In the beginning of the course we were assigned the task of creating and implementing a GAME plan that would help us succeed at incorporating and mastering the standards of technology education. When given this task I knew that I wanted to gain more knowledge and become more comfortable with incorporating the use of technology into my teaching. I also wanted to be certain to remain up to date on the latest and greatest forms of technology to use in the classroom.
Personally, I feel that thus far I have made progress in both areas. For the upcoming school year I have create a very good working relationship with the technology teacher in our building who is willing to help me in designing lessons that make effective use of all the tools in the classroom. In addition, I have enrolled in a course that will help me make use of the different equipment when teaching math. I feel as though I have made wonderful advances in including technology into my teachings, but I know that as the year goes on and I become more proficient with it, I will have the ability to work towards my goal of learning about and working with new technologies.
Throughout this course I have learned several important things. I have learned that simple changes in the way I plan and conduct my lessons can automatically make my students more engaged and enthusiastic about learning. Many students lack interest in school, but through the use of technology, students regain an interest in what is going on in the classroom. I have also learned that the goals I have set for myself are not as difficult to incorporate in my teaching as I thought they would be. With time, practice, and confidence I am beginning to realize that very little effort is required to design and implement thought provoking activities.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
GAME on for students!
Just as with anything in education the National Education Standards for Students (NETS-S) and the National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) are interrelated in terms that the teacher lays the foundation for learning and provides the students with opportunities to obtain worthwhile experiences. The students then take what they have learned from the standards taught by their teachers and put it into practice in the classroom in order to demonstrate their knowledge and creativity.
If I were to begin this with my students I think I would initially work with the standard of Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making (NETS-S). After going through the process of creating and implementing portions of my personal GAME plan I have come to the realization that many of the indicators can be taught through the completion of other standards and other indicators outlined in the
NETS-S.
By beginning with critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making students will have the ability to obtain critical and thought provoking learning experiences while incorporating the latest forms of technology. They can work with other individuals within the school, district, state, country, and even other countries through the use of social networking and collaboration sites to research answers to questions, collect data, and report information.
The NETS-S standards all appear to be skills taught in the classroom, but require the use of technological tools. Encouraging students to complete their own GAME plan will better prepare them for the grades that follow and even the working world. It will provide support their learning in other areas and will also provide them opportunities to demonstrate what they have learned as an individual or as a member of a team.
If I were to begin this with my students I think I would initially work with the standard of Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making (NETS-S). After going through the process of creating and implementing portions of my personal GAME plan I have come to the realization that many of the indicators can be taught through the completion of other standards and other indicators outlined in the
NETS-S.
By beginning with critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making students will have the ability to obtain critical and thought provoking learning experiences while incorporating the latest forms of technology. They can work with other individuals within the school, district, state, country, and even other countries through the use of social networking and collaboration sites to research answers to questions, collect data, and report information.
The NETS-S standards all appear to be skills taught in the classroom, but require the use of technological tools. Encouraging students to complete their own GAME plan will better prepare them for the grades that follow and even the working world. It will provide support their learning in other areas and will also provide them opportunities to demonstrate what they have learned as an individual or as a member of a team.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
GAME Plan Progress
What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?
What goals are you still working toward?
Up until this point I feel I have made many effective strides in achieving the goals of my GAME plan. Through all of my research and relationship building, I have gained insight as to what must be done in order to incorporate the use of technology into classroom lessons. I have learned that throughout the course of my career there will be many new technologies introduced and many opportunities to learn more about the new tools that can be used in the classroom. As of now I am at a standstill to actually implementing my goals due to summer vacation, but I will continue to take steps throughout the summer that will allow me to successfully achieve my goals.
Based on the NETS-T, what new learning goals will you set for yourself?
Due to summer vacation I have not fully implemented my plan; therefore, no goals have been put into place in the classroom. For this reason I have not set any new learning goals, in hope that once school begins I will be able to successfully put my new learning into action. After I have accomplished my goals and feel more at ease with the progress I have made, I will set new goals. As a teacher I will continually be learning new things and making attempts to improve. This must be done in order to continue to provide my students with the best educational experiences.
If you are not ready to set new learning goals, how will you extend what you have learned so far?
I will continue to learn about the new technologies and how to incorporate them into my teachings through my professional development opportunities and classes that I have enrolled in for the summer. I have also made it a point to meet with colleagues at least twice a month over the summer to discuss and create lessons that require the use of the different forms of technology offered in the classroom.
What learning approaches will you try next time to improve your learning?
The next time I attempt to improve my learning I will use the problem-based learning approach. As discussed in the course reading, problem-based learning “requires higher-order thinking skills, such as those related to problem identification, selecting and monitoring strategies for solving the problem, applying knowledge, and evaluating the success of one’s efforts” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). If I expect my students to be able to think outside of the box and become independent learners than I too must approach learning in the same fashion.
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.
What goals are you still working toward?
Up until this point I feel I have made many effective strides in achieving the goals of my GAME plan. Through all of my research and relationship building, I have gained insight as to what must be done in order to incorporate the use of technology into classroom lessons. I have learned that throughout the course of my career there will be many new technologies introduced and many opportunities to learn more about the new tools that can be used in the classroom. As of now I am at a standstill to actually implementing my goals due to summer vacation, but I will continue to take steps throughout the summer that will allow me to successfully achieve my goals.
Based on the NETS-T, what new learning goals will you set for yourself?
Due to summer vacation I have not fully implemented my plan; therefore, no goals have been put into place in the classroom. For this reason I have not set any new learning goals, in hope that once school begins I will be able to successfully put my new learning into action. After I have accomplished my goals and feel more at ease with the progress I have made, I will set new goals. As a teacher I will continually be learning new things and making attempts to improve. This must be done in order to continue to provide my students with the best educational experiences.
If you are not ready to set new learning goals, how will you extend what you have learned so far?
I will continue to learn about the new technologies and how to incorporate them into my teachings through my professional development opportunities and classes that I have enrolled in for the summer. I have also made it a point to meet with colleagues at least twice a month over the summer to discuss and create lessons that require the use of the different forms of technology offered in the classroom.
What learning approaches will you try next time to improve your learning?
The next time I attempt to improve my learning I will use the problem-based learning approach. As discussed in the course reading, problem-based learning “requires higher-order thinking skills, such as those related to problem identification, selecting and monitoring strategies for solving the problem, applying knowledge, and evaluating the success of one’s efforts” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). If I expect my students to be able to think outside of the box and become independent learners than I too must approach learning in the same fashion.
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.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
My GAME Plan Progress
This year is quickly coming to a close for many school districts across the country which delays the implementation of my GMAE plan. However, I am still able to make progress in my planning in order to make sure that once school begins I can have an immediate and fresh start. The actions I have taken to meet the goals I have set for myself are proving to have positive results in creating and implementing technology into many of my lessons. The class I have enrolled in, the relationships I have formed, and the resources I have discovered provide many useful and helpful hints to making use of old and new forms of technology for the classroom.
Within the last week I have conducted a few lessons that involve the use of my classroom blog, SMART board interactive lessons, and student response devices. I have learned that incorporating technology into my lessons is not as difficult and time consuming that many individuals believe it to be and it can have positive effects on students. “Technology allows students to engage in independent study, to collaborate in new ways, and to produce creative, original projects” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). It is evident that student involvement is much more evident when they have the opportunity to use technological resources.
As I continue through the summer and into next school year I am sure that many questions of confusing situations would arise. Until that time comes around I feel that many of the steps I have taken have provided me with the answers I may be searching for.
Once the new school year begins, I will be able to start with a clear view of what needs to be done in order to incorporate as many forms of technology as possible. As the year progresses I will have several opportunities to take advantage of professional development opportunities to learn more about the different types of technology that can be used in my classroom.
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.
Within the last week I have conducted a few lessons that involve the use of my classroom blog, SMART board interactive lessons, and student response devices. I have learned that incorporating technology into my lessons is not as difficult and time consuming that many individuals believe it to be and it can have positive effects on students. “Technology allows students to engage in independent study, to collaborate in new ways, and to produce creative, original projects” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). It is evident that student involvement is much more evident when they have the opportunity to use technological resources.
As I continue through the summer and into next school year I am sure that many questions of confusing situations would arise. Until that time comes around I feel that many of the steps I have taken have provided me with the answers I may be searching for.
Once the new school year begins, I will be able to start with a clear view of what needs to be done in order to incorporate as many forms of technology as possible. As the year progresses I will have several opportunities to take advantage of professional development opportunities to learn more about the different types of technology that can be used in my classroom.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
