Monday, November 29, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Do You Moodle?
Below is my presentation. It is in the format of a PowerPoint presentation, but for the purposes of this blog, I saved it is a movie file. If I were to present this to my colleagues I would discuss each slide in more detail. Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Reflection on Differentiation Stations
The Differentiation Station social network project has been an eye opener for me on collaboration. I have found yet one more way to incorporate technology and collaboration with my peers that I can utilize in my classroom. Our group utilized Google Groups, which I found was a very simple application to use. It was very easy to sign on and see the new posts from the other group members. The resources my group members found and posted will come in handy when implementing the principles of Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction.
Resources such as www.prezi.com and www.mywebspiration.com will allow me to differentiate instruction for my students. These were posted by group member Amanda. Prezi is an online presentation generator and Webspiration is an online concept map application. The presentation generator will give students another option for presenting the material they learn. Webspiration can be used in DI, however, fits better with Universal Design for Learning. Concept mapping software such as this allows students to utilize words and pictures to illustrate content. This allows all students to present their information in the way that they feel most comfortable. Another group member posted www.surveymonkey.com. Utilizing surveys in the classroom fits well into DI and UDL because as an educator I can focus on the students' learning profiles, interest, and learning styles. In doing this I can separate students into learning groups and give them assignments that fit the criteria of their learning style and interests. Differentiating instruction in this manner is great because there is less focus on ability level and more focus on how the student learns. Instead of focusing on weaknesses, I would focus on strengths of each student.
Some immediate adjustments that I am making to my instructional practice regarding the use of technology integration to customize instruction as a result of learning from this course is allowing students options for assessment and assignment completion that includes technology in some way. I allow students to utilize word processing software, online websites, and presentation software when completing assignments. I have found alternative assessments such as STAR Reading and STAR Math in diagnosing students' ability levels. I also utilize my interactive whiteboard on a daily basis. Through this interactive whiteboard, students get a chance to interact with the content in a manner that is not possible with just a textbook and notebook. We can access the Internet if need be to look up more information on the subject we are studying. We can also manipulate shapes, numbers, words, and other concepts with ease. Teaching math and science with an interactive whiteboard lends a world of possibilities to the students, as well as myself! I am planning on doing an online collaboration project with my students and another classroom in the area. This is in the beginning stages, but my hopes are to complete this by the middle of the school year and have the students begin the project at that time.
The world of technology is constantly expanding. I want to make the most of the opportunities. I want my students to have options in completing tasks and assignments so that they get the most out of their learning. My goal is to continue on the path that I am going and continue to put the needs of my students first in my planning and instruction.
Resources such as www.prezi.com and www.mywebspiration.com will allow me to differentiate instruction for my students. These were posted by group member Amanda. Prezi is an online presentation generator and Webspiration is an online concept map application. The presentation generator will give students another option for presenting the material they learn. Webspiration can be used in DI, however, fits better with Universal Design for Learning. Concept mapping software such as this allows students to utilize words and pictures to illustrate content. This allows all students to present their information in the way that they feel most comfortable. Another group member posted www.surveymonkey.com. Utilizing surveys in the classroom fits well into DI and UDL because as an educator I can focus on the students' learning profiles, interest, and learning styles. In doing this I can separate students into learning groups and give them assignments that fit the criteria of their learning style and interests. Differentiating instruction in this manner is great because there is less focus on ability level and more focus on how the student learns. Instead of focusing on weaknesses, I would focus on strengths of each student.
Some immediate adjustments that I am making to my instructional practice regarding the use of technology integration to customize instruction as a result of learning from this course is allowing students options for assessment and assignment completion that includes technology in some way. I allow students to utilize word processing software, online websites, and presentation software when completing assignments. I have found alternative assessments such as STAR Reading and STAR Math in diagnosing students' ability levels. I also utilize my interactive whiteboard on a daily basis. Through this interactive whiteboard, students get a chance to interact with the content in a manner that is not possible with just a textbook and notebook. We can access the Internet if need be to look up more information on the subject we are studying. We can also manipulate shapes, numbers, words, and other concepts with ease. Teaching math and science with an interactive whiteboard lends a world of possibilities to the students, as well as myself! I am planning on doing an online collaboration project with my students and another classroom in the area. This is in the beginning stages, but my hopes are to complete this by the middle of the school year and have the students begin the project at that time.
The world of technology is constantly expanding. I want to make the most of the opportunities. I want my students to have options in completing tasks and assignments so that they get the most out of their learning. My goal is to continue on the path that I am going and continue to put the needs of my students first in my planning and instruction.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Reflecting on the GAME
During the GAME plan, one of the biggest things I learned was a great way to set goals, monitor progress, and evaluate learning. This is an easy template to utilize in the classroom. I have tried goal setting before, but never with much success. We either get too busy and never get around to it or we don’t monitor and evaluate as we should. This template affords to a lot of different ways to keep up with it, such as a GAME folder or blog postings, which are referred to at least once a week. By getting into a routine with this, we will be able to keep up with it in my classroom.
Another thing I learned was more on just how many resources are out there for teachings and students to utilize for free. I have found a couple different blogs throughout this process of which I am a subscriber to and they always are giving out ideas for free technologies that can be utilized in the classroom. I have rediscovered the importance of professional development and how important it is to keep up with my own learning.
One immediate adjustment to my teaching practices would be to implement a class blog to discuss both science and math content and mastery of goals. I have never utilized a blog in my classroom before and I have been hesitant only because a number of my students do not have computer or internet access at home. Now that our district has moved completely into our brand new school building and there are computers that students can access, I can give them opportunities at school to complete blog postings.
Another immediate adjustment I want to make is in the realm of collaborative learning. I want to find a classroom locally that we can work with to complete a collaborative project. I want to start small with this first one and eventually find something on a global scale. I think this experience will be something that the students will never forget!
Another thing I learned was more on just how many resources are out there for teachings and students to utilize for free. I have found a couple different blogs throughout this process of which I am a subscriber to and they always are giving out ideas for free technologies that can be utilized in the classroom. I have rediscovered the importance of professional development and how important it is to keep up with my own learning.
One immediate adjustment to my teaching practices would be to implement a class blog to discuss both science and math content and mastery of goals. I have never utilized a blog in my classroom before and I have been hesitant only because a number of my students do not have computer or internet access at home. Now that our district has moved completely into our brand new school building and there are computers that students can access, I can give them opportunities at school to complete blog postings.
Another immediate adjustment I want to make is in the realm of collaborative learning. I want to find a classroom locally that we can work with to complete a collaborative project. I want to start small with this first one and eventually find something on a global scale. I think this experience will be something that the students will never forget!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
GAME Plan and Students
I see a lot of commonality among the National Educational Technology Standards for Students and the NETS-T. While the standards for educators deal more with professional development, assessment, and items more on the teaching end, they share some in common with the students such as working collaboratively, communicating effectively through multiple technologies, doing research, information fluency, and digital citizenship. Students are called upon to be advocates of proper usage of technology as are educators.
With this in mind, I think I would utilize the GAME plan in the following manner:
G - Goals. I would have my students set goals for themselves after reviewing these standards. I would ask them which areas they feel confident in and which areas they feel needs some work. I would have students make 2-3 goals at a time, each time we would do this. These goals would be simple goals that students wish to work towards to becoming a more confident technology user. I would try to do this GAME plan at least twice during the year, once during the first semester and once during the second semester.
A - Action. I would have students write down the actions they were going to take next to each goal. These can be simple as well, maybe written in a few words. I would have my students utilize a wikispace in which they add their goals and actions on their own wikipage. This way, they will have the other students in the class to keep them accountable for meeting their goals. This would also allow them to work collaboratively. Maybe one student knows of a resource and wants to post it on their friend’s wikipage to aid them in meeting their goals. This would make it easier for the students to see right away.
M - Monitor. I will monitor their progress through the wikispace. They will monitor their progress and the progress of their classmates also through the wikispace. I will have them write down in reflective journals during certain points of the semester about how they feel they are doing and how maybe their goals or actions have changed. Maybe a new goal has appeared through some research the student has done.
E - Evaluate. At the end of each semester, I will have students write a reflective paragraph on the GAME plan process. This will be located on their wikipage. They will tell me how well they did at accomplishing their goal, if they need to carry this goal over to the next semester, or if they found new goals throughout this process. Maybe the goal they made at the beginning was easier than they thought and they met that goal right away. They also will evaluate the help their peers gave them throughout the process and whether it was beneficial to them to get help from their classmates. I also want to know how well this process worked for them.
This GAME plan sounds very similar to what we did during this class, but when I think back on the process, we are students ourselves. We are trying to learn these new strategies and this GAME plan really allows us to focus on our weaknesses and making them strengths. That is what we expect our students to do in our own classrooms.
With this in mind, I think I would utilize the GAME plan in the following manner:
G - Goals. I would have my students set goals for themselves after reviewing these standards. I would ask them which areas they feel confident in and which areas they feel needs some work. I would have students make 2-3 goals at a time, each time we would do this. These goals would be simple goals that students wish to work towards to becoming a more confident technology user. I would try to do this GAME plan at least twice during the year, once during the first semester and once during the second semester.
A - Action. I would have students write down the actions they were going to take next to each goal. These can be simple as well, maybe written in a few words. I would have my students utilize a wikispace in which they add their goals and actions on their own wikipage. This way, they will have the other students in the class to keep them accountable for meeting their goals. This would also allow them to work collaboratively. Maybe one student knows of a resource and wants to post it on their friend’s wikipage to aid them in meeting their goals. This would make it easier for the students to see right away.
M - Monitor. I will monitor their progress through the wikispace. They will monitor their progress and the progress of their classmates also through the wikispace. I will have them write down in reflective journals during certain points of the semester about how they feel they are doing and how maybe their goals or actions have changed. Maybe a new goal has appeared through some research the student has done.
E - Evaluate. At the end of each semester, I will have students write a reflective paragraph on the GAME plan process. This will be located on their wikipage. They will tell me how well they did at accomplishing their goal, if they need to carry this goal over to the next semester, or if they found new goals throughout this process. Maybe the goal they made at the beginning was easier than they thought and they met that goal right away. They also will evaluate the help their peers gave them throughout the process and whether it was beneficial to them to get help from their classmates. I also want to know how well this process worked for them.
This GAME plan sounds very similar to what we did during this class, but when I think back on the process, we are students ourselves. We are trying to learn these new strategies and this GAME plan really allows us to focus on our weaknesses and making them strengths. That is what we expect our students to do in our own classrooms.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Revision of GAME Plan
As part of the teaching process is reflection and revision, I now come to the part of my GAME plan where I must reflect and revise. I have learned that there are more resources out there to meet the needs of my students than I will ever have time to utilize in my career. The options that are out there for all types of students are extremely numerous to choose from. Finding the good ones, however, takes time and patiences. It is also a game of trial and error. Trying out some of these technology resources, seeing if they work, and if they do keep them. If they don’t discard them and find something else that may fit that need.
I am still working toward the digital citizenship goal. This is going to be a process of a couple years as I try to revamp my own presentations as well as stress to the students the need to respect copyrights and ownership. I also need to try to impress upon my colleagues the need for this type of instruction during each year of each grade level, even if it is just one assignment in which they instruct students how to cite. Why wait until their senior year when they write their research paper? By then it could be too late.
I think a new learning goal I have set for myself based on the NETS-T would be that which I have stated above. I need to engage more in professional growth and leadership when it comes to incorporating technology into my classroom and into my school. I want to work to develop the technology skills of others. I want to work collaboratively on both a local and a global level with my students and with my colleagues. I want to bring awareness to my school about the benefits of technology but at the same time I want to learn all I can on a professional level. I want to remain a lifelong learner.
I don’t think I would change anything I did during this learning process. One thing that I wish was different was the timing. I wish that this class had taken place during the school year so I could try to implement some of the goals I had set for myself during this GAME plan. It would have been easier if I could see things changing in my classroom. So for now, I will set these ideas on the back burner until August 24th rolls around and we start back for another school year.
I am still working toward the digital citizenship goal. This is going to be a process of a couple years as I try to revamp my own presentations as well as stress to the students the need to respect copyrights and ownership. I also need to try to impress upon my colleagues the need for this type of instruction during each year of each grade level, even if it is just one assignment in which they instruct students how to cite. Why wait until their senior year when they write their research paper? By then it could be too late.
I think a new learning goal I have set for myself based on the NETS-T would be that which I have stated above. I need to engage more in professional growth and leadership when it comes to incorporating technology into my classroom and into my school. I want to work to develop the technology skills of others. I want to work collaboratively on both a local and a global level with my students and with my colleagues. I want to bring awareness to my school about the benefits of technology but at the same time I want to learn all I can on a professional level. I want to remain a lifelong learner.
I don’t think I would change anything I did during this learning process. One thing that I wish was different was the timing. I wish that this class had taken place during the school year so I could try to implement some of the goals I had set for myself during this GAME plan. It would have been easier if I could see things changing in my classroom. So for now, I will set these ideas on the back burner until August 24th rolls around and we start back for another school year.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Evaluating the GAME Plan
In evaluating my GAME plan, the actions I took were as effective as they can be during these summer months. Being out of school for the summer makes things a little more difficult because I don’t have easy access to our technology coordinator (not a teacher, just the person who troubleshoots everything). I also do not have students at the moment to try some of these techniques out. I am looking forward to the end of August when I can start implementing some of these lesson plans. But for the most part, I found what needed to be found when it comes to resources and feel ahead of the “game” when it comes to to start school!
I have learned the important of digital citizenship. This is not something that I had really thought about in the past but plan to apply it to my future. I need to be the model to my students when it comes to citing sources. I have also learned how technology can meet the needs of special needs students. I plan on utilizing as much technology as I can when it comes to my special needs students. However, our district isn’t equipped with the numerous technologies that would aid the special needs students. Lastly, I have learned some news ways of assessment through the means of technology, especially in problem-based learning. I plan on incorporating as much of this type of assessment as I can within my classroom throughout the coming school year.
I still have a lot to learn! There are so many technologies out there it is almost overwhelming! I also still need to work on putting together a collaborative project with one of my former colleagues that is now at a new school district. I would love to work with her through a wiki and have our students do some kind of project, but that is still on the back burners of my mind. Taking baby steps in technology can be beneficial. I have still been finding new things to utilize in my classroom, such as WISE (Web-based Inquiry Science Environment) and TELS (Technology Enhanced Learning in Science) put out by the National Science Foundation. These groups have a portal for problem-based learning activities. It is one of the great resources I have found during this course.
I will adjust my plan to fit my current needs by looking at the needs of my students first. Some of my students have not been exposed to technology and so some instruction on the technology itself may be required. This can take up valuable and precious time and so that needs to be considered. Not having a true technology teacher at our district has its pitfalls and that is one of them. I will just have to monitor as the school year gets started and progresses and add in what I can throughout the year.
I have learned the important of digital citizenship. This is not something that I had really thought about in the past but plan to apply it to my future. I need to be the model to my students when it comes to citing sources. I have also learned how technology can meet the needs of special needs students. I plan on utilizing as much technology as I can when it comes to my special needs students. However, our district isn’t equipped with the numerous technologies that would aid the special needs students. Lastly, I have learned some news ways of assessment through the means of technology, especially in problem-based learning. I plan on incorporating as much of this type of assessment as I can within my classroom throughout the coming school year.
I still have a lot to learn! There are so many technologies out there it is almost overwhelming! I also still need to work on putting together a collaborative project with one of my former colleagues that is now at a new school district. I would love to work with her through a wiki and have our students do some kind of project, but that is still on the back burners of my mind. Taking baby steps in technology can be beneficial. I have still been finding new things to utilize in my classroom, such as WISE (Web-based Inquiry Science Environment) and TELS (Technology Enhanced Learning in Science) put out by the National Science Foundation. These groups have a portal for problem-based learning activities. It is one of the great resources I have found during this course.
I will adjust my plan to fit my current needs by looking at the needs of my students first. Some of my students have not been exposed to technology and so some instruction on the technology itself may be required. This can take up valuable and precious time and so that needs to be considered. Not having a true technology teacher at our district has its pitfalls and that is one of them. I will just have to monitor as the school year gets started and progresses and add in what I can throughout the year.
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