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.