Week 4 Questions for the GAME Plan

WEEK 4: GAME Plan Progress

Planning and developing a process ahead of the game is challenging! So many details!

Does anyone have journal ideas for a unit on persuasion? (I want to have the journal prompts entered for the 4-week unit before the students begin the process.)

 I am also working on a power point to explain the process of effective research. The students will use only the internet to explore their topic. The recent class we had on using technology effectively is really helping. However, I am not sure I am covering the basics from the point of view of a student. I think I will use some of the students in the summer school classes to “test” this process and make sure I have covered all the necessary details.

I have a concern and want to know if other schools have a similar issue: cell phone and Facebook use in the classroom. My high school changed the policy regarding cell phones this last year, allowing students to use their phones in the before/after school, in the halls during passing period, and during lunch. Cell phone usage during class is discouraged and many teachers will deduct class participation points if students have their phones out in class. Also, Facebook is blocked on the district server. Of course, most students know how to get around the block, but they are not supposed to use the site on academic computers. And again, some teachers hold fast to this rule, while others, like me, don’t police the web site usage. In fact, many times my yearbook students need to access Facebook to capture photos of sporting events other students have posted. Before I begin the process of utilizing these tools, I want to know who and how social networking is used in other classrooms. I am assuming that the district is changing their position on this topic because they are hosting the workshop this summer, which I am taking, on “Social Networking in the 21^st Century Classroom.  However, I want to learn how other teachers are currently using this process in their classrooms.

            After this week’s resources on assessments using technology, I also think I need to modify my GAME Plan by adding steps from standards 2, 3, and 4. Presently, my GAME Plan includes strategies for my professional growth and leadership, standard 5, so I am prepared for instruction using technology. I also want to focus on Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity because students need to think of technology as a tool for communication, research and learning, and a resource for creating authentic assignments for assessment. Now I think additional goals need to be added to complete the process. However, I worry that I’m trying to do too much at once.

            Is it possible to implement the ISTE standards one at a time or is it better plan strategies that incorporate all or at least one from each standard? I would really appreciate some ideas on what is the best practice for teaching these technology standards.  What do you think?

Georgana's GAME Plan, Step One:

WEEK 3:  STEPS TO THE GOAL

Technology will play a key role in the development of a 21^st century learning environment. So I must become computer and internet savvy. Today, most students do not have a fear of technology. They own cell phones, digital music and photography equipment, gaming machines, and computers that can interface globally. The only way I will be able to even get their attention is to use technology seamlessly as I develop lesson plans, implement these lessons, and instruct assignments. Becoming technologically literate is an ongoing process, as the frontier of equipment is ever changing. Focusing right now on what I can do to develop my own “professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in my [their] school” will be a huge step in the right direction (ISTE, 2008).  

            One step I can make before next fall is to develop my Blackboard page and establish unit folders for each of my English classes. I know I want them to use the journaling capability, so I can upload journal topics for the units too. Another service the Blackboard program provides is storage of documents. I can load documents that are used as handouts so students will have access to information if they are absent or lose their copy.

            In addition to utilizing Blackboard, I have enrolled in a class to be held at my district’s Teacher Learning Center on July 19, 2011: Social Networking for the 21^st Century Classroom. At this class, I will be introduced to several strategies on teaching for increased learning using, as well as Edmodo, Schoolology, and other cool new technology tools. I do not know what these programs do, but they are supported by the district information systems so I should have access to them free on my classroom computers.

Another summer plan for improvement is rereading a book I received in a previous workshop: Teaching with the Internet K-12: New Literacies for New Times, Fourth Edition. The book includes lesson planning ideas for language arts, using the internet to increase multicultural understanding, creating a system of equity using the internet, and developing a home page for my classroom. 

            Between these resources and the classes taken through Walden, I will be increasing my professional growth and leadership. These resources will also allow me to develop “a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others” (ISTE, 2008). My district encourages staff members to coach others and to present at building inservice trainings. I have also been asked by my department chair to facilitate training in August on research strategies using the internet! I need to focus on learning this material now!

References

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved on April 28, 2010 from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx

Leu, D. J., Leu, D. D., Coiro, J. (2004). Teaching with the Internet K-12: New literacies for new times (4^th ed.). Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc.

Georgana's Personal GAME Plan (subject to change!)

Game Plan for Integrating Technology in a Language Arts Classroom

            I feel like a first year teacher – learning and instructing the curriculum simultaneously! However, the previous eleven years have taught me to be flexible, to embrace change, and to enjoy the ride.

            According to the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) and the Performance Indicators for Teachers (NETS-T), technology should be used to generate authentic artifacts of student learning and to bridge the transition between the classroom and the world of work (ISTE, 2008). As a teacher, my role is to learn and incorporate the use of technology in my curriculum, as well as model responsible use of technology. For the student, learning to use technology for self-expression and demonstration of learning is a key to academic and professional success. Using the GAME Plan outline discussed in week one by Dr. Katherine Cennamo, I have planned the following steps to develop a technology enriched curriculum (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010):

GOALS:

First, I plan to address standard 5: “engage in professional growth and leadership” by “participating in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning” (ISTE, 2008). On a local level, I have enrolled in continuing education classes for utilizing a Blackboard program available on our server and workshops to develop lessons which incorporate a MIMIO pad. These are two tools that will create organization as well as provide students with technology interaction that is purposeful and applicable to continued learning. My second goal is to focus on standard one, “facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity” by incorporating technology throughout the curriculum (ISTE, 2008). Students will learn to “explore real-world issues” and use digital tools and resources for problem solving (ISTE, 2008). As I grow in confidence and skill, so will my students.

ACTIONS:

 I have begun incorporating Blackboard, but never put the plans into action. The site allows for student journaling and posting of assignments so that students who were absent or not paying attention can access the notes and worksheets for daily lessons. Creating journal entries for each unit will encourage students to communicate what they know, feel, and understand about the themes in literature. By utilizing this type of technology, students will be better prepared for college too because most higher education institutions require students to interact regularly with these types of programs.

            I am ashamed to say I have had a MIMIO pad (a hand-held tablet) that interfaces with a Smart Board for a year and have not used it to instruct! I believe learning to use this tool and developing lessons for research, writing, and review will engage students and develop their skill and understanding of technology.

            These two actions alone will address several of standard one’s indicators, including the use of collaboration to learning as we work together to incorporate and facilitate the use of technology in the classroom.

Monitoring:

            Monitoring the success of my students will include a pre- and post-activity survey of skills. By determining what skills students possess before we begin will enable me to determine both the speed of progression and the attainment or fine-tuning of new skills. I plan to use a checklist type rubric to help students track their progress too. However, key to their success is my own understanding of the objectives for using technology as tool for learning the language arts standards. I need to monitor my level of understanding too! Therefore, I have begun a checklist of what technology I use now to instruct and what tools I want to learn and use, like Podcasts, wikis and blogs.

Evaluating:

The evaluation process really involves more than a grade. The key focus for me is the answer to this question: Did my students learn the objective of the lesson and demonstrate this understanding effectively with technology? Involving the students in determining what and how they will learn encourages a more self-directed learning process. We use KWL graphic organizers regularly, so adding the H for How will encourage students to determine a measure of their own learning and what tools they can use to achieve their learning goals (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).

References

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

International society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved on April 28, 2010 from  http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Program One: Promoting self-directed learning and creative thinking [Webcast]. Promoting self-directed learning. Baltimore, MD: Author.