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After part one of my workshop today, I am reminded of the importance of interacting with colleagues which is one of the goals in my GAME Plan. We were able to share ideas and give suggestions about best practices in regards to giving feedback to students. We discussed the importance of not only just giving the feedback, but to also give the students the opportunity to think about the opinions shared and what steps if any are necessary afterwards. Also, we shared strategies that were beneficial to students during the implementation of the curriculum that was new to most of the teachers last year.
To be successful with all aspects of my plan, I am still working on community involvement. I now have a colleague and friend who want to get more involved in the community as well. We had a discussion and we are in the process of deciding on where to volunteer our time.
Having a GAME Plan give me the opportunity to not only set goals but to also put into action the practices that will lead to success.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Evaluating Your GAME Plan Progress (Week 5)
In order to meet my goal to be a lifelong learner who shares knowledge with my colleagues, I had planned to attend workshops regularly. So far, I am scheduled for a two day workshop for next week. After this workshop, I am certain that I will have a plethora of new ideas that will be useful in the upcoming school year for not only me but my students and colleagues as well.
Teaching to students and modeling the ethical use of resources is still in progress since school is not in session as yet. I am still getting together different resources that I will be able to make use of during the teaching of this concept. While I am searching for resources, I am also learning the importance of modeling the concepts for the students. They will be more likely to follow the rules if they see the adults around them following the rules.
Teaching to students and modeling the ethical use of resources is still in progress since school is not in session as yet. I am still getting together different resources that I will be able to make use of during the teaching of this concept. While I am searching for resources, I am also learning the importance of modeling the concepts for the students. They will be more likely to follow the rules if they see the adults around them following the rules.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
My Game Plan Progress
Having a GAME Plan is a bit exciting. Just knowing that I have an opportunity to push myself beyond the usual makes me nervous but I am looking forward to do something different and exhilarating.
I have been keeping track of the county’s site that displays all the workshops for the upcoming school year but have not seen anything interesting as yet. I will continue to monitor this site because I want to attend educational workshops as much as I am allowed to during the school term.
Also, I am realizing that the plans that I have will work out in regards to me becoming a lifelong learner and then sharing with my peers. The administrators at my school are always looking for teachers who are willing to attend workshops and then are willing to share the knowledge acquired with their colleagues.
I do not have any specific questions but would love to hear about any community involvement that my classmates are apart of. Maybe this will give me some ideas about the best way to get involved in my community.
I have been keeping track of the county’s site that displays all the workshops for the upcoming school year but have not seen anything interesting as yet. I will continue to monitor this site because I want to attend educational workshops as much as I am allowed to during the school term.
Also, I am realizing that the plans that I have will work out in regards to me becoming a lifelong learner and then sharing with my peers. The administrators at my school are always looking for teachers who are willing to attend workshops and then are willing to share the knowledge acquired with their colleagues.
I do not have any specific questions but would love to hear about any community involvement that my classmates are apart of. Maybe this will give me some ideas about the best way to get involved in my community.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Carry Out My Game Plan
Having a plan to contribute to my teaching profession and community and to also contribute to the proper usage of different resources, I have a few things in mind so far. I have already decided on two presentations that I know I will be involved in for this coming school year. Also, I have been searching for websites that will be useful during my inquiry lesson to not only my students but my colleagues as well.
In regards to resources that will help me to carry out my plan, I have some community leaders that I know will be glad to help me or point me in the right direction when it comes to contributing to my community. Additionally, I also will utilize a few class resources such as the handouts and other useful information that are in a few of my textbooks and the QUEST model by authors Maya Eagleton and Elizabeth Dobbler.
In regards to resources that will help me to carry out my plan, I have some community leaders that I know will be glad to help me or point me in the right direction when it comes to contributing to my community. Additionally, I also will utilize a few class resources such as the handouts and other useful information that are in a few of my textbooks and the QUEST model by authors Maya Eagleton and Elizabeth Dobbler.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
My Personal GAME Plan
After visiting the site for the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and after examining the National Education Standards for Teacher (NETS-T), I feel that I can become more proficient in the following with the help of a good GAME Plan:
Indicator One: Teachers contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community
Goal: My goal is to be an educator who is a lifelong learner and then willingly share the knowledge acquired with my colleagues.
Actions: Attending free workshops that are always available through the school system is a great way to meet this goal. Also, the willingness to take college courses for the sake of learning will also be helpful.
Monitor: Sharing the knowledge gained with colleagues especially on Professional Development Days (PDD).
Evaluate and Extend Learning: Implementing the skills acquired in the classroom so that lessons are fresh and interesting.
Indicator Two: Teacher advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.
Goal: My goal for this category is to teach students about the responsibilities of using the resources available to them.
Actions: Doing activities on a regular basis that will help students to become responsible users of sources available to them.
Monitor: Having students use a tool such as a rubric to keep track of their responsibilities when using sources on the internet.
Evaluate and Extend Learning: Re-teaching responsibilities before lessons that will require such skills.
With knowledge of what it takes to strengthened my proficiency in the integration of technology into my classroom and then following the GAME Plan, my students will have a more interesting working environment and will be prepared to use different types of technology as they advanced in school and later in life.
References
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/
2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf
Indicator One: Teachers contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community
Goal: My goal is to be an educator who is a lifelong learner and then willingly share the knowledge acquired with my colleagues.
Actions: Attending free workshops that are always available through the school system is a great way to meet this goal. Also, the willingness to take college courses for the sake of learning will also be helpful.
Monitor: Sharing the knowledge gained with colleagues especially on Professional Development Days (PDD).
Evaluate and Extend Learning: Implementing the skills acquired in the classroom so that lessons are fresh and interesting.
Indicator Two: Teacher advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.
Goal: My goal for this category is to teach students about the responsibilities of using the resources available to them.
Actions: Doing activities on a regular basis that will help students to become responsible users of sources available to them.
Monitor: Having students use a tool such as a rubric to keep track of their responsibilities when using sources on the internet.
Evaluate and Extend Learning: Re-teaching responsibilities before lessons that will require such skills.
With knowledge of what it takes to strengthened my proficiency in the integration of technology into my classroom and then following the GAME Plan, my students will have a more interesting working environment and will be prepared to use different types of technology as they advanced in school and later in life.
References
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/
2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
WK 8 Reflection: Transitioning from Knowledge to Synthesis
A curriculum that is filled with rigorous and relevant lessons is necessary for the 21st Century classroom and work environment. This includes a deep knowledge of how to use the internet and the resources that are provided to users. It involves more than just a simple click on a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). Students must also be taught how to engage in deep questioning. After this, a correct method of evaluation of student learning when they are doing projects is necessary.
Before the lessons can be vigorous and relevant, activating prior knowledge is of great importance in regards to reading before inquiry can take place. “Inquiry is not just questioning but questioning into something”. When learners engage in such a task, they are lead to deep “exploration” which then leads to other questions (Thornburg, 2004). Before students can start their journey into “questioning something”, they have to start with a basic question. Some students may encounter various challenges in regards to time management when developing questions that will guide their inquiry projects, while others will choose to focus their attention elsewhere instead of using it to work on their project. In this instance, additional teacher supervision may be necessary. The teacher may step in and help the students that are struggling to create a timetable that all individuals can use to monitor the project.
The usage of a rubric is one way in which educators can assess learning accurately not only for content assessment but for projects as well. Before a rubric can be used for assessment of the knowledge or skills acquired, students must be taught certain things. As students are searching through various sources for the necessary information to complete their projects, their teachers can evaluate these tasks with a step by step process. For example, as students are searching the different websites for facts, their teacher could have them use a check sheet to guide them. This sheet can have information such as whether or not they are using information from a reliable website. Also, they must keep a close watch on the “truthfulness” and “usefulness” of the written information (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007). This includes knowing whether or not the author of the information is trustworthy and how much of the information will be helpful when putting the project together.
People who are fluent in 21st Century Skills have the ability to function amazingly well in this “information age” (Juke, 2007). These individuals must be skilled in communicating with people of various cultures and think critically after listening keenly to a conversation. In addition to these skills, they must also know how to communicate nonverbally. Furthermore, being a visual learner does not hurt those who are fluent in 21st Century skills. They must be able to comprehend what was taught and then present the information to others creatively and intelligently.
Since 21st Century skills are necessary for success in a technologically enhanced world, educators must learn how to integrate these skills into their curriculums even when they are not at the forefront of the curriculum or district. When the ideas mentioned earlier are accomplished, they will lead to creativity within the learning environment and later in life.
Reference
Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.
Jukes, I. (2007). 21st century fluency skills: Attributes of a 21st century learner. Located at http://www.committedsardine.com/handouts/twca.pdf.
Thornburg, D. (2004). Inquiry: The art of helping students ask good questions. (Executive Briefing No. 402). Retrieved from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/inquiry.pdf
Before the lessons can be vigorous and relevant, activating prior knowledge is of great importance in regards to reading before inquiry can take place. “Inquiry is not just questioning but questioning into something”. When learners engage in such a task, they are lead to deep “exploration” which then leads to other questions (Thornburg, 2004). Before students can start their journey into “questioning something”, they have to start with a basic question. Some students may encounter various challenges in regards to time management when developing questions that will guide their inquiry projects, while others will choose to focus their attention elsewhere instead of using it to work on their project. In this instance, additional teacher supervision may be necessary. The teacher may step in and help the students that are struggling to create a timetable that all individuals can use to monitor the project.
The usage of a rubric is one way in which educators can assess learning accurately not only for content assessment but for projects as well. Before a rubric can be used for assessment of the knowledge or skills acquired, students must be taught certain things. As students are searching through various sources for the necessary information to complete their projects, their teachers can evaluate these tasks with a step by step process. For example, as students are searching the different websites for facts, their teacher could have them use a check sheet to guide them. This sheet can have information such as whether or not they are using information from a reliable website. Also, they must keep a close watch on the “truthfulness” and “usefulness” of the written information (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007). This includes knowing whether or not the author of the information is trustworthy and how much of the information will be helpful when putting the project together.
People who are fluent in 21st Century Skills have the ability to function amazingly well in this “information age” (Juke, 2007). These individuals must be skilled in communicating with people of various cultures and think critically after listening keenly to a conversation. In addition to these skills, they must also know how to communicate nonverbally. Furthermore, being a visual learner does not hurt those who are fluent in 21st Century skills. They must be able to comprehend what was taught and then present the information to others creatively and intelligently.
Since 21st Century skills are necessary for success in a technologically enhanced world, educators must learn how to integrate these skills into their curriculums even when they are not at the forefront of the curriculum or district. When the ideas mentioned earlier are accomplished, they will lead to creativity within the learning environment and later in life.
Reference
Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.
Jukes, I. (2007). 21st century fluency skills: Attributes of a 21st century learner. Located at http://www.committedsardine.com/handouts/twca.pdf.
Thornburg, D. (2004). Inquiry: The art of helping students ask good questions. (Executive Briefing No. 402). Retrieved from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/inquiry.pdf
Monday, March 1, 2010
Reflection
As an instructor, I care deeply about how my students learn and what I can do to make this process easier for them. In regards to my personal theory of learning, I still believe that each individual’s behavior is impacted by consequences as stated by the behaviorist theory. I also hold to Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. I believe that students will have different talents which should be encouraged and developed by the educators that serve them.
Additionally, as a result of this course, there are some great instructional technology practices that I will integrate into my classroom instruction. I want students to participate in a classroom blog that will be focusing of specific topics throughout the school year. I also want my students to use the computer more as a learning tool to create projects that will be examples of their understanding of the different concepts that will be taught to them throughout the school year as well.
Since my school has a wide variety of technology that is available to students, I am looking forward to the integration of many them into my lessons to enhance the learning experience of all of my students.
Additionally, as a result of this course, there are some great instructional technology practices that I will integrate into my classroom instruction. I want students to participate in a classroom blog that will be focusing of specific topics throughout the school year. I also want my students to use the computer more as a learning tool to create projects that will be examples of their understanding of the different concepts that will be taught to them throughout the school year as well.
Since my school has a wide variety of technology that is available to students, I am looking forward to the integration of many them into my lessons to enhance the learning experience of all of my students.
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