Education 6715: Online Learning in K-12 Schools

App4OndaykoM

Week 8 Reflection: Educ. 6713

Education 6713, Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas, was heavily influenced by Project Based Learning (PBL). Prior to this class, I had never heard of PBL , but I have seen similar programs such as Project Empowerment. Although some aspects of PBL intrigue me, I do not feel as if I have the necessary training or expertise to fully implement it into my classroom. As most people know, public educators are under enormous pressure to prepare students for yearly state achievement tests. Changing teaching strategies, no matter the intellectual or personal benefits, can be professional suicide if student test scores plummet; so many of us will continue to utilize the teaching strategies that we know will get us the results that are demanded.

My GAME plan for this course has been a success from the start. I have been able to create effective networks between students, parents, teachers, and peers. I have utilized blogs, wikis, bookmarking and collaboration sites, and other networking software to improve my teaching, student learning and creativity, and professional development. In our courses week six video, Social Networking and Online Collaboration, Vicki Davis gave three benefits for using online networking sites. She stated that students and teachers might benefit by:

• Experiencing greater diversity in the classroom.

• Increasing their exposure to world languages and culture.

• Teaching and learning from each other.

In the few months that I have implemented this plan into my classroom and as part of my professional development, I have experienced all of the benefits that Mrs. Davis spoke of and many more. I have discovered that it is not good practice for me to close my classroom door and ignore the outside world. If I choose to ignore the advantages of collaboration and social networking for learning, then I am doing a great in-service to my students. They are digital natives, who prefer to utilize technology in most aspects of their lives. If I am to continue to influence my students and to guide their learning, then I must also use the tools that they are comfortable with. Above all else, I must continue to integrate technology into my lessons and my content areas.

Personally and professionally, technological adjustments have already been in full play. This school year, I have been gradually implementing PBL and breathing new life into older assignments by utilizing tools such as online graphic organizers, bookmarking sites, and digital storytelling. In the very near future, I will be expanding my lessons to include video and audio threads. Technology may not be perfect, but it definitely has relit my creative fire.

Resources:
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Social networking and online collaboration. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

Using the GAME Plan Process with Students: Week 7

My GAME plan was composed of two NETS-T standards. The first was in Facilitating and Inspiring Students Learning and Creativity. My emphasis was on engaging students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. I believe that this applies to the NETS-S standard of Digital Citizenship. This standard requires students to understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. My GAME plan has helped me to begin to incorporate a few facets of Problem Based Learning (PBL) into my lesson plans, which is in direct correlation with meeting the requirements of this strand. I am hopeful that I can learn from these preliminary lessons and to expand upon them in the next school year.

My second NETS-T standard was the Promotion and Modeling of Digital Citizenship and Responsibility. The indicator that I strengthened was my participation in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning. I believe that this could apply to the NETS-S standard of Communication and Collaboration. This standard requires students to use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. My GAME plan has already helped me to establish blogs and wikis for my students to publish their work online and to evaluate the work of their peers. I have also created a site for my students and their parents to download classroom worksheets, Smart lessons, and homework assignments. This has been very helpful to students who have been absent from school. I am hopeful to begin a Diigo account, so that my students can easily collaborate with peers and to communicate with their teachers.

I believe that my GAME plan is helping my students to learn and develop proficiencies in the technology standards and indicators outlined in the NETS-S. More importantly, it will help them to become more creative with their work, and to aid me in becoming a more efficient teacher.

Resources:

National Education Standards for Students (NETS-S) located at http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007.aspx

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.

Revising My GAME Plan: Week 6

In week six of my GAME plan, I have been asked to review and revise my strategies. In all honesty, I am not ready to revise anything at this time. The NETS-T standards that I chose, Facilitating and Inspiring Student Learning and Creativity and Engaging in Professional Growth and Leadership are ongoing processes that will take some time for me to fully develop and to evaluate adequately. I have learned that while working towards the goals of both strands, I have spent much time collaborating with others and thinking more about Problem Based Learning (PBL) assignments that I can utilize with my students. I do not believe that I will fully implement PBL at this time of the school year; however I may attempt to incorporate some of its concepts into my current teaching strategies.

I am not ready to add any new learning goals at this time. I am not a fan of “a mile wide and an inch deep” teaching style, so I will continue to master the strategies that I have started before I move on. It is also that time of the year when I begin to “cram” for our state’s achievement test, so I do not have the time to try something new. I believe that when I am ready to take on a new approach, it will be the NETS-T standard Engaging in Professional Growth and Leadership, with specific focus on contributing to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community. Our district is way behind in technology and instruction using technology. In fact, our superintendent just bragged to our Board of Education about how we haven’t purchased any new computers in the past six years. This lack of leadership, or shortsightedness, must change if our students are to compete in this new century. However, it is a small town, composed of older people who lack vision. I will definitely have my work cut out for me, but that is just the way I like it!

Resources:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

The ISTE NETS and performance indicators for teachers. (2008). International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx

Evaluating My GAME Plan: Week 5

This week’s blog asks me to evaluate my personal GAME plan. The goals that I established were to participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning and to engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.

In the Modeling of Digital Citizenship and Responsibility strand, I have been very successful. I have developed technological folders on our district’s server for all teachers to view and utilize. I continue to update and to add to these tools and I am sure that I will continue to do so in the future. I have also developed a site for students and parents for collaboration. This site is very easy to use and has improved my communication with my students in a dramatic fashion. I have learned that collaborating with my peers, students, and parents is a positive experience that is just beginning to pay off for everyone involved. It will be interesting to see how this develops in the next few years.

My second goal, Facilitating and Inspiring Student Learning and Creativity, is a work in progress. Much of this strand contains characteristics of Problem-Based Learning (PBL). This teaching philosophy utilizes real-world problems to develop higher-level thinking skills. It also promotes self-directed learning and student reflection. I must admit that I have been progressing very slowly within this strand. I agree with it, philosophically, but I do not know where to start when it comes to using it as a teaching strategy. Like everyone else, I am on a tight schedule to get my students ready for state achievement tests in May, so I cannot take the time to incorporate a new, untested strategy in my classroom. It will have to wait until after testing is complete. I am hopeful that I can attempt PBL strategies at that time.

Overall, I have been satisfied with my GAME plan. I have had successes and I have met with a few “road blocks”, but I am learning about new teaching strategies and technological tools that I can utilize in my classroom.

Resources:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

The ISTE NETS and performance indicators for teachers. (2008). International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx

Monitoring My GAME Plan

This week’s assignment asks me to synthesize my learning as it applies to the process of developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating my personal GAME plan. What I have discovered is that my plan, The Promotion and Modeling of Digital Citizenship and Responsibility, is an ongoing process that will never end. My indicator requires teachers to participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning. Thus far, I have established technological folders on our district’s network server and created an online account to network more efficiently with my students and their parents.

Networking with teachers and colleagues has been a slow process. We are in that time of the school year when most teachers are deeply involved in teaching their students and have already decided how they plan to accomplish this. Free time is at a premium, but this has given me the time to research more ideas and technological tools. I am discovering the tools that I need to accomplish this task, but it is time consuming. I like to test tools out before I recommend them but there is so much out there that I think that I need to modify and refocus my plan. This may help me to locate better tools and links at a quicker rate.

Networking with students and parents seems to be moving at a quicker pace. Both groups seem open to new suggestions and ideas. My Portaportal site is the perfect tool for this endeavor. I have established many educational links for my students and parents to explore, as well as being able to upload many PDF files for my students to download or access when they miss school. I may modify a few of the categories on my site, but overall I am very pleased with the results. In the video, Assessing Student Learning with Technology (2009), Dr. John Ross stated that one step in determining effective assessment lies in choosing supportive technology. I believe that my Portaportal site accomplishes this objective. It promotes communication and the use of assistive technology.

Resources:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Assessing student learning with technology. Baltimore: Author.

Carrying Out My GAME Plan

The strand that I chose to strengthen is The Promotion and Modeling of Digital Citizenship and Responsibility. The indicator I am focusing on requires teachers to participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning. The resources that I will need to carry out my GAME plan include collaborative networking with colleagues, our district’s web site, various online resources, and my Portaportal web site.

To this point, my GAME plan has been slowly moving forward. Networking across out district servers has been a positive experience. I decided to create folders and subfolders for public view, and I categorized my technological resources in appropriate locations. I am hopeful that this idea will catch on in our district. My next idea is to create a web page on our district’s web site. This may take some time because our district’s site is in the process of being redesigned and updated. I am constantly searching for online resources, especially ones related to video streaming. I feel that I need to incorporate more of this into my classroom and as an instructional strategy. INFOhio Digital Video Collection (http://www.infohio.org/dvc.html) seems like a good resource to investigate further. Portaportal (http://www.portaportal.com) is a site that has helped me to implement my GAME plan. This site allows me to collect, categorize, and link sites and resources to each other for convenient access. It also enables file uploading, which I have found to be very useful in networking with my students and their parents.