I had two goals for my GAME plan. One was to incorporate more technology and hands on use of technology in my classroom. The other goal was to find more information about technology sites and uses. Since making these goals, I actually have grown in both. Due to my schedule, I don’t have a lot of extra time to bring computers into my classroom, but I have tried. My next step is to plan them more into my lessons, so that students aren’t just listening and watching,, but are also doing. As for finding more sites and keeping up with newer technology information, I feel that I have learned a lot from this course. Many of my classmates, along with the professor have shared many wonderful sites. All I have to do now is make a list of them and categorize them as to how I can effectively use them. I do want to continue to find sites, blogs, or wikis that will keep me informed of new and wonderful sites that would be beneficial to my students. I think that my progress on these goals has been a little slow, but once I have some free time after my classes are over, and once report cards are taken care of, I will have that extra time to focus on my GAME plan. To use the GAME plan process with my students, I would simplify the steps some and walk them through the process, so that they can continue making goals as they move into third grade and beyond.
In the near future, I plan to incorporate social networking and digital storytelling into my classroom. I think that my students would truly benefit from social networking with students of their age from different areas of the state, country, and world. Also, I think that my students are going to enjoy telling stories digitally, and it will show me that they truly understand what we have learned and discussed. If I begin introducing PBL lessons now while they are in second grade, they will start to become prepared for the rest of their school career in working on their own learning and incorporating high levels of thinking to solve problems. Since I teach all content areas, I can incorporate PBL lessons, digital storytelling and social networking in almost all of the subjects that I teach.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Continued progress
I have made a little more progress with my GAME plans. Our reading rooms have now started, so I have figured out some of the biggest needs of these students. I plan to integrate more technology and hands-on learning for my reading groups next week, as we will then have worked out most of the logistical issues. This week though, I did plan for hands on learning in the spelling groups. The students went fishing for digraphs today, and on Friday they will be using a spelling site on the computer to practice their spelling words for the past two weeks.
I do have an ENO board in my room, and I use it as much as I am able, especially for Math, but I would love to have the boards for the students so that they would be able to all answer from their seats. I am going to look into asking my principal if this is something that we could possibly get for the students in the upcoming years. I know with budget cuts it may be hard, but I think it would truly benefit the students. Right now though, I am not able to use it for reading, as it would highly distract the other two groups that are in the room, so we simply pull laptops into the room and work together on the laptops.
For my second GAME plan, I did not progress as far as I wanted. I did start searching for blogs and forums that deal with technology. I have found a couple and plan to join in on the discussions when I get a chance. Also, with the ideas that I learn and gain from the blogs, I need to find the best way to organize them, so that I am able to use them when the chance and need arises within the classroom. There are so many great sites and blogs out there, that I want to take advantage of them, as my students would be able to benefit from them.
I do have an ENO board in my room, and I use it as much as I am able, especially for Math, but I would love to have the boards for the students so that they would be able to all answer from their seats. I am going to look into asking my principal if this is something that we could possibly get for the students in the upcoming years. I know with budget cuts it may be hard, but I think it would truly benefit the students. Right now though, I am not able to use it for reading, as it would highly distract the other two groups that are in the room, so we simply pull laptops into the room and work together on the laptops.
For my second GAME plan, I did not progress as far as I wanted. I did start searching for blogs and forums that deal with technology. I have found a couple and plan to join in on the discussions when I get a chance. Also, with the ideas that I learn and gain from the blogs, I need to find the best way to organize them, so that I am able to use them when the chance and need arises within the classroom. There are so many great sites and blogs out there, that I want to take advantage of them, as my students would be able to benefit from them.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Carrying out my GAME plan
For my first goal, of creating more hands-on lessons which use technology and create more diversity, I will need a number of items. First, I will talk with my colleagues and team members to see what technology and activities they are using with their students for particular lessons. I will also research on the Internet additional activities and ideas in how to differentiate for that particular concept. I will also need to be up to date on the programs, which have been added or taken away from our laptops in the school building. I will need to have access to the laptops when I have them planned for lessons, and I will also need to have the technology in my room, such as my ENO board and its pen working, so that I am able to use it with the students.
The information that I need in order to create these lessons is the levels of my students, as well as how they best learn. For my classroom students, I already have this information and have started creating lessons based on their level and a touch on their learning style. For my students coming to me for reading, I am going to have to observe them and level them to see how they learn best and to see where they are at with their reading. I need to know for either math or reading, where the student’s weakest spots are, so that I am able to develop lessons to help them understand and advance in their levels.
For my second goal, to stay current with the changing technology, I will need to again collaborate with my team members and colleagues to see if they have discovered any new sites or pieces of technology that would be beneficial in the classroom. Also, I would like to find blogs and forums dealing with technology, so that I am able to stay current with what is being developed and what is working well in the classroom for others. For this, I will need to continue to use the Internet in order to search for these items. To be honest, since the beginning of the school year, I have been consumed with issues in the classroom and paperwork, so I have not made any progress with this goal. I am planning to start searching and talking with others about new technology as soon as I get a chance. I have to place this on top of my to do list, so that I can begin to achieve my goal. If I don’t, my students are not going to benefit from the technology that they could be using.
The information that I need in order to create these lessons is the levels of my students, as well as how they best learn. For my classroom students, I already have this information and have started creating lessons based on their level and a touch on their learning style. For my students coming to me for reading, I am going to have to observe them and level them to see how they learn best and to see where they are at with their reading. I need to know for either math or reading, where the student’s weakest spots are, so that I am able to develop lessons to help them understand and advance in their levels.
For my second goal, to stay current with the changing technology, I will need to again collaborate with my team members and colleagues to see if they have discovered any new sites or pieces of technology that would be beneficial in the classroom. Also, I would like to find blogs and forums dealing with technology, so that I am able to stay current with what is being developed and what is working well in the classroom for others. For this, I will need to continue to use the Internet in order to search for these items. To be honest, since the beginning of the school year, I have been consumed with issues in the classroom and paperwork, so I have not made any progress with this goal. I am planning to start searching and talking with others about new technology as soon as I get a chance. I have to place this on top of my to do list, so that I can begin to achieve my goal. If I don’t, my students are not going to benefit from the technology that they could be using.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
NETS-T Standards
After reviewing the indicators, I found that I really try to meet these standards in my weekly plans. However, I always feel as though I could do better and should keep trying to incorporate more technology, as that is what their world is going to be as they progress through school. Of the five standards, the two that I would like to work on, set a GAME plan for, and strengthen are the second and third standards. While I try to incorporate and design lessons using technology, I think there are additional or newer technologies that I should be using with the students. Also, I need to have the students complete more authentic learning lessons with the use of technology. Secondly, I need to be modeling more of the technology and digital tools that are being developed and created.
My GAME plan for designing and developing digital-age experiences is as follows:
Goals – My goal is to create more lessons where the students will hands-on use more technology. I want to incorporate more technology activities where students will have some self-directed learning. In doing this, I also want to diversify my lessons more. With there being such a wide range of levels in my classroom this year, I don’t want students to be bored or overwhelmed, so I would like to use technology to help me diversify my lessons.
Actions – When planning lessons this year, I will look to see if there is a way in which I could bring the laptops into the room for the students to use and manipulate throughout the lesson. Also, I will create some more scaffolding in my lesson plans, so that students are being challenged, yet not being overwhelmed. I will plan activities that will allow for creativity and learning.
Monitor – To monitor this, I will gage how many lessons a week are scaffold for the different levels within the classroom. I will try to make at least 3 lessons/assessments a week use technology and allow the student to be creative.
Evaluate – At the end of the week, I will look back and reflect on how I followed my lesson plans, and if I did achieve my goal of at least 3 lessons/assessments that integrate technology. I will reflect on how these lessons went and what I am able to do to improve my lesson and/or integrate more technology.
My GAME plan for modeling digital-age learning is as follows:
Goals – My goal is to become familiar with more technology and to stay on top of the changing technology, so I am able to integrate and model it in my classroom. This includes items such as blogs, wikis, websites and more.
Actions- Throughout the lessons that I teach each day, I will try to include technology into each of them. I will model how to use the technology and then depending on what we are doing in the classroom, allow the students to also use and become familiar with that technology.
Monitor – To monitor, again I will try to model technology each week, at least one new item per week, while trying to locate and learn new technology also each week.
Evaluate- At the end of the week, I will reflect on whether I introduced and modeled a new technology, as well as researched to find and learn another technology for next week.
Overall, I need to have a goal to remember to implement these NETS-T standards as well as the regular standards of the state.
Resources:
International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx
My GAME plan for designing and developing digital-age experiences is as follows:
Goals – My goal is to create more lessons where the students will hands-on use more technology. I want to incorporate more technology activities where students will have some self-directed learning. In doing this, I also want to diversify my lessons more. With there being such a wide range of levels in my classroom this year, I don’t want students to be bored or overwhelmed, so I would like to use technology to help me diversify my lessons.
Actions – When planning lessons this year, I will look to see if there is a way in which I could bring the laptops into the room for the students to use and manipulate throughout the lesson. Also, I will create some more scaffolding in my lesson plans, so that students are being challenged, yet not being overwhelmed. I will plan activities that will allow for creativity and learning.
Monitor – To monitor this, I will gage how many lessons a week are scaffold for the different levels within the classroom. I will try to make at least 3 lessons/assessments a week use technology and allow the student to be creative.
Evaluate – At the end of the week, I will look back and reflect on how I followed my lesson plans, and if I did achieve my goal of at least 3 lessons/assessments that integrate technology. I will reflect on how these lessons went and what I am able to do to improve my lesson and/or integrate more technology.
My GAME plan for modeling digital-age learning is as follows:
Goals – My goal is to become familiar with more technology and to stay on top of the changing technology, so I am able to integrate and model it in my classroom. This includes items such as blogs, wikis, websites and more.
Actions- Throughout the lessons that I teach each day, I will try to include technology into each of them. I will model how to use the technology and then depending on what we are doing in the classroom, allow the students to also use and become familiar with that technology.
Monitor – To monitor, again I will try to model technology each week, at least one new item per week, while trying to locate and learn new technology also each week.
Evaluate- At the end of the week, I will reflect on whether I introduced and modeled a new technology, as well as researched to find and learn another technology for next week.
Overall, I need to have a goal to remember to implement these NETS-T standards as well as the regular standards of the state.
Resources:
International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)