GAME Plan Update #4 Already?

Over the past several weeks, I have learned a great deal of skills I will need to implement my technology in my lesson plans. I have good plans for meeting the goals I set for myself regarding the NETS-T standards. The use of cell phone technology will allow me to engage them in real-world problems by allowing them to actually take their technology into the community and then communicate with the world. They will be able to collaborate and share their ideas and their learning with others. By planning these lessons and engaging the students in this type of learning, I will be meeting the second standard, which is to design and develop learning experiences using technology. I have learned several different ways to use cell phones to support learning, and will incorporate those in my lessons when appropriate.

I would like to extend my learning by engaging in professional development activities. I would love to continue to learn more about this topic and how other teachers have used it successfully in their classrooms. I would also like to share what I have learned with my colleagues. By opening up a dialogue and collaborating about our experiences, we will all become more effective teachers.

As I’ve been saying all along, I feel that it will be very important to speak with my colleagues at school because they know the students and the district policies. They will be a good resource to bounce ideas off of and tell me when I’m getting out of hand with my ideas. Sometimes I want to include too much, but need to reign it in when there are better ways to convey information or assess student learning.

Sarah

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.

GAME Plan Update #3

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.

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.

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.

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.

New Technologies Reflection

One of the most striking revelations I have had about teaching new literacies was the fact that most of them are just like the old literacies with a twist! It seemed overwhelming to incorporate them at first, but then realized that they can easily be added to the current curriculum. It is important to bring new strategies to the classroom to ensure students are competent and have mastery of the new literacy skills.
When incorporating the new literacies in my unit over the past eight weeks, I have been challenged to create new ways to teach the same unit. The new unit is more beneficial to my students because they learn other skills on top of the knowledge gained through reading the novel. These skills will stay with them for the rest of their lives while they work with technology and synthesize information they are finding. When planning future units, I will definitely incorporate more of the new literacies along with the other skills I teach.
I would like to learn more about the technology that is available in my district and any new technology I can find and get for my school. There is so much available, even programs and social networks on the internet that students can interact and learn together, that I am not familiar with. I plan to take professional development courses over the summer on our district’s available technology. After that, I will speak with other teachers about how they use technology in their lessons. Continuing to take these classes at Walden, along with reading other professional materials, help to keep me informed about new strategies and learning techniques which will help my students learn the skills they need in high school and their futures.

Reflecting…

When I began this course, I was more a bit overwhelmed by what I thought was the complexity of Web 2.0. After becoming more informed, I found it easy to navigate the different technologies required by the coursework. I also learned how to incorporate different media into my classroom. Doing each of the applications increased my confidence and mastery of each task and led me to work more effectively when teaching 21st Century Skills. Using technology in my classroom will increase student engagement and learning, and will only continue to improve as technology becomes more accessible in my school.

Because of my experiences in this course, not only know do I know how to use different programs and websites, I know that they are user-friendly. I never thought I would ever create a podcast or even edit media in that way, but I felt comfortable doing it. I also learned the variety of ways to use this technology personally and professionally (Richardson, 2008). I began seeing possibilities all around me in my classroom, including posting podcasts for my students to review materials or provide directions. I began identifying ways to meet the curriculum using wikis and blogs and other forms of technology to the point that my co-teachers were excited about the possibilities.

I have become aware of the difference technology makes to students. Their level of engagement is increased more than I could ever imagine. By interviewing my students on their usage of technology inside and out of school, I can begin thinking of ways to incorporate what they know as digital natives into my lessons. Students today think differently and need to be reached differently because of their experiences with technology they come to school with (Prensky, 2001).

Teachers at every level from novice to expert have begun changing the ways they teach their students. By incorporating technology, I can allow students to increase their capabilities of learning and collaborating with peers instead of learning just from lectures or teacher-led discussions and activities. Students are more invested in learning and are able to find means to express themselves and show their understanding of course material if allowed to choose the medium in which they present it. I have become more creative ways to evaluate and assess student progress. Although it does take more planning and initial instruction and modeling of the technology, students spend more time constructing their own learning and creating products.

Since I know that these methods are successful with my students, I am motivated to continue learning how to use technology to increase student learning. I have found Prensky’s articles very interesting and informative on the subject and will seek out more of his work and research. When searching articles in the Walden databases, I have found a plethora of information dedicated to this topic. I find that by staying informed on the research, I am able to better apply it in my classroom. Subscribing to blogs related to the topic and those posted by teachers hoping for similar outcomes is also a benefit to my continued learning. I also collect data within my classroom to track student progress and I hope to see a positive shift in learning as I teach my students during their high school careers.

Over the next two years, I plan to create a working document in the form of a wiki in my learning strategies course for students receiving special education support. There is currently no text for the class and having this resource would help students during and after they complete the year. Students will complete all entries, revisions, and additions to the document. After this year’s class completes the document, next year’s class will review and revise materials as needed. Right now, in my school, no one is incorporating the use of this technology in their classroom. I hope by seeing my students’ success will inspire teachers.

I also plan to create a capstone project for seniors to complete before graduation. As juniors this year, they will be learning different types of technology and learning a repertoire of media which they can use in and out of school. Students will be required to respond to a prompt involving problem solving skills, reflection of their learning, and goal-setting for their future. They will be asked to express themselves using a multimedia means most comfortable for them. This will only be possible if students become comfortable using available media and hopefully technology my school will be acquiring in the future. Students will need to use their skill set to work within and outside the classroom to compile their learning to complete the project.

The most important thoughts I take from this course are that students today are different and therefore, teachers need to be different. If I am to meet the needs of all of my students, I need to teach them and prepare them using the technology available to us. This task seems daunting and overwhelming at times, but after becoming familiar with the media, the possibilities for teaching and learning are endless.

Resources
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).
Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wiks, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.