It has been very difficult to make a lot of progress on my GAME Plan apart from the internet. I would love to get more ideas from my colleagues at work because they know our students and what might work best in our district. If I took this class during the school year, I’m sure they would’ve helped me brainstorm even more ideas, knowing the kids and what I teach!
I’ve looked into a few websites that discuss some innovative ways to use cell phones in school. Polling using text messages Poll Everywhere to have students answer questions or give their opinions on things happening in a story we’re reading in class. Students can also use Wiffiti from their cell phones to give their thoughts on a question I pose. These can all be looked at and discussed at a later time. Twitter accounts can be created and used as “microblogs” about topics in class. Students can discuss reading assignments and talk about what they are learning and what they still don’t understand. Google SMS to look up information, get an answer to a question, etc. Students just have to text GOOGLE (466453) and their request and the answers automatically are sent to their phone. Students can view podcasts on phones and then move into creating and uploading their own for the class to view. I’m sure there are tons more options available, too! I’m looking into some books that were written on the topic, but I’m not sure they’ll be up-to-date or have any more information than what I’ve been able to find online.
The only questions I still have are regarding the possibility that they might not let me do this with my students!! What if one student in my class doesn’t have a cell phone? Will I have to modify the lesson or should I not even incorporate the cell phones?
Once I get back to school, I will definitely learn more about using it in my own classroom at this time. By being well informed and having concrete ideas about how I will use cell phones, I think I have a better chance of convincing the “gatekeepers” that it’s a good idea! I will just continue to find more ways to use the technology and see where it can enhance my lessons! Having this plan has helped keep me focused towards my goal and will eventually pay off for my students. As Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) explained, having this goal clearly defined and by continuing to evaluate my progress has helped me stay focused and motivated.
Sarah
References
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (LaureateEducation, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
GAME Plan Update #2
Part of my discussion this week was inspired by my GAME Plan. When reading about project-based assessments and how to incorporate technology, Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) discussed web-based media. I began thinking about ways to use these, and came up with a pretty interesting way to make a current unit even better. The more I read and research the tools that are available, the easier it all seems.
As some people have said, it may take a long time before cell phones are allowed for use in schools, but I’ll probably be able to incorporate them into homework or project-based assignments. That is the only way I think I’ll have to modify the plan at this point. Technology is important to our superintendent and he actually did his doctoral thesis on the benefits of technology on math performance. So, it may be sooner rather than later that we will be able to incorporate more innovative methods into our classrooms.
I’ve learned that there are many types of ways to use different media in the classroom. It’s always important to remember that technology shouldn’t just be used to use it, but rather to enhance the learning if appropriate, which Dr. Ross (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009) reiterated this week in our video. I’ve been trying to find free programs that are easy to use (for the students and for me!) and have found a few which I will need to try out a few times before attempting to use it in class.
I have a few questions still regarding how people have used any of these types of technology using cell phones with their classes. I’m continuing to have a hard time finding many good uses of cell phones in the classroom, but I know they exist because the technology exists and those people in our videos are so good at it!! If anyone does anything like this, or if they know any other teachers who have been successful using it, please let me know! I’d love to hear more real stories about how it has been used. I find a lot of articles on using cell phones as calendars and digital assignment books, but I’m aiming much higher than that!
Sarah
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). (2009). Integrating Technology Across
the Content Areas: Assessing Students Learning With Technology. Baltimore:
Author.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
GAME Plan Update #1
This week, I used the internet to search for ways cell phones can be used as teaching tools to support learning in the classroom. I found several videos of workshops that have been presented which provide a great deal of professional development in this area. I have also read articles regarding the pros and cons of using cell phones in school. It is still highly debated, but with sufficient data, I believe this piece of technology which most students come to school with will be accepted as a learning tool. Some research has been done where schools give students cell phones for school-related use, but I’m pretty sure my district won’t be doing that, since they’ve laid off many teachers this year already. I will be relying on my students to provide their own cell phones (which I know they have, because I’ve seen them in my class!).
I still need to collaborate with my colleagues from my school to see what, if any, they have done with this tool in the past. I know one teacher texts assignments and reminders, but I’d like to go beyond that. I will continue to use the internet for searches and look into testimonies of teachers who have successfully used them in innovative ways to support what they are learning in class.
I still need to collaborate with my colleagues from my school to see what, if any, they have done with this tool in the past. I know one teacher texts assignments and reminders, but I’d like to go beyond that. I will continue to use the internet for searches and look into testimonies of teachers who have successfully used them in innovative ways to support what they are learning in class.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
GAME Plan
I was really inspired by the teacher on our video this week that created a fantastic activity for her students to complete on Election Day (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). The students interviewed voters and created podcasts using their cell phones. Then, they uploaded pictures and videos. The class was linked to a classroom in another state which did they same type of activity, and then they compared the findings from both classes. I do not understand enough of the technology that is available for students over the internet or even from their cell phones. Therefore, using Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer’s (2009) GAME Plan strategy for self-directed learning will ensure that I reach my goal.
My goal is to be able to find new types of technology available for student use which is internet-based or accessible from students’ cell phones. I am knowledgeable about blogging and wikis. However, I only had one experience creating a podcast and have not yet incorporated that into my teaching. I need to learn new methods which will increase my students’ motivation. Most of my students have cell phones within arms’ reach at all times, so I feel that if there are free programs available for them to use, they will use them to complete their assignments. I will be successful if I am able to integrate a new form of cell phone or internet-based program to enhance a lesson with my students.
I will use the internet to find programs available for students and their cell phones. Some books probably do have information and ideas for integrating these types of technology into the classroom, but new programs can most likely be found on the internet. I will also speak with teachers in my school who tend to integrate new technologies in their classrooms more. The social studies department usually is the most current with this type of information and will experiment with new ideas in their lessons. My IT director is also very knowledgeable about the capabilities of our school network and programs available on the internet. After I find programs, I will learn to use it and integrate it into a lesson that it will work with. As Cennamo explained (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009), technology should enrich the content. Therefore, I don’t want to just add in a technology piece just to add it. Instead, I want the technology to help my students access what they are learning.
After I have found and begun using the new technology, I will reflect on what I know about the new information and evaluate how I am using it with my students. If I am not able to find enough information or am not sure how to incorporate it into my teaching, I can again turn to my colleagues for support. I can also ask my Walden classmates for support, since many of them have more experience with technology than I do. I may need to begin research again by asking different questions or finding teachers’ blogs in which they discuss technology they currently use. There are also digital magazines and journals which can provide more information if I cannot find what I need.
After I have incorporated the new technology, I will need to judge whether I have been successful or not in meeting my learning goal. If I am successful, I will decide how to proceed and further my use of the technology or see if there are similar technologies available. I will also be able to incorporate it more into my lessons. If I was not as successful as I hoped, I’d have to look at my goal to see if it was realistic or needs to be changed. Maybe I could try another form of technology and not focus on cell phone use as much. I could also try to think of new ways that I could find information about what is available if I felt that my goal was still reasonable, but I just didn’t find the right information.
By completing this GAME plan, I will be meeting two of the indicators in the NETS-T. If successful, I will meet the first indicator by helping them use technology to explore real-world problems. The will be using their cell phones to create documents or podcasts or videos (not sure what yet!) to share with their classmates. They will need to be creative and interact with their environment. I will also meet the second indicator, which is to “Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments.” Because they’ll be using their cell phones, they will have the freedom to be creative and follow their own interests while completing the assignment. I hope to be successful with this project because I believe my students would be motivated and exciting to use this technology to create and share their work.
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). (2009). Enriching Content Area Learning Experiences with Technology, Part One. Baltimore: Author.
National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.
My goal is to be able to find new types of technology available for student use which is internet-based or accessible from students’ cell phones. I am knowledgeable about blogging and wikis. However, I only had one experience creating a podcast and have not yet incorporated that into my teaching. I need to learn new methods which will increase my students’ motivation. Most of my students have cell phones within arms’ reach at all times, so I feel that if there are free programs available for them to use, they will use them to complete their assignments. I will be successful if I am able to integrate a new form of cell phone or internet-based program to enhance a lesson with my students.
I will use the internet to find programs available for students and their cell phones. Some books probably do have information and ideas for integrating these types of technology into the classroom, but new programs can most likely be found on the internet. I will also speak with teachers in my school who tend to integrate new technologies in their classrooms more. The social studies department usually is the most current with this type of information and will experiment with new ideas in their lessons. My IT director is also very knowledgeable about the capabilities of our school network and programs available on the internet. After I find programs, I will learn to use it and integrate it into a lesson that it will work with. As Cennamo explained (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009), technology should enrich the content. Therefore, I don’t want to just add in a technology piece just to add it. Instead, I want the technology to help my students access what they are learning.
After I have found and begun using the new technology, I will reflect on what I know about the new information and evaluate how I am using it with my students. If I am not able to find enough information or am not sure how to incorporate it into my teaching, I can again turn to my colleagues for support. I can also ask my Walden classmates for support, since many of them have more experience with technology than I do. I may need to begin research again by asking different questions or finding teachers’ blogs in which they discuss technology they currently use. There are also digital magazines and journals which can provide more information if I cannot find what I need.
After I have incorporated the new technology, I will need to judge whether I have been successful or not in meeting my learning goal. If I am successful, I will decide how to proceed and further my use of the technology or see if there are similar technologies available. I will also be able to incorporate it more into my lessons. If I was not as successful as I hoped, I’d have to look at my goal to see if it was realistic or needs to be changed. Maybe I could try another form of technology and not focus on cell phone use as much. I could also try to think of new ways that I could find information about what is available if I felt that my goal was still reasonable, but I just didn’t find the right information.
By completing this GAME plan, I will be meeting two of the indicators in the NETS-T. If successful, I will meet the first indicator by helping them use technology to explore real-world problems. The will be using their cell phones to create documents or podcasts or videos (not sure what yet!) to share with their classmates. They will need to be creative and interact with their environment. I will also meet the second indicator, which is to “Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments.” Because they’ll be using their cell phones, they will have the freedom to be creative and follow their own interests while completing the assignment. I hope to be successful with this project because I believe my students would be motivated and exciting to use this technology to create and share their work.
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). (2009). Enriching Content Area Learning Experiences with Technology, Part One. Baltimore: Author.
National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.
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