Monitoring My GAME Plan Progress

As of right now, I do not think I need to modify my plan at all. Currently, in keeping with my goals, I am trying to find a way to incorporate the Mobi tool I recently learned about from our media specialist. I have been searching online for ideas of how to incorporate this tool into instruction, but have had little success. I am assuming because this technology is new, teachers have not had a chance to share their ideas on blogs and so forth.

I have, however, been brainstorming on my own of how to use this tool in the classroom. I was thinking about having students make their own assessments on the Mobi. Perhaps as part of a jigsaw-type assignment, when students are teaching their peers, the final evaluation could include a quick quiz for their peers to demonstrate what they just learned. This may take a lot of preparation on my part to ensure the students know how to create Mobi files, and can use it properly.

Through this experience so far, I have learned that I must become 100% comfortable with using a piece of technology before I expect my students to use it. Sometimes we automatically assume our “digital natives” will catch on quickly, but that is not always the case. I found this out today while working in Microsoft Publisher with a student. We cannot make assumptions about our students’ background knowledge in any sense, whether it is about content we are teaching, or tools we expect them to use in the classroom.

Carrying Out my GAME Plan

As I work towards my goals, I have chosen a class and teacher I want to work with to integrate a UDL approach for instruction. I have already started creating a class profile matrix that helps me outline and visualize the students’ strengths and needs as learners. I need to complete this summary before I can even think about moving forward in choosing technology tools for a lesson.

I still plan to explore certain resources further as I pursue my goals. I have already inquired with our media specialist to find out the technology we have available in our school. I also plan to learn from my Walden colleagues as they also work on integrating technology into their own lessons. I have also subscribed to several educational technology blogs, including http://ilearntechnology.com/ and http://www.freetech4teachers.com/. These resources have been excellent in opening my eyes to various tools that I could incorporate in my lessons.

My next step, after I complete the class profile, will be to identify an upcoming lesson that could be modified to fit the UDL approach. Then, I can use the students’ profiles to determine appropriate tools that will support them in their learning.

GAME Plan

After much self-reflection, I have determined two areas in which I would like to improve when it comes to integrating technology into my teaching. I have decided that I will focus my time and energy on the following International Society for Technology in Education standards (ISTE, 2008):

2c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources

3a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations

In order to achieve these goals, I need to take several actions. To accomplish indicator 3a, my first step will be to stay abreast of new educational technology that I can use in my classroom. I plan to read educational blogs and access the expertise of the technology experts in my school system (King-Sears & Evmenova, 2007). This also means I must become familiar and comfortable with using these tools on my own, before even considering their use in my instruction. This leads to indicator 2c, applying technology to meet the diverse needs of my students. If I become an expert on certain tools, I will be able to integrate technology that is best suited to my students’ strengths and needs.

Once I conduct some research and become familiar with the technology, I will approach the educators I co-teach with and get their insights and suggestions into the integration of these tools. Working together, we can determine the best ways of supporting our students with educational technology.

To monitor my growth, I will check my progress weekly. I would like to start researching tools in the first week, and by the second, I should be discussing the options with classroom teachers. My goal is to incorporate new digital tools into one classroom setting per month.

International Society for Technology in Education (2008). National educational technology standards for teachers. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx

King-Sears, M., & Evmenova, A. S. (2007, Sep/Oct). Premises, principles, and processes for integrating TECHnology into instruction. Teaching Exceptional Children, 40(1), 6–14.

Reflective Essay

Students today are inundated with new technology. This course shed light on the 21st century skills that we must teach our students if we want them to be successful in our digital society. These new tools require an entirely new skill set, new literacies if you will. According to November (2008), we must “teach our students how to think critically about this media,” (p. 3). Our role as educators has shifted and this course allowed me to take the first step in preparing my students for their futures.

By completing a 21^st century unit plan, one that integrated my content with new literacies, I was able to see first hand just how seamlessly the two fit together. At first glance, it seems these new literacy skills and content curriculum are mutually exclusive. That could not be further from the truth. Now that I have experience integrating these 21^st century skills into a content unit, I feel more prepared to do this in future lessons. In fact, many of the projects I already assign my students require them to use these new literacies. This course has taught me the importance of letting these skills share some of the attention that our curriculum objectives receive. Students should be aware that they are learning strategies for effectively searching the internet, for example. They should also be made aware of how mastering these new literacies will benefit their futures in a digital workplace. This course showed me how I could begin shaping my students into digital citizens.

To continue building on the insights I have gained in this course, I have set a professional goal for myself. I would like to infuse more lessons with 21^st century skills, eventually covering my entire curriculum. By incorporating these goals in my subject area, I can be sure my students are learning these valuable skills. My hope is that I can share this idea with my administration, and they will have other content areas follow my lead. Now more than ever, it is essential that we prepare our students to become citizens that will thrive in our increasingly digital world.

November, A. (2008). Web literacy for educators. Thousands Oaks: Corwin Press.

Final Reflection

In reviewing my Personal Theory of Learning from eight weeks ago, I notice many principles that I still hold true. Nevertheless, I hold new beliefs that will enhance my theory of learning. I still believe that learning is an active process where students must relate new concepts to prior learning experiences. However, throughout this course, I have learned many strategies that emphasize learning as a social process. Social learning theorists promote the notion that learning is a social process, and that we learn through our interactions with others and the feedback we receive (Orey, 2001). I have modified my personal theory of learning only slightly, however, I believe it is enhanced with the addition of tenets from social learning theory.

In order to enhance my current instructional practices, I intend to change my mind set regarding the use of technology. It is not enough to integrate any web tool into my instruction anymore; I must consider which tools will engage my students as active learners (Laureate Education, 2009). Elaborating on this notion, Wang (2008) noted, “Teachers need to plan thoughtfully” when integrating these tools into instruction (p. 411).

Throughout this course, I have researched a variety of technology tool, and I feel I can purposefully select who that will enhance my students’ learning experiences. Concept mapping software truly embraces my personal theory of learning, that students must relate new knowledge to their prior understandings. Concept maps are visual representations that link new ideas to old concepts students have previously learned (Novak & Cañas, 2008). Secondly, I plan to incorporate the use of blogs in my classroom. In addition to creating their own blogs, students can follow the blogs of others and respond to them. This collaborative tool has many potential benefits, including facilitating class discussions (Echlin, 2007). Using blogs, I fulfill my newfound belief that learning is a social process and our interactions with others assist this process.

As I grow as an educator, I must fully embrace the potential impact of technology in my instruction. One goal I have to help me achieve this is to stay abreast of technological advances. I can do this by subscribing to technology blogs and conducting internet research. This way, I will be able to evaluate the newest tools in relation to their potential use in my classroom. Secondly, I plan to use my students as a resource in incorporating technology in my instruction. Involving my students not only shows that I value their opinion, but it will allow me to include tools they are comfortable using.

Technology will remain a reality in the realm of education for as long as I remain a teacher. As long as I continue to support its use in my classroom, I feel that I cannot go wrong. This course has taught me that I must utilize educational technology to its full potential, and that includes conducting research on the range of tools available and evaluating their potential benefits on my instructional practice.

Echlin, H. (2007). Take your class to the internet: how to set up a blog in your classroom. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-discussion-take-your-class-to-internet

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Instructional tool vs. learning tool. Baltimore: Author.

Novak, J. D. & Cañas, A. J. (2008). The theory underlying concept maps and how to construct and use them, Technical Report IHMC CmapTools 2006-01 Rev 01-2008. Retrieved from the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition Web site: http://cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/ResearchPapers/

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

Wang, Q. (2008, November). A generic model for guiding the integration of ICT into teaching and learning. Innovations in Education & Teaching International, 45(4), 411–419.

Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning involves students working together towards common goals. According to (Orey, Cooperative learning, 2001), this process “involves a series of steps, requiring students to create, analyze and apply concepts.” This instructional strategy promotes student dialogue to foster the generation of ideas through discussion and debate (Orey, Cooperative learning, 2001). Cooperative learning supports the basic assumptions of social learning theory.

Social Learning theories assert that learning occurs by way of our interactions with others (Orey, Social constructivism, 2001). Theorists who maintain this notion of learning also claim that learning is a social process, stressing “the need for collaboration among learners,” (Orey, Social constructivism, 2001). These core beliefs mesh well with cooperative learning strategies. Another principle of social learning theory is that people learn through observing others. By its very nature, students involved in cooperative learning observe the behavior of their peers, learning through watching their behaviors.

One specific strategy that promotes cooperative learning is a jigsaw activity. Students engaged in a jigsaw are responsible for collecting information on a specific topic, and reporting it back to their group (Orey, Cooperative learning, 2001). To incorporate educational technology into this strategy, students could utilize Google Docs and Google Notebook. These online tools enable students to work together in a virtual environment, allowing them to share information in real time, even when they are in different locations (Hargis & Wilcox, 2008). I put my own spin on the traditional jigsaw activity to further promote the principles cooperative learning. After each member shares his or her research with the rest of the group, they will need to synthesize the information further, to solve a problem as a group. This way, the structured problem-solving aspect of cooperative learning is met.

Hargis, J., & Wilcox, S. (2008, October). Ubiquitous, free, and efficient online collaboration tools for teaching and learning. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education (TOJDE), 9(4), 9–17.

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

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

Student - Centered Learning

Constructivists contend that learning is a process in which learners must be actively engaged in order to develop new understandings (Orey, 2001). Today, there are many new instructional approaches that support this theory of learning. A variety of strategies can also be used in the classroom to support student engagement and their creation of knowledge.

One such way to involve students in the learning process is through generating and testing hypotheses. This strategy can be used in all areas of the curriculum. Generating and testing hypotheses involves a structured process, through which teachers should guide their students (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007). Learners begin with a theory, then conduct research and collect data to support or disprove their hypotheses. A key piece to this strategy is the end result, when students must clearly explain their conlusions (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007).

Much like constructivist theorists recommend, the generating and testing hypotheses strategy is a student-centered activity. Learners are engaged in problem solving a real-life situation while they conduct their investigations. As noted by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn and Malenoski (2007), this strategy is “experimental inquiry” in the classroom (p.203). Incorporating constructivist strategies like this truly allow students to assume an active role in their own learning.

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.