Reflection on Course 6715

The fact that I'm discussing how I might influence the use of technology at my school is in itself evidence of the ways in which my view and knowledge of technology has changed. I not only will continue to use technology in my classrooms, but I will also search for new and better tools to offer my students. I think the best way to influence others at my school is simply through integrating technology into my teaching and sharing the results with my colleagues. I will also ask for help and advice from those who are already using technology.
I have already spoken with the technology consultant for our school and we have made tentative plans to meet this summer so that I can have at least a blog and maybe a Moodle site ready for the start of school next year. I hope to be able to purchase more electronic lab equipment for use with a computer graphing program and a classroom camera to record labs.
I will encounter the most resistance in my efforts to change district policies regarding use of students' hand held electronic devices which most administrators see only from the perspective of student misuse. One way to approach that issue would be to try to get grant money for the purchase of netbooks or iPods for one of my classes and try it on a trial basis, working out the rules, consequences, etc with a committee of students, parents and teachers.

Reflection Course 6714

The awareness and use of technology in my instruction has been one of my weakest areas. It is the reason I chose this specialization in my pursuit of my Master’s degree.
Not only do I now understand what types of technology are available, I
also know of the research supporting its use and the importance of
incorporating it into my teaching and into my students’ learning. I will continue to update my knowledge
through workshops and personal research so that I gain more confidence and
skill in seamlessly adding technology to my list of methods to reach and teach
all students.

Next year I will have all of my students on a classroom blog and/or wiki and they will have to post answers to questions, updates on projects and homework comments. I plan to start using the remote "clicker" system this year for pre-assessment and for review. I am interested in trying to purchase flip cameras, especially for use in my physics class so students can record their lab investigations and their presentations of the results. I have a collection of good resources from my classmates which I will be able to use in planning for next year.

Reflection on my GAME plan

Developing, updating and evaluating my GAME plan have increased my awareness of the need to incorporate real-world issues and relevant statistics into my math and science lessons. Additionally, I need to make a shift in the way that the students acquire knowledge and facts, increasing the students' involvement while limiting my dispensing of information. Cennamo (2009) suggests that the computer should be used as a " support for conversation." Choosing, or letting students choose, a story, topic or set of facts to anchor a lesson engages the students and provides a reason to learn the course content.
In my physics class, the concepts of physics are explored through a modeling method of instruction. I received training and have access to support materials through the Modeling Instruction Program out of Arizona State University. My GAME plan goals align nicely with the tenets of this program in which students design and interpret lab investigations which model authentic applications of physics in the real world. The idea is that students learn best by asking questions, finding solutions and not just recalling memorized facts (Cennamo, 2009).
My GAME plan also involved improving my use of technology to communicate more efficiently with students and parents. Although I do not think I will be able to get this going this school year, I definitely plan to use blogs and wikis in my classes next fall to record assignments and notes, display student work and monitor student discussions and collaborations.
The immediate impact on my instruction is that I will now consider a wider range of tools when planning my lessons rather than relying on only the traditional ones. Cathy Petty

References

Arizona State University, Modeling Instruction Program (http://modeling.asu.edu/)

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, Pp. 254,265.

GAME Process for High School Students

Teaching my students the process of setting a GAME plan could be helpful in helping them realize the goals set forth in the National Education Standards for Students. After going over the students' ISTE standards, http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007.htm,students could rate themselves on a scale from one to five as to how well they met those standards. Then each student would select one standard to try to improve throughout a grading period. Students would set one or two specific goals related to the selected standard, then list the actions they needed to complete. Throughout the grading period, students would monitor their success in meeting their goals either through oral reports, blogging or written paragraphs. Near the end of the grading period, the students would work in pairs to evaluate the success of the GAME plan for each.
The ISTE teacher standards place the teacher in the role of facilitating the development of the student standards of working creatively, communicating and collaborating, becoming fluent in research, being able to think critically and to make informed decisions, being a responsible user of digital technology and knowing how to use the many types of technology. Ideally the teacher and students would work together, combining their different strengths to change the environment of the classroom into a more open, dynamic forum where both student and teacher share the responsibility for learning.

Extending What I've Learned

I realize from reading the posts of others that I have only begun the process of integrating more technology and problem-based learning into the classroom.I am only learning about many of the tools that some of you use regularly. I find the many possibilities interesting and have good ideas for how they might be implemented, but creating the time to do so seems to be my most pressing issue. For example, this week at work is busy with last unit tests, make-up work, exam review, making out exams, book checks, students returning from alternative school, etc. There is no time to try something new, research or read about a new technology or prepare a class project. I am exhausted trying to keep up. I had a formal observation Tuesday that I had completely forgotten about until the administrator showed up in my classroom. Under stress, I find that I retreat to familiar forms of teaching so that I am in my comfort zone.
To radically change a teaching style is difficult and unsettling. I will have to take small steps at a time. Working on this degree was a big step and implementing some use of computers into my classes was a small, but necessary step. Even though many of my Walden classmates are using much more technology than I am, I do find that I am using more than quite a few of my colleagues at work. Six math teachers share a mobile computer cart and the cart has remained in my room for the entire semester with no one requesting it. I have used the computers almost weekly, so I am slowly changing my methods. Ideally, this summer I will be able to plan some time to learn more and at a deeper level, so that next year the students and I can move to a higher level of learning. I am not ready to set new goals since I need to fully achieve the current ones. I am trying to make a habit of regularly looking up, trying out or using a technology that is new to me.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of my GAME Plan

A GAME plan is a technique to help guide self-directed learning, with the outlining of goals, taking actions toward those goals, monitoring the results of the actions and, finally, evaluating the progress (Cennamo, 2009). My GAME plan focuses on seeking, finding and filing computer sites and digital tools that I can use to involve my students in realistic and self-motivated learning. A related goal is to expand my communication with students, parents and colleagues through the use of digital tools. The following questions will help me begin to evaluate my plan.

• Effectiveness of actions taken. I have only been able to carry out some of my actions so far. I have added several good sites to my folder. I found these by my own research, from colleagues and from presentations at a math convention. I found two very good sites and am currently using them with my classes. Although I have not had the time to work on developing my class blog, I do hope to eventually implement that as well.
• Applicable Learning.

The two sites that I have been using, www.physicsclassroom.com and
www.mathisfun.com, seem well-liked by my students and allow me to walk
around the room to keep students on-task and to answer questions.

• Still to learn and new questions.
  

I still need to decide on how to use a classroom blog so that the students can discuss
homework and the problems on the websites. I don't have new questions as much as the
need for time to spend working with what I've already learned.

• Adjustments to plan.
  

I need to provide more opportunities for creative thought and for real-life applications of
the topics I'm teaching. As my students become more accustomed to using the tutorial
sites, I will need to expand the types of digital tools they are using to include options which
allow the students to create and design solutions to real problems. As the old proverb
states, " Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will
understand" (Cennamo,2009).



Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Pp. 3,31.

Update on GAME Plan for Improving NETS-T Performance Indicators

Self-directed learning is important for a teacher to keep current and stay relevant. A way to establish a course of action is to write down a GAME plan in which Goals are set, Actions are taken, progress is Monitored and results and findings are Evaluated and Extended (Cennamo, 2009). My GAME plan is focused on two NETS-T performance indicators: Standard 1, b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. Standard 3, c. communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats (http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf).

Actions I have taken are to start a folder on my desktop for filing websites which can be used to enrich my lessons in algebra and physics. I found several good resources when I attended the National Conference of Teachers of Math last week and added several websites to my list, including a NASA educator site (http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/nasaeclips/index.html), which is applicable for either my math or science class. Future actions will involve training my math students on the use of our new set of TI-84 graphing calculators.

A modification I have made is to collect sites and information for both math and physics since there is so much overlap between the two.

I have learned so far that there are many user friendly sites available and many teachers well-versed in their use who are more than willing to help and share. I have tried a few activities in my classes and have found ways to combine pencil/paper lessons with computer use.

One question that I have about the use of websites, tutorials and online learning is how do I maximize student learning so that more is learned than would be in a traditional class? I can see that the students are receptive to the use of technology, but I want to encourage them to use it to expand their thinking and to become creative learners who think about their thinking (Cennamo, 2009).


Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

ISTE International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). NETS-T. Retrieved November 25, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf