Sunday, July 17, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Moving Forward with Technology Integration
Student Accessibility: An Essential Component of Leadership in Technology Adoption
One of the most important realizations that I had during this course was the reason for the failure of schools to effectively promote technology integration in the classroom: they were not, in fact, trying to integrate technology. Instead, they were attempting to adapt technology to curricula and methodologies that effectively were not altered. As Christensen and Horn (2008) put it, they tried “to cram the innovation into its existing operating model to sustain what it already does.This is the predictable course, the logical course—and the wrong course” (p. 14). In my school, most teachers have been using computers, if at all, for students to type up reports and complete research. We have a number of laptop carts that go largely unused because teachers have not been trained properly on how to use or take care of them. There is also a certain amount of frustration because the laptops do not hold a charge for very long, so they cannot be used all day among the different classes a middle school teacher meets every day.
This is where the concept of disruptive technology becomes very important. If I can be funded through a grant to have at least a class set of iPads, it is possible that the situation, at least for my classes and for other teachers in my department who care to learn and share with me, could be turned around. The battery life on an iPad is supposed to be about 10 hours, which would eliminate the problem of having to recharge computers. There are so many advantages: iPads are lightweight, fast, can be used as e-readers, can be used as cameras, for videoconferencing – the possibilities are fascinating. What is also useful to school environments are the built-in accessibility features for students with disabilities like poor vision and dyslexia. Possibly there are other tablet-type technologies that are more cost-effective and have similar capabilities. The reason they qualify as disruptive technology is that they are less expensive than either purchasing another cart of laptops or buying iPads, because they have certain limitations, such as fewer applications or a less coordinated suite of applications; all of the handhelds have reduced word processing capability, although I am sure that will improve over time.
With all this, what I am saying is that in order to proceed as a change agent for technology integration in my school, my students need to have access to reliable tools on a consistent basis; that said, the first effort I make needs to be in securing that access. This summer I am researching and writing grants to that end. Next, I need to make my students' work available to colleagues and administrators; I already have some collaborators set up for the next school year, and hopefully more will join in. The project in which we are collaborating is a grade-level wiki; this year my students developed a wiki based on a novel from the core curriculum, and next year I plan to implement my ideas for the mythology wiki for seventh grade students. One of the first ideas I had was to incorporate machinima from Second Life into the wiki, but I realize that students must be over 13 years of age to participate in Second Life, and even then their movement within the MUVE is restricted. I am trying to find some similar technology to use; Pixton and Go Animate so far look like the most likely candidates,since there are no age restrictions.
In terms of leading my colleagues and others in technology innovation and full integration, I have long reflected on the following statement by Fullan (2002): “An organization cannot flourish--at least, not for long--on the actions of the top leader alone. Schools and districts need many leaders at many levels. Learning in context helps produce such leaders” (p. 20). In fact. I am and have always been a hands-on learner, so learning in context harmonizes completely with my leadership style. I am pairing up with another language arts teacher next year to head literary competitions, and we have already begun to discuss how to use technology to make the process run more smoothly and become more exciting for the students: for example, interviewing student authors and broadcasting the videos, both to the school and on a language arts wiki, and using those techniques to disseminate recordings by the authors or by others of their own works. Having students read their own work aloud is also a great editing technique. I am also going to participate in technology workshops with administrators and interested teachers. I am going to pioneer a Ning-based classroom network this coming school year, and I will invite other teachers, as well as administrators, to view my progress. This brings me back to my first point: it is absolutely essential to find the resources for students to gain accessibility; while many students have access and reliable Internet service at home, many others, including many ELL students who are from immigrant families, simply do not.
References
Christensen, C., & Horn, M. (2008). How do we transform our schools? Education Next, 8(3), 12–19.
Fullan, M. (2002). The change leader. Educational Leadership, 59(8) ,16–20.
One of the most important realizations that I had during this course was the reason for the failure of schools to effectively promote technology integration in the classroom: they were not, in fact, trying to integrate technology. Instead, they were attempting to adapt technology to curricula and methodologies that effectively were not altered. As Christensen and Horn (2008) put it, they tried “to cram the innovation into its existing operating model to sustain what it already does.This is the predictable course, the logical course—and the wrong course” (p. 14). In my school, most teachers have been using computers, if at all, for students to type up reports and complete research. We have a number of laptop carts that go largely unused because teachers have not been trained properly on how to use or take care of them. There is also a certain amount of frustration because the laptops do not hold a charge for very long, so they cannot be used all day among the different classes a middle school teacher meets every day.
This is where the concept of disruptive technology becomes very important. If I can be funded through a grant to have at least a class set of iPads, it is possible that the situation, at least for my classes and for other teachers in my department who care to learn and share with me, could be turned around. The battery life on an iPad is supposed to be about 10 hours, which would eliminate the problem of having to recharge computers. There are so many advantages: iPads are lightweight, fast, can be used as e-readers, can be used as cameras, for videoconferencing – the possibilities are fascinating. What is also useful to school environments are the built-in accessibility features for students with disabilities like poor vision and dyslexia. Possibly there are other tablet-type technologies that are more cost-effective and have similar capabilities. The reason they qualify as disruptive technology is that they are less expensive than either purchasing another cart of laptops or buying iPads, because they have certain limitations, such as fewer applications or a less coordinated suite of applications; all of the handhelds have reduced word processing capability, although I am sure that will improve over time.
With all this, what I am saying is that in order to proceed as a change agent for technology integration in my school, my students need to have access to reliable tools on a consistent basis; that said, the first effort I make needs to be in securing that access. This summer I am researching and writing grants to that end. Next, I need to make my students' work available to colleagues and administrators; I already have some collaborators set up for the next school year, and hopefully more will join in. The project in which we are collaborating is a grade-level wiki; this year my students developed a wiki based on a novel from the core curriculum, and next year I plan to implement my ideas for the mythology wiki for seventh grade students. One of the first ideas I had was to incorporate machinima from Second Life into the wiki, but I realize that students must be over 13 years of age to participate in Second Life, and even then their movement within the MUVE is restricted. I am trying to find some similar technology to use; Pixton and Go Animate so far look like the most likely candidates,since there are no age restrictions.
In terms of leading my colleagues and others in technology innovation and full integration, I have long reflected on the following statement by Fullan (2002): “An organization cannot flourish--at least, not for long--on the actions of the top leader alone. Schools and districts need many leaders at many levels. Learning in context helps produce such leaders” (p. 20). In fact. I am and have always been a hands-on learner, so learning in context harmonizes completely with my leadership style. I am pairing up with another language arts teacher next year to head literary competitions, and we have already begun to discuss how to use technology to make the process run more smoothly and become more exciting for the students: for example, interviewing student authors and broadcasting the videos, both to the school and on a language arts wiki, and using those techniques to disseminate recordings by the authors or by others of their own works. Having students read their own work aloud is also a great editing technique. I am also going to participate in technology workshops with administrators and interested teachers. I am going to pioneer a Ning-based classroom network this coming school year, and I will invite other teachers, as well as administrators, to view my progress. This brings me back to my first point: it is absolutely essential to find the resources for students to gain accessibility; while many students have access and reliable Internet service at home, many others, including many ELL students who are from immigrant families, simply do not.
References
Christensen, C., & Horn, M. (2008). How do we transform our schools? Education Next, 8(3), 12–19.
Fullan, M. (2002). The change leader. Educational Leadership, 59(8) ,16–20.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Reflecting on Differentiation: My Classroom Practice
Every year, among my students there are a few who enjoy reading and read at a much faster rate than the other students. One of the resources that I have come to value during this course and those preceding it a wiki. According to research done by de Pedro Puente (2007) wikis have proven effective in enhancing the experiential learning and the collaborative knowledge-building skills of students by providing various platform for interaction. I now have two wikis in my classroom, one for 7th grade students, and one for 6th grade students; each wiki is dedicated to a core curriculum novel, and the initial work on the wikis was done by students like the ones I have described. On Monday morning, I am presenting these sites to my fellow language arts teachers as part of our professional development program, and I am hoping to draw some of them in to participate in the wikis, and join me next year in creating a school-wide wki for student exploration of literature.
Other students in my classes have gradually joined in, using tools like Voki, Voice Thread, Slide Rocket and Glogster to create pages that illustrate, query, and discuss aspects of the novels. As a result, I am experiencing a natural process of differentiation, in which students are choosing their sub-topics and their means of expressing opinions and discussing literature online. As this is my first real experience with using wikis, there are some glitches and many things still to learn, but so far the experience has been highly positive. I have made a real effort to apply the UDL guidelines of providing multiple means of presentation, expression, and engagement in my lessons.
Before they began the planning, however, they used the Promethean board to do a similar comparison, using adjectives to describe how Byron from The Watsons Go To Birmingham sees himself compared to how his brother Kenny sees him, finding similarities and differences. They also used the board to discover transitional words used for comparison. This generated some discussion, and students worked in pairs and small groups to decide on which adjectives were common to both points of view; they also generated more words ,which were shared with the whole class. Groups were arranged by mixed ability levels. As Sabia (2008) states, “This is a critically important aspect of UDL — it recognizes that ALL students learn differently. Therefore, students with disabilities do not have
to feel that they are the only ones with learning differences” (p. 15).
Since many of my students are auditory learners, I played Mp3s of the novel, interrupting for questioning and response; I allowed students who were already doing so to read ahead during this time.This allowed them the space to freely learn at their own rate. Since I do not have enough books to send home with every student, I made the recordings available on the class blog, and gave CDs to students who do not have access to the Internet at home. Some students do have the book at home (having purchased or borrowed it from a library). The school is purchasing more books for next year, although I feel it would be wise to invest in iPads or e-readers of some kind. Amazon Kindle, for example, not has a lending library which would make investing in e-readers all the more cost effective. I am going to apply for another grant through our district foundation to acquire either ipads or e-readers of some kind. I also plan to use the UDL tools for creating a class profile and for setting goals.
All in all, this course has prepared me to truly integrate technology with the curriculum. I had been struggling to understand just how to do that, but with the introduction to UDL that this course has provided, along with the deeper understanding of how to differentiate with the use of technology, I feel far better equipped to deal with all of my students on a more individualized basis.
References
Canter, L., & Winberry, K. (Directors). (2001). Program 2: Introduction to learning styles, part two [DVD]. In C. Arnold (Producer), Learning differences: Effective teaching with learning styles and multiple intelligences. Los Angeles, CA: Laureate Education, Inc.
Curtis, C. P. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963. New York: Delacorte Press.
de Pedro Puente, X. (2007) New method using wikis and forums to evaluate individual contributions in cooperative work while promoting experiential
learning: Results from preliminary experience. Proceedings of the 2007 international symposium on Wikis. Retrieved from http://www.wikisym.org/ws2007/_publish/dePetro_WikiSym2007_ContributionsInCooperativeWork.pdf
National Universal Design for Learning Task Force. http://www.advocacyinstitute.org/UDL/index.shtml
Sabia, R. (2008) Univeral design for learning and meaningful access to the curriculum. TASH Connections. 14-21. Retrieved from http://www.advocacyinstitute.org/UDL/UDL_TASH_Connections.pdf
UDL Class Profile Maker. http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/classprofile.cfm
UDL Goal Setter. http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/udlgoalsetter.cfm
Other students in my classes have gradually joined in, using tools like Voki, Voice Thread, Slide Rocket and Glogster to create pages that illustrate, query, and discuss aspects of the novels. As a result, I am experiencing a natural process of differentiation, in which students are choosing their sub-topics and their means of expressing opinions and discussing literature online. As this is my first real experience with using wikis, there are some glitches and many things still to learn, but so far the experience has been highly positive. I have made a real effort to apply the UDL guidelines of providing multiple means of presentation, expression, and engagement in my lessons.
Before they began the planning, however, they used the Promethean board to do a similar comparison, using adjectives to describe how Byron from The Watsons Go To Birmingham sees himself compared to how his brother Kenny sees him, finding similarities and differences. They also used the board to discover transitional words used for comparison. This generated some discussion, and students worked in pairs and small groups to decide on which adjectives were common to both points of view; they also generated more words ,which were shared with the whole class. Groups were arranged by mixed ability levels. As Sabia (2008) states, “This is a critically important aspect of UDL — it recognizes that ALL students learn differently. Therefore, students with disabilities do not have
to feel that they are the only ones with learning differences” (p. 15).
Since many of my students are auditory learners, I played Mp3s of the novel, interrupting for questioning and response; I allowed students who were already doing so to read ahead during this time.This allowed them the space to freely learn at their own rate. Since I do not have enough books to send home with every student, I made the recordings available on the class blog, and gave CDs to students who do not have access to the Internet at home. Some students do have the book at home (having purchased or borrowed it from a library). The school is purchasing more books for next year, although I feel it would be wise to invest in iPads or e-readers of some kind. Amazon Kindle, for example, not has a lending library which would make investing in e-readers all the more cost effective. I am going to apply for another grant through our district foundation to acquire either ipads or e-readers of some kind. I also plan to use the UDL tools for creating a class profile and for setting goals.
All in all, this course has prepared me to truly integrate technology with the curriculum. I had been struggling to understand just how to do that, but with the introduction to UDL that this course has provided, along with the deeper understanding of how to differentiate with the use of technology, I feel far better equipped to deal with all of my students on a more individualized basis.
References
Canter, L., & Winberry, K. (Directors). (2001). Program 2: Introduction to learning styles, part two [DVD]. In C. Arnold (Producer), Learning differences: Effective teaching with learning styles and multiple intelligences. Los Angeles, CA: Laureate Education, Inc.
Curtis, C. P. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963. New York: Delacorte Press.
de Pedro Puente, X. (2007) New method using wikis and forums to evaluate individual contributions in cooperative work while promoting experiential
learning: Results from preliminary experience. Proceedings of the 2007 international symposium on Wikis. Retrieved from http://www.wikisym.org/ws2007/_publish/dePetro_WikiSym2007_ContributionsInCooperativeWork.pdf
National Universal Design for Learning Task Force. http://www.advocacyinstitute.org/UDL/index.shtml
Sabia, R. (2008) Univeral design for learning and meaningful access to the curriculum. TASH Connections. 14-21. Retrieved from http://www.advocacyinstitute.org/UDL/UDL_TASH_Connections.pdf
UDL Class Profile Maker. http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/classprofile.cfm
UDL Goal Setter. http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/udlgoalsetter.cfm
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Cultural Inventories
Recently I developed a pair of cultural inventories that I used in a classroom project based on autobiographical writing. The first one is actually completed after students have learned about and discussed the concept of culture as an iceberg, with the surface or visible part of culture represented as the tip of the iceberg, and the deeper, "invisible' aspects of culture as the part that remains below the surface. Here is the link to the file.
Click here to take survey
Click here to take survey
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Reflection
My GAME plan was developed to enable me to respond more effectively to student lack of self-confidence about the use of technology, and to their resistance to work collaboratively with anyne except their best friends; to increase my level of engagement with peers who either want to know more about how to use technology in their classrooms, or who have information to share with me; and to engage parents more directly in classroom projects as participants, rather than as bystanders or peopele who micromanage their children by doing their work for them.
In the first area, I was able to encourage students who had never used GarageBand before to try it, however I left options such as using Powerpoint and delivering a face-to-face presentation or using Voice Thread open. Most students were able to successfully complete projects, however there was one class that remained highly resistant, and with whom I had more difficulty. I resolved this problem by assigning peer mentors who had already completed projects to assist them with the technology. In this sense they were exposed to collaborative learning as a necessary approach. The problem with this class was that probably the project was too overwhelming in the sense that they were unused to research projects, so they had the double burden of learning how to conduct research as well as learning ew technological skills.
I have contributed to the technological conversation in my department by introducing peers to blogging, to converting printable documents into documents that can be completed online, and by showing them how to use Google Docs and programs like Wordle, which students really enjoy. In addition, I presented a workshop at a district symposium on innovative ideas, was able to overcome technical difficulties, and showed teachers a simple blog site called Kidblog (kidblog.org).
In terms of parent involvement, the research project my students were working on was about their respective cultures; some students turned in amazingly detailed work about their family heritage; one boy filmed his mother making arepas, a Colombian snack. Since i love to travel, I allowed some of my students to use photographs I took in Rome and Costa Rica. One of my Italian students is interested in theater, so I suggested that she do a project on Commedia dell'Arte; it turned out that her mother years ago had dome some wonderful drawings of all the principal characters, which I scanned for her Voice Thread project. For the next phase of our yearlong autobiographical project, a couple of parents have already committed to communicating with our class via Skype about the work they do. What i have learned through this course is that flexibility and adaptability are key to going beyond the limits imposed by walls, and allowing the imagination rein.
In terms of immediate adjustments to my instructional practice, I am creating a wiki with my 7th graders about a book they are reading. We began by brainstorming questions they have about the book, and i am assigning research and blog discussions based on their questions. Throughout the course I have been steadily applying new information to classroom instruction, and I have learned much from reading the blogs and wiki pages of my peers. My ELL students have been using Inspiration to plan their writing prompts; I can see that having the visual in front of them really helps them to organize their thoughts.
This has been a very enjoyable and informative course, and I am sure that information I have learned here will follow me throughout my professional career.
In the first area, I was able to encourage students who had never used GarageBand before to try it, however I left options such as using Powerpoint and delivering a face-to-face presentation or using Voice Thread open. Most students were able to successfully complete projects, however there was one class that remained highly resistant, and with whom I had more difficulty. I resolved this problem by assigning peer mentors who had already completed projects to assist them with the technology. In this sense they were exposed to collaborative learning as a necessary approach. The problem with this class was that probably the project was too overwhelming in the sense that they were unused to research projects, so they had the double burden of learning how to conduct research as well as learning ew technological skills.
I have contributed to the technological conversation in my department by introducing peers to blogging, to converting printable documents into documents that can be completed online, and by showing them how to use Google Docs and programs like Wordle, which students really enjoy. In addition, I presented a workshop at a district symposium on innovative ideas, was able to overcome technical difficulties, and showed teachers a simple blog site called Kidblog (kidblog.org).
In terms of parent involvement, the research project my students were working on was about their respective cultures; some students turned in amazingly detailed work about their family heritage; one boy filmed his mother making arepas, a Colombian snack. Since i love to travel, I allowed some of my students to use photographs I took in Rome and Costa Rica. One of my Italian students is interested in theater, so I suggested that she do a project on Commedia dell'Arte; it turned out that her mother years ago had dome some wonderful drawings of all the principal characters, which I scanned for her Voice Thread project. For the next phase of our yearlong autobiographical project, a couple of parents have already committed to communicating with our class via Skype about the work they do. What i have learned through this course is that flexibility and adaptability are key to going beyond the limits imposed by walls, and allowing the imagination rein.
In terms of immediate adjustments to my instructional practice, I am creating a wiki with my 7th graders about a book they are reading. We began by brainstorming questions they have about the book, and i am assigning research and blog discussions based on their questions. Throughout the course I have been steadily applying new information to classroom instruction, and I have learned much from reading the blogs and wiki pages of my peers. My ELL students have been using Inspiration to plan their writing prompts; I can see that having the visual in front of them really helps them to organize their thoughts.
This has been a very enjoyable and informative course, and I am sure that information I have learned here will follow me throughout my professional career.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Game Plan and NETS-S
The GAME Plan has helped me value the importance of setting specific goals for students in terms of their proficiency with technology and their progress in developing literacy and collaborative skills. Students can be the most critical of audiences for their peers, but with a rubric for peer evaluation this process rests within parameters that are safe for students who are sensitive to criticism and yet want constructive feedback. This is one of the wonderful parts of social networking: the ability to share in the editing, proofreading, and finally, in revising a piece of writing, or any other creation.
When students hear their voices for the first tine, they are sometimes shocked or surprised, so digital storytelling is a wonderful opportunity for them to get to themselves on many different levels. One of the prerequisites for understanding other cultures is in fact to understand as much as possible about oneself, and one's immediate environment. The collaborative process is actually uses prior knowledge of self as a springboard to discover more about the world, rippling out from self to include many other cultures. This a key goal of the Communication and Collaboration group of NETS-S standards. I will constantly try to develop this awareness of our microcosm of world diversity in the classroom.
Problem-solving and decision-making area also important survival elements in our world, and teaching this skill is critical if we are to guide students to construct a world that is sustainable, both in terms of the environment and in terms of global cooperation and social responsibility. If I can model to my students how to communicate effectively and how to use technology as a fast and efficient tool for communication. One of the NETS_T standards sets addressed in my personal GAME plan is Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership, and this is reflected both in various standards in NETS-S, such as collaboration, digital citizenship and critical thinking.
It is also essential that students grasp the concept that while the Internet is an invaluable resource for information and creating knowledge, it is not always infallible, and that guidelines are in place on how to navigate safely and successfully through waters that are at times turbulent. Helping students to acquire valid research skills is an extremely important part of being an educator, whether these skills are used to find the best possibile product or to develop a cure for disease.
When students hear their voices for the first tine, they are sometimes shocked or surprised, so digital storytelling is a wonderful opportunity for them to get to themselves on many different levels. One of the prerequisites for understanding other cultures is in fact to understand as much as possible about oneself, and one's immediate environment. The collaborative process is actually uses prior knowledge of self as a springboard to discover more about the world, rippling out from self to include many other cultures. This a key goal of the Communication and Collaboration group of NETS-S standards. I will constantly try to develop this awareness of our microcosm of world diversity in the classroom.
Problem-solving and decision-making area also important survival elements in our world, and teaching this skill is critical if we are to guide students to construct a world that is sustainable, both in terms of the environment and in terms of global cooperation and social responsibility. If I can model to my students how to communicate effectively and how to use technology as a fast and efficient tool for communication. One of the NETS_T standards sets addressed in my personal GAME plan is Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership, and this is reflected both in various standards in NETS-S, such as collaboration, digital citizenship and critical thinking.
It is also essential that students grasp the concept that while the Internet is an invaluable resource for information and creating knowledge, it is not always infallible, and that guidelines are in place on how to navigate safely and successfully through waters that are at times turbulent. Helping students to acquire valid research skills is an extremely important part of being an educator, whether these skills are used to find the best possibile product or to develop a cure for disease.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
GAME Plan Progress
This past Saturday I participated in an annual "idea expo" set up by my county's education foundation. This was the first time I participated as a presenter of an idea for which I was awarded a grant. For the first time, I found myself in front of other teachers, showing them how to blog on a website that I use with my students, showing them also how to create a Voice Thread, and discussing how I integrated this technology into my idea, which is a year-long student autobiography incorporating reflective, narrative and expository writing as well as a research-based multimedia presentation.
During the same day I went to workshops presented by other teachers, and understood more about how to integrate technology quickly into my subject area. Going back to the goals I set for myself in terms of the NETS-T standards fro engaging in professional growth and leadership, I feel proud of the fact that I was able to get over my fears about delivering materials to adults, and in spite of technical difficulties at the site (a local university) was able to present my ideas and even fuse them with tips i had picked up during the day from other presenters. I feel that I extended my learning by adding to my presentation a wealth of ideas I gleaned from my master's course, and I openly told the attendees that I had just learned some of the tools I was presenting, and that I am constantly trying out new resources.
I am still working on seamlessly infusing technology into the curriculum, and on the collaborative work with students. I noticed that students really appreciate it when teachers work with them instead of limiting themselves to delivering information; this is how I am interpreting the NETS standard that reads, "model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students." I have core groups of students in each of my classes that have really bought into collaborative online learning, but there are other students who have not, and my goal is to reach those students as well. I was able to work closely together with a group of 7th grade boys whose assignment was to analyze a commercial, design a new commercial for the same product with a different audience, analyze it according to its persuasive elements, and then make the commercial. They were having a very difficult time getting started, but when I showed them the basics in GarageBand and iMovie, they took over and produced a fine piece of work, in which one of them was even filmed doing a backflip as part of their script. Some of the analysis was sacrificed, though, and my goal is to ensure that none of the content gets lost in the joy of using the resources.
I still really need to work with getting more of my colleagues on board with blogging and social networking: one major stumbling block here is that most teachers, unlike me, do not have a laptop cart in their rooms, and are usually unable to gain access to one. The media center, with its bank of computers, is very difficult to book, which leaves most teachers with virtually no access for students. I really would like to find the mega-grant to change this situation, so if any of you have some practical suggestions, please let me know. So I suppose a "new' (or rather, renewed) goal is to find the means to update technology in our school, since it is threatened with "extinction" (lack of funding).
During the same day I went to workshops presented by other teachers, and understood more about how to integrate technology quickly into my subject area. Going back to the goals I set for myself in terms of the NETS-T standards fro engaging in professional growth and leadership, I feel proud of the fact that I was able to get over my fears about delivering materials to adults, and in spite of technical difficulties at the site (a local university) was able to present my ideas and even fuse them with tips i had picked up during the day from other presenters. I feel that I extended my learning by adding to my presentation a wealth of ideas I gleaned from my master's course, and I openly told the attendees that I had just learned some of the tools I was presenting, and that I am constantly trying out new resources.
I am still working on seamlessly infusing technology into the curriculum, and on the collaborative work with students. I noticed that students really appreciate it when teachers work with them instead of limiting themselves to delivering information; this is how I am interpreting the NETS standard that reads, "model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students." I have core groups of students in each of my classes that have really bought into collaborative online learning, but there are other students who have not, and my goal is to reach those students as well. I was able to work closely together with a group of 7th grade boys whose assignment was to analyze a commercial, design a new commercial for the same product with a different audience, analyze it according to its persuasive elements, and then make the commercial. They were having a very difficult time getting started, but when I showed them the basics in GarageBand and iMovie, they took over and produced a fine piece of work, in which one of them was even filmed doing a backflip as part of their script. Some of the analysis was sacrificed, though, and my goal is to ensure that none of the content gets lost in the joy of using the resources.
I still really need to work with getting more of my colleagues on board with blogging and social networking: one major stumbling block here is that most teachers, unlike me, do not have a laptop cart in their rooms, and are usually unable to gain access to one. The media center, with its bank of computers, is very difficult to book, which leaves most teachers with virtually no access for students. I really would like to find the mega-grant to change this situation, so if any of you have some practical suggestions, please let me know. So I suppose a "new' (or rather, renewed) goal is to find the means to update technology in our school, since it is threatened with "extinction" (lack of funding).
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Maintaining the GAME Plan
I just found out that a conversation I had with my principal some months ago bore some fruit. I had mentioned Voice Thread to her, and said that I think it was unreasonable to have this tool blocked by our district. She asked me to email her the link for this program, and then I did not hear anything more about it. Since my students are working at the moment on research projects with multimedia products, I thought that I would see if Voice Thread was still unavailable: it was finally available, and today I was able to show my students how to use it. For some 6th graders, creating a podcast from Garageband or even a Powerpoint was daunting, so they were happy to have an alternative that was somewhat easier, yet just as creative. This is another way for them to collaborate as learners, thinkers, and writers engaged in the writing process; what this means for my Game plan is that I have gained an effective tool to utilize with my goal of having students work cooperatively. I still need to become better acquainted with the program and become better at using it.
I also subscribe to the We Are Teachers feed, and read ideas there; this week I joined a competition with the objective of coming up with a lesson plan that incorporates visual arts with language arts.
(http://www.weareteachers.com/ideas/partnerask?grantId=49). I feel this moves my GAME plan forward because it motivates me to read about the ideas of other teachers who are integrating technology into their lesson plans, and at the saem time share my own ideas.
New questions that have arisen in the course of working on this project with my students are that, while two classes are highly motivated and have become used to thinking more independently, one class needs far more scaffolding in terms of developing "inner" timetables because they are more intimidated by the prospect of constructing their own work, and at the same time they find it difficult to work together collaboratively. I am going to have incorporate some small group activities that have nothing to do with their projects; what Ertmer terms "posthole" activities. It almost seems that I am going backwards, but this may be the only way to go forward.
Ertmer, P., & Simons, K. (Spring 2006). Jumping the PBL implementation hurdle: Supporting the efforts of K-12 teachers. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), 40-54. Retrieved from http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=ijpbl.
I also subscribe to the We Are Teachers feed, and read ideas there; this week I joined a competition with the objective of coming up with a lesson plan that incorporates visual arts with language arts.
(http://www.weareteachers.com/ideas/partnerask?grantId=49). I feel this moves my GAME plan forward because it motivates me to read about the ideas of other teachers who are integrating technology into their lesson plans, and at the saem time share my own ideas.
New questions that have arisen in the course of working on this project with my students are that, while two classes are highly motivated and have become used to thinking more independently, one class needs far more scaffolding in terms of developing "inner" timetables because they are more intimidated by the prospect of constructing their own work, and at the same time they find it difficult to work together collaboratively. I am going to have incorporate some small group activities that have nothing to do with their projects; what Ertmer terms "posthole" activities. It almost seems that I am going backwards, but this may be the only way to go forward.
Ertmer, P., & Simons, K. (Spring 2006). Jumping the PBL implementation hurdle: Supporting the efforts of K-12 teachers. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), 40-54. Retrieved from http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=ijpbl.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
How is My Game Plan Going?
In the first area of focus, getting students to work together collaboratively and creatively, I feel i have made some progress in the last couple of weeks. For example, we have a school-wide spelling bee every year,of which the first two rounds are completed on Scantrons, as I read sentences containing the spelling words. To practice, I set up teams of students who used word parts and other strategies to make meaning of the spelling words, and they competed in a kind of collaborative bee, in teams. Since I have some students who have difficulty with understanding print, and some with very limited vocabulary who do not understand how to arrive at correct pronunciation of difficult words, I set them up with print-to-text programs on the computer so they could become pronunciation experts and teach the others how to properly say some of the difficult words. In addition, students in my class are now teaching each other how to use develop research questions, how to use search engines to conduct research, and how to use Bib.me.org both to gather notes and create their bibliographies. In another class they are learning about the persuasive language of advertising, and are creating their own commercials in video form using advertising techniques and claims; at the same time they are developing an awareness of audience by using images to target a specific audience (usually kids their age). I still need to get us to collaborate with other classes outside our own walls, but I still have faith that that will happen late this year. Some ideas I have is to use virtual field trips and to use Skype as a communication tool, possibly with a parent in their workplace since one of my main goals is to explore careers.
In terms of the second area of focus, engaging in professional growth and leadership, I have been con a campaign to introduce teachers in my school to tools like Delicious, online document storage and sharing, and basic blogsites they can use with their students. I have spent a few hours in the last week doing just that. I also posted soem of the text-to-speech mp3s of spelling words made by my students on the Language Arts communication board, and shared what I had done with my colleagues at out learning community. One major stumbling block I have run into and which so far remains unresolved is that I noticed some time ago that at work we are using an outdated version of Firefox, but every time I tried to download a new version I would receive an error message saying that I did not have enough privileges. I spoke with the technology expert at our school, and he told me to call the district help desk. I made the call, and was on the phone for almost an hour, while the tech on the other end used remote access and all kinds of Uber-passwords, to try the download, to no avail. Finally I received an email saying that the situation was server-related and actually depended on the tech expert at our school. I forwarded the email to him, but have received no reply.Check but not mate -I'm going to keep pressing on to find a solution. I also discussed with a science teacher how we could find grants to replace the dying laptops in our carts, which is another issue. There is no money apparently to replace kaput batteries.
All in all, though, I am optimistic that things will change. Our principal is rather technology-oriented, although she has relegated all grant-writing to teachers, who typically have the least time for it. At least she allowed me to have a laptop cart in my room, and I am very grateful for that.
In terms of the second area of focus, engaging in professional growth and leadership, I have been con a campaign to introduce teachers in my school to tools like Delicious, online document storage and sharing, and basic blogsites they can use with their students. I have spent a few hours in the last week doing just that. I also posted soem of the text-to-speech mp3s of spelling words made by my students on the Language Arts communication board, and shared what I had done with my colleagues at out learning community. One major stumbling block I have run into and which so far remains unresolved is that I noticed some time ago that at work we are using an outdated version of Firefox, but every time I tried to download a new version I would receive an error message saying that I did not have enough privileges. I spoke with the technology expert at our school, and he told me to call the district help desk. I made the call, and was on the phone for almost an hour, while the tech on the other end used remote access and all kinds of Uber-passwords, to try the download, to no avail. Finally I received an email saying that the situation was server-related and actually depended on the tech expert at our school. I forwarded the email to him, but have received no reply.Check but not mate -I'm going to keep pressing on to find a solution. I also discussed with a science teacher how we could find grants to replace the dying laptops in our carts, which is another issue. There is no money apparently to replace kaput batteries.
All in all, though, I am optimistic that things will change. Our principal is rather technology-oriented, although she has relegated all grant-writing to teachers, who typically have the least time for it. At least she allowed me to have a laptop cart in my room, and I am very grateful for that.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Resources and Information for My Game Plan
In order to assist students in working together collaboratively I would like to build a wiki where they can post research projects, blog, communicate with students in other classrooms. The first and primary obstacle that I and other teachers in my school are facing is the dwindling availability of technology resources. We have a number of laptop carts but the batteries are one by one dying, and there are no funds to replace them; so a priority is to research grants and apply for funding for technology, together with my peers and colleagues. Also the answer may not lie with more laptops, as there may be a less expensive solution. This is one real-world issue that students may be interested in collaborating as problem-solvers.
I need to tap into the wealth of experience among parents and the possibilities of engaging their help as expert speakers, as well as other professionals in the community who may be knowledgeable about topics that students are interested in; through the use of Skype virtual interviews are possible when face-to-face encounters are not. I need to develop genuine collaborations with teachers in other classrooms, even on other continents, that are tailored to the actual needs of our students and not "pre-fabricated" to suit the needs of someone else. I also need to prepare my students for encounters with cultures that are different from their own by using some of the lessons in the Building Bridges curriculum from the Peace Corps as discussed in Chapter 7 of our course text, found online at http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/publications/bridges/. Videos are also informative and assist both visual and auditory learners.
Collaboration among middle school students is never easy, yet it is a crucial time for them to learn the value of positive social interaction. By beginning with small assignments, using tools such as rubrics, reflective assignments, and graphic organizers that assist them with developing collaborative skills, I can gradually increment the amount of time they can work together
In terms of keeping up with the latest innovations in educational technology, I subscribe to some RSS feeds that I read on an ongoing basis, but I need to develop a formal means of assessing what I read about and try out, such as a reflective journal of technology integration. This will also be beneficial to my goal of sharing my knowledge with my colleagues at school.
In terms of evaluation, the tools at my disposal currently are the remote response system that is part of the Promethean technology in my classroom, and the classroom blog; I can canvass students to get valuable feedback as well as brainstorm ideas, and the results from the response system can be immediately stored in an Excel file on my laptop. The blog is useful also for student reflections on the steps they are taking in projects and for commenting and providing advice for editing or additional information among students, and between students and me.
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
I need to tap into the wealth of experience among parents and the possibilities of engaging their help as expert speakers, as well as other professionals in the community who may be knowledgeable about topics that students are interested in; through the use of Skype virtual interviews are possible when face-to-face encounters are not. I need to develop genuine collaborations with teachers in other classrooms, even on other continents, that are tailored to the actual needs of our students and not "pre-fabricated" to suit the needs of someone else. I also need to prepare my students for encounters with cultures that are different from their own by using some of the lessons in the Building Bridges curriculum from the Peace Corps as discussed in Chapter 7 of our course text, found online at http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/publications/bridges/. Videos are also informative and assist both visual and auditory learners.
Collaboration among middle school students is never easy, yet it is a crucial time for them to learn the value of positive social interaction. By beginning with small assignments, using tools such as rubrics, reflective assignments, and graphic organizers that assist them with developing collaborative skills, I can gradually increment the amount of time they can work together
In terms of keeping up with the latest innovations in educational technology, I subscribe to some RSS feeds that I read on an ongoing basis, but I need to develop a formal means of assessing what I read about and try out, such as a reflective journal of technology integration. This will also be beneficial to my goal of sharing my knowledge with my colleagues at school.
In terms of evaluation, the tools at my disposal currently are the remote response system that is part of the Promethean technology in my classroom, and the classroom blog; I can canvass students to get valuable feedback as well as brainstorm ideas, and the results from the response system can be immediately stored in an Excel file on my laptop. The blog is useful also for student reflections on the steps they are taking in projects and for commenting and providing advice for editing or additional information among students, and between students and me.
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
Thursday, January 13, 2011
My Game Plan
After reviewing the NETS_T standards on the International Society for Technology in Education website, I feel that two areas in which I have made considerable progress over the past few years have been are Model Digital Age Work and Learning, and Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility. With my peers, with parents, and with teachers I communicate frequently via email; with my students I communicate both via email when not in the classroom and through classroom blogs.For me, teaching digital responsibility and safety is crucial, so it is the first item on the agenda when I have embarked with students on inquiry and problem-solving projects; I have also attempted collaborations with teachers and students in other classrooms, although I would still like to achieve more in terms of true global collaboration.
Two areas in which I know I need further development and a higher sense of self-confidence are 1) Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity and 2)Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership.
In terms of goal setting for the first area,g, my goals are to enable students to work together collaboratively to work on solutions to real-world problems, to consistently engage students in reflective assessments of their own work, and to provide opportunities for students and me to collaborate with colleagues, professionals, and other members of the community both in virtual and face-to-face situations, in order to explore possible, innovative solutions to these problems.
To achieve these goals, the actions I will take are to develop effective strategies for collaborative learning among groups of students, so that communication among them will be authentic and safe, and students will become self-directed learners, with the sound understanding of my role as facilitator and guide.Students need to know that their attempts at creativity will not be thwarted, and at the same time they need to be guided so that eventually their creative efforts will be productive. I also need to expand my circle of online collaborators, and develop more relationships with parents and others who can be invited to speak with my students as the need and opportunities arise.
Formative assessments are an essential part of the monitoring process, as are continuous adjustments to my instructional strategies and continuous adjustments on the part of students to the way they learn and process information. Observing students' response to learning situations I will assess whether my strategies have been effective, or whether i need to re-teach, making the necessary adjustments so that students will learn the targeted content.
Evaluation of my instructional strategies and style is an important part of my professional growth. By assessing whether students have met the learning goals set for them, I can determine what new path to pursue if there are gaps in student achievement. By gaining informal feedback from students and through reflective observation, I can also determine if the assessment or the goals need to be modified.
The second area in which I want to become more confident and proficient is that of engagement in professional growth and leadership. My goals in this respect are to convince my department and others in my school that technology integration is not only important and more engaging for the students, it is also necessary, and to promote the use of electronic whiteboards not only as an extension of the traditional role of disseminating information, but also as interactive tools that assist the growth of students as self-directed learners.
Actions I will take are to continue and accelerate my recently started initiative of posting technology tips and tools on the language arts shared email board, and to share and demonstrate gains made through technology in my classroom, such as the use of blogs,and multimedia and collaborative projects.I also will keep abreast of the latest ideas, software and online tools by participating in blogs and forums with other professionals in education.I would like to see tools like Voice Thread become available in my district, where they are currently blocked.this means deliberate advocacy on my part, and participation in negotiations with district technology experts.
I will monitor my progress in this area by asking my peers for feedback to presentations and shared projects. I will also incorporate new learning into my lesson plans and curriculum, and evaluate whether new tools and initiatives are working in my classroom. Students are an excellent barometer for whether new ideas are successful or not; there are also different ways of implementing the same digital tools that work for different groups of students. In this pioneering age, much of this can be learned through experimentation prior to presenting them in the classroom, and through trial and error with the students.
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.
[R01] Three basic principles. (n.d.). HKU Philosophy. Retrieved January 13, 2011, from http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/creative/creative.php
Two areas in which I know I need further development and a higher sense of self-confidence are 1) Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity and 2)Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership.
In terms of goal setting for the first area,g, my goals are to enable students to work together collaboratively to work on solutions to real-world problems, to consistently engage students in reflective assessments of their own work, and to provide opportunities for students and me to collaborate with colleagues, professionals, and other members of the community both in virtual and face-to-face situations, in order to explore possible, innovative solutions to these problems.
To achieve these goals, the actions I will take are to develop effective strategies for collaborative learning among groups of students, so that communication among them will be authentic and safe, and students will become self-directed learners, with the sound understanding of my role as facilitator and guide.Students need to know that their attempts at creativity will not be thwarted, and at the same time they need to be guided so that eventually their creative efforts will be productive. I also need to expand my circle of online collaborators, and develop more relationships with parents and others who can be invited to speak with my students as the need and opportunities arise.
Formative assessments are an essential part of the monitoring process, as are continuous adjustments to my instructional strategies and continuous adjustments on the part of students to the way they learn and process information. Observing students' response to learning situations I will assess whether my strategies have been effective, or whether i need to re-teach, making the necessary adjustments so that students will learn the targeted content.
Evaluation of my instructional strategies and style is an important part of my professional growth. By assessing whether students have met the learning goals set for them, I can determine what new path to pursue if there are gaps in student achievement. By gaining informal feedback from students and through reflective observation, I can also determine if the assessment or the goals need to be modified.
The second area in which I want to become more confident and proficient is that of engagement in professional growth and leadership. My goals in this respect are to convince my department and others in my school that technology integration is not only important and more engaging for the students, it is also necessary, and to promote the use of electronic whiteboards not only as an extension of the traditional role of disseminating information, but also as interactive tools that assist the growth of students as self-directed learners.
Actions I will take are to continue and accelerate my recently started initiative of posting technology tips and tools on the language arts shared email board, and to share and demonstrate gains made through technology in my classroom, such as the use of blogs,and multimedia and collaborative projects.I also will keep abreast of the latest ideas, software and online tools by participating in blogs and forums with other professionals in education.I would like to see tools like Voice Thread become available in my district, where they are currently blocked.this means deliberate advocacy on my part, and participation in negotiations with district technology experts.
I will monitor my progress in this area by asking my peers for feedback to presentations and shared projects. I will also incorporate new learning into my lesson plans and curriculum, and evaluate whether new tools and initiatives are working in my classroom. Students are an excellent barometer for whether new ideas are successful or not; there are also different ways of implementing the same digital tools that work for different groups of students. In this pioneering age, much of this can be learned through experimentation prior to presenting them in the classroom, and through trial and error with the students.
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.
[R01] Three basic principles. (n.d.). HKU Philosophy. Retrieved January 13, 2011, from http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/creative/creative.php
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