GAME Plan Reflection

Implementing technology in the classroom can be very challenging. The GAME plan process of designing projects and setting goals can thus very helpful to meeting this challenge. My initial GAME plan was to use blogs for peer-reviewing essays, but the technological challenges proved too difficult to implement that idea this year. With one marking period nearing completion we have just this week gained access to the computer lab. However, I do feel I will be able to implement this idea next year, as I do believe this will be an excellent way for students to give and receive cognitive feedback. As Cennamo et al (2009) discussed, cognitive feedback helps students to assess their abilities and improve.
I also gained new insights into using technology in the classroom from Vicki Davis’ (2010) discussion of the benefits and challenges of on-line collaborative learning (Laureate Education). I realized that on-line collaborative learning can be used for more than just written communication. Thinks like voice-capture and video can help students express their knowledge and learning in other ways. This will be really helpful for students who struggle with writing. I plan to set up a literature blog with discussion questions that the students can respond to either in writing, or using voice-capture or video technology.
This is very similar to Dr. Abrams (2010) ideas on digital storytelling (Laureate Education). I agree that these types of projects are more likely to capture the students’ interests and excite them. When I assign reading homework I always include some type of written assignment so I can assess whether or not and how carefully students did the reading. As an alternative to this, I can have the students to use digital storytelling to read aloud the work of literature. Hopefully this will get more students to complete the reading assignments.
Utilizing technology requires a lot of time and effort, and can be quite frustrating, but is an essential part of contemporary classrooms. Being exposed to new ideas in this course has made me realize what a powerful tool technology can be, and how we need to be more resourceful and creative in its use. My goal is to use one new type of technology per marking period (time and technology permitting) and to discover new and better ways to enhance content learning while also teaching my students important new literacy skills.
Reference
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Spotlight on technology: Digital storytelling, parts I and II. In Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education, Inc.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Spotlight on technology: Social networking and online collaboration, parts I and II. In Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education, Inc.

Using the GAME Plan to Meet ISTE Standards

The International Society for Technology in Education calls for educators to meet the following standards: Creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, research and information fluency, critical thinking, problem solving and decision making, digital citizenship, and technology operations and concepts (www.iste.org). The GAME plan process is extremely helpful to meeting these challenges.
The GAME plan I have been developing, to use blogs for collaborative learning and peer feed-back on essays, will help my students meet these challenges as well. While I often use collaborative learning in the classroom, utilizing technology will open this process up and allow it to be more effective and powerful. The Problem-based Learning task I developed as part of my GAME plan will also force my students to develop and utilize the standards set by ISTE.

Reference
International Society for Technology in Education. http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007.aspx

GAME Plan update: On-line Collaborative Learning

Vicki Davis (2010) discussed the benefits and challenges of on-line collaborative learning (Laureate Education). This video program helped to put into perspective how useful on-line learning can be, and what a powerful tool it can be for student collaboration. I use collaborative learning in the classroom on a regular basis, and being able to have students connect with each other outside of school, and generally without having to leave their homes, is a fantastic way to improve student learning. Technologies like blogs and wiki-spaces are great resources to connect our students.
The thing that struck me the most from Davis’ (2010) discussion was the ways technology can be used to reach out to and assist learners with different skill sets (Laureate Education). Previously I had most often considered the use of technology in terms of writing. Having students be able to use video or voice-capture technology in a discussion forum is an excellent way to reach out to students who struggle with writing. Students can also compile video clips about a topic, and I’m sure there are many more ways they can express knowledge without having to write. Having them be able to do this outside of school allows me to still focus on the necessary writing skills in class, while giving students who struggle an outlet to express their understanding and knowledge.

Reference
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Spotlight on technology: Social networking and online collaboration, parts I and II. In Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education, Inc.

Problem Based Learning

Problem Based Learning, or PBL, is a great way to make the learning process authentic. It can teach our students to use technology and get deeply involved in the learning process. However, as Ertmer & Simons (2006)note PBL can be a difficult and time consuming process. The teacher has to relinquish a lot of control of the learning process to the students, it can be difficult to create a good topic, and there has to be scaffolding in place to help the students out.
As I learned about PBL I noticed that it is very similar to inquiry-based learning, which is a project I already use. Thus, I have already laid the groundwork for both myself and my students to implement a PBL in my classes. The problem for me now becomes trying to figure out where to fit this in the schedule, and what to replace it with. Ultimately I will have to decide whether this project is a more valuable learning experience for my students than an inquiry project, or another lengthy project. I will also have to decide if the project is viable.

Reference
Ertmer, P., & Simons, K. (Spring 2006). Jumping the PBL implementation hurdle: Supporting the efforts of K-12 teachers. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), 40-54. Retrieved from http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=ijpbl.

Technology GAME Plan

My GAME plan was to use a blog to improve student essays. My school’s computer lab is still not ready. All of the computers have been set up, but we are awaiting a server; so my project is on hold until then. However, I have planned out the format and laid the groundwork for the project. I am going to begin by posting a sample essay on a blog space and having the students post comments. I will then use the Smartboard to review and discuss the process of peer-editing and critiquing. This meets the NETS of “modeling collaborative knowledge construction” and will set the groundwork to promote student collaboration on the internet (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008).
This is a modification to my original action plan, which will, I believe, make it run more smoothly when the students post their own papers for peer-review. One new question that came to mind with this is how to ensure that every student paper receives at least one peer-response. I would also like to figure out if I can make my comments stand out more from the students. I suppose simply using bold type would help.
I think this project will be a great way to provide cognitive feedback for my students. Cennamo et al (2009) describe cognitive feedback as “feedback that helps students develop a better understanding of what is expected for performance, how their current understanding or skill levels compare to those expectations, and how they might improve their performances” (p. 139). The students will be receiving cognitive feedback from both their teacher and their peers, and this should be a valuable learning experience that, while possible without technology, is definitely enhanced and improved by technology.

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

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS-T) and Performance Indicators for Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners

In today’s classrooms we often see students with a wide array of ability levels and learning styles. In my classrooms I see students with such a diversity of ability levels that it can be quite challenging to meet their needs. On top of this there are special education students in most of my classrooms, each of whom has their own Individual Education Plan. It’s much easier when you only have twenty or so students in the class, but becomes much more of a problem when there are thirty or more students in the class. And on top of this we have to meet state-mandated curriculum requirements.
However, we have an advantage in contemporary society. Technology makes it easier for us to make the curriculum more accessible to all of our students. Even in schools that do not have the newest and best technologies, there is a wealth of helpful resources out there on the internet: many of which are free. For example, the website Education with Technology (http://eduwithtechn.wordpress.com) offers free graphic organizer software. Graphic organizers can be a great way to help our students with special needs, as well as our best and brightest students. The Education with Technology website also offers many other ways to utilize technology in the classroom. And it is far from the only website to offer teachers help in putting technology to use to help our students learn.

Meeting the National Education Technology Standards

Working in a school with limited technological capabilities (many of my students do not have home internet access, our computer lab is currently empty of computers (although they are in the school and waiting to be set up), and there is only one computer in my classroom) I feel I have a lot of obstacles in my way to utilize technology to improve student learning. However, I do feel it is essential to work towards utilizing technology in my class to improve student learning.
The first National Education Technology Standard I would like to tackle is to Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008). The first indicator I would like to strengthen confidence in is to “promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning,
and creative processes”( International Society for Technology in Education, 2008). I haven’t used technology for much more than research projects, and while I do feel that these projects are one of , if not the, most important ways to utilize technology, I would like to do more. I would like to have my students collaborate on writing projects via the internet using a blog. This could be a very valuable tool for the students to give and receive feedback, and thus improve their writing.
This also goes hand-in-hand with the second indicator I would like to improve my confidence in, to “model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face to face and virtual environments” (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008). Modeling the process of peer-review and editing via a blog in our computer lab (when it gets set-up) and participating with the students in their blog responses would be a great way to meet this standard.
I do have some reservations about the technological challenges, but, as with any new idea we attempt while teaching, once we try it and work out the kinks, I’m sure it will be a great learning experience. I also think that experimenting with technology with your class is in itself a valuable learning experience for both the teacher and the students.
Reference

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS-T) and Performance Indicators for Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Reflections on Technology in the Classroom

While I am pretty competent with technology, this course has definitely improved my ability to use technology in the classroom. For one, it opened my eyes to the way blogs can be used in my language arts classes. Blogging is a great way for students to have interactive discussions about literature, and it can also be used as a forum to peer-edit and revise essays. As Alan November (2008) notes, “blogging represents one of many tools that pioneering teachers are using to empower students and to take more responsibility of managing their own work and adding value to the world” (p. 81)
Another tool I gained from this course was how to use wiki-spaces. Before this class I had never heard of a wiki. Collaborating with my group to create a wiki-space showed me what a great educational tool this can be. What I particularly like about the wiki is that the teacher can check how much work each individual has done by checking the wiki history space. Like blogging, the wiki creates a forum for the students to discuss and collaborate, and extends the classroom to the world beyond.
Within the next two years I would like to make blogging a regular classroom activity that is done at least once a marking period. It can be something as simple as a single discussion, to something more elaborate like peer-editing essays. I would also like to have my students create a wiki-space as a project for one of the works of literature we read.
I think the following quote from Nussbaum-Beach (2008) perfectly illustrates the importance of integrating technology into the classroom: “If we want to remain relevant in the lives of students, then we must use strategies and materials—such as global networking—that fit the learning styles of the digital native. Classrooms in the 21st century need to be collaborative spaces where student-centered knowledge development and risk taking are accepted as the norm and where an ecology of learning develops and thrives.”

References

November, A. (2008). Web literacy for educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Nussbaum-Beach, S. (2008). No limits. Technology & Learning, 28(7), 14–18. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/article/8466

Podcast

This is a podcast with students discussing their use of technology in and out of school: http://podcastmachine.com/podcasts/4461

21st Century Skills

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills website discusses the need to revitalize education to meet the changes technology is bringing to society. Schools have been much slower to embrace the new technological advances than businesses, and have less advanced technology than most people have access to in their personal lives.
The overview to the website states that they advocate focusing on “critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation” (http://www.p21.org/). Which is what good education is all about regardless of how, or even whether, we incorporate technology. That said, they are right that we need to do a better job of incorporating technology into our teaching. Not only are these skills going to be necessary for our students’ success in college, careers and life in general, but using technology engages their interest. As the website points out students need to see that their learning applies to the real world, and that they “retain more when their learning is relevant, engaging and meaningful” (http://www.p21.org/downloads/P21_Report.pdf p. 6). While, again, you can make learning meaningful and engaging without technology, in today’s world students see and use technology all the time, and they see the lack of technology, or the antiquated technology, in classrooms as yet another sign that education is not relevant.
Employers are going to be looking for students who understand how to use technology to find information and to collaborate, and they are going to be looking for people who can problem solve and use the technology creatively. Thus as educators we need to engage them in lessons that utilize technology so that we can teach them how to navigate the internet, how to collaborate and problem solve with technology.

I did find the following claim on the website to be completely absurd: “Children know more about the world today than their teachers, often because of the media environment they grow up in” (http://www.p21.org/downloads/P21_Report.pdf , p. 8). Actually, I think “completely absurd” is an understatement. I find it laughably ignorant. Students are often, if not generally, more “tech savvy” than their teachers, but they certainly do not know more about the world. Of course there are exceptions, but I have found them to be rare.
Ultimately however, I found this website to make a lot of sense. Incorporating technology into the classroom makes it more relevant to the students lives, provides powerful learning tools, and better prepares them for their future.

Blogs in Education

As a high school language arts teacher I would like to use blogs to enhance my students understanding and appreciation of the literature we are reading, as a way for students to interact with each other, and to improve their writing skills. As Richardson (2009) notes, “blogs are only one of many tools of the Read/Write Web, but I would argue they are the most important” (p. 54). Blogs are a great way for people to engage in discussions, and can be an extremely valuable teaching tool.
One way to use a blog would be to post a quote from the literature we are reading. The quote would be taken from the homework reading assignment, and the students would need to discuss it in the context of the reading, and respond to at least one other student’s comments.
I would also like to post discussion questions on the literature we are reading. I think the blog format is a great way for students to express their ideas. The students would be required to make an original posting, and then to respond to two other students’ comments. I think this would really get the students excited and interested about the literature we are reading, give them more experience writing and discussing literature, and jump start the class discussions. Class discussions are often dominated by a small number of students; giving them more time to think about the question, as well as the ability to see their classmates ideas should help to get many more students involved.

Reference
Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wiks, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Welcome to my Waldenu U. classmates. This is my first ever blog. I look forward to learning more about how to use blogging in education.