Boy, time is flying by!! This is a busy time of year for me- progress reports, parent conferences, IEP progress reports, homecoming, and the list could goes on! I feel like I have not spent adequate time working on my GAME plan in the last few weeks.
What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?
I have learned several things as a result of this GAME plan-
#1- Changes do not occur overnight. It takes time to learn new things- especially in the area of technology. It takes time for some people to "Get on-board" with technology. I have discussed various ways to incorporate new technology into class and some of my co-workers are hesitant or uninterested. One co-teacher feels that technology-based assignments take too much time. Another co-teacher is very traditional and feels that technology-based activities are not needed. How can I help them see the value in technology? How can I help them see the disservice they are doing to our students by refusing to incorporate technology into our classroom?
#2- A person cannot always wait for others to answer questions. Sometimes, a person has to take the initiative to seek out the answers to his/her questions.
#3- A plan does not always come to together as imagined, but it is important to adapt and continue with the plan.
What goals are you still working toward?
I am still working on learning how to use and incorporate web 2.0 tools on my school web page. Also, I am still devising ways to best use these tools in my own classroom. One of my goals was to become familiar with blogging and podcasts through my web page before using them in my classroom. This is going to take time, I think.
Based on the NETS-T, what new learning goals will you set for yourself?
Based on the attitudes of some of my colleagues, I wish to add a new goal to my GAME plan- "exhibit leadership by demonstrating vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others." In other words, I want to teach my co-workers the value of incorporating new technology into the classroom, and show them the value and worth of the skills our students will gain as a result.
I have quite a challenge ahead of me this school year, but I am up to that challenge!
Linda
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Evaluating my GAME Plan Process
Evaluating my GAME Plan Process
Okay, I will admit that I have not done alot of work this week on meeting the goals of my GAME Plan. It is progress report time and I have been concentrating on making sure everything is graded and entering grades into the gradebook. I will get back to making progress on my teacher web page next week after the stress of progress reports has died down.
How effective were your actions in helping you meet your goals?
To be honest, I don't think my actions were very successful in helping me to meet my goals. I tried to rely on my tech team and their "Tech Thursdays" to walk me through the process. I did try to talk to a few tech-savvy colleagues, but when they were unable to help me I gave up.
What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?
I think the biggest lesson I learned is that I cannot give up. I cannot always rely on others to teach me things I do not understand. I have to continue to seek out answers myself. I cannot be afraid to try technology. I cannot be afraid to click on links and read FAQs and try things through trial and error. I need to pass this along to my students when we begin working more with technology in the classroom. I have to emphasize to my students that they should not give up and do nothing because they do not know what to do.
What do you still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?
I have to get better at seeking out answers for myself and not rely on my technology department for assistance all of the time.
How will you adjust your plan to fit your current needs?
I do not feel that I have to adjust my plans. I think it can still be accomplished if I seek out my own answers. We have a new electronic gradebook and attendance program; a lot of focus is being put into that right now. In fact, the new few Tech Thursday sessions will be focused on that. Once people start getting the hang of it, more attention can be given to our other "tech tools". Hopefully, I will have figured out how to link a blog and can maybe help out my colleagues!
In the meanwhile, parent conferences are next week and I plan on giving out information about my web page to the parents who attend. I will be sending home information with students for those parents who were unable to attend.
I want to thank everyone who has offered advice, encouragement, and stories of your own experiences and frustrations! You have truly made this experience more enjoyable!
Linda
Okay, I will admit that I have not done alot of work this week on meeting the goals of my GAME Plan. It is progress report time and I have been concentrating on making sure everything is graded and entering grades into the gradebook. I will get back to making progress on my teacher web page next week after the stress of progress reports has died down.
How effective were your actions in helping you meet your goals?
To be honest, I don't think my actions were very successful in helping me to meet my goals. I tried to rely on my tech team and their "Tech Thursdays" to walk me through the process. I did try to talk to a few tech-savvy colleagues, but when they were unable to help me I gave up.
What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?
I think the biggest lesson I learned is that I cannot give up. I cannot always rely on others to teach me things I do not understand. I have to continue to seek out answers myself. I cannot be afraid to try technology. I cannot be afraid to click on links and read FAQs and try things through trial and error. I need to pass this along to my students when we begin working more with technology in the classroom. I have to emphasize to my students that they should not give up and do nothing because they do not know what to do.
What do you still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?
I have to get better at seeking out answers for myself and not rely on my technology department for assistance all of the time.
How will you adjust your plan to fit your current needs?
I do not feel that I have to adjust my plans. I think it can still be accomplished if I seek out my own answers. We have a new electronic gradebook and attendance program; a lot of focus is being put into that right now. In fact, the new few Tech Thursday sessions will be focused on that. Once people start getting the hang of it, more attention can be given to our other "tech tools". Hopefully, I will have figured out how to link a blog and can maybe help out my colleagues!
In the meanwhile, parent conferences are next week and I plan on giving out information about my web page to the parents who attend. I will be sending home information with students for those parents who were unable to attend.
I want to thank everyone who has offered advice, encouragement, and stories of your own experiences and frustrations! You have truly made this experience more enjoyable!
Linda
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Continuation of the GAME Plan
Progress towards meeting the goals of my GAME plan is going slowly. My goals were to improve my confidence in technology skills and improve communication with parents through the use of various tools on my website- a blog, pod casts, and a unit calendar, plus any tools that are available to me that I am not aware of. Some issues, roadblocks, and questions arisen that I want to discuss.
Are you finding the information and resources you need?
For reasons unknown, "Tech Thursday" have been postponed. Without these tech sessions, I am unable to find out how to use some of the tools necessary to fulfill my game plan. I do not know how to link a blog or pod casts to my web page- we have a "program" specifically for this use, but I have not been able to figure it out on my own. I have turned to some of my tech-savvy colleagues, but they have not been unable to help. I know we are suppose to be getting a new program that will make all of this easier, but an ETA is also unknown. I believe the program is Microsoft Live. Has anyone heard of this?
Do you need to modify your action plan?
At this point, I do think I need to modify the GAME PLAN to address the lack of technical support at this time. I may need to put the communication with parents through technology on hold until we get access to this new program. However, I can continue posting my unit calendar to my website.
What have you learned so far?
So far, I have learned that I am not always able to figure out technology. I am usually pretty good at figuring things out- like our electronic lesson plan program or our new online gradebook. I am able to do this through trial and error. I am not afraid to click on links to see what they do or where they send me! I even figured out how to link the calendar from the lesson planner to my web page! However, I have been unsuccessful in figuring out the blog and podcasts. It is frustrating!
What new questions have arisen?
I had my "back-to-school" night last week and sadly attendance was not good. I informed that parents that did attend of my website and what I plan to do (a monthly unit calendar and a blog). They seemed interested. I am wondering what is the best way to get the information to that parents who did not attend. We have parent conferences next week. I can give out the information to any parents who show up then. From there, I may need to call home. It is always good to make positive contact with parents.
After some discussion last week, I questioned how often I want to post to the blog on my teacher web page. I was thinking that once a month might be good, or after we finish a unit (which usually takes about 3 weeks). I can discussion the next unit in the same blog. If parents or students want to comment, they are welcome to do so.
This GAME Plan has been a learning process, that is for sure!!
Linda
Are you finding the information and resources you need?
For reasons unknown, "Tech Thursday" have been postponed. Without these tech sessions, I am unable to find out how to use some of the tools necessary to fulfill my game plan. I do not know how to link a blog or pod casts to my web page- we have a "program" specifically for this use, but I have not been able to figure it out on my own. I have turned to some of my tech-savvy colleagues, but they have not been unable to help. I know we are suppose to be getting a new program that will make all of this easier, but an ETA is also unknown. I believe the program is Microsoft Live. Has anyone heard of this?
Do you need to modify your action plan?
At this point, I do think I need to modify the GAME PLAN to address the lack of technical support at this time. I may need to put the communication with parents through technology on hold until we get access to this new program. However, I can continue posting my unit calendar to my website.
What have you learned so far?
So far, I have learned that I am not always able to figure out technology. I am usually pretty good at figuring things out- like our electronic lesson plan program or our new online gradebook. I am able to do this through trial and error. I am not afraid to click on links to see what they do or where they send me! I even figured out how to link the calendar from the lesson planner to my web page! However, I have been unsuccessful in figuring out the blog and podcasts. It is frustrating!
What new questions have arisen?
I had my "back-to-school" night last week and sadly attendance was not good. I informed that parents that did attend of my website and what I plan to do (a monthly unit calendar and a blog). They seemed interested. I am wondering what is the best way to get the information to that parents who did not attend. We have parent conferences next week. I can give out the information to any parents who show up then. From there, I may need to call home. It is always good to make positive contact with parents.
After some discussion last week, I questioned how often I want to post to the blog on my teacher web page. I was thinking that once a month might be good, or after we finish a unit (which usually takes about 3 weeks). I can discussion the next unit in the same blog. If parents or students want to comment, they are welcome to do so.
This GAME Plan has been a learning process, that is for sure!!
Linda
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
The GAME Plan, Part II
Well.... it has been one week since I formulated my GAME plan that involves using my school web page to enhance my own technology skills and communication with parents. In order to meet my goals, I need to attend the technology workshops (aka Tech Thursdays) led by the people in the technology department. At these workshops, I can use their expertise to assist me in making my goals become reality- making my web page an actual resource for parents and students; not just a site that is never visited. Since last week, I have updated my page on my own (there was not a workshop last week; nor will there be one this week, unfortunately). I have discovered that I can create a calendar on my electronic lesson plan program and post it to my web page. Therefore, I am currently working on a basic plan for the month of October. I will need to wait for another "Tech Thursday" Workshop in order to find out how to put a blog on my page. I have tried talking to some of my more tech-savvy peers, but no one has worked with blogs in this way yet. We are suppose to be getting a new program soon that is rumored to be more user-friendly in the are of blogs, podcasts, and other tech tools. I may need to wait until this program becomes live before starting a blog on my web page.
I am not entirely sure yet how often I want to post to my blog or what I want the content to be. I am wondering if a weekly blog may be too much. Or might it be too little? Do I post in the beginning of the week, explaining what I plan on accomplishing and any upcoming assignments? Or should I post at the end of the week, and summarize what was accomplished? These are details I want to work out before the blog goes live.
Tomorrow night is my "Back-To-School night and I will inform parents of my plan for the website. Wish me luck!
I am not entirely sure yet how often I want to post to my blog or what I want the content to be. I am wondering if a weekly blog may be too much. Or might it be too little? Do I post in the beginning of the week, explaining what I plan on accomplishing and any upcoming assignments? Or should I post at the end of the week, and summarize what was accomplished? These are details I want to work out before the blog goes live.
Tomorrow night is my "Back-To-School night and I will inform parents of my plan for the website. Wish me luck!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The GAME Plan
The best outcome of this specialization at Walden so far has been the confidence it has given me to break out of my “digital immigrant” shell and embrace the technology and digital tools that are available to me- both in my personal and professional life. I have experimented with some digital tools, but have not yet fully embraced them- in either aspect of my life. It is time to keep moving forward.
My district has a program that allows teachers to have personal web pages plus use blogs, podcasts, and file sharing. Up to this point, I have made a poor effort at using my web page as a communication tool. I kept it simple- background information about me and the class I teach. I have only made minor changes to it each year. I want to change that. I think my web page can be a great way to keep parents informed of what is happening in the classroom.
My goals are: (1) to communicate relevant information and ideas to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats; and (2) demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations. More specifically, I want to use my web page the blog as a communication tool between my students and parents. I would like to post a calendar with assignments and due dates. I want to use a blog as a way to explain what has been happening in class (i.e.- skills taught, stories read, writing topics). Eventually, I hope to use what I learn with my students in the classroom.
The action I will take to achieve this goal is attend “Tech Thursdays”. These are workshops hosted by my technology department. The focus is on the digital tools we have available and how to utilize them in our classrooms. We bring our laptops and learn firsthand how to set up and use the various programs and tools- such as our web pages, blogs, file sharing, and podcasts. Attending these workshops will allow me to better understand how to set up my web page and utilize the tools in the manner I wish.
I will monitor my progress by analyzing what I have completed at the end of each tech session. Is my blog set up? Do I know how to post to it? Is my calendar set up? If I do not feel comfortable working on my own or have completed something to my liking, then I will know I have to attend another session.
I will evaluate my success at the end of the semester in January. I will ask myself: did I keep up with weekly blog postings? Did I keep an updated calendar of assignments? Did parents access my webpage and use it to keep informed? The answers to these questions will determine how I proceed- if the answer to any of these questions is “no”, then I will have to make adjustments. If all goes well, I can go forward with my plan to use blogs or other digital tools in my classroom where I can transfer my knowledge and experience to my students.
My district has a program that allows teachers to have personal web pages plus use blogs, podcasts, and file sharing. Up to this point, I have made a poor effort at using my web page as a communication tool. I kept it simple- background information about me and the class I teach. I have only made minor changes to it each year. I want to change that. I think my web page can be a great way to keep parents informed of what is happening in the classroom.
My goals are: (1) to communicate relevant information and ideas to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats; and (2) demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations. More specifically, I want to use my web page the blog as a communication tool between my students and parents. I would like to post a calendar with assignments and due dates. I want to use a blog as a way to explain what has been happening in class (i.e.- skills taught, stories read, writing topics). Eventually, I hope to use what I learn with my students in the classroom.
The action I will take to achieve this goal is attend “Tech Thursdays”. These are workshops hosted by my technology department. The focus is on the digital tools we have available and how to utilize them in our classrooms. We bring our laptops and learn firsthand how to set up and use the various programs and tools- such as our web pages, blogs, file sharing, and podcasts. Attending these workshops will allow me to better understand how to set up my web page and utilize the tools in the manner I wish.
I will monitor my progress by analyzing what I have completed at the end of each tech session. Is my blog set up? Do I know how to post to it? Is my calendar set up? If I do not feel comfortable working on my own or have completed something to my liking, then I will know I have to attend another session.
I will evaluate my success at the end of the semester in January. I will ask myself: did I keep up with weekly blog postings? Did I keep an updated calendar of assignments? Did parents access my webpage and use it to keep informed? The answers to these questions will determine how I proceed- if the answer to any of these questions is “no”, then I will have to make adjustments. If all goes well, I can go forward with my plan to use blogs or other digital tools in my classroom where I can transfer my knowledge and experience to my students.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
I'm back
I took sometime off from the blog. While I see the potential for its use in an educational setting, I am not much of a "social blogger"- I have not felt the need to keep up with it outside of Walden. During this next course, I hope you will find my comments interesting and I welcome any suggestions, critiques, or praise you have!
Talk to you soon!
Talk to you soon!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Reflection
For decades, education has been mostly about the teacher communicating information to students and student reading a textbook. Then, the students spit back what they have learned, most frequently through paper and pencil tests or a report. Through this course, I have learned that education is no longer about simple teacher-textbook-student interaction; it is more about communication and connectivity. It is about students connecting and communicating with each other, to their textbooks and content, and to people outside of their classroom (Laureate Education, It’s not about the technology, 2009). Our world is changing at exponential rates and as educators we need to prepare our students for that change. We need to teach them how to learn; how to be resourceful and how to use resources. David Warlick points out that we need to prepare students for their future and not our past. Our students’ future is digital media and an online world. (Laureate Education, Skills for the future, 2009). That leads me to this question- how does a digital immigrant, someone who grew up without technology and digital media, teach the digital natives of today?
My goal is to utilize technology in my classroom that will allow my students to connect and communicate with each other and people outside of the classroom. Standards for the 21st Century learner include: (1) Pursue personal and aesthetic growth; and (2) Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society. (American Association of School Librarians, 2007). This goal has two parts, both of which will cover the standards I mentioned. First, I want to use blogging with my students and create a class wiki page based on the informational passages we read in class. Second, I want to make a connection with other Read 180 teachers and possibly connect our students.
Using a blog with my students will become much easier in the fall. My district will be utilizing new software that will allow staff to incorporate a blog on the staff web pages. My goal is to start a blog with my students that discuss the books they are reading during Silent Sustained Reading (our school has an SSR period everyday for 15 minutes before the start of block 1). I overheard my director of technology say, “Blogs are just opinions.” I wanted to tell him how wrong he is. Maybe some blogs are about gossip and opinions, but they can be so much more. Blogging in about communication; it is about using language to accomplish a goal ((Laureate Education, It’s not about the technology, 2009). I feel that if I can get my students talking about what they are reading, they may become more excited about books and reading. The reluctant readers may just be motivated to pick up a book based on the opinions of a classmate. I want to facilitate that communication. I have a feeling that sounds very basic, but for a digital native with very little experience in “web 2.0 tools”, this is a big step and one that will still benefit my students.
As for my other goal, Read180 is taught all over the country. Scholastic has set up a wonderful website where teachers can connect and share ideas. I have not taken full advantage of this and I believe this has been a mistake. If I want my students to connect and communicate I must be willing to do it myself. One thought I have is the possibility of connecting with another read 180 class and maybe creating a wiki page that builds upon the informational passages we read in class. Since all students will read the same passage, they will have the same prior knowledge to work with and can work together to build upon that knowledge. Before that can happen, I must teach my students how to create their own wiki page with each other (and make sure I can manage it!).
I felt this course had many aspects- online literacy was a large part of it, but also within the many articles there was discussion of becoming digital citizens; how to become part of the online world and how to behave in it. I think this is the part of the course I took the most away from. Learning how to navigate the web, ask questions, conduct research, and transform information is important; but I think knowing how to use the internet ethically, legally, and appropriately from a social and human standpoint is important as well. That is where I want to start with my students.
References
American Association of School Librarians (2007). Standards for the 21st century learner. Retrieved June 27, 2010 from http://ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Baltimore: Author.
My goal is to utilize technology in my classroom that will allow my students to connect and communicate with each other and people outside of the classroom. Standards for the 21st Century learner include: (1) Pursue personal and aesthetic growth; and (2) Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society. (American Association of School Librarians, 2007). This goal has two parts, both of which will cover the standards I mentioned. First, I want to use blogging with my students and create a class wiki page based on the informational passages we read in class. Second, I want to make a connection with other Read 180 teachers and possibly connect our students.
Using a blog with my students will become much easier in the fall. My district will be utilizing new software that will allow staff to incorporate a blog on the staff web pages. My goal is to start a blog with my students that discuss the books they are reading during Silent Sustained Reading (our school has an SSR period everyday for 15 minutes before the start of block 1). I overheard my director of technology say, “Blogs are just opinions.” I wanted to tell him how wrong he is. Maybe some blogs are about gossip and opinions, but they can be so much more. Blogging in about communication; it is about using language to accomplish a goal ((Laureate Education, It’s not about the technology, 2009). I feel that if I can get my students talking about what they are reading, they may become more excited about books and reading. The reluctant readers may just be motivated to pick up a book based on the opinions of a classmate. I want to facilitate that communication. I have a feeling that sounds very basic, but for a digital native with very little experience in “web 2.0 tools”, this is a big step and one that will still benefit my students.
As for my other goal, Read180 is taught all over the country. Scholastic has set up a wonderful website where teachers can connect and share ideas. I have not taken full advantage of this and I believe this has been a mistake. If I want my students to connect and communicate I must be willing to do it myself. One thought I have is the possibility of connecting with another read 180 class and maybe creating a wiki page that builds upon the informational passages we read in class. Since all students will read the same passage, they will have the same prior knowledge to work with and can work together to build upon that knowledge. Before that can happen, I must teach my students how to create their own wiki page with each other (and make sure I can manage it!).
I felt this course had many aspects- online literacy was a large part of it, but also within the many articles there was discussion of becoming digital citizens; how to become part of the online world and how to behave in it. I think this is the part of the course I took the most away from. Learning how to navigate the web, ask questions, conduct research, and transform information is important; but I think knowing how to use the internet ethically, legally, and appropriately from a social and human standpoint is important as well. That is where I want to start with my students.
References
American Association of School Librarians (2007). Standards for the 21st century learner. Retrieved June 27, 2010 from http://ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Baltimore: Author.
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