Final Reflection on my Game Plan

This course has been very beneficial in helping me reach my first goal to create and design learning experiences that incorporate technology in the planning of a unit using online research, collaboration, and digital storytelling. Though I was familiar with problem based learning and promoting collaboration as well as alternative forms of assessment, I had never really considered the benefits of adding technology to these types of learning experiences. Using online tools allows students to access new sources of information, work virtually any time and place, capture their interests, differentiate instruction, and to work more creatively to both learn and assess their knowledge levels. Though eventually using technology will allow students to work more easily and effectively and focus on the content and curriculum, it does require a great amount of initial planning and preparation for the teacher. Once the students become familiar with the tools and techniques though, the teacher can really step back and allow the students to work more independently and codependently. I am excited to try my lessons this spring with my students in order to see just how effective they are.

My other main goal was to model digital age work and learning; which I also will be doing more of soon. I think it is important to know what you are talking about as the teacher, but also to keep an open mind in the event that a student knows more tricks to using certain programs. I will strive to do this as I show the students what I have been working on in my coursework. This would be my area of adjustment. In the past I have been embarrassed if I didn't know everything a student asked me, but I have to recognize that many of my students spend just as much if not more time online and using technology. I have also decided that I would like to have "tech mentors" in the class and would like to even appoint that as a role in group projects to assist myself and the students in using my new technology integrated lessons in the classroom.

Week 7 GAME Plan Update

My GAME plan is designed to help my students devlop proficiency mainly through action. In the technology integrated lessons I create my students will work with a variety of tools and techniques to better understand their applications and use. It is difficult for many people, regardless of learning styles, to learn without doing. In the lessons I will select technology that supports my content and model the activities that the students will complete. But the most critical thing that I can do to help my students is to give them time to work with the technology and try things out for themselves. I know I have learned most of my way around new programs by playing around with them and through trial and error. I want to point out to my students that although they may not initially succeed in using technolgy, they will undoubtedly learn something in the process.

Another key goal of my GAME plan was to share what I learn throughout my coursework and projects with my colleagues in order to provide a better level of reinforcement. When students work with tools and even use similar strategies in several classes, it makes it so much easier to learn. This will also benefit the teachers, as the students are already trained and ready to work. A main concern that teachers have about integrating technology is the amount of time involved in preparing the students to do the work. In this case, they would already be proficient. Additionally, I am using technology more and more for my own effective communication and organization and the students can see the benefits. They know that they are able to email me and access class information via my wiki page. They see that they can establish similar relationships with their classmates for help on homework and I think that my own progress in my GAME plan have been influential in this respect.

Our students live and will work in a different world than we do. It is our duty to model, engage, and promote effective use of technology both inside the classroom and out.

Week 6: Revising My GAME Plan

My main lesson in this course on Integrating Technology across the Content Areas is to use technology appropriately. This means neither too much access nor too limited use by both me and my students. Sometimes lessons and work needs to be done the old-fashioned way; reading print resources, solving tough problems by working them out by hand, and communicating face-to-face. Forcing technology integration can actually limit students’ creativity and can furthermore prevent their productivity. Flexibility is a characteristic that teachers today need to possess more so that ever due to the many different ways that we and our students learn and work in order to be successful.

A NETS standard I still feel that I am continuing to work on is fairly obvious; number 5. “Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership”. As I continue this course and the two remaining courses, I will undoubtedly gain a better understanding of the importance of technology in education today. Particularly, indicator d. “contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community” (NETS, 2008) will be my main responsibility after finishing my masters’ course work. I do feel like I need some time to process and practice all of the great things I’ve been learning. Right now I feel very busy with my school and personal responsibilities and don’t believe I have had the opportunity to do so as of yet.

For this reason, I plan to make it a priority to share my new knowledge with other teachers in my school after my graduation from Walden. Though it seems like I am postponing this goal, May will be here before we know it and the end of the year potentially would be a great time to work with my peers because the high-stress and increased pressure of testing will be through. To further improve my learning next time I set a GAME plan or engage in other professional growth opportunities, I will work to increase my communication with other teachers in order to ‘share the wealth’.

National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (2008). ISTE. http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm, access December 7, 2009

Week 5 Update

My action plan consisted of being sure that my curriculum drives my technology integration and brainstorming at least two existing lessons that could be enhanced by technology tools. Thus far, I am happy
to report that I am on track to reach my goal in this respect. I have not been forceful in inserting unnecessary technology into every lesson. Instead I have been using my daily tools like my SMARTBoard and PC in more efficient ways. Additionally in my coursework I have been challenging myself to be certain that I try to think about new ways to teach my content. Teachers are frequently told not to reinvent the wheel and I am now trying to instead redesign and tweak it.

Many of the scenarios from real classroom teachers in our video series have been helpful in giving me ideas for my own classroom. I am excited to try problem based learning and allow my students to take the reins of their own learning. I believe this will be especially helpful in reaching the various interest and ability levels of each individual student. However I think that PBL may present my largest challenge to reaching my GAME plan's goals. As I expressed in my group discussion I am concerned about being able to create a solid problem for my students to work to answer. Also I need to learn appropriate ways to manage this kind of learning activity.

As far as adjusting my GAME plan, I really think I need to gain more practice and experience with using PBL and planning a comprehensive unit is a perfect way to start. I am already comfortable with project based learning and hope this transition to problem based learning will go smoothly. As I teach more lessons structured this way, I work to monitor and evaluate strengths and weaknesses in this respect and then can adjust my plan accordingly.

Delay of GAME?

In working to increase my use of UDL in lesson planning, I did upload the lesson template to Google Docs. While there I decided to search the existing templates and found a student survey that I thought would be useful (George, 2009). Also I found a great many resources available that would be helpful to teachers who are planning lessons using the principals of UDL. Most come from the CAST website, so I am unsure about the legality of me uploading them to Google Docs. I know I would be more apt to use these guides if I can easily access them there. Would this be acceptable as long as I cite the sources of information, or is this considered copyright infringement? Media specialists and technology teachers, I need your expertise here!

I do not feel like I need to modify my action plan at this time. I do feel as if I need to take more action though. It seems like the holidays are one of the most challenging times of the school year to accomplish much of anything with the students' excitement building and the many activities that come along with the season. Unfortunately I have not had many opportunities to use the new technology tools that I learn about in class with you all in my own classroom. I am always referencing the activities that we do and know that I must take time to make the time for incorporating these new ideas.

So far I have learned that the students are impressed when I make mention of the new technology tools that I am using. It is easy to see they are excited and perk up when I mention these ideas. I realize just how significantly technology can increase student engagement, now I just need to harness it!

Questions that I find myself asking are along the lines of my tech-resistant peers. Though I possess a better mind-set, I am now finding myself facing some of the realities. Why won't our Board stop being so old fashioned and unblock the great sites I want to use. How can I pry the CRS system from the hands of the math teacher who always seems to be using it the day I want to? When will I fit it all in? Again, I think it is partially the timing that is holding up my GAME plan and I know there are ways to work around the challenges I am facing and recognize that many other teachers face many more. I will continue to work towards my goals and appreciate all of your help and suggestions!

George, Marj. Google Docs. accessed November 25, 2009. http://spreadsheets.google.com/gform?key=tf7makOc8IlxEZxbDKyyYMQ#

Reviewing the GAME Plan

In order to plan lessons that employ digital tools to create valuable learning experiences, I am going to need more than just my everyday school supplies. I already have access to a SMARTBoard, wireless laptops and the LCD projector and regularly employ them. But I need to use other, less accessible technologies like the CPS systems, digital cameras, scanners, airliners, and websites that are not allowed by our Board of Education like YouTube.com in addition to the aforementioned tools. Furthermore I plan to use the strategies in the texts we have read throughout our Walden coursework and will continue to look for advice through authorities in technology integration, professional organizations, and networking communities for new ideas for use in my classroom. I especially would love to hear from my classmates about what works in their middle schools or social studies courses!

I have not yet used the GAME plan lesson format for preparing lessons, but many of the components are similar to the format our county uses now. It will be advantageous for me to upload this document to Google Docs where my colleague and I can access it easily during our planning time. Additionally, I am going to share this with my team so that we can all work to integrate technology and reach more of our learners through this UDL compatible format. One area I did make an advancement in was in sharing my use of technology to communicate with parents with my principal. I showed my principal the benefits and possibilities that having a class wiki provide versus her support and encouragement of using schoolnotes.com with other teachers. And I let her in on the handy way to post notes via our online grade book reporting system. She was impressed and I was encouraged to keep working toward my goals and I look forward to further monitoring my progress.

Getting in the GAME

Set Goals: Although all the NETS standards are important for teaching in the 21st century, I consider the indicators of standard 2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments, a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity and standard 3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning, a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations (ISTE, 2008) to be of particular importance and as attainable goals at this time. Dr. Peggy Ertmer asserts that confidence is essential in integrating technology and that "it's OK not to know more than the kids if you're willing to learn from them" (Laureate, 2009) and thanks to our coursework, I feel quite able to succeed in these areas.

Take Action: One valuable piece of advice from real classroom teachers will certainly shape my actions and that is to "look to technology to support the lessons, not form it" (Laureate, 2009b). The key is to promote learning and creativity, which I can preform well if I remember to begin with the end of content-based learning in mind. This way my lessons not be forced or frivolous. When I do deem it appropriate to integrate, I will use a lesson template such as the one provided for the 'Daily Lesson GAME Plan' (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertner, 2009). Additionally, as I gain practice with new technologies in my remaining courses or upcoming staff development opportunities, I will brainstorm at least two current lessons that could be improved by the integration of this new knowledge.

Monitor Learning: In each unit of study, I will look back on the lessons where I applied the GAME plan and completed the sections entitled 'Monitor' and 'Evaluate' in order to determine my successes and areas that I need to improve upon. I will also compare notes with my colleague to get an unbiased opinion of the effectiveness of my lessons. Also I will share with him and other interested teachers strategies that worked well in my classes and teach my students ways they too can use these new technologies.

Evaluate and Extension: Every fall, teachers are asked to identify two professional objectives that complement our school improvement plan. What better way for me to keep track of my progress than to align my technology integration goals with my school-based goals? I know that I will be proud to invite my principal into my class to see the lessons I plan and how efficiently I am able to use technology tools for my own personal use. Aside from this official evaluation, I know that my own extension of my graduate work in the coming years through continuing learning and keeping abreast of new tools will be most important.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. . (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards Based Approach. Cengage Learning: Mason Ohio

ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 2008. accessed November 12, 2009. www.iste.org.

Laureate Education Inc. (2009). “Enriching Content Area Learning Experiences with Technology, Part 1.” Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education Inc.

Laureate Education Inc. (2009b). “Enriching Content Area Learning Experiences with Technology, Part 2.” Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education Inc.

New and Improved Literacy!

Perhaps one of the most interesting views gleaned from this course was from just this last week; as David Warlick says "It's not about the Technology" (Laureate, 2009). As teachers, we want to hitch our star to the latest teaching wagon so to speak and unlike some others I am usually all about trying anything with technology. However, I have come to realize that technology is what you make of it and how you use it. I'm not just talking about just for our own personal convenience in grading and handout making either. It's about understanding how to teach the students to use information technology tools responsibly, critically, and reliably in appropriate situations. Instead of just saying "It would be a great idea to have my students post their notebook responses on a blog!", I now realize that it goes beyond this. I know that I need to work to model appropriate ways to interact with others in online communities. Students need to look at online sources of information and not just trust them blindly.I have to show my students ways to show how others have influenced them without plagiarizing. And thanks to the many strategies I have learned such as QUEST, (Eagleton & Dobbler, 2007) I feel confident in teaching my classes to be technologically literate before using technology tools.

As I mentioned, I do plan to apply my new knowledge of online literacy to a variety of projects in the classroom, but I believe that this will be most useful when teaching students lessons for research on their National History Day projects. When you ask a sixth graders to choose a topic to research and even to determine what they plan to prove about it in a thesis statement, they are excited. However once they have to find sources of information, cite them, and explain how they are useful in an annotation, they panic. Just today I had a student say "Why can't I just Google it?". Instead of falling back on the old teacher (and parent) standby, of "Because I said so.", I can fully address his question.

One professional development goal I plan to accomplish is to work more closely with my sixth grade team to explain the many tips and strategies I have learned about throughout this course. I am proud of the unit I put together to guide my students in a comprehensive inquiry and I think it would be useful for both my co-teacher and I to use it in our classrooms so that we can not only see it in action, but to reflect upon it and make any adjustments for future reference. Furthermore, I know that the language arts teachers would be excited about new ways to use technology in their current literacy lessons. And particularly I think the science team would be able to make their content more accessible to the students. I know what its like to have a curriculum full of unfamiliar vocabulary and difficult concepts, but using the inquiry strategy in combination to teaching online literacy would be beneficial, no matter what the course is.

Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the Web: Strategies for internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.

Laureate Education Inc. (2009). “Developing Students' Digital Literacy.” Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education Inc.

Reflection on My Personal Learning Theory

In the beginning of this course, I described my personal theory of learning as a recipe. Indeed I am still the chef, blending Cognitivism, Constructionism, and Social Constructionism to be an effective teacher. However, I will admit that Behaviorism has a larger role as a base ingredient than I initially admitted. In today's educational trends, Behaviorism has fallen out of favor but I believe it still plays a critical role. Another adjustment I have made is the use of the term Constructionism rather than Constructivism because I better understand that in this theory of learning "people learn best when they build an external artifact that they  can share with others" (Laureate, 2009). I believe this is key in education because building a product shows the highest level of learning.

My short term goal is to change the way I use technology is to aim to use it more as a learning tool rather than an instructional tool. In the past, I as the teacher used various programs to help me teach more than I used it to help students learn. I had one of our school's SMARTBoards in my room at the beginning of the year, but I let another teacher keep it at the end of the year because I knew I was not using it to its' full advantage where all students were actively involved in the learning process. I was using it mainly like my usual LCD cart and had only one or two students actually touching it; and admittedly, only when time allowed. Over the summer I plan to use other technology tools like my new favorite, Spin Scape concept mapping along with interactive websites to plan lessons that require all students to be involved in the use of technology for learning.

In the long term, I would like to extend the above goal to use technology as a learning tool more than an instructional one. I have already begun searching for sites that will allow the SMARTBoard and concept mapping to enhance the students' learning. By the end of the summer, I hope to have at least one lesson per chapter that uses the interactive whiteboard along with another learning tool. Secondly, I want to plan more cooperative lessons to allow social constructionism to occur. In these lessons I will design basic guidelines but will ask students to create an artifact that means something to them on a more personal basis. "Technology can play a unique and vital role in cooperative learning by facilitating group collaboration, providing structure for group tasks, and allowing members of groups to communicate even if they are not working face to face." (Pitler, et al, 2007). I will ask the students to use the various forms of technology we have used in class to help them in whatever ways they deem fit and will assess them according to the requirements of a teacher-created rubric which will be reviewed before beginning the lesson. Hopefully the students will enjoy using technology and therefore become engaged learners because their teacher knows how to use it more effectively! 

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009b). Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theory. Baltimore

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD

 Expediency, 7(14) 345-367. 

Social Studies?

In my social studies class, the students have many opportunities to interact while learning. I was fortunate to have a forward-thinking mentor teacher when I was student teaching who told me that the students should always work harder than the teacher. On the surface, one might think this means the teacher can kick back and let the students be completely responsible for their own education. But what he meant was that the teacher should instead function as the facilitator or the 'more knowledgeable other' (Laureate, 2009) and that students should have a certain degree of self-motivation and direction of learning. Cooperative learning activities certainly facilitate both.

Our county is very supportive of social interaction in the use of Kagan strategies. Some were mentioned in this week's resources such as jigsaws, base groups, and three-step interviews. As you might guess, not all teachers embrace these strategies because group work can take a bit of adjusting to because of diverse ability levels, clashing personalities, and there's always the noise but they are denying themselves and their students. These teachers would see that "cooperative learning is not so much learning to cooperate as it is cooperating to learn." (Pitler, et al, 2007). And gradually teachers will notice that they are not the sole 'more knowledgeable other', but students will rely upon their peers to help them learn what they are trying to find out. Also it will give students the chance to develop their own unique talents and give them recognition among their peers and boost their self-esteem so that everyone plays an important role in the classroom environment. 

These roles can then be extended into networks thanks to technology. Many of the suggested resources in our text would be appropriate for allowing the students to develop and share knowledge. Social networking sites, webquests, calendars, blogs, and simulated games enable students to reach out and develop their interests and help others who want to know more about a certain topic so they can essentially go from asking the experts to becoming an expert. I was amazed to learn that there are over fifty benefits for students who use cooperative learning in the classroom in the areas of social skills, psychological abilities, academics and assessments (Orey, 2001). Thanks to technology, teachers don't have an excuse not to use cooperative learning. 

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009b). Program ten Social Learning Theories [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.
Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
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VoiceThread

Hi Everyone, 

Check out my post on VoiceThread to weigh in on our school's absence policy and providing make-up work here: http://voicethread.com/share/525517/. I look forward to hearing from you! 

Caution: Woman Constructing

Why is it when men work, they need to put up a sign that says "Caution: Men at Work"? You don't see women doing that! I know, it's an old joke, but our real goal here is to get our students to do the work. Yes, we'll probably get plenty of moans and groans, but after a bit of experience with project based, inquiry, problem solving, investigating,  and hypothesizing, students will appreciate the hands-on nature of constructionist learning methods. 

While I don't necessarily believe that generating and testing hypothesis is the most effective constructionist learning activity for my content area of social studies, I do aspire for my students to be "engaging in complex mental processes, applying content knowledge like facts and vocabulary, and enhancing their overall understanding of the content." (Pitler, et al., 2007). However, I do see technology as a critical part in achieving this goal. 

So much has changed even since I was an undergraduate student five years ago in terms of completion and presentation of projects. Using spreadsheets and data collection software are helpful to students like me who don't feel the desire to tediously solve every problem. I always tell my students 'Work smarter, not harder!'. This is important because technology makes essential tasks more manageable. In the past, some students simply would not complete a project because of the sheet amount of work that can go into problem solving that can be completed by programs such as these. Now that this is eliminated, students will be able to better see the 'big picture' or major concept rather than get bogged down by details. Similarly, some of the projects that even middle school students create today are amazing! My colleague and I have had some mind blowing documentaries that have been produced for our National History Day historical investigation. It seems like making a poster is absurd when technologies like Movie Maker and IMovie are available today. 

This week's chapter did feature my favorite technology, web resources. Here is where the possibilities are endless for social studies! Especially in the case of simulation software, which "can provide incredibly engaging learning environments, resulting in increased motivation and retention in learning" (Pitler, et al., 2007). I have created several simulations in class such as immersion in Chinese philosophy activities and Life on the Feudal Manor, but they don't hold a candle to the websites such as the example given in our text, Practicing with the Catapult. Students love these types of programs and having access to a SMARTBoard makes it possible for the whole class to participate. Over the summer I plan to collect as many sites with simulations that fit my curriculum as possible in order to ensure that it is the students who are at work, learning and creating their own understanding, and artifacts throughout ancient history. 

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Cognitivism in Practice

As a teacher of ancient history, I had heard the quote by Confucius that introduced the Cognitivist method of experiential learning: "Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand."(Orey, 2001). But reading about embedding technology in chapters four and six of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works gave me a better understanding of what Confucius meant. Here I learned about how to integrate cues, questions, advance organizers, summarizing, and note taking while using technology to benefit students in the cognitive learning style. The goal of transferring information to long-term memory requires students to focus on main concepts, eliminate unnecessary information, and to organize it in a way that is meaningful to them so that they can build connections to their prior knowledge. In order to do this, teachers need to explicitly teach students how their brains work and model appropriate ways to manage the many pieces of information that they are required to learn. 

In giving cues, creating questions, and advanced organizers, teachers must recognize their role in helping students succeed. Higher level work will only be produced in the teachers create an expectation and environment that asks students to go beyond the basic facts and declarative information typical of rote learning. The students will probably have a tough time adjusting to this type of questioning and activities, but ultimately it will serve them well in helping them to make their own personal connections to material and will assist them in their careers in higher education. 

Technology can be applied in many ways to help teachers achieve this goal of student reflection and metacognition of learning. Some examples of specific programs that are helpful for teachers using the cognitive method include the various forms of Inspiration to organize information and multimedia sites like my personal favorite, United Streaming. If your district does not subscribe, urge them to do so before next year! "The technology, in turn, provides you with editable visual aids and multimedia resources that appeal ti a number of learning styles." (Pitler, et al, 2007). This is ideal for students since dual coding and elaboration can be delivered in this method. Additionally, this provides students with a specific episode of learning which can be drawn upon where no prior knowledge exists. 

As for summarizing and note taking, I recognized many of the problems that my students encounter as they worked on becoming better note takers from their limited elementary school skills in this area to the level that is expected of middle school students. When the students first begin taking notes in the beginning of the year they want to copy sentences directly from the book or power point presentation and they want to write down everything. If they were permitted to high light the text, the entire thing would be yellow! The authors of our text recommend that teachers do several things to prevent this from happening; teach students to eliminate anything that is not essential information, teach them to summarize, model various note taking formats, give teacher-prepared notes, and perhaps most importantly, to show students that information can be organized in a way to make it easier to understand. 

Again, the application of technology can make our job easier. Word can help to summarize student notes that are typed in a new document. They can also track changes, because as I learned, notes are not final. They should always be viewed as a work in progress. Infinitely more helpful could be the many available concept mapping softwares. Additionally, note taking can be a collaborative process- something I had my students dabble in by using blogs this year. But I plan to enhance the students ability for reciprocal teaching of our content by adding wiki projects and adding the steps of clarifying and predicting to their blogs. Mainly I had the students summarize and question one another about the material presented in class. I like the fact that blogs can take learning to the next level: "Blogs provide the means for students to use the strategy of reciprocal teaching be allow time for more in-depth conversation that can extend beyond the allotted time in the classroom." (Pitler, et al, 2007). Additionally, this kind of cognitive learning activity can help students review and assess their learning. 

In conclusion, technology can greatly aid teachers as they work to help their students learn. Cognitive tools can be applied for information seeking, information presentation, knowledge organization, and knowledge integration as teachers work to increase higher-order thinking in their classrooms.

Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Behaviorism in Practice

Reading about the authors' ideas for embedding technology in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works was really exciting! I know that I am confident in using technology in the form of blogs, streaming videos, pod casts, and Internet research in the classroom myself but I recognize that there is a great deal more I can do to help my students use technology to their own educational advantage. Additionally I was surprised to find that many of these methods were actually behaviorist learning strategies, as I assumed most technology integration in the classroom would fall under the theory of social constructivism. "The entire rationale of behavior modification is that most behavior is learned." (Orey, 2001). So in theory, my struggling students can learn how to be effective students by changing the behaviors that don't work for them into ones that allow them to be successful by modeling, shaping, and cueing.

I had heard before that students respond well to data, but doubted the truth of this statement. The idea of tracking students' effort compared to results in terms of grades in spreadsheets and other data collection software seems like a good way to determine whether or not this will be useful to my students. Students often blame poor grades on outside factors and most annoyingly, on the teachers who 'gave them a bad grade or just doesn't like them'. "The research indicates, however, that students can change their beliefs and make a connection between effort and achievement." (Lever-Duffy, et al., 2001 p. 156). By setting clear expectations and grading requirements through rubrics and keeping track of effort and performance in a program like Excel, my students can chart the correlation between the two. If I can explicitly show my students in the beginning of the next school year that if they don't try their best, they won't perform to the best of their abilities, I might set up an attitude of self-efficacy and responsibility. What more could a teacher ask for?!?

Practice through homework is a prime example of behaviorism in action. Homework allows students to master skills and adjust what they have learned until they have achieved proficiency. Many of the ideas presented in the chapter Homework and Practice were great tips for teachers that many probably are unaware of. Even a simple program such as Microsoft Word can allow students to conducted focused research, identify the grade level of their writing, and summarize their work. The applications of these tools are really endless. When I teach my fledgeling researchers how to find out more about History Fair topics in the beginning of the year, I know I would appreciate this application. I could easily model how to do this using my SMARTBoard. Also after a recent class I took on the importance of teaching reading in the content areas, I know that I should ask students to self-assess written assignments with these tools as a part of pre-writing and I might even include them on my grading rubric for them. Shaping and cues could assist the students as they work to perfect the work they produce. 

Perhaps the most appropriate way to use technology in my content area of social studies though might be multimedia. As mentioned earlier, I am comfortable in using multimedia programs myself, but I know I can do more to assist my students. "In addition to learning from multimedia such as educational games and interactive simulations, students can learn with multimedia by creating their own projects at home or at school to develop their understanding and practice skills." (Lever-Duffy, et al., 2001 p. 194). Behaviorist theory has its place, but in order to meet my goals, I know I will need to combine these methods with other educational learning practices to succeed. And this is my goal as a teacher-to use technology to take learning to the next level. 

Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

The Integrator

There have been definite ups and downs as I learned about the impact of technology on education, work, and society. It has been helpful to understand the history of and the ways that technology has changed our lives. Since graduating from college five years ago, I know I have seen many changes in  my personal use of computers, cell phones, and especially the Internet. However, the disconnect in my use and my students' use of these same tools has been made more clear through information I have been exposed to such as the Thornburg Center and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. I am much more comfortable using blogs; so much so that I have incorporated them into my enrichment classes. Additionally, I am working toward becoming 'paper-free' at least in printing out articles of interest and emailed information. I will admit that podcasting is going to require more practice on my part before I will make it a regular part of my teaching tools. Figuring out how to convert files was one assignment that nearly caused a destroyed laptop and martial strife!

My understanding of the learning process has changed because I recognize that I and many of my colleagues use technology in very basic ways. Instead of asking students to learn from technology, they need to be taught to learn with technology. Assignments that I have designed in the past asked students to do very basic technological tasks; typing assignments in word processing programs, creating power points, and limited online research from sites like Proquest. However, I now know that these assignments don't necessarily engage students in those 21st Century Learning skills like critical thinking and complex communication. 

I am glad to be able to say that my lessons have always been more student-centered rather than teacher focused. Using technology will help me to continue to engage learners in meaningful ways that allows them to create projects through collaboration with their peers, allowing them to practice for the jobs they will one day hold. Employers want employes who are self-driven and can communicate with a team rather than mindless drones who take orders. Understanding how our workplace has changed helped me to see the significance in helping our students to be prepared for a wired workplace. I intend to continue to stay abreast of changes in technology by monitoring the technology blogs I subscribed to as part of this course. Also I will work with my media center coordinator to use new opportunities in my classroom. 

Though two years does not seem terribly long-term, in the world of technology, it is actually quite a long time! I would like to make my enrichment classes that I mentioned earlier work entirely on blogs that are set up in the beginning of the year. Here we would create an online community where the students can communicate about our content and collaborate on their assignments. In order for this to happen, I'm going to have to get our school board to pay for membership in a better blogging site. The free site I use has a limited number of student accounts with a small amount of storage that would not hold a year's worth of work. Also I am afraid that not all parents would embrace this idea, especially if they do not have Internet access at home. My second goal is to then use technology more in my grade level classes. I feel guilty denying these students the opportunity to use technology, especially since they are the ones who may benefit most. Potential problems in this venture are needing to monitor students more closely, behavior problems, and less experience with computers. I know that it will probably take longer to work with technology and I can't let our curriculum fall by the wayside. However, I consider it to be a worthwhile cause and will use our technology coordinator and lead teachers to help me overcome these issues. Wish me luck! :) 

First Pocast

Here is my first podcast. In it is an interview with three of my sixth grade social studies students. Their opinions well represent the norms of their classmates. After polling my students I discovered several characteristics about their technology use. 

First, they use much more technology at home than at school. The average number of hours using computers, cell phones, and gaming  was three hours daily. Whereas at school, the number was less than a half an hour and primarily in computer class, if enrolled at all. 

Secondly, the students are adept at using computers for both school work and pleasure. Browsing the Internet; though surprisingly not using social networking sites as I would have expected, is something the students have been doing for some time thanks to popular tween websites that they mentioned such as Nickelodian, Club Penguin, and Webkins.  Though the students I talked to do not visit MySpace or FaceBook, I know that many do thanks to their questionnaires. 

Finally, students use of technology has been so limited in school that they are either unaware or apprehensive about doing certain types of assignments using computers rather than traditional books or paper and pencil. In my survey I asked students how they would feel about holding class discussions online and many wanted to know exactly how that would work. Many were not aware of what a blog is. However, the students were excited about alternatives such as reading our textbook online or completing assignments in Power Point rather than doing paper projects. Please click the podcast link above to hear what my students had to say. Enjoy!

Evaluating 21st Century Skills

Overall, I am impressed by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. They certainly have an impressive list of members and partners; groups which should be on the cutting edge of technology. Identifying and describing the "Six Key Elements of 21st Century Learning" and illustrating the "Bridge to 21st Century Learning" was helpful to educators like myself who are new to learning about technology integration. Additionally, I liked the fact that the Partnership has created "Nine Steps to Build Momentum" rather than just telling teachers that they need to figure out a way to implement those key elements on their own. A quote I appreciated from the Report and Mile Guide said it best; "Infusing dynamic, real-world contexts into classroom learning will invigorate teacher and student engagement." (http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/images/stories/otherdocs/p21up_Report.pdf p. 5).

Some states that are involved in Partnership initiatives surprised me, since they are not as well known for their educational standards. By no means do I intend to write off all the hardworking teachers in more rural states like West Virginia or Wisconsin, but I know the realities that schools everywhere face when it comes to getting the equipment and access needed to get a program like this off the ground. Largely, it seems as if these states' participation is supported by their governors. This is important because we all know that schools depend on political actions and is instrumental in building said momentum and preparing citizens to one day be productive contributors to society. 

One aspect I thought was a bit odd were the missing success stories. A link is provided, alas, no success stories! Also considering how many publications cover the Partnership for 21st Century Skills as referenced on the homepage, I am curious as to why my state, Maryland, hasn't become more active. On the Tools and Resources page, the Partnership claims they "conduct extensive, ongoing outreach to a broad range of individuals and groups within the education community, including education experts, teachers, administrators, students, businesses, community groups, university faculty and researchers, under-served community representatives, after-school program representatives, and policy makers." So what's the deal Maryland? I'm new to technology integration, but surely someone more significant than me knows about opportunities such as this. What can we do to get involved?

I suppose that classroom teachers like myself are responsible as well. We can't push all the blame on our state curriculum writers or Boards of Education. Like new employees bring technologies to the business world, teachers need to maximize student exposure and create assignments as well as assessments that use Information and Communication Technologies in the classroom in order to prepare our students for the real, 21st Century world. If we do it in our schools it will trickle up!

Now What Do I Do With It?

I teach sixth grade social studies, which is ancient history in my county. Our enrichment students use something called an Interactive Student Notebook (I.S.N.) which is a part of the History Alive program and encourages text interaction, creation and use of graphic organizers, journal activities, and other higher order thinking activities. Immediately the I.S.N. seemed like a way for students to use blogs as an alternative to the actual notebooks that get lost, aren't completed, or are simply rushed through. 

The I.S.N.s are collected only twice per quarter so they are nice to grade just a couple times. However, you can imagine that some students don't keep up with assignments day to day since long-term projects are difficult for new middle schoolers to transition into. I am excited most about using blogs as a way to collect student assignments, or at least monitor their completion more easily. In addition, parents could access their child's blogs to verify that work is done on time. I could create a class blog to post the assignments and other class information. Another benefit would be that students would not have to worry about losing their work and furthermore would be able to monitor their progress throughout the year and refer back to it as they begin a new I.S.N. in seventh grade. 

I would love to try this with one of my three enrichment sections at least as an alternative for the few who are failing because of poor I.S.N. grades. I know there are downfalls such as limited home Internet access and several students may be inexperienced with technology. But I'm looking forward to hearing your ideas and suggestions for this application of blogs! 

What's a blog?

Can you believe that's what my students said when I told them about this endeavor? I thought I was the only one who was new to blogging. So I told them a blog is an online journal of sorts. Being the mature sixth graders that they are, they said something like "Who would want to read your journal Mrs. Thompson?". Ha! I'll have to inform them that (eventually) I'll have quite the following here! Thanks classmates! :)