When evaluating my GAME plan progress, I need to be a reflective learner who considers the effectiveness of my action plan while I continue to monitor and evaluate it looking at the past and present success (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer 2009).
Indicator 2c- Customize and personalize learning activities to address student’s diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources. My actions have been fairly successful in brainstorming with colleagues for ideas on what content area/skills should be considered to integrate into technology. Unfortunately the arrangement of colleague’s school and personal schedule has limited the capacity for everyone to get together at one time to brainstorm. We however have prevailed with the use of social networking and have established some areas where the students need to be more engaged with the content. What I have learned so far that I can apply to my instructional practice is that students can benefit from this type of social networking like blogging. I will create a voicethread where I talk and illustrate how to blog and blogging guidelines to follow.
In addition I will have to learn to how to incorporate the use of digital pictures and or videos that correlates with the content areas the teachers would like integrate into the technology curriculum. The questions that have arisen is how much time should I set aside for the implementation of these new tools and will the learning of new tools interfere with the learning of the content?
I will adjust my plan to fit my current needs by first evaluating the student’s prior knowledge of particular software and hardware to determine how much instruction/modeling is needed. I will utilize an on-line survey as well as teacher observation. These assessments will help guide me to facilitate self-directed learning and to determine an approximate time line for a unit.
3b- Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation. In evaluating the GAME plan for this indicator it is not so much of the effectiveness of my goals as it is the time frame with which it takes to gain access. I have incorporated a blog on my web page for the students as I wait to hear about the approval for the use of http://kidblog.org. In the mean time since the blogging is done through my web page, I simply sent a notice to parents via e-mail informing them of this new instructional tool where they can view the posted blogs at anytime. Parents without an e-mail address were informed in the monthly newspaper. What I have learned from this experience that I can apply to my instructional practice is the usefulness of on-line surveys. In an effort to monitor the effectiveness of my blog, I created a short survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/ with various questions about blogging. This is a great technology tool for my 3rd and 4th to learn and use in projects.
I am still learning about two video-conferencing tools to compare and contrast differences, similarities, and user friendliness for future use for classrooms and or experts. The question and concerns that have arisen is will my district allow this tool to be used by the students or will they only allow teacher access? I will have to adjust my plan of video-conferencing depending on the decision. A teacher only access decision will mean that video-conferencing will be a teacher directed activity done either in whole group or small group.
A huge part of the success of my game plan progress has been gaining access to specific Internet web 2.0 tools even though they have been free and technology hardware.
References:
http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/get-skype/on-your-computer/windows/
http://www.oovoo.com/Download.aspx
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
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Susan,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as if you have made a great deal of progress with your GAME plans. Even a little success is better than none, and there are so many new opportunities in technology that it is hard to decide what to use or what is best for our students. Sometimes I feel that we are doing the same things, but with different tools. Granted, many are easier to use and fun, but time will tell if they were really worth the extra effort. Oh well, that is education. Stay in long enough and everything old becomes new again.
Continuing good luck with your plan.
Mike
Susan,
ReplyDeleteDigital photos engage student interest. Last year we used the digital camera to capture shapes on our geometric walk through the school. The students were photographed with their geograhic discovery. They wrote about their discoveries when they returned. It was worth the time.
I would like to acknowledge the positive comments that were posted this week. Sometimes it does seem as though we are using a familiar idea with different technology tools. It is so true how everything old becomes new again. It seems as though every few years an older theory or strategy gains a new buzz word or term to replace the former.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of utilizing digital pictures but it can be very time consuming unless you do it during recess, after school hours or have access to multiple cameras. I am waiting for the time when everything old becomes new again and they realize the importance of student connection to content through real life situations versus teaching to the test.