View my glogster poster presentation about online learning at:
http://etregloan.edu.glogster.com/waldenapp4/
Enjoy!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
EDUC 6714 Reflection
Every child in my classroom is completely unique in their needs, interests, and learning preferences, and at the completion of this course, EDUC 6714, it is more evident than ever how important differentiated instruction is in my classroom. Dr. Smith and Dr. Throne (2009) tell us that differentiation is not simply a set of strategies, but more a way of thinking about teaching and learning (Laureate). And while I find this statement to be true, to differentiate effectively, teachers must have a set of strategies to use to help many kinds of students. Throughout the duration of this class, my colleagues and I have worked hard to discover, investigate, and share many online strategies and tools to help with differentiation in the classroom. These tools, located in our Differentiation Station social network, include a wide variety of websites containing information on DI and UDL, as well as interactive websites and sites containing printable materials. One thing that has become very obvious is that no one person could have discovered these tools on their own. Because we all have different learning styles, needs, and interests, including the different areas in which we teach, the wide variety of materials will allow for easy differentiation in the classroom. The tools are, in fact, differentiated themselves! With the help of each member of my Differentiation Station group, we were able to develop a truly useful classroom resource.
One thing that I have struggled with throughout the duration of my Master’s program is how difficult it can be to integrate technology into my kindergarten classroom. When I feel as though it is impossible, I have to stop and remember the words of Dr. Smith, “It’s possible to use technology, we just have to make the effort” (Laureate, 2009). One way that I have been able to make the effort is to implement the principles of UDL in my classroom. By providing multiple means of representation, means of expression, and means of engagement, I can meet the needs of my students based on readiness, interest, and learning style. Some tools I have already begun implementing in my classroom instruction to accomplish these things are the online tools located at www.starfall.com, www.spellingcity.com, and www.uptoten.com. In addition, I also use KidPix often, and I am in the process of implementing www.readingeggs.com into my reading instruction.
Dr. Smith and Dr. Throne tell us that every child is worth the best we can give them (Laureate, 2009). As I continue using the resources collected by my colleagues on our Differentiation Station as well as searching for new, exciting resources, I can find the most effective and efficient ways to reach my students and meet the diverse needs of each child.
References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Reaching and engaging all learners through technology [Motion Picture]. Reaching and engaging all learners through technology. Baltimore: Author.
One thing that I have struggled with throughout the duration of my Master’s program is how difficult it can be to integrate technology into my kindergarten classroom. When I feel as though it is impossible, I have to stop and remember the words of Dr. Smith, “It’s possible to use technology, we just have to make the effort” (Laureate, 2009). One way that I have been able to make the effort is to implement the principles of UDL in my classroom. By providing multiple means of representation, means of expression, and means of engagement, I can meet the needs of my students based on readiness, interest, and learning style. Some tools I have already begun implementing in my classroom instruction to accomplish these things are the online tools located at www.starfall.com, www.spellingcity.com, and www.uptoten.com. In addition, I also use KidPix often, and I am in the process of implementing www.readingeggs.com into my reading instruction.
Dr. Smith and Dr. Throne tell us that every child is worth the best we can give them (Laureate, 2009). As I continue using the resources collected by my colleagues on our Differentiation Station as well as searching for new, exciting resources, I can find the most effective and efficient ways to reach my students and meet the diverse needs of each child.
References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Reaching and engaging all learners through technology [Motion Picture]. Reaching and engaging all learners through technology. Baltimore: Author.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Blog Reflection
As a teacher, I’m not new at setting goals for myself. Whether taking classes, developing my teaching skills, or working on life skills, I am no stranger to developing goals that will increase my knowledge and abilities. But with my hectic life and busy schedule, I haven’t always had the time or chance to carry out my goals. Many have fallen to the wayside, with the intent of coming back to them later. But we all know how new things arise and we don’t always revisit our goals, despite our best attempts. By using the GAME plan model, I feel as though I found a system that helps me keep up with my goals, and I look forward to using this model in the classroom.
The easiest part of the GAME plan is setting the goal. Like I said, I’ve done that enough in the past to know how to set a good goal. Yet, as I said, goals aren’t always realized for a lot of different reasons. In this course, I learned that goals are never set in stone and that revision is absolutely vital. As I worked to take action on my goals, I figured out that my goals weren’t easily achievable over summer vacation, and while I did attempt to take action towards meeting my goals, it was really the monitoring and evaluating steps that proved most valuable. As I learned this in this course, I really came to see how important it is to teach this process to my students. Students need to understand that they aren’t trapped in their goals. Vicki Davis tells us that using the GAME plan model can help students evaluate the process of learning and document their progression as they become self-directed learners (Laureate, 2009). What I think the GAME plan model really allows for is for both the teacher and the students to learn creative and critical thinking skills in a way that is automatic and instantaneous. If students are constantly making goals, taking action, monitoring, and evaluating their learning, critical thinking will be “infused in content and used in context” in a way that leads to truly meaningful learning (Laureate, 2009).
An immediate adjustment I plan to make is to keep the NETS-S and NETS-T in mind when creating and carrying out lessons in my classroom. Of course, much of this course has been based on integrating those standards into lessons, and the GAME plan model lends itself perfectly to developing technology skills in the classroom. Another adjustment I hope to make in my classroom is to use some of the tools presented to us in this course to turn my students into self-directed learners. Whether I use problem-based learning, online collaboration, or digital storytelling, my students will learn higher order thinking skills and discover how they learn best. With so many options available to present knowledge, I must give my students the opportunity to “show off their strengths” in unique and exciting ways (Laureate, 2009). I’ve created many hypothetical lessons in both my undergrad and graduate careers, but the unit plan created in the course is one I plan to actually carry out. I think this course has been incredibly useful in my professional development and I look forward to taking what I’ve learned to my students and create the kinds of learners needed to run our global society.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Programs 1-10. [Motion picture]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.
The easiest part of the GAME plan is setting the goal. Like I said, I’ve done that enough in the past to know how to set a good goal. Yet, as I said, goals aren’t always realized for a lot of different reasons. In this course, I learned that goals are never set in stone and that revision is absolutely vital. As I worked to take action on my goals, I figured out that my goals weren’t easily achievable over summer vacation, and while I did attempt to take action towards meeting my goals, it was really the monitoring and evaluating steps that proved most valuable. As I learned this in this course, I really came to see how important it is to teach this process to my students. Students need to understand that they aren’t trapped in their goals. Vicki Davis tells us that using the GAME plan model can help students evaluate the process of learning and document their progression as they become self-directed learners (Laureate, 2009). What I think the GAME plan model really allows for is for both the teacher and the students to learn creative and critical thinking skills in a way that is automatic and instantaneous. If students are constantly making goals, taking action, monitoring, and evaluating their learning, critical thinking will be “infused in content and used in context” in a way that leads to truly meaningful learning (Laureate, 2009).
An immediate adjustment I plan to make is to keep the NETS-S and NETS-T in mind when creating and carrying out lessons in my classroom. Of course, much of this course has been based on integrating those standards into lessons, and the GAME plan model lends itself perfectly to developing technology skills in the classroom. Another adjustment I hope to make in my classroom is to use some of the tools presented to us in this course to turn my students into self-directed learners. Whether I use problem-based learning, online collaboration, or digital storytelling, my students will learn higher order thinking skills and discover how they learn best. With so many options available to present knowledge, I must give my students the opportunity to “show off their strengths” in unique and exciting ways (Laureate, 2009). I’ve created many hypothetical lessons in both my undergrad and graduate careers, but the unit plan created in the course is one I plan to actually carry out. I think this course has been incredibly useful in my professional development and I look forward to taking what I’ve learned to my students and create the kinds of learners needed to run our global society.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Programs 1-10. [Motion picture]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Using the GAME Plan Process with Students
When it comes to meeting goals in my classroom with my students, one thing I really believe in is making students a part of the goal and giving them some responsibility in meeting it. Students need to know where they are going and where they need to end up. So like any other educational goal, the first thing I would do is share the NETS-S with the students and explain how I would hope to meet the goals with them. By giving the students a quick snapshot of the tools and methods we would use the meet the goals, I know they would be very excited to be a part of the goals and would work hard to meet them. At that point, I would work with them to develop a GAME plan for each goal. We might not do all the plans at once, but instead pick one or two to create a work on before moving on to the next. For example, I would start immediately with digital citizenship to teach safety and ethics at the beginning of the school year because it is crucial that students learn that skill right away and have plenty of time to keep developing it throughout the school year. As we met goals, we would move on to the next, and more than likely work on two or even three at a time, depending on our curriculum and unit of study, and plus some must be practiced continuously. Using the GAME plan is really just a method that will help keep us focused as we work towards. Actually, it will be more about keeping me on track and keeping the students involved in their learning. I think really it’s all about what Vicki Davis refers to as “Intentional research and development.” As long as my students and I make a conscious effort to create and stick with goals, and using the GAME plan will help accomplish this, we will be successful in the end.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
It’s been quite a journey moving through each step in my GAME plan and I think I’ve learned quite a bit that I can apply in my instructional practice. First of all, this course has introduced me to some new tools like problem-based learning and online collaborative based learning. While these don’t relate directly to my GAME plan goals, they have given me some new ideas for the ways in which I might reach my goals and teach students about computer safety and ethics, and especially, integrating real-world issues into my curriculum. Furthermore, just the idea of the GAME plan has helped keep me focused and organized, and although I might not always write down my plan like we’ve been required to do in this class, I will definitely be able to move through the process instinctively. I think the process is also helpful when planning lesson because it ensures that you keep your goals for students clearly in mind and stay on the right track. The lesson template provided for us in our course text is a great tool that I will be able to use in the future.
Because I do not have students at this time, I have not met either of my goals. But with school starting soon, I’m very excited to get in the classroom and apply what I’ve learned and move forward with the things I’ve already started. Also, I have two new grade level partners who are also excited about technology, so I plan to sit down with them soon and begin to map how we plan to teach about and with technology this coming school year. At this point, I have not set any new goals, but I do know that after learning about all the new technology tools presented in the course, I would like my next goal to deal with “Designing and Developing Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments,” the second NETS-T standard. While I feel as though I’ve been able to integrate technology use into many of my lessons, I’m sure I can do an even better job. I’m very excited to learn about digital storytelling, so I think my next goal will revolve around that.
To improve my learning, I would definitely set goals that I would more easily be able to reach in a short term period. I feel as though I’ve just postponed many of my ideas to reach my goals, but I’ve had to, since I can’t really move forward without students. One approach that I used that I will definitely continue using is social and educational networking. Through this blog, I’ve gained some valuable insights from my classmates that have really helped me figure out where I’m going and what I need to do to get there. As Vicki Davis points out, teachers are connectors. But we’re not just connectors for our students. We’re connectors for each other and my colleagues have been a tremendous resource throughout this process. Thanks everyone!
Because I do not have students at this time, I have not met either of my goals. But with school starting soon, I’m very excited to get in the classroom and apply what I’ve learned and move forward with the things I’ve already started. Also, I have two new grade level partners who are also excited about technology, so I plan to sit down with them soon and begin to map how we plan to teach about and with technology this coming school year. At this point, I have not set any new goals, but I do know that after learning about all the new technology tools presented in the course, I would like my next goal to deal with “Designing and Developing Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments,” the second NETS-T standard. While I feel as though I’ve been able to integrate technology use into many of my lessons, I’m sure I can do an even better job. I’m very excited to learn about digital storytelling, so I think my next goal will revolve around that.
To improve my learning, I would definitely set goals that I would more easily be able to reach in a short term period. I feel as though I’ve just postponed many of my ideas to reach my goals, but I’ve had to, since I can’t really move forward without students. One approach that I used that I will definitely continue using is social and educational networking. Through this blog, I’ve gained some valuable insights from my classmates that have really helped me figure out where I’m going and what I need to do to get there. As Vicki Davis points out, teachers are connectors. But we’re not just connectors for our students. We’re connectors for each other and my colleagues have been a tremendous resource throughout this process. Thanks everyone!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Evaluating My GAME Plan Progress
As we learn about problem-based learning this week, I can really see how it fits in with my GAME plan. As we developed our goals and plan of action, we were really just identifying a problem and we’ve been moving along with self-directed learning, learning the content along the way and using technology to help us reflect and document our progress, as suggested by Dr. Ertmer (Laureate, 2009). As we looked for ways we can improve in the classroom or or thought back to situational dilemmas we’ve dealt with, we’ve been able to go through the PBL process throughout this course (Laureate, 2009).
Really, I think my plan of action has been very useful in meeting my goals. I’ve been able to do most of the research needed to identify the needed information, I have my districts acceptable use policy, and I’ve been looking at my state’s technology standards. Also, I am currently on my school’s technology curriculum committee, so I’ve been working to identify and list the activities we already do to meet those standards and identify those places where we are falling short. It just so happens that one area deals with internet safety and ethics, so I am actively planning lessons to teach in the first weeks of school to address the standard and my goal. Also, in looking at my kindergarten curriculum and standards, one area that my grade level does not do address fully deals with our social studies curriculum and the area of civics and citizenship. Knowing this, I can use my second GAME plan goal to develop a PBL lesson that addresses real-world issues in our community. Learning about PBL’s this week has been very helpful giving me some direction in where to go with my goals. Really, I can use the PBL process for both goals and allow students to make discoveries, rather than me doing all the work and teaching myself. And I can also integrate more content area standards into teaching these goals, and covering more content is always a good thing!
I don’t have any new questions at this point, and I would still like to learn more about creating an online collaborative project. The biggest issue I’ve had is not being able to discuss and share ideas with colleagues. With summer in full swing, not a lot of people have been available for school discussions. I wish I could get more of my goals accomplished, but until I am actually able to get into our computer lab with a group of students, I feel as though I’m at a standstill. Therefore, the best way to adjust my plan to fit my current needs is to design a PBL lesson for each of my goals to prepare for the beginning of school. I know I’d like to do a lesson in the first weeks dealing with internet safety and ethics, and I’m planning to do the PBL lesson on civics and citizenship in October when we get to our Community theme.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program 8. Spotlight on technology: Problem-based learning, part [Motion picture]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.
Really, I think my plan of action has been very useful in meeting my goals. I’ve been able to do most of the research needed to identify the needed information, I have my districts acceptable use policy, and I’ve been looking at my state’s technology standards. Also, I am currently on my school’s technology curriculum committee, so I’ve been working to identify and list the activities we already do to meet those standards and identify those places where we are falling short. It just so happens that one area deals with internet safety and ethics, so I am actively planning lessons to teach in the first weeks of school to address the standard and my goal. Also, in looking at my kindergarten curriculum and standards, one area that my grade level does not do address fully deals with our social studies curriculum and the area of civics and citizenship. Knowing this, I can use my second GAME plan goal to develop a PBL lesson that addresses real-world issues in our community. Learning about PBL’s this week has been very helpful giving me some direction in where to go with my goals. Really, I can use the PBL process for both goals and allow students to make discoveries, rather than me doing all the work and teaching myself. And I can also integrate more content area standards into teaching these goals, and covering more content is always a good thing!
I don’t have any new questions at this point, and I would still like to learn more about creating an online collaborative project. The biggest issue I’ve had is not being able to discuss and share ideas with colleagues. With summer in full swing, not a lot of people have been available for school discussions. I wish I could get more of my goals accomplished, but until I am actually able to get into our computer lab with a group of students, I feel as though I’m at a standstill. Therefore, the best way to adjust my plan to fit my current needs is to design a PBL lesson for each of my goals to prepare for the beginning of school. I know I’d like to do a lesson in the first weeks dealing with internet safety and ethics, and I’m planning to do the PBL lesson on civics and citizenship in October when we get to our Community theme.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program 8. Spotlight on technology: Problem-based learning, part [Motion picture]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Monitoring My GAME Plan
In this week’s video resource, Dr. Ross instructs us to know where we’re going and how we’re going to get there. Fortunately, technology compliments both of these goals (Laureate, 2009). In working towards success with my GAME plan, I’ve really come to see that Dr. Ross is right in stating that technology can provide the tools to get me where I’m going and help me along the way. Throughout this process so far, I’ve been able to see that I have to keep my goals clearly at the forefront of my mind and evaluate and re-evaluate the things I am doing to achieve them.
My first goal is to model proper and acceptable computer and internet use by creating a set of technology guidelines and rules with my students in order to develop strong ethics in the use of computers in school. So far, I have been able to contact my technology director and look over my district’s acceptable use policy. My district has high standards for ethical behavior when using technological resources, but I feel that the use policy is a bit simple and needs to be updated. However, because of its simplicity, it does lend itself to developing a short list of rules to follow, as it does hit on some important points. I will, however, need to work on the language slightly to make it more kid-friendly, and I’ve come to see that my goal and plan need to be modified by developing a vocabulary list for the technology terms as well that cannot be changed. I need to include lessons in which students and I work together to define and explain the terminology. While working on my GAME plan, I am currently on my schools technology curriculum committee, and the biggest question that has come up for me is how much should I expose my young students to, in terms of ethical behavior? Should I keep it very simply by discussing simple manners and courtesy online or citing sources? Or should I discuss some of the bigger dangers associated with blogging, chat rooms, and instant messaging, for example, even though my students are not yet ready to use those tools? I really believe in exposure for young students, but not to the point that it becomes overwhelming.
My second goal is to choose 1-2 real world issues that are relevant to my kindergarten students to research over the course of the school year with the use of the internet and online collaboration projects. I wish I could say I was finding what I need for this goal, but I have not spent a lot of time searching. I’ve spent more time on my first goal, because I feel as though that one needs to be ready to carry out as soon as I take my students to the lab for the first time this next school year. I would really like to develop my second goal after meeting my students. Plus, after reading and viewing this week’s resources, I really feel like I need to learn more about project- and problem-based learning and the options available to me as far as tech tools go to help me reach my goal. Also, after reading about project-based assessments this week, I feel as though I need to learn more about how to affectively use that type of assessment. It’s my weakest area of assessment, so really I just need to explore and use the technology to learn about the technology (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integrations for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program 7. Assessing student learning with technology [Motion picture]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.
My first goal is to model proper and acceptable computer and internet use by creating a set of technology guidelines and rules with my students in order to develop strong ethics in the use of computers in school. So far, I have been able to contact my technology director and look over my district’s acceptable use policy. My district has high standards for ethical behavior when using technological resources, but I feel that the use policy is a bit simple and needs to be updated. However, because of its simplicity, it does lend itself to developing a short list of rules to follow, as it does hit on some important points. I will, however, need to work on the language slightly to make it more kid-friendly, and I’ve come to see that my goal and plan need to be modified by developing a vocabulary list for the technology terms as well that cannot be changed. I need to include lessons in which students and I work together to define and explain the terminology. While working on my GAME plan, I am currently on my schools technology curriculum committee, and the biggest question that has come up for me is how much should I expose my young students to, in terms of ethical behavior? Should I keep it very simply by discussing simple manners and courtesy online or citing sources? Or should I discuss some of the bigger dangers associated with blogging, chat rooms, and instant messaging, for example, even though my students are not yet ready to use those tools? I really believe in exposure for young students, but not to the point that it becomes overwhelming.
My second goal is to choose 1-2 real world issues that are relevant to my kindergarten students to research over the course of the school year with the use of the internet and online collaboration projects. I wish I could say I was finding what I need for this goal, but I have not spent a lot of time searching. I’ve spent more time on my first goal, because I feel as though that one needs to be ready to carry out as soon as I take my students to the lab for the first time this next school year. I would really like to develop my second goal after meeting my students. Plus, after reading and viewing this week’s resources, I really feel like I need to learn more about project- and problem-based learning and the options available to me as far as tech tools go to help me reach my goal. Also, after reading about project-based assessments this week, I feel as though I need to learn more about how to affectively use that type of assessment. It’s my weakest area of assessment, so really I just need to explore and use the technology to learn about the technology (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integrations for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program 7. Assessing student learning with technology [Motion picture]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.
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