Final Reflection ~ Integrating Technology Across Content Area

As I look back over the last seven weeks, especially reflecting over my GAME plan, I can see how much I have grown as an educator. The amount of knowledge I have gained not only from the web casts and resources, but from my wonderful classmates. You have all helped me in so many ways to find strength, motivation, and confidence to integrate technology into my mathematics classroom. Every new teacher has their ups and downs, right now I am on the up!

As previously mentioned, my main goal for this course was to add technology into my math lessons. I have obviously, used the Internet before, but I will be using it more with a student-centered classroom. They will become more of the teachers and I will be their guide! Having a Smart board can only benefit me more when incorporating technology. The students can use it to show their presentations, display final projects, or reflect on blog postings. I have created and established lesson plans that will be incorporated into my math classroom in the up and coming months. In developing these lesson plans, I was forced to look at different methods of instruction. I was then able to design a problem-based lesson, an educational networking lesson, and a lesson involving final presentations, where students can potential use digital storytelling. Normally, I like routine, structure, and order, but this course really had me think outside the box and step out of my comfort zone. This is why I chose this master’s program to begin with! I needed this eye opener. I need the push to move forward.

 When it comes to modifying my GAME plan, the only major factor would be time. I need time to gather permission from the appropriate administrators and then time to implement these new lesson plans. After incorporating technology into my classroom and proceeding with my new lesson plans, I can learn whether the time I have planned will be sufficient and whether or not I need to provide further instruction in either the guidelines or the new forms of technology.

 

Teachers must keep in mind you do not create a lesson for the use of technology, but rather you incorporate technology into the lesson already planned. You should bring the technology to your content area and still fulfill the required standards. Providing students with these skills will enable them to succeed in today’s world!

Monitoring My GAME Plan Progress

My Progress

 

As for my first goal, to incorporate my SMART board into my classroom has been put on a slight hold. For the past four school days, I have had a snow/ice day. Today was my first day back, since Monday, January 21^st! Even though I have not had the opportunity to try out some new features, a fellow teacher provided me with; I have managed to “play” around with the board on my days off. That same colleague showed me some neat features that her students seem to enjoy in her classroom. For example, when I need students to participate in classroom discussion and/or participation, I need a way to call on them without embarrassing them or having them feel as if I am singling them out. So a simple activity for this process that I want to try is to use the SMART board to randomly roll a multi-sided die (one side for each student in the class). Each side of the die will have a student’s picture (from their school ID photos), when the die stops the students’ face that appears on the screen will either answer a question, come to the board to solve a warm-up problem, or define a vocabulary word (basically, any form of classroom participation). I am hoping this will be a suspenseful yet fun activity for all my students.

I have also received some wonderful insight and comments from my fellow Walden University peers involving the use of my SMART board! I am very thankful for the resources and links you have all provided me. Any bit of information to help me further my educational career is greatly appreciated.

For my second goal, I have submitted a permission slip to my boss to attend a two day professional development in Allegan, MI. This two day session will be devoted to the MAISA Mathematics Units developed by Oakland ISD. We will become familiar with the design targets, layout, and content of the units. Also, the units will be explored with a focus on implementation in the classroom setting. Supplemental resources, model lessons, and sequencing will all be covered in detail. I am so excited to be able to “borrow” material!

As of right now, I do not see a need to alter any part of my action plan. I feel I am on the right track to completing and fulfilling my GAME plan by the end of the school year. Just in the last three weeks, I have obtained multiple resources that will help guide me through finalizing my GAME plan!

Carrying Out My GAME Plan

To carry out my GAME plan, there are three questions I need to ask myself:

 

      1.      What resources will I need to carry out my plan (media segments, reading, experts or colleagues, etc.)?

 2.      What additional information do I need?

 3.      What steps have I been able to take so far?

For my first goal, I simple need to use my SMART board more. I have this amazing piece of technology, been in my classroom for almost a year now, and I still only use it to show the objectives of the day, vocabulary, and examples of mathematical problems. Some resources I would like to have are “ready-made” math lessons that incorporate the SMART board, especially if the lesson plans are interactive. Ideally, I want to have the students get up out of their seats and come up to the board to participate in class discussions. To gather information like this, I would need someone to help point me in the right direction. Where can I find such resources? I am the only math teacher in the building, so do I ask other buildings in the district? Do I find local math teachers who also have SMART boards and see how they incorporate it? I have already attended an “Intro to SMART board” professional development course at the end of last year. Having one day of note taking and reading a manual is not going to cut it for me! I need an expert in this field to come into my classroom and show me how to use and incorporate the board into lesson plans. So if anyone out there has some material they would like to let me “borrow” or if you know of someone who can navigate me in the right direction of locating some material I can “borrow” that would be greatly appreciated!

For my second goal, I will continue using our local Intermediate School District and the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency to locate workshops for outside professional development opportunities. Between these two locations, they offer an overabundance of seminars and courses that I can attend. The problem is finding the right workshop on the right day at the right time that works for every one! After gathering all of this information, the last item I need is permission from the administration to attend. I need to accumulate a total of 15 days of outside PD before June 30, 2013. I have a scheduled meeting with our district’s curriculum director to help me gather all needed material. This is my first step to getting all my ducks in a row for my teaching certification renewal!

Game Time

  Game Time

With the Super Bowl right around the corner, it is only appropriate to be thinking of GAME plans! For my Master’s course, I have to come up with a GAME plan, an acronym for Goals, taking Action, Monitoring, and Evaluating for my own classroom practices (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). Teachers are constantly looking for ways to improve and educate themselves for the future, especially when technology is continuously changing. These technology standards need to be met by all teachers to engage students and improve learning.

While exploring the International Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE) National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T), I asked myself where I could improve as an educator.  I am always trying to boost the self-esteem of my students and prepare them for life after high school. I believe having more experience with NETS-T 2b, develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress, could strengthen my confidence and proficiency (ISTE, 2008).

      Goal: To add technology into my classroom lessons and incorporate technology based assessments. I would like to have more 21^st century projects versus standards multiple choice tests for final assessments. This goal would also help me prepare my students for the newly adopted Common Core State Standards and the Smarter Board Assessment Consortium.

       Action: To borrow successful technology based assessments, tweak them for my alternative education students, and then incorporate these new assessments starting 2013-2014 school year. Completing remove multiple choice standardized paper pencil tests.

       Monitor: After each major assessment, I will meet and collaborate with my mentor teacher. She can provide feedback, advise, comments, and/or criticisms. From there, I can take my findings to staff meetings to share with the entire faculty.

       Evaluate: At the end of the semester, compare each assessment with notes from my mentor teacher, faculty, and research how closely related these technology based assessments reflect the Smart Balance Assessment Consortium.

The second technology standard I would like to improve is NETS-T 5a-d, engaging in professional growth and leadership (ISTE, 2008).  Having to meet certain requirements to renew my teaching certification, attending workshops or seminars about technology and how to incorporate it into my classroom practice, can only help me strengthen my confidence and proficiency. I am required to have 15 days of outside professional development by the end of my third year of teaching. Four days to go, so this would make more a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone!

      Goal: Attend five days of outside professional development workshops regarding technology. Bring back resources and useful information to fellow colleagues.

      Action: Locate a local workshop, get approval from administrative staff, and register for the professional development session before the end of the school year.

      Monitor: Keep track of the amount of hours attended for a total of five days in the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS).

      Evaluate: Meet with central office in the school district by April to make sure all of my requirements are fulfilled before I submit for my teaching certification renewal in June.

In this 21^st century, it is important to make sure we keep up to date, be confident, and proficient in these new and emerging technologies. Not only are these goals important to us and our career, but they will only improve our students’ education. We must prepare ourselves in any way necessary. GAME ON!

 

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom

use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

 

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for

teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers

Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology Course Reflection

At the beginning of this course, I thought I had a good understanding of the multiple intelligences and learning theories. After this course, I feel I have a deeper understanding of how exactly the brain functions when learning new material. I did not know a whole lot about educational technologies or how to incorporate these strategies into the classroom. My goals are still the same as they were seven weeks ago. I really want to produce a student-centered classroom in my alternative high school. I want to bring motivation to the classroom where effort is not a difficult task for my high school students.

Starting next school year, I am implementing an effort rubric (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). The class will collaborate and come up with the categories and the grading scale for this rubric. Each assignment, project, and/or activity will be scored on effort as well as content. To create this rubric, I may use www.landmark-project.com/rubric_builder/index.php to get the students started (Pitler et al., 2007, pg. 160). Ideally, I would like to create our own using Microsoft Excel, as this software is familiar to me and my students. When using this rubric, I am hoping to be able to show the students graphical representation of how effort affects their grade. I am also hoping to improve the effort and motivation in my high school classroom.  

Speaking of graphical representations, I want to use more concept mapping resources to help students with mathematical vocabulary and to show how different mathematical concepts relate to one another. Over the course we looked at a few great websites, but SpiderScribe www.spiderscribe.net and Grapholite www.grapholite.com were my two favorites!

After receiving a SMART board and ELMO document camera as a Spring Break gift, I plan on using this to incorporate some technology into my classroom. I know this is a broad generalization, but the sky is the limit. I was working with an overhead projector with transparencies before Spring Break and now I leave work without marker smudges all over my clothes and hands! I have already used Power Point as a lesson presentation and I have used the board to project a short VHS video. My Power Point had more words than I had hoped for originally. L Next time, I am going to try and use Paivio’s dual coding hypothesis by using images as instruction (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). Students will be able to visualize the image as I am vocally describing the concept.

To make my life even easier, I would like to buy a wireless mouse and keyboard. I have such small class sizes, I would love to sit down with the students and be able to present the lesson while sitting with them. If I am already sitting with them, then I can have my students get up and present lessons! This will bring in one of my goals into the classroom by incorporating more student-centered classroom. I would sit back and act as a facilitator rather than the leader. Students will lead the lesson!

Overall, this course has been great for me! I gained deeper knowledge into theories I already knew, learned about new theories and technology resources, and was shown multiple tools to use for my classroom. I want to thank my professor and my classmates for such delightful feedback, comments, suggestions, input, and advice. Being in my first full year of teaching, I am one luck lady to have such brilliant go-to teachers for help! J

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program thirteen: Technology: Instructional tool vs. learning tool [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

 Pitler H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom

instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Cooperative Learning with Technology

Do you remember having a pen pal growing up? I had one during the Persian Gulf War with a US soldier. I loved writing letters to him and I enjoyed even more when he wrote back! Honestly, I learned so much from his letters. Now, look at the technology we have today and how much students could interact with people across the world! One neat example would be to use Keypals. This is a way students can communicate with others in different cities, states, and countries using technology (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007.)  I could also use these resources to collaborate with other teachers. I am the sole math teacher in the building and working cooperatively with other educators from different cities, states, or even countries, could provide me with incite, resources, ideas, or even share stories! Skype is another way to talk with others face to face without actually being face to face. I have only used Skype for personal reasons, but it could easily be used for meetings, conferences, and student assignments. I guess the days of pen and paper is long gone!

Currently at work, we use Google Calendars to keep track of main due dates, upcoming events, staff meetings, and anything deemed important. This is a great way for the staff to organize collaboratively. We are working on our schools’ website to create teacher webpages, so students can check for missing work, due dates, activities, and other important events. After learning about blogs and wikis, I wanted to create one for my classroom immediately, but chose to hold off because the district is actively working on the website. If we can make it more user-friendly and more accessible for our students I could add a link to our classroom blog or wiki. I think the organization and class management would also increase with the webpage updates.

This technology supports social learning theories. Working cooperatively with others can be used in a variety of ways. Small groups or pairs work best when checking for understanding. Plus, students tend to share more with fewer students in the group. I would like to use www.homesofourown.org in my math class next school year. This website has students “build” an entire home (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). They can see how much materials will cost, they can choose the site to build their home on, and then teachers can have them solve problems using their 3D model of their home. Ideally, I would like to have students work in pairs, as if they were a couple building their future house together. This project would both engage in cooperative learning, but also enhance social learning theories.

References:

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Christmas in April!!

Here is my voicethread link. Enjoy!
http://voicethread.com/share/2907368/


Sources: Google.com Images Search