Course Reflection

As this course comes to a close, I took the time to look back at my personal GAME plan that I had developed at the beginning of the course. The personal goals that I had set for myself were:

1.)                engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resource

 

2.)                collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

 

As result of creating a personal GAME plan I think about the new learning that has occurred. I have gained more of an understanding about what I can do to strengthen my students technology and communication skills. With each week’s new topics and time spent reviewing my GAME plan, I gained knowledge and many new ideas and resources to help me accomplish the personal goals that I had set out.  Through the course, I have learned more about problem-based learning, online collaboration, and digital storytelling. I realized how well these fit into my second goal listed above. Incorporating these forms of learning into my curriculum will provide students with engaging and meaningful learning experiences. Creating a GAME plan has forced me to look at lessons in a different way. Before I thought about how time consuming and long it would be to try and incorporate this into my own lesson plans. But after completing this course, I can now see the benefits. My new learning will definitely have a positive impact on my instructional practice. It will remind me to look deeper and more carefully at the way I teach. It will also be a constant reminder to add technology, real-world examples, and collaboration into my lessons. The GAME plan that I have developed for myself and my students is still a work in progress. Like I had mentioned in a previous post, I do not know that I will ever meet my goal as I will continue to strive to do better with each new implementation.

Additionally, this has been one of my favorite classes that I have taken thus far. Each week there has been something new that I have learned about incorporating technology into the classroom. The best thing about this course was the idea that everything learned is applicable to any age group. One of the immediate adjustments that I plan to make in my instructional practice is the idea of adding more digital storytelling into my lessons. As Dr. Abrams (2010) discussed in Spotlight on Technology, it can be integrated into any subject area. Seeing how it can be used across the curriculum encouraged me search different ways I can use it in my 3^rd grade classroom.

Another change that I see taking place is the implementation of a classroom blog. The blog will allow my students, parents, and I to communicate events and document learning that is taking place at school. Adding this online collaboration tool into my classroom will increase communication and collaboration amongst the students. It will serve as a great space for parents to keep up on their child’s learning as well as provide us with the opportunity to collaborate with students outside of our classroom. The last change that will take place in my goes along with my first personal goal previously mentioned. Because I plan to engage my students in more real-world and authentic learning experiences, I will need to add more project-based learning activities into my teaching. Therefore, in conjunction with my teaching team, I would like to create more opportunities for my students to participate in authentic learning experiences. Together, we will brainstorm ideas that will align with our common core standards.

In the end, technology is becoming more pervasive in our students lives. Because students are using technology on a daily basis it only seems natural to combine it with the rest of their learning. Adding technology into my lessons will stimulate critical thinking and creative thinking skills. I realize that this will not all happen overnight. It will take time, research, and dedication to be sure it is meeting the needs of my students. Most importantly, I cannot do this alone. I will be looking to my peers, students, and parents for support throughout this process as well. Sure it will take time, but the end result is what matters most. Through all of this, I want my students to be able to see that learning can be fun, engaging, meaningful, and powerful all at the same time. By adding various forms technology into classroom I know this goal can be met.

Resources:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Spotlight on technology: Digital storytelling, part one. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Monitoring My Game Plan

As I review my GAME plan that I have been developing over the past few weeks, I feel that the process and the research involved is going well. The first goal that I have been working on is engaging students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. Authors Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) express that authentic instruction requires students to demonstrate an understanding of concepts and perform skills within a context by replicating real-world performances. One way that I have been working on this goal is by searching Edutopia. Edutopia is an educational site that provides educators with many different teaching ideas that focus on various authentic and real-world issues. I signed up to receive weekly e-mail alerts from them as well. Doing so, I am able to get updates and new ideas each week. I have also been looking at our common core standards for 3^rd grade and have been finding ways that I can incorporate authentic and real-world learning experiences with our new standards.

As for my second standard collaborating with students peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation it is also going well. I have taken advice from what my colleagues from both my Walden community and school and have looked further into the different types of blogs to use to communicate. After researching, I plan using Blogger to communicate with parents, students, and my Walden community. I found that it was the easiest to use and there were a lot of options for add-ons as well.

Overall, I feel that my action plan is coming along well. At this time I do not feel that I need to change and or make any adjustments to my plan. I have learned that there are many options for my students when it comes to implementing technology into the classroom. There are tons of websites, blogs, journals, etc. that I have utilized to find resources to help me accomplish my goals. Basically, I have learned there is no excuse to not implement these standards into the curriculum. With everything that is out there, it just takes a little time and planning to accomplish this.

A question that I continue to ask myself throughout this process is when do I know I have accomplished my goal? To me, I feel like these are ongoing goals to have in the classroom. Should there be a point where we just say that is it, I met my goal and I am done? As teachers I feel that we are never done meeting goals because we are constantly working and striving to do better than before. Also, education and technology are constantly changing, so to stay current with the times I do not think there is a stopping point. So I guess I answered my own question. What are your thoughts on this?

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.

Carrying out the GAME Plan

Last week I posted my personal GAME plan to enhance my technology knowledge. The goals I chose to focus on were:

1.)    engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resource

 

2.)    collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

One of the actions that I have taken to start this process is to search various blogs and teachers web pages to instill some ideas and creative juices in myself. I have become a follower to many blogs written by other teachers that focus on my grade level as well as grade levels above and below 3^rd grade. I can always take an idea and adapt it to my own grade level. In addition to following other educator blogs, I have also been following my colleague’s blogs from Walden. Becoming a follower of these blogs has allowed me to stay up to date on the information that is posted each time. I have been able to gain so many ideas and viewpoints from a variety of people in the teaching profession. In addition to subscribing to blogs, I have been using Pinterest to search for ideas. This amazing virtual pin board allows to me save the ideas that I have found so I have them for later. Moving to a new grade level this year, I have used Pinterest a lot to pin ideas on the new curriculum I am teaching. If you haven’t checked it out, I HIGHLY suggest it! But be forewarned, it is addicting! Here are some of my favorite blogs that I am following right now. Check them out!

Step Into 2nd Grade

What the Teacher Wants

My Life as a 3rd Grade Teacher

Teaching in Flip Flops

Furthermore, there are still things that I need to do to accomplish my goals. One of the things that is at the top of my list is creating a blog for my students, parents, colleagues, and I. Creating a blog will allow me to collaborate with a wide range of people. Students will be able to use the blog to update what is happening in class as well. I will be able to post announcements, assignments, and projects they have created. I feel that creating a blog will really bring out the collaboration piece that I am trying to reach.  Right now we have a Facebook page, but I do not feel that it is individualized enough for my students. With the blog I feel that they will be able to take more ownership of their learning. They will be allowed to contribute to the blog as well. I plan on using Blogger since I am used to the format and it is easy for the students and I both to post to. Does anyone else use a blog for their classroom? What other important factors should I think about before I get started?

GAME TIME

The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) are standards for students, teachers, and administrators to lead the digital age. Reviewing the 5 technology standards for teachers was a great refresher as to what we should be focusing on when incorporating technology into lesson plans. With that being said, I chose two indicators as a priority for my classroom and students. The first indicator is 1.b (engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources). As a third grade teacher this year, I am trying to use technology in the classroom so it has meaning. I feel that focusing on this indictor will allow me to provide students with authentic learning experiences.

The second indicator I would like to enhance is indicator 3.b (collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation).  In this standard I would like to focus on the collaboration of students. I think it is so important to allow students to collaborate with one another. It is a great way to enhance their learning.

Developing a GAME plan is an important part of technology integration. Authors Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer explain that GAME is an acronym which stands for: goal, action, monitor, and evaluate (2010).

Here is my personal GAME plan:

Set Goal: My first goal is to create lessons that are meaningful for third grade students that integrate real-world issues.  Setting this as a goal, it will give me the opportunity to create more authentic learning experiences for my students. My second goal is to collaborate with students to enrich learning through various technology tools.

Take Action: In order to make these goals come to life, I will have research what other teachers are doing. I plan to do this by searching blogs, websites, and journals. Doing so will give me a good idea on how I can achieve my goals.

Monitor Your Learning: It will definitely be important for me during this time to track my personal learning and progress. Doing so will allow me to make improvements for the future.

Evaluate and Extend Your Learning: At the culmination of each project, I will have to take the time to reflect upon changes that I can make to make the learning experience even better for the future. Reflecting and finding alternatives will give me a chance to continue to improve. The continuous reflection will help me to see if I have met my goals, and what I have to continue to do to meet them.

 

Now that I have a plan in place, it is time to get in the GAME!

Resources:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. 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

As I reflect back on my “Personal Theory of Learning” from week one, I was pleased to see that what I stated in week one still holds true at the end of this course. Not much of what I mentioned has changed. Looking back on my paper I noticed a section that stated this:

 “I feel that children learn best from one another. When placed in a cooperative learning environment, children have the opportunities to be active learners. Also in this form of learning, each child is given the opportunity to showcase his or her own personal talents. From my own personal classroom experience, I have noticed that the information sticks with the children longer when he or she is involved”

Looking back on all of the theories and instructional tools we applied in this course, learning is just as mentioned above, giving students the opportunity to be active learners. As Dr. Michael Orey stated throughout the seven weeks of video segments, the best learning takes place when children are engaged and have multiple opportunities to learn (Laureate Education Inc., 2011). This course has reminded me of all the various learning theories that can be applied in the classroom. I have deepened my knowledge in the fact that I now know and understand how to apply each theory more effectively in the classroom. I have definitely gained an understanding of how to successfully incorporate technology such as VoiceThread, wikis, iPads etc. into my curriculum. I am pleased to say I have many new ideas that I can add to my curriculum next fall.

As a result of this class, I will also be making some adjustments to my instructional practice regarding how I use technology. I have learned that I have to adjust the way I use instructional tools in the classroom. My goal is to be more proactive in creating learning tools that the students can use. Creating these types of lessons will allow my students to be more active learners. As Orey stated in Instructional Tools vs. Learning Tools I need to train my brain and ask myself “What can the child do with the technology?” (Laureate Education Inc., 2011). As a result, I plan to use virtual field trips more next year. I thought this was a great way to get the students involved in the learning. There were many virtual field trips that presented opportunities for students to be engaged and gain meaningful information from. Another technology I intend to use more frequently is SpiderScibe. I love how interactive and involved the students could be while creating a concept map. I felt that it really allowed them to critically think about the topic at hand while keeping them engaged in the process. Not to mention all of the activities in our Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works books too. By the looks of it, I will be one busy teacher come next fall.

Overall, my long terms goals for incorporating technology into the classroom include using technology in a way that involves the students first hand in the learning. By doing this, I will be creating lessons that will be powerful for any age group. Another goal I have is to begin to incorporate more project based learning into the classroom. Moving into third grade, I feel that I will have more of an opportunity to achieve this goal. I will have the opportunity to split the students up into cooperative learning groups and across many other subject areas besides reading. Through this course I have learned that in the end, I need to be a facilitator of learning and let the kids do the work.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011a). Program eleven: Instructional strategies, Part one [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program thirteen: Technology: Instructional tool vs. learning tool [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Voice Thread

Here is a voice thread I made about a current problem my school is facing. If you have not tried voice thread yet, I suggest you do! It was super easy and  may serve as a great teaching tool in the future.

Enjoy and please feel free to leave comments :)

http://voicethread.com/share/3154502/

Social Learning Theory

This week’s resources presented information on social constructivism. Michael Orey states that when children are engaged in social activities, meaningful learning can occur (2001). One way to ensure meaningful learning is taking place is through cooperative learning. Cooperative learning focuses on having students interact with each other in groups. Orey states, “the purpose of cooperative learning is to actively involve students in the learning process" (2001).

After reviewing the resources from this week, it is evident that technology can be used to support social constructivism. One example mentioned in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works was ePALs. ePALS gives the students the capability to communicate cross-culturally with students from different parts of the world. Essentially, ePALS is like having a virtual pen pal. I feel that this would be a great way for students to interact with one another and be able to compare and contrast each other’s lifestyles. Although this is something I have not used before in the classroom, I am intrigued and wouldn’t mind trying it out next year with my students.

Furthermore, Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski discuss the idea of collaborative organizing. This idea allows teachers to collaborate over the Web to share calendars, bookmarks, and Web links (Pitler et al., 2007, pg. 149). The text mentions del.icio.us as a resource. Del.icio.us can help one keep track of websites, music, book and more in one place where they can be easily found. I am sure that many teachers use some form of bookmarking in the classroom. Here a site similar to del.icio.us that was brought to my attention at a reading conference earlier this year. The site is called Symbaloo. Symbaloo is a bookmarking site that allows you to create bookmarks to your favorite websites using symbols. If you have any kind of Apple device you are familiar with the look of app tile, the symbols on this site are fairly similar. It is a very easy collaborative organizing tool to use. It has been very helpful this year working with younger children because the children remember the pictures better than the names of the websites. Check out this tutorial to get an idea of how you can begin to organize your own. Here is my personal Symbaloo I started.

Lastly, I believe the social learning theories are very important for today's students. As an educator it is my job to guarantee that my students are able to communicate and learn with one another. After reviewing the learning resources this week, there are many instructional strategies and technologies that one can use to enhance cooperative learning in the classroom.

References:

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