Reflection

I have really enjoyed this class and have learned about so many new and emerging technologies that I did not even know existed. Digital gaming is something that is new to me but is something that I want to research to learn more about so that I can implement it in the classroom. MUVE's is also new to me and something I would like to keep updated on so that I can have this tool to use in the classroom as well. I think that my students would really enjoy using MUVE's to learn collaboratively and also to stay motivated and engaged in learning.

To keep up with the 21st century classroom and to provide students with a good quailty education, I want to learn more about all the topics that were discussed in this class so that I can introduce my students to them all.

To introduce new and emerging technologies to my students and school, I will have to take on a leadership role to provide colleagues and students will all the appropriate information that they need so that they can make professional decisions about the tools and technology that I am showing them.

Spotlight on Emerging Technology

http://www.slideshare.net/slp1777/cfakepathapp-jones-s4-4358051

Reflection

This class has provided me with many websites and resources about technology, UDL, and DI. I have learned how to better incorporate technology with DI for all students in my class. I will use the resources from the Differentiation Station in my classroom to research more information that I need about the topics. I will use the resources to teach lessons and conduct various activities for the many different leveled students that I have in my classroom.

The immediate changes that I will make are that I will use technology more to help me differentiate instruction. I want to also use technology more for assessing students. The school that I work at has the IRespond testing system and that is a wonderful resource for assessing students using technology.

I plan to continue my research and growth in UDL, DI and technology.

Reflection on GAME Plan

This course has really made me make more time for research and improving myself personally and professionally. Having to develop a GAME plan for myself made me set goals and really work to achieve them. I have researched many new ideas to use in the classroom. I have found lots of technology resources to use with my students and have also shared them with my team so that all the first grade students at my school have benefited from it.

Some immediate changes that I will make due to my GAME plan is that I will start using more technology and that I have many new technology resources to use in all the content areas. I love using technology because I know that my students enjoy it and it also keeps them more motivated and engaged in what they are learning.

Using the GAME Plan Process with Students

The goals that I set for myself where to take part in more leadership roles and also to conduct more research so that I could provide my students with more opportunities to use technology. I have met my goal of research and am still in the process of meeting my goal about leadership but am well on my way to reach it.

After looking at the National Education Standards for Students, I think I could alter these goals to help my students meet the NETS by:

1. Providing time for my students to conduct research so that they could:

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:

a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression.


2. Communication and Collaboration

a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.


3. Research and Information Fluency

Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:

a. plan strategies to guide inquiry.
b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.


6. Technology Operations and Concepts

Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students:

a. understand and use technology systems.
b. select and use applications effectively and productively.

2. Allowing my students to have more leadership opportunities so that they can become leaders and carry it on with them throughout school and also into the work place.


5. Digital Citizenship

Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:


c. demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.
d. exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.

My GAME plan for my students would be to give them time once a week to conduct supervised and organized research to find websites and other technology resources that they are interested in to help them learn. I would also provide leadership roles in the classroom that would teach and show them how to become leaders. I would also include them in my goals so that they would have a model of what it is like to become a leader.

By allowing my students time to research and to become better leaders will only help them to become more productive citizens.

Revising Your GAME Plan

One goal that I set for myself was to dedicate 1 planning time a week to research and reflect on my progress for the week. I have found myself spending more time researching because I am finding so many good resources to use in the classroom. I have found new websites, educational games to create, and lesson and activities to use that meet the standards that I teach everyday. My research is going very well and I am applying this new information in my classroom everyday. I have also shared it with my colleagues who are also using it in their classrooms. I am still working towards getting more involved in the leadership role. I have completed some tasks but I feel that I need to do more to reach my goal. I have asked my principal and assistant principal to meet with me this week so that we can brainstorm more ideas for me to help me be successful. At this time, I am not ready to set more goals. I am still working towards one and am successfully reaching another one. The learning approaches I am trying to improve my learning are meeting with leadership and I am also going to start spending some of my research time researching ideas to help me be more successful at the leadership level.

Evaluating Your GAME Plan Progress

Making progress each and every week has really helped me grow personally and professionally. I have had some time to research different activities and ideas to apply in the classroom and have started to implement new activities using technology. So far I have started to use more technology during guided math and literacy centers. I have a class that loves the computers so I am using this to my advantage. I have researched websites that are good for centers and am letting the students choose which ones they visit when they are in the computer center. I still have so much to learn and things to try in the classroom to see how they are going to work with 1st grade students. I do not think I need to adjust anything at this time. I just need more time to research and implement activities to see how they are going to work. 1 new website that I found and am now using is http://www.coolmath4kids.com/ The students are really enjoying it and it provides lessons and games to use in the classroom. I have also started to use the Addition machine website http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/mentalmaths/additiontest.html which provides practice on math facts. I am still learning and growing and am really excited about finding more websites to use in my classroom.

Monitoring Your GAME Plan Progress

While continuing my GAME plan, I have learned many new things and available resources and leadership roles. I met with my administration team and discussed new ideas for my professional growth. My principal and assistant principal were very helpful and are willing to help me with whatever I need to accomplish my goals for my plan. Our school has a leadership team that meets once a month to discuss what is going on in the school and other issues that all staff needs to be aware of. As of ow I am going to start sitting in on these meetings so that I can become more involved. I am also working with some of our partners in education to come up with new ideas on how our community can help our school. At this time, I do not need to modify my plan. Everything is going as planned but I will continue to monitor and evaluate my plan as I go along. I have learned that there are many more resources available to me than I previously thought. I have also taken some time to research using technology in the classroom and have started to implement new ideas with my students. At this time, I do not have any questions about anything but I am sure I will as I get further into things. This has been such a great learning process for me thus far and I am excited to continue with my plan and get great results from it.

Carrying Out Your GAME Plan

To carry out my GAME plan, I will need the help of others and different resources to be successful. When I set goals for myself, it is very important to me to succeed in completing them.

What resources will you need to carry out your plan (video, reading, experts or colleagues, etc)?
To carry out my GAME plan , I will need several resources to help me. First, I will need my colleagues to turn to with questions and also to be resources for me. I will also need the assistance of my administration to lead me in the right direction for more leadership roles. I will need computer and Internet access and access to books that will be valuable resources to provide me with information on different technologies and how to use them in the classroom.

What additional information do you need?
At this time, I can not think of any additional information that I need but I know this will change as I get working and into the research.

What steps have you been able to take so far?
So far, I have set up a meeting with my Principal and Assistant Principal so that I can ask them some questions about leadership opportunities in the school and community.

Developing Your Personal GAME Plan

After reviewing the NETS-T standards, I feel comfortable with all the standards but there are some standards that I could improve on such as Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. I feel that I complete assignments and tasks in the classroom that meet this standard but there is always room for improvement and more opportunities to be provided for the students. I use technology everyday in my classroom but there are many more opportunities where I could use technology. Writing is one subject where I could improve on with Standard #1. Writing stories is a hard concept for many students and using technology would be a way to motivate and engage students in the writing process. Also, standard #5 is somewhere I could improve. Professional Growth and Leadership is important to me and in the education profession. Participating in more learning communities and doing more research is something that I could do more of.

My 2 goals for strengthening my confidence and proficiency would be
1. Participate in more leadership activities in my school.
2. Research and implement more technology in the classroom.

The actions that I will take to achieve those goals are:
1. Talk to administration and see what else I can get involved in in the school and community to grow professionally and personally.
2. Set aside time each week to research different ideas and activities.

I will monitor my progress by:
1. Keeping a journal of information from administration and require myself to participate in a number of activities each month.
2. Get a colleague to hold me responsible for my goals and actions that I am taking to achieve my goals.
3. Dedicate 1 planning time a week to research and reflect on my progress for the week.
4. Keep a running list of tasks to complete to reach my goals.

I will evaluate and extend my learning by:
1. Having reflection time each week.

Reflection: Blog Posting

This class has really taught me a lot about teaching literacy skills to young children. After completing this class and using the lesson plan that I created, I have come to realize that you can teach children how to do most anything when you take the time to show them how to do things. Showing 1st graders how to critique and synthesize information was a task but the students loved it and really enjoyed learning more about the Internet than just playing games.

This class has taught me more about finding valuable information on the web and that will only help me become a better teacher in that now I can teach it to my students and show them how to find valuable information. This will help them all throughout school when they have to write papers and conduct research. I never had a teacher to show me how to find good information when writing papers. I was pretty much on my own so I know from experience that teaching students literacy skills will help them to become a more productive student which makes me feel like a better teacher.

One professional goal that I can take from this class is to keep learning. Being a life long learner not only helps me but the students that are in my class every year. I can take what I learn and teach my students so that they can also use the information. That is why I became a teacher, so that I can teach and help students to become better people. To accomplish my goal, I will continue on to get my Specialists and also take Professional Development classes offered by the county I teach in. Also, by doing research on my own time, reading, and learning from my colleagues.

This class has taught me a lot and I have really enjoyed learning about and teaching new literacy skills.

Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology Reflection

Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology together makes for great teaching in a classroom. When a teacher uses technology in the classroom, it allows the students to be open minded and more motivated to learn. Taking courses about technology has only helped me to become a better teacher. I have been taught new ideas and given resources to use to enhance the learning of all students in my class.

After looking back at my Personal Learning Theory, I would say that for the most part I have not made any major changes to my theory. My thoughts about all students can and will learn to the best of their ability remains the same, I just have more support from this class. I still think that using different learning styles and Gardner's Multiple Intelligences is also very important so that you reach each child and their learning styles. Gardner's theory is explained as all children learn differently and by different approaches so they all need to be taught differently so that each student learns just as much as the others.

Immediate adjustments that I would make would be to use technology as much as possible on a daily basis. I would have students doing webquests, using computer programs to complete daily tasks, completing virtual fieldtrips, and using voicethreads to present information. All these resources allow students to be creative and also motivates them to learn. Technology also helps students be more accountable for their work so that the work is more meaningful to them.

Having goals is important for teachers and students. Teachers need to have short and long term goals to reflect on so that they can be better teachers. A teacher should be a life long learner so that they can provide the best education possible to all students. Two goals that I have set for myself for this class is to use technology on a daily basis and to continue to learn all that I can about technology so that I have all the resources needed to pass along to the students in my class. For goal number 1, I will write lessons that includes technology and also allows the students to use technology to its fullest capacity. Goal number 2 will be reached by continuing my education with my Masters and Specialist degree. I will also take courses through the county I am employed with and any other possibilities that arise.

This class has been very beneficial to me as a teacher and a learner. I have learned new things and been reminded of old resources that are wonderful to use in the classroom. This upcoming school year will definitely be a learning year and an experimental year for my classroom.

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

Cooperative Learning is a very effective strategy to use in the classroom. It correlates with the social learning theories in the way that it is the social part of the theory. Students need to talk to one another while learning. Cooperative Learning groups can be used in many ways and for many tasks. They can also change so that the group better fits an assignment. Teachers can put together groups by interests, abilities, and randomly. All students are held responsible in the group. The students are responsible for learning the material but also to make sure everyone in the group has done their part. Cooperative groups also help the teacher in that the teacher can be a facilitator of learning instead of standing in front of the classroom lecturing the students. Cooperative learning also helps prepare students for the real world because they one day will have to work with a group of people at a job so that they can complete a presentation or task for their boss.

When I use cooperative groups in the classroom, I assign each child a role so that everything gets done and everyone has something to do so that one student does not do all the work. The groups always have a leader, recorder, and collector. If there are more than 3 people, there are other titles that they are given. Each student knows their role and the others role so that they can hold each other responsible throughout the task.

VoiceThread

http://voicethread.com/share/568069/

Constructivism in Practice

When looking at this weeks resources and reading about generating and testing hypothesis, I think that they correlate with the principles of constructivist constructionist learning theories. Learning is an active process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current and past knowledge. When using spreadsheets, data collection tools, and web resources students are constructing knowledge for themselves so that they individually understand what they are learning. These applications give the students many resources and choices to enhance their learning so that they can remember information that they are learning. As a student myself, I personally know that if I can construct information in a way that I understand, it is much easier for me to remember the information for longer periods of times. When students are given choices and the responsibility for their learning, they are more likely to stay motivated and engaged in the learning.

Cognitivism in Practice

Cognitive tools have many uses in the classroom if they are used to their fullest potential. Their roles allow students to interact with information in order to acquire, synthesize, create, and share new knowledge (Robertson, Elliot, & Washington, 2007). Cognitive learning tools also have many advantages such as enhancing learning and thinking, activate metacognitive strategies, and to experience cognitive processes. When cognitive tools are implemented in the classroom correctly, the students can become the independent learners and the teacher can be the facilitator of the classroom. This interaction empowers learners to become active and responsible filters of information in which they engage in directing their mental processes; therefore, the role of the teacher resumes the “guide on the side" (Robertson, Elliot, & Washington, 2007).

When looking at this weeks resources, they support the theories of cognitive learning. Concept mapping and graphic organizers help students collect and organize information so that they can see the information represented visually. Teachers need to present information so that it is stored in the long term memory of the students and this can be done by using cognitive tools so that the learning is fun and memorable for the students. When teachers use cues and questions, they are activating prior knowledge and information that the students already have stored. When the information is revisited during this process, the students are more likely to remember it and can also relate the information to something personal. Having students make personal connections with learned information will help them to store the information for longer amounts of time.

Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

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

Behaviorism in Practice

Behaviorist learning theory is a topic in education that some educators are not sure about. After reading this weeks resources, behaviorist learning theory is something that is and can still be used in the 21st century classroom. Some wonderful examples of how to incorporate technology were given in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works by Pitler, et al, such as using spreadsheets, data collection tools, word processing, multimedia, and web resources. These resources are used to help students with academic behaviors that will produce the wanted result for both the teacher and student. Behaviorism is primarily concerned with observable and measurable aspects of human behavior. In defining behavior, behaviorist learning theories emphasize changes in behavior that result from stimulus-response associations made by the learner (Standridge, 2002). When looking at the chapter about Homework and Practice, the strategies given help promote the learning theory in the following ways. When homework is given in the correct amounts and feedback is given it will help students reach the expected level of proficiency. Homework is given to reinforce what was taught in class and to help a student master a concept. When relating homework to the learning theory, I see it as the teacher is given the assignment and has an expected outcome in mind as well as the student knowing that the more practice they get, the better it will be for them. Online educational games are also a great form of technology to use in the classroom. Teachers can put students in literacy or math centers on specific websites that will help a child further there knowledge about a topic. Online educational games have an inherent appeal and generate immediate feedback that allows a student, parent, and teacher to monitor progress toward mastery (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). The appeal and feedback is a reward to the child for a positive action therefore the child will want to continue the action for more positive reinforcement.

Behaviorism is something that can make a positive impact on students and a classroom if used in the correct way and with multiple strategies.

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

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Reflection on The Impact of Technology

When reflecting on the class about Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society I look back and see that this class really helped me understand more about technology. I learned about new things that I had never heard of and now have new ideas to take into my classroom. I also learned more about things that I knew about but did not understand entirely. I love the idea of using a blog which I did not before. When looking at the checklist, I see a few differences from Week 1 to Week 8. The category that says: work to promote best practices in technology integration by researching, evaluating, selecting and sharing new tools for classroom instruction. In Week 1 I checked rarely now I have changed it to Often. I now feel more comfortable about sharing my new tools in my classroom and with colleagues. The category that says: Design instructional activities requiring student collaboration to accomplish a joint task, I checked sometimes in Week 1 now I would change it to Often. I love allowing students the opportunity to work together but after studying about 21st century students I see now how important it is for students to work together. I am still working on becoming more of a facilitator for my students. My 2 long term goals are: 1. use more technology in the classroom and 2. further my understanding of technology so that I can use more technology in my classroom. I plan to achieve these goals by taking classes through Walden and the county that I work in. I am also going to take more risks and experience with different ideas. If they do not work then I will try something new or try and figure out what the problem is. I have really enjoyed this class and learned many new things this 8 weeks.

Podcast About Using Technology

The following is a link to my podcast. It contains information about the demographics of my class and also interviews wuth students about the use of technology.


http://slp1777.mypodcast.com/2009/04/Podcast_about_Using_Technology-197071.html

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

I enjoyed looking through the website about 21st century skills. I liked the tools and resources that it provided to help with the teachings of the skills. I also liked how it provided a list of resources to help with professional development. There was not any information that surprised me or that I disagreed with. I look forward to more information and new articles to read.