Final Reflection

Technology is rapidly changing the face of education. The technologies that we are currently seeing in our schools have become mainstream in the eyes of the public, yet there are many more emerging technologies that education has barely had a glimpse of yet. When we begin to imagine the possibilities of technology in the classroom it allows for teachers to be more innovative to allow authentic learning to take place.

Throughout this course a variety of emerging technologies has been made known to me. Up to this point I did not know much about MUVEs or their uses within the classroom but am starting to see how they may potentially have benefits with the right students. My lesson that I created deals primarily with learning module systems. I have become more comfortable using learning modules which offer teachers and students a whole new learning experience right from their computers. I am encouraged to try sites like R Campus and MOODLE which may offer more flexibility for my students both in and out of the classroom. Parents can become more involved as students begin accessing homework and discussion questions directly from the learning module. This allows parents to be a part of education like never before to make the home and school connection stronger than ever. The benefits of using learning modules are that it opens up communication and collaboration between students within the same classroom as well as collaborating with students in different regions of the country.

One of the most important things that I can do now is to continue to learn about emerging technologies. It has been eye opening to learn about some of the types of technology that may soon become accessible in education. Up to this point I have been devoting my time and effort towards technologies that have already hit the mainstream without giving much thought to what may be coming down the road. The possibilities of technology in education are limitless and by keeping abreast of these new technologies teachers can begin thinking and planning for our diverse 21st century learners.

Another important step to take in continuing on the technology journey is to discuss and collaborate with colleagues both in my district and around the country. By joining educational forums that focus on technology, teachers can share their experiences, frustrations, and lessons that have been created. When teachers can collaborate and learn from each other it shows our students how important communication can be. Discussions with administration need to also occur to truly embrace 21st century skills and technology. When administration can see how emerging technology can affect the students in a positive way it can give teachers the support they need to truly create change in their classrooms and in the school.

On-Line Learning in K-12 Schools

On-line learning is quickly becoming more and more prevalent in schools across the country. With the increase in technology usage schools can now utilize more tools than ever to assist in classroom learning and techniquies. R Campus in an on-line tool which allows teachers to set up learning modules for their students and parents. Please copy and paste the following URL to learn more about R Cmapus and the benefits of on-line learning.

http://www.screentoaster.com/watch/stUEhXSkBKRFtYRVxaU1pfVF9U

Final Reflection

Social networking is very quickly becoming more and more popular in the educational setting. Teachers can use social networking to collaborate with other teachers, parents, and to allow students to communicate with one another. At an elementary level there are some drawbacks to using social networking, however. One of the issues of using social networking sites is the idea of cyber bullying. True, teachers are monitoring what their students are posting, but it will be a hard sell to parents and administrators knowing that the issue of bullying could potentially become more prominent. Social networking sites also require that members have an email address which if most students do not already have one could become problematic as well.

One of the things that I enjoyed about the social networking site was the ability to post resources that could be viewed and shared by everyone involved in the group. I was able to find and utilize a few new tools and sites based on other teachers' recommendations. When teachers are able to collaborate on sites and tools that they have already used it helps teachers sift through sites and tools much more quickly. This kind of collaboration is positive for everyone involved as they can share their successes as well as reach out for further support and help if necessary.

Technology has greatly increased my knowledge for implementation of Universal Design for Learning. Utilizing the tools generated by my social networking group opens up many more strategies that I can use within my classroom. Varying assessment options becomes much less laborious of a task with the aid of technology.

One thing that I would like to start doing as a result of this class is to using technology in conjunction with UDL and differentiation. Differentiation is not a new concept to me, but up to this point I have used technology separately from it. I would like to use the tools and sites that I have gained from this class to fit the two together to make my classroom more engaging and motivating for all of my students.

Final Reflection

Throughout the course we have had the opportunity of learning about new types of technoloy and how this new technology can increase our teaching and assessment while creating problem based inquiry projects. While creating a GAME plan we had the opportunity of creating goals to use the new technology and educational strategies posed throught the course. The GAME plan is a great way to set goals and then take then necessary steps to accomplish them. Goal setting is important both as a teacher and as a student and so these types of plans are beneficial within the classroom.

One new type of technology that I have learned through the process of working through my GAME plan was digital storytelling. I have used Voice Thread before but became intrigued by the idea of digital storytelling and its many uses within the classroom. My GAME plan included learning about differnt types of technology and using it with my students so creating digital stories was one way that I could incorporate my GAME plan into my clasroom. I have decided to try and use a digital storytelling project with my students this spring during our life science unit on animals. By showing students the types of things that can be accomplished using technology, it is my hope that the students will become more excited and engaged which will further enhance their knowledge of the content.

As stated in previous posts one thing that I have learned about creating GAME plans is to not try and over do it all at once. When starting out, I wanted to try a new type of technology in my classroom every week. This quickly became stressful both for myself and my students. My students were not able to learn a new type of technology this quickly and I was not able to effectivley learn all the technology that quickly. I chose to readjust my GAME plan with the idea that quality should trump quantitiy. I want to really learn a new technology well and then make sure my students learn it well before moving on to something else. This causes much less stress to both myself and my students. It is important to set goals and when students see their teachers creating goals and sticking to them it provides a great model for the students.

Week Seven GAME Plan

Throughout the process of developing a GAME plan I have found that by setting small goals which are easily attainable and then working towards larger goals I find myself more motivated and am greeted with greater success. My students are the same way- when they are able to see the small steps leading up to a larger goal they are more motivated to keep with the goal than to give it up if they don't meet it immediately.

When asking my students to develop a GAME plan I think a better idea for my elementary students is to develop a class goal rather than individual ones. The class can then work together to develop the goal and the action steps needed to fulfill it. As the year progresses the students can begin to develop their own goals, but until they are taught this they need guidance and practice. The students can then help each other throughout the GAME plan process so that the students are working as a team toward the goal rather than as individuals.

One area in which I have concerns about creating a GAME plan to meet the NETS-S standards is the lack of time and technology we have in our school. We can develop a goal and even steps to achieve it, but having faulty technology and only a thirty minute per week time slot in the computer lab makes it difficult to achieve all that the NETS-S have outlined. The NETS-S standards are a great idea, but until time and technological equality find their way into the classroom it may be difficult to implement.

Week Six- GAME Plan

While developing and implementing my GAME plan I have once again realized the importance of creating a clear and concise goal and then developing steps to achieve it. It may sound obvious, but after being out of the classroom as a student for a while such structured practices fall by the wayside. Sticking with a plan is important to meet with success. By retraining myself to take a step by step approach and plan out each section of my plan I have been able to see results in a way that I haven't before. I can measure success at each step rather than becoming frustrated by having to wait to see the end result.

During the process of working through any type of plan it is important to evaluate frequently what is working and what is not throughout the process. I am continuing to work on gaining access to different types of technology that up to this point have been banned by my district. This is one area that may be a continual discussion as time goes on. I do not think that there will be easy closure on this one, but an on-going dialogue outlining the importance of such technology usage.

One new goal that I would like to work on is collaborating with parents and students via technology. This was one of my origional GAME plan goals and I have been so focused on designing and developing technology rich projects with my students that my second goal, collaboration using technology, has settled onto the back burner. Using technology to communicate with both parents and students is very important. Currently I communicate via email with parents when neded, but would like to set up a website or blog that parents can access to find information about upcoming events, homework, topics being learned in class, etc. This type of communication with parents is important and is a goal that I would like to achieve over th enext few months.

I think that I am ready to set new learning goals, as outlied above. Now that I have followed and created a GAME plan I think that in the future I will try to narrow down my goals so that they are more readily attainable. When too many goals are set at one time frustration sets in and the plan becomes unsuccessful.

Week Five

In reflecting upon my GAME plan I am so far finding it to be effective. After making a few minor adjustments my plan seems to be solid and helping me to become more productive as a teacher as well as enabling my students to become more technologically literate. So far I have been able to connect with other staff members to discuss technology needs and how to best meet them. By having other staff members' support it makes the integrating of technology much more attainable. By sharing technology projects with other teachers it helps to not only learn new way to use technology, but also is an important collaboration strategy to share the work.

So far I have been learning about new ways to integrate technology into my everyday lessons and have been able to learn about new resources that I have not been previously aware of. I have been more curious about blogs and how I can use them in the classroom. I have also been interested digital storytelling and how I could use it in my classroom. I have been looking into websites that allow digital storytelling and am trying to develop lessons that would incorporate it into my content areas.

One of the biggest pitfalls that I have encountered is that most of the websites and types of technology that we have been learning about is banned in my building and school district. Blogs, wikis, and many websites for publishing (podcasts, etc.) are not accessible on our school computers. The main question that I have now is how can I create projects involving technology without using traditional sites that I am familiar with? Administration is not in favor of social networking sites like blogs and wikis because of the privacy issues involved for students. It is one of the biggest drawbacks that I have encountered so far.

I will have to adjust my plan by finding alternate ways of using technology in the classroom that does not include banned sites and programs. I have found that allowing the students to create digital stories using the SMART Board software is one way to get around the ban on many websites. Students will still be able to create a project, but complete it in the confines of a program rather than on the Internet. The students will still be able to share their projects via the SMART Board and instead of parents accessing a website I can email them the file with their child's work so that they can view it at home.

GAME Plan Progress

Modifying and refining my GAME plan is an important step to meet with success in the classroom. Technology usage within the content areas is essential for our students and having a plan to implement these types of activities and projects into the classroom requires careful planning and research.

One of the most important things that I will need in order for my GAME plan to be successful is data to prove that the effects of technology are positive on my students. When parents and administrators question the usage of technology in the classroom it is important to be able to show examples of technology and how it has helped other students around the country. Thankfully this research is becoming more and more readily available as districts are encouraging more technology usage in the classroom. Other resources that I have been able to find include templates of projects that other teachers have created that can then be tailored to fit the needs of my students. When using a new type of technology it is helpful to have a model to refer to and fortunately this is one more resource that I have been fortunate enough to find.

My action plan is still appropriate and any changes that need to be made are minor. I am still interested in learning about new types of technology and trying to implement a new type into the classroom periodically. My initial plan stated that I wanted to try implementing a new technology or program each week, but have found that this is not enough time for me or my students to adequately learn new programs. Instead I will try to slow it down and maybe try a new technology or program once or twice a month. This will enable both my students and I to truly learn and understand from the technology rather than become frustrated by it.

So far I have learned that planning and implementation take time and by carefully setting forth steps to take my goal can be achieved. I have learned about the importance of networking with other teachers, both in my district and among my classmates. When teachers share ideas and work together more can be achieved and the goals that are set seem less daunting.

I do not have too many questions about my GAME plan at this point. Further research is needed to continue searching and learning about what type of technology works best for my students and my grade level. It will take a lot of trial and error to find just the right technology strategies to use with my students, but it is a goal that is worth working towards.

Monitoring the GAME Plan

Creating and developing a GAME plan to systematically achieve goals is a great way for teachers to assess and monitor their own teaching and learning of themselves and their students. When teachers have a plan in place it focuses the attention on the end result and provides teachers the steps for getting there.

The goals that I have are to create digital age learning experiences and assessments as well as to promote and model digital-age work and learning. Both of these goals will require collaborating with peers as well as having discussions with grade level teams, administration and parents. The more people that are involved in technology conversations the better. When parents are able to be supportive it will enhance their own child's learning as well as provide support for the classroom teacher. Administrators are also key in reaching my goal. When administrators are able to offer and provide feedback about technology it allows teachers and administration to be on the same page. Administration may also be able to offer staff development to aid in the acquisition of technology skills through workshops and peer training.

Another important resource that will be needed is text about types of technology projects that worked well within other classrooms. Teachers are able to connect on educator forum websites which allows teachers to discuss important topics and discuss what has worked and not worked in their own classroom. Teachers are able to share lessons and unit plans as well as webquests on the Internet so it becomes an invaluable resource to meeting success with my GAME plan.

Additional information that I need may include how to create different types of technology infused projects as well as receving additional information on the types of tools that are being used in classrooms across the country. Knowing this type of information opens the door to using and integrating new types of technology into the classroom both for myself and my students.

So far I have been able to discuss my technology needs with a few of my colleagues as well as my principal. My next goal is to write down specific ways in which I would like to use technology and create projects to show to my administration. The hope in doing this is to make them aware of how technology is being utilized as well as gaining support for these types of projects. When staff and administration work together more can be accomplished to help our students.

Educational Goal Setting

Goal setting is an integral part of teaching and learning. When we set goals we are embracing new knowledge as well as enhancing the teaching skills and strategies that we already possess. Students and teachers alike benefit from new teaching strategies and repertoire. Especially important is setting goals which will motivate and enhance our teaching to inspire our students to create, explore and think critically. With the development of the National Educational Standards (NETS) teachers are able to clearly understand and challenge themselves to incorporate technology into their classrooms.

One area in which I would like to grow is modeling digital-age work and learning. When teachers model technology usage, the students in turn will see its importance and true capabilities in the classroom. Students learn by example and the example set forth by the classroom teacher is essential for students to develop appropriate skills using technology. Another goal which I would like to work towards is designing and developing digital-age learning experiences and assessments. Once the students and I become more comfortable using technology I would like to start incorporating it more into my assessments as well as using it as a self-directed learning tool. When students are encouraged to use technology they are able to choose from a variety of projects and assessments which will give a true snapshot of what the students have learned as well as the learning process along the way. This type of learning prepares the way for students to think critically and to make connections across content areas.

In order to achieve these goals I believe that networking with colleagues is essential. When students are able to see me network with other teachers it encourages them to do the same with their own peers. I would also like to share technology infused projects with other teachers so that we could benefit from multiple teachers giving input and creating digital-age learning experiences. Communicating is key and I feel that communication with colleagues is the first step to reaching my instructional goals. Another step that would be beneficial is to sign up for any professional development conferences or seminars which will allow me to meet and network with other teachers in the area that are experiencing similar issues as I am facing. When teachers work together and collaborate, both the students and teachers benefit.

Monitoring progress is essential when setting goals. One way that I would like to monitor my progress is to make a list of new technologies that I would like to become more proficient in and have the students use. I could then learn about each new type of technology/software and incorporate it into my classroom a little at a time. This will make achieving my goals much more realistic than trying to incorporate a lot of technology all at once and becoming overwhelmed. When lists are created, teachers and students are able to see their progress which will lead to the success of the over-arching goal. By introducing a new technology every week or every other week the students can see the growth that I am making as well as learning the new technology themselves.

Once goals are attained it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the actions and monitoring that went into the goal setting. One way in which I would like to evaluate my success is by having the students complete a survey at the end of the year or at the end of the semester in which they are able to write down what new technologies they have learned and which ones they enjoyed using the most. This will allow me evaluate how effective I was at communicating the new technologies as well as finding out which ones were most effective and motivating in the classroom. Discussion with colleagues is another way to evaluate the learning that has taken place. When teachers are able to share what they have learned with one another it holds them accountable to one another as well as provides a forum in which teachers can candidly share their successes of what worked in their classrooms and what did not.