the bellringer questions. I have not been using this long enough to make a judgment on how well it works.

I still have some work to do as far as finding resources online. I have found a few, but so far, nothing that I really think will work for my students. I am hopeful about the implementation of google forms to help my students to submit their bellringers.

References

ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). (2000). ISTE NationalEducational Technology Standards (NETS) and Performance Indicators for Teachers. Retrieved fromhttp://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets_for_teachers_2000.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Goals and GAME plan

This week, I explored the National Educational Technology Standards (ISTE, 2000) to create two goals for myself based on these standards. I then decided on a “GAME” plan (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009) to reach both of my goals.

My first goal comes from the NETS-S standard 1: “Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity” (ISTE, 2000). The indicator I want to focus on is indicator b: “Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. (p. 1) I have not been using technology as much as I would like because I believe it is pointless to use technology just for the sake of saying I used it. I need to find real-world situations for my students to work on using technology. Real-world assignments will be much more meaningful for my students. Because technology is everywhere, I know my students will try to solve problems using technology, so I should show them how .

I plan to meet this goal by searching online for resources on using digital tools. I will begin my search on the website http://www.teacherspayteachers.com.  This website has resources created by teachers for teachers. I will track the resources I find on teacherspayteachers.com, noting which ones work for me, and which ones do not. I will write a reflection on each lesson I try, so that I can remember the specific elements of the units that work or what I could do differently the next time I use it.

My second goal comes from the NETS-S Standard 2: “Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments” (ISTE, 2000). The indicator I will focus on with this standard is indicator a, “design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity” (p. 1). My goal is to incorporate digital tools beyond just using my electronic whiteboard to project resources. I will find ways to incorporate technology into the lessons I have already planned to use. I will meet this goal by consulting with my PLC at school, which consists of four other teachers. I will explain some of my lessons and how I would normally go about teaching them, and ask for suggestions from my PLC. I will also ask the other teachers how they incorporate technology into their everyday lessons. I want to begin implementing digital tools to teach my lessons at least once per week to begin.

I believe both of these goals are attainable for me. I am sure I will have to put in some hard work, and get out of my comfort zone, but I am confident that my “GAME” plan for each goal will help me achieve both of them.

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 (International Society for Technology in Education). (2000). ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) and Performance Indicators for Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets_for_teachers_2000.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Course Reflection

Originally, I didn’t feel any connection to any instructional theory but constructivism. Now, I see that while I firmly believe in Constructivism, my personal theory of learning also includes elements from other theories as well. Praise, which is used in behaviorism, can be a very powerful tool to motivate students, when given in a specific and real way. I also now see the importance of Social learning theory. . According to our online text “Cooperative Learning,” cooperative learning “is a teaching strategy which allows students to work together in small groups with individuals of various talents, abilities and backgrounds to accomplish a common goal” (Palmer, et. al, 2003). This made me realize that my classroom is a community, and my students will learn better if they were able to work together more often.

Before this course, I had trouble comprehending how behaviorism could be used in the classroom. when I thought about behaviorism, I thought about Pavlov’s dog experiments and B.F. Skinner’s “Skinner box.” Through this course, I can now see the difference between positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Now, I am able to look beyond these experiments and see that behaviorism can help me in the classroom.

There are two immediate adjustments that I will make to my instructional practice. The first is the use of homework. In the past, I have only assigned homework when work was not completed in class due to student behavior issues. Now, I see that homework can be used effectively to practice skills learned in class. I am planning a class website, on which I will post the homework assignments for each class period. If there is a handout for the assignment, I will post it as well, so that students can still complete the homework even if they have left their worksheet at home. If possible, I might even create a dropbox where students can turn in their homework, while still allowing students to turn in their work in person. This would help eliminate homework forgotten at home.

The other adjustment I am making is the change from instructional tools to learning tools. Until now, I have not given my students many opportunities to use technology for themselves in my classroom. I now see that they would learn so much more if I would have them make technology rich presentations, as opposed to me creating the presentations and lecturing with them.

The two technology tools I will use with my students are voice threads and virtual field trips. I used voice threads for my project assignment, and once my students understood what to do, they loved making their voice threads and recording comments to each other’s work. I could use a virtual field trip to show my students the setting of a story, when it is too far away to explore in person.

My repertoire of instructional skills has expanded from being in this course. Before, taking this course, I probably would not have implemented homework in my classroom. I always felt like if my students weren’t wasting my class time, I wouldn’t waste their home time. Now I see that homework is not a waste of time, but is actually valuable practice of skills.

I have two long term goals for the integration of technology. First, I plan on implementing more cooperative learning. Problems I’ve had in the past with group work are the noise level it brings on, and the off task behaviors that can occur. To combat this, I will choose the student groups. I may also use group wikis to interact, so that students do not actually speak to each other in class every day of the project. This will reduce noise, and students will not be able to sit and talk to each other rather than work. I will also create a system for group members to rate each other to hold each member accountable for the work he or she is assigned.

The second goal I have is to just incorporate hands on technology in my classroom more often. I will do this by securing computer equipment for my students, which is a problem at my school. I will speak to my administrators, and then my students’ parents, about the possibility of having students bring their own electronic devices to class, so we will not have to worry about the school’s lack of computer equipment. I know that not all students have a device to bring, but this may be a solution for when we do cooperative learning.

This has been my favorite class in this program so far. I have learned so much about choosing instructional strategies and subsequently choosing technology to go along with those strategies. I cannot wait to incorporate more technology into my classroom!

 

My Voice Thread

Click here to view my voice thread about parent involvement.

Social Learning

This week, we read about social learning theories. I was most interested in the section from our online text “Cooperative Learning” (Palmer, et al 2003). According to this text, cooperative learning “is a teaching strategy which allows students to work together in small groups with individuals of various talents, abilities and backgrounds to accomplish a common goal.” I think it is very important that each group is made up of students who are somewhat different from each other. This ensures that everyone has something different to bring to the table, and each group member can learn from the others. The text also notes that all members of the group will be held accountable for a fair share of the work of the project, which is the key to successful group work.

Ever since I began work on my voice thread for this week, I have been thinking about how I could use them in my classroom. Although I haven’t developed a specific plan for implementing voice threads, I know I have to try them out. A voice thread is a major step above the now commonplace PowerPoint presentation.

The book “Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works” gives some other examples of technology to use for cooperative learning (2012).  One technology I am very interested in implementing is an online learning community, created with Google Apps for Education. With this, my students can have their own email addresses, and I can create a class website, complete with a class calendar to keep everyone up to date on deadlines. Also, once students have a Google account, they can use Google’s social bookmarking site to save and share bookmarks.

Cooperative learning can be very beneficial for students. Working with a diverse group of people allows students to work to their strengths while learning from what their group mates have to offer. Technology tools can make the tasks involved easier for students, as well as more interesting for everyone.

Resources

Palmer, G., Peters, R., & Streetman, R. (2003). Cooperative learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved <June 3, 2013>, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that works (2^nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Constructivism

This week, we read about constructivist strategies. I was most interested to read the section of the online textbook by Michael Orey that discusses the instructional model set forth by Kayla Johnson. It was obvious that she as using the constructivist theory. Her presentation was completely learner centered, rather than teacher centered. The learners were actively constructing meaning, instead of her just lecturing them on what they needed to know. I was impressed that she was so prepared that she was able to anticipate her students’ needs and behavior. She already knew that her participants might be tired after lunch, so she started the afternoon out as an interesting activity to re-engage her learners. The text mentions that Kayla received good feedback from her students: they were happy to do their own projects instead of having a project forced upon them by a teacher.

The reading from this week in the Pitler book is about generating and testing hypotheses. I feel that the activities described in this chapter fall under the category of constructionism. The best of which is the one by Mrs. Omar. I really like how she created an interactive spreadsheet for her students to use. Having the formulas already in place makes the assignment easier, and allows the students to see the differences certain changes make in the final outcome. This assignment takes the focus from the actual computation of the formulas, and places it on the outcome. This makes the whole project more meaningful to the students, because they are able to see a real-world application of their math skills, without being bogged down by calculation. I was, however, a little disappointed with this chapter, because I did not learn how to implement generating and testing hypotheses in my English classroom. Does anyone have any ideas?

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

 Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that works (2^nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Cognitivism Strategies

According to “Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works,” cues, questioning, and advance organizers “all focus on enhancing students’ ability to retrieve, use and organize information about a topic (Pitzer, et al. pp 91). They can be used at the start of a unit to narrow students’ attention to make them more receptive to the new information they are about to receive.  Cues are clues as to the information to come. Questioning “helps students deepen their knowledge by requiring the use of critical thinking skills.” Advance organizers can pique students’ interest in the topic.

I was particularly interested in the section in the text about instructional media. This section mentions using online discussion forums to use cues and questions. In the example of how this is used, the teacher, Mr. Hiser posted a video for students to watch online. As cues, he included the time stamps for the sections of the video he wanted his students to pay special attention to. Having the cues makes it easier for the students to focus on the information they will need to understand the key concepts of the lesson.

The Pitzer, et al. text asserts that “summarizing and note taking focuses on enhancing students’ ability to synthesize information and distill it into a concise new form” (pp 147). In order to summarize and take notes effectively, students must be able to determine what information is most important for the understanding of a certain piece of information. One strategy I really liked from this chapter was the note taking template where students write facts about the topic on the left side of the paper, and draw a picture on the right side. This is helpful for visual learners, because they now have a visual aid that they can link to the facts on the left, so they can better retain the information.

Concept maps, outlined in the article “The Theory Underlying Concept Maps and How to Construct and Use Them,” are also useful tools for learning. The maps are a great visual representation of the hierarchy of information on a given topic. Viewing a concept map on a topic can be more informative than reading the same information in paragraph form, because the map flows from the bigger ideas of the topic to the smaller details. This helps the learner organize the information in his mind, thus making it more memorable.

All of these cognitivist strategies are helpful for today’s learners. Each of them helps students focus on the information to be learned, and allows them to organize the information in such a way as to help them remember it more readily.

Resources

Novak, J.D., and Canas, A.J. (2008). The theory underlying concept maps and how to construct and use them., Technical Report IHMC CmapTools 2006-01 Rev 01-2008. Retrieved from the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition Web site: http://cmap.ihmc.us /Publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMaps.pdf

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that works (2^nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Behaviorism REVISED

This week, I read two chapters of the book “Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works” by Howard Pitler, Elizabeth Hubble, and Matt Kuhn. The first chapter that I read, “Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition” describes a practice that I would describe as being behaviorist (2012). One important point in this chapter is that of providing recognition. Providing recognition is a positive reward for students, as described in the online book “Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology.” The Pitler text states “Most people like to be recognized for their efforts, whether the recognition comes in the form of praise or something more concrete.” The text goes on to say that in order to be effective, praise must “promote a mastery-goal orientation,” be “specific and aligned with expected performance and behaviors,” and ‘use concrete symbols of recognition.” This criteria ensures that the praise lets the student know exactly what he is doing right, so he can continue doing the right thing. When false praise is given, the behavior that is occurring is being reinforced, even if it is an undesirable behavior. Because of this, teachers have to make sure that they are using praise to reinforce the behaviors they desire.

Homework and practice can also be effective tools in the classroom, when used correctly. According to the Pitler text, “At its best, homework can provide opportunities for students to familiarize themselves with new concepts as well as to practice, review, and apply what they’ve learned.” Sometimes though, teachers use homework and practice as busywork, and do not provide adequate or timely feedback. Homework and practice should be used for students to practice applying skills learned in class, not just the same problem represented fifty times over in the same manner.

After reviewing this week’s resources, I have come to the conclusion that there may still be a place for behaviorism in today’s classroom. Praise can be a very effective motivator for most students, if used correctly. Homework is effective when it is used as practice in applying skills, but not when it is given as busy work or punishment.

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

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that works (2^nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Course Reflection

This course has really opened my eyes to the free technologies available for teachers to use in their classrooms. I mistakenly thought that using cool technology in my classroom was out of my reach, due to the cost. Now that I have experimented with technologies available for free on the internet, I see that making fun lessons is so much easier than I thought.

My knowledge of the teaching and learning process has deepened because I now understand that I need to make my lessons more student centered, rather than being teacher centered. I will work on involving my students in the planning stages of my lessons. I will get their input on how they learn best, and incorporate those techniques into my teaching.

I can expand my knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading by experimenting with using different types of technology to present lessons. I can try out new technologies in my classroom, then reflect on which ones worked best or how to tweak my presentation to best serve my students.

Long Term Goals:

1. Classroom Blogging: I will create a classroom blog and grant access to it for all of my students. I can use this blog to deliver classroom information, updates, and links, as well as allowing them to work on assignments through the blog. This will be a challenge, because we have limited access to computers and I have limited planning time. I will overcome these obstacles by planning ahead and reserving the computer lab well ahead of time to ensure that we can use the blog. I will also see if I can open the lab during lunch so that students have access at lunchtime on certain days. I will have to budget my planning time accordingly, so I can monitor and update the blog regularly.

2. Informing Others: My second goal is to spread my newfound knowledge to my colleagues. I know some of them will not be receptive to using new technology in the classroom, but I am sure that several are just like me, and would be open to using technology if they only knew how easy (and free!) it is. The main challenges to this will be time and teacher responsiveness. I can take care of this by planning some type of session during a faculty senate day or other team planning day. I can also only meet with teachers who want the extra training.

My answers to the checklist from week one have changed slightly. I feel that I am more receptive to working with technology. I am also more interested in seeking out others to share knowledge and practices.

This week, I created a podcast explaining how much my students use technology for personal and school purposes. Please click HERE to listen to my podcast. Enjoy!

The Partnership For 21st Century Skills

This week, I was given the task of examing the website http://www.p21.org, from the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills. This site outlines what the 21^st century skills are, and why they are important. This website has so much information that it is hard to take it all in at once. Before reading the information, I thought I knew what the 21^st century skills were all about, but I really underestimated the scope of the skills. I had assumed that they were all about having students use technology as much as possible. I was very surprised to read that not only are skills such as articulating thoughts through multimedia listed, but there are also skills concerning creativity and innovation and exercising sound reasoning.

I found the website to be very informative, but I was disappointed that the information was so spread out in documents linked all over the site. I would have had an easier time with it if the information was more consise. Also, after reading the skills for English, I am concerned with how I will be able to teach these skills to my students. I am not sure how to assess skills like creativity and flexibility to be sure that my students have mastered them. I am also not sure that every one of my students needs every one of these skills. I see how the skills will help most of my students in their lives and careers after high school, but I have several students who resist anything to do with creativity. I will definitely need to research this more, to learn how to reach those students and to see how I am expected to assess their mastery.

Blogs In the Classroom

I have been thinking about how to incorporate my blog into my classroom. Because I have seven classes a day (3 different courses), I think it would be fitting to have a blog for each course. Then, each group of students could use the blog to showcase what they are working on and to share their information with other classes learning about the same topics.

Using a blog in the classroom is an great idea because it can fulfill my students' need to be social. This will enhance their learning because they will be able to gain information from each other, and share information with other students.

Welcome

Hello and Welcome to my blog!
I am an English teacher in central West Virginia, currently teaching 9th and 10th grades. I am new to blogging, but am excited to get started sharing ideas with other teachers.