Final GAME plan post

           The very first week of this course focused on the promotion of self-directed learners. One way to encourage and monitor self-directed learning was through the GAME plan. G focuses on goals, A focuses on actions, M focuses on monitoring, and E focuses on evaluating (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010b). Following and focusing on those four items will lead to an accomplished self-directed learner. At the very beginning of this class, I made a GAME plan for myself. That GAME plan was to utilize my classroom set of iPads as often as possible. While using the iPads I hoped to teach students how to use them and really feel comfortable using them as well as teaching them how to be appropriate in the digital world. While trying to implement my GAME plan and reading/watching the resources for this class, I learned that integrating technology into the classroom needs to be done in an effective way. In order integrate technology effectively in the classroom a teacher must have knowledge, confidence, belief of what makes good teaching, and a supportive culture (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a). Learning the importance of those four traits impacted me. I have realized how important it is to have colleagues support. I am lucky to have a coworker that also recently received a classroom set of iPads. It was phenomenal having her support and being able to collaborate with her. Now that I have started to really implement iPad usage in my classroom, I may revise my plan and give some responsibility to my students. I may encourage them to find ways that we can use the iPads in class while we learn content as well. Maybe I will encourage them to find helpful apps or useful websites. I think being a self-directed learner is an important skill to have. In order to teach my students the skills of a self-directed learner, I could use the GAME plan with my students. Like I had to do for this class, I may have them come up with a GAME plan for the first semester of school.

            After taking this class, I have realized there are some adjustments I need to make to my instructional practices. I want and need my students to become self-directed learners. I so often tell my students what to do, step by step, and rarely offer a chance for them to explore. Self directed learning is “any increase in knowledge, skill, accomplishment, or personal development that an individual selects and brings about his or her own efforts using any method in any circumstance at any time” (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009, p.2). If my students are self-directed learners, then they will be able to respond to the rapid and continuous technological changes that inevitably will occur during their professional careers (Cennamo et. al., 2009, p.7). I need to stop giving students the steps and teach them how to learn. One way to develop my students into self-directed learners is through technology use.  Students can use online collaboration to communicate with each other when trying to solve a problem, they can use social networking sites to ask others for information on a question they are trying to find the answer too, and when all the work is done and the students have found what they were looking for, they can use digital storytelling to share their findings.

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful            classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom         ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Enriching Content Area     Learning Experiences with Technology, Part 1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Promoting Self-Directed    Learning with Technology. 

Monitoring my GAME Plan progress

            Over the past four weeks, since this class has started, I have tried to utilize my classroom set of iPads as often as possible. However, I also try to keep in mind that it is not a necessity for every lesson. “Technology should be only be used when it facilitates learning, and not simply as a novelty” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 146). I will admit that I often find myself more occupied with finding what type of technology I can use or what website I can use with a particular lesson rather than focusing on the lesson and finding the right piece of technology to go with it. That is something I will need to continue to work on.

            Now that we are four weeks into this class I am finding much more information and many more resources available. I love getting and sharing ideas with my colleagues. Reading other classmates’ blogs and asking for assistance has opened up an entire new world of ideas. I have also asked my coworkers at work for assistance. Recently a coworker shared with me Bloom’s Taxonomy for iPads. The link can be found at http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/06/blooms-taxonomy-for-ipad.html. That website has giving me many more ideas as to how I can use the iPads in my classroom.

            As of right now I do not think I have to do a lot of modifying to my action plan. I only have a few more days of school left and hope to use some of my summer dedicated to my action plan. I do not plan on doing a lot of modifying, just a lot of exploration and dedication. If during that time I find that modifications need to be done, I will do them.

            Since this class has started, I have learned so much! One of the most important things I have learned and hope to continue learning about and eventually apply in my classroom are the four different types of assessment. The different types of assessment are forced-choice, open-ended, performance-based, and project-based (Cennamo, et. al, p. 146). Throughout the rest of this course, I hope to find different apps or activities on the iPad that I could use as different assessments that would provide my students with one of the four assessment options.

            As far as new questions go, I am wondering if any of you have beneficial apps that you have been using that you would be willing to share with me? Another thought that is on my mind is that a lot of time and preparation spent in the classroom is preparing our students for the ACT, one of our statewide assessments. The ACT is a force-choice assessment. Personally, I think it is a wise idea to give the students practice with that type of test format so they are familiar with it. Do you thin state/nation wide assessment will ever change its format?

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.

Carrying out the GAME Plan

            My ultimate goal as a teacher is to make sure I provide my students a chance to obtain the skills necessary to be successful in their lives after high school. One of the most important skills to have for the future is the ability to use and be familiar with technology. Using technology as an aid while teaching also allows me to reach and teach many more students. “Digital technology provides more flexibility in reading needs of students. It customizes learning. It reaches all kinds of learning” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). As stated in my previous post, my goal is to use and incorporate my classroom set of iPads as often as possible. It is my responsibility as a teacher to provide access to curriculum for all of my students (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). All of my students have IEPs as well as additional unique and diverse needs. I hope technology (specifically iPads) will assist me in meeting their needs.

            The resources that I plan on using to meet my goal are obviously the classroom set of iPads. I also plan on utilizing our school librarian /technology specialist. She has an abundant amount of helpful resources; specifically free apps that are supportive in the education field. Another resource that I would like to access is a speech to text app. I have one student in particular that is learning disabled. She is incredibly smart but has an extremely difficult time getting writing down her thoughts. If she had the opportunity to speak into the iPad and have it write for her, she could be extremely successful.

            I would love additional information on HOW my students learn best or how my students are most engaged.  I could easily find the answers to those questions by creating a class survey. I want additional information on how they learn best and what motivates them to learn. I would also like additional information on how familiar and comfortable they are with using an iPad. Once I have that information, I would like additional information from my colleagues on any apps they have found to be absolutely awesome.

            So far, in order to try and achieve this goal, I have been able to experiment with an iPad. I try to work through apps and sites and find particular apps and sites that I find beneficial. I have a student that already has an iPad and I have used her as well. I ask her what apps she likes best and have her try out some of the apps I have found.

            By the start of next school year, it is my hope to use and implement iPads on a daily basis. Technology is the best way to hit all levels of learning and I hope with iPads I do just that and reach all of my students (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).

            Do any of YOU fine folks have any suggestions for me?

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Meeting Students’ Needs with        Technology Part 1

Enriching Content Area Learning Experiences - Week 2

            

          Let’s face it; school can be boring at times. As a teacher maybe I should not admit it, but it is true. Students are bored in school. School instruction is still mostly cookie cutter and one size fits all (Prensky, 2008, p.42). When students are bored, they are not engaged and when students are not engaged, they are not learning. In order to get students to learn, we must engage them. In order to engage students, we must make learning and education relevant to their lives (Prensky, 2008, p. 45).

Observe almost any high school age kid and it is evident that technology is extremely relevant in his or her life. The International Society for Technology in Education has National Education Standards for Teachers The National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-S). In order for teachers to be effective, they should design, implement, and assess learning experiences to engage students and improve learning; enrich professional practice; and provide positive models for students, colleagues, and the community” (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008).

            After looking at the NETS-S standards it was refreshing to see that I felt comfortable with some of the standards. One of the standards I felt comfortable with was Standard 5 – Engage in Professional Growth and Leaderships  (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008). For the past three years I have been part of a small committee of teachers that have been part of a service learning/ project based learning grant. We have been given a gracious amount of money to use in order to implement service learning/project based learning in our classrooms. One part or requirement of this grant was that we attend several conferences to develop our understanding and awareness of service learning/project based learning which in return has allowed me grow leaps and bounds as a professional. A huge part of this grant is implementing technology. I recently received a set of iPads for my classroom. Though this opportunity I have really developed my professional growth and leaderships.

            While looking at the NETS-S standards I also found there were some standards I needed to work on. The standards I need to work on are Standard 4  -Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility and Standard 2 – Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments  (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008). In order to improve my skills and confidence in those standards, I have developed a GAME plan. A GAME plan assists in self directed learning. The G is for goals, the A is for action, the M is for monitor, and the E is for evaluate (Promoting Self directed learning with technology week 1). My goal is utilize the classroom set of iPads I just received as often as possible. I want to use them with my class to teach them skills they will need for their future and I want to use them as a way to model and teach my students how to be appropriate while in the digital world, especially when it comes to the work world. In order to take action, I need to think about what I already know and what the students already know and then how I am going to get them to where I want them to be. In order to implement technology effectively it is important to have knowledge about the technology, confidence in getting started, belief that the technology tool benefits learning, and a supportive culture of colleagues (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). In order to monitor my goal, I need to find out if the students are learning beneficial skills while using the iPads and if they are learning how to act appropriately. Finally, I will have to evaluate both my students and myself to see if they possess the skills I was trying to teach and to see if I was successful as a teacher. In the end, I hope my students will have had meaningful lessons that taught them how to act appropriately and responsible while using technology and have had more opportunities to work on the iPad. If my students are successful in that then I would consider myself successful.

     I would love to hear from all of YOU. Any ideas on how I can use my iPads to teach my students appropriate behavior or simply offer them more opportunities to learn while using the iPads?

References:

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards

            for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-      teachers

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Promoting Self-Directed      Learning with Technology.

Prensky, M. (2008). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40–      45.
Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database.

Welcome to my beautiful blog! This blog has been created for my Integrating Technology Across Content Areas class. I look forward to sharing my findings, filling you with knowledge, and learning even more from all of you!