I am really excited about all of the ways I can use technology to engage students in my classroom. Last week, our middle school received a mobile lab of laptop computers that will be stored in my classroom. (I am equally excited about that!) We also have a math computer lab that other content areas are allowed to use one or two days a week. For our small school, this essentially puts computers into the hands of my students at least two or three times a week. For the first time, I feel there is a reason to learn all I can about technology and how I can use it to enhance my lessons.
One of the The ISTE NETS and Performance Indicators for Teachers (NETS•T) that I want to increase my confidence and proficiency in is: 1) Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. My GAME plan for this is as follows:
Goal: to become a facilitator in inspiring student learning and creativity in our 7th grade Language Arts class
Action: I will implement at least one new method of using technology in every unit I teach this school year. I am planning to change my book talks to include Voicethread and podcasts (promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness); using digital storytelling in our creative writing unit; a class blog in our reading class (promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking); epals to collaborate with students in other parts of the nation and I want to begin to investigate ways we can use technology in the upcoming presidential election year (engage students in exploring real-world issues).
Monitor: I will monitor my progress by reflecting about how new technology was implemented and how well content was learned in each unit. I will not only reflect in writing, but will collaborate with our learning community at school.
Evaluate: At the end of the school year, I will evaluate what worked and what did not work. I can then plan for the new school year and continue to infuse technology in my classroom.
Another indicator that I want to increase my confidence and proficiency in is: 3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning. My GAME plan for this is:
Goal: to exhibit skills and knowledge of technology and to demonstrate the use of this technology with students and parents
Action: I want to use a class blog to inform parents not only about announcements of homework, tests and field trips, but also of what we are currently learning in class. I want parents to be able to access student thinking as evidenced by the blog (communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats). I will use technology in my class in this school year to the extent that I learn more about how to use it and share it with my colleagues at school (collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation). The more I use technology the more I will learn (demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations).
Monitor: Since I have neglected our class website so often in the past, I will post every Monday morning about the upcoming week so that I stay current with the blog. I will make a point to share with colleagues through email whenever I learn how to use new technology in the classroom.
Evaluate: I will confer with parents and students as to how helpful the class blog has been. I will evaluate how much new technology my colleagues experiment with after my use of it.
Finally, I want to increase my confidence and proficiency in: 5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership. My GAME plan is:
Goal: to learn how to effectively use a Promethean board in class and to teach the use of it to my colleagues.
Action: I will be getting a Promethean board for my classroom at some point during this school year (at least that is what I have been promised). I will participate in training provided at our school in how to use the board in class to promote student learning.
Monitor: I will experiment with using the board in class and how to enhance student learning with it. As I find what works well, I will share it with my teaching colleagues at our building.
Evaluate: I will continue to evaluate how well I am learning to use the Promethean board and what I need to learn in addition to what I know. There are extended learning opportunities for using the Promethean board in our district and I will seek these out as needed.
Hi Brenda,
ReplyDeleteBlogging with my students is something that I would eventually like to try. I want to gain more experience in it through our course blogging before I will try it with my students. I found an article that gave some great suggestion for making a classroom Blog work to meet your educational goals. A high school teach, Dubbels, states that through blogging his students perform better because they know their peers will be reviewing their work, not just the teacher (Sturgeon, 2008). That sounds convincing enough to make any teacher want to dive in, but there are some things that teachers need to do before beginning the process. Sturgeon suggests proper training on the how to’s as well as instruction on proper etiquette need to happen before any assignments are made. She states that students need to understand the difference between social networking and academic collaboration so posts are focused on learning.
That brings up the question of how to integrate it into the curriculum to make it meaningful in gaining content knowledge. In another article I read, the teacher had one student write about what they learned in class that day and before each test, all students had to write a reflective Blog post about what they had learned during the unit (MacBride & Luehmann, 2008). I thought these were good ideas. First of all, the daily post could be used by anyone who was absent since students posted example problems in the blog. The idea of having students reflect before a test, in a public forum, will require them to think deeply about their learning. Those students who struggle at reflection will have many examples to look at as models. I use exit slips and notice that some students struggle to think deeply about their learning. Exit slips, in my case, are only shared with me so there is no modeling involved. As a teacher, this process will also help with improving future lessons. I also think that parents and community members will enjoy reading the Blog.
References
MacBride, R., & Luehmann, A. (2008). Capitalizing on emerging technologies: A case study of classroom bloggin. School Science and Mathematics, 173-183. Retrieved from: http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c59a639d-faec-4378-bcd0-f8e996abe229%40sessionmgr13&vid=4&hid=19
Sturgeon, J. (2008). Five don'ts of classroom blogging. The Journal, 26-30. Retrieved from: http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=19&sid=c59a639d-faec-4378-bcd0-f8e996abe229%40sessionmgr13&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ehh&AN=29987272
Buff-
ReplyDeleteone suggestion for useability and readability.
Ceck font size.
On your other point, I agree that the blog might come to replace the journal entry, provided schools step up to the technology plate. Also, the "offical class blog" migt be a rotating assignment, to keep a record of the agenda, the standard and the goal o' the day. Writing one's own blog vs writing for a slightly different authentic audience would enable each student to develop a creative way to caputre the day's activities for thosw unfortunate enough to miss class. THis sort of collaborative blog is also a way to let parents know what is happening in the classroom that is student directed.
Just a few thought.
-dd
I think having an authentic audience is key for students. We all work harder when we know we have an audience. Thanks for the suggestion of font size - I will attempt to change that. I have tried in the past to keep agendas and learning goals posted on a class website but often failed to keep it up-to-date.
ReplyDeleteBrenda,
ReplyDeleteI also have a Promethean board in my classroom that I am in the beginning stages of understanding all its possibilities. For your evaluation, ask a colleague or administrator to observe and evaluate your use of the Promethean. It may help to have an outside source review your lesson. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer includes the question, “What will I do differently in the future?” as a way to think about evaluation (2009, p.84). Feedback from others can assist you in determining how to improve your use of the Promethean board.
I believe Promethean boards are effective in enhancing instruction. King-Sears and Evmenova assert, “When integrated into well-designed and meaningful instructional activities, assistive and instructional technology promotes learning for students with and without disabilities” (2007, p.6). Using the Promethean board is opportunity present information in a variety of ways. This may enhance the learning for students especially those with disabilities. Students can watch me mark the text on the screen, move words into sections of an organizer, and watch videos that explain my lecture.
Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer also list 10 things to consider when using interactive whiteboards: project clear visuals, use any software, save and review work, interact with your instructional materials, use or create templates, involve your students, support student presentations, interact with your students, manage resources flexibly and efficiently, and share with the greater teaching community (2009, p.93). As you become more proficient and skilled in using the Promethean board then you can share your knowledge and expertise with colleagues.
For ideas on how to use the board, the website for Promethean Planet will provide a wealth of information. Follow the link http://www.prometheanplanet.com/en-us/professional-development/ . There is a variety of professional development resources. If there is an expert on site, I would ask to observe them using the board and request training from them as well.
-Jessica H.
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.
King-Sears, M., & Evmenova, A. S. (2007). Premises, principles, and processes for integrating technology into instruction. Teaching Exceptional Children, 40(1), 6–14.
Promethean Planet. (2011). http://www.prometheanplanet.com/en-us/
Thanks Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI am not when I will get the Promethean, but I have already moved around in my room and I am ready. I plan to take advantage of any training available.
I think creating a class blog is a good idea. It will probably be challenging for our students at first, as it was for me this week. However, I believe it will get easier over time.I do currently have a classroom blog but it is private to our class and I assign every student a login. It is very closely monitored so I can make sure that students do not behave inappropriately. The website is also fool proof. It comes with a program my school bought into this year called Writing Matters. It might be something you would like to look into. Just be careful and make sure that students are well aware of the proper internet behavior and appropriateness.
ReplyDelete