This course, along with the GAME plan I have developed for it has helped me in many ways. Because of my GAME plan, I am able to see what I need to do to reach my ultimate goal. My students need a lot of help to reach use all of the technology available to them. Our school does not always provide students with the best technology available so it is up to me to find this and make the students aware that it is available. Training is lacking at my school, but through this class I have learned so much. Students can relate everyday ideas to the lessons we need to teach and create connections through the use of technology. The lessons I have created for this class have been a launching pad for the great ideas I have floating around in my head. Students can do so much and create so much through the use of technology.
The second part of my GAME plan called for me to work more with global communities. This idea was foreign for me. Other then Walden, I have never worked in a online global community. I know now that this idea is priceless in the education of our students. By working with others from all around the country or world, I am able to learn in ways I would have never been able to learn before. Different people have so many different things to offer and through online communities, I am able to see this.
This class and the GAME plan has really gotten me thinking over the past 8 weeks. I look forward to taking much of what I have learned and putting into play in my classroom. This has been a wonderful experience and I have really enjoyed all I have learned.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
GAME Plan
Through this class I have created a GAME plan to guide me in the right direction with my students and technology.
My first goal was to create better communication with my students, parents and the community through use of technology. I have started this and it is working well, but only to the stage of reaching my students. Perhaps my students and I can work together to create a website that's goal is to reach parents and the community. This can be student directed, and teacher regulated. We could post pictures and work samples so that the community can see what is happening in our classroom.
My next goal was to become a participant in global learning communities. While I do this regularly through Walden, I would like for myself and my students to find other avenues of this. my colleagues have shared many ways to do this and I look forward to looking into them and using them in my classroom. If students are able to learn using more then just the regular classroom and same old everyday teacher when learning globally. This helps them realize that there is more out there then what their own teachers share daily.
With this ever changing world, students must be kept up to date with technology. The two goals I have stated above are just the tip of the icebergs and are just part of what students need to know to succeed. This year I have learned so much when it comes to technology. I look forward to using them in the future and seeing how much they benefit my students.
My first goal was to create better communication with my students, parents and the community through use of technology. I have started this and it is working well, but only to the stage of reaching my students. Perhaps my students and I can work together to create a website that's goal is to reach parents and the community. This can be student directed, and teacher regulated. We could post pictures and work samples so that the community can see what is happening in our classroom.
My next goal was to become a participant in global learning communities. While I do this regularly through Walden, I would like for myself and my students to find other avenues of this. my colleagues have shared many ways to do this and I look forward to looking into them and using them in my classroom. If students are able to learn using more then just the regular classroom and same old everyday teacher when learning globally. This helps them realize that there is more out there then what their own teachers share daily.
With this ever changing world, students must be kept up to date with technology. The two goals I have stated above are just the tip of the icebergs and are just part of what students need to know to succeed. This year I have learned so much when it comes to technology. I look forward to using them in the future and seeing how much they benefit my students.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
GAME Update
Not much has changed this week with reaching my goal. I feel like small changes over time will be what amount to me reaching my goal in the end.
I have defiantly learned that technology is a great way to draw students in and keep them engaged. I can put the same thing on my blog and on a piece of paper, and the work from the blog will be done more frequently and at a higher standard. Students use the computer on a daily basis at home and enjoy it. By allowing students to work on computers in my classroom, normal everyday lessons and assignments wind up feeling like games! It is amazing how much it is helping my student's grades.
I am still working towards the goal of have more community interaction using the Internet. When I get back from maternity leave, I think I will take my student blog live. I will send out letters letting parents know about the blog and update it regularly with what we are doing. It will no longer just be a blog for students to use, but also a great way for parents to keep up with what their students are doing. This is possible now through Homeworknow.com, but I find this site takes a lot of time to access and update, for both myself and the parents who follow along. I think I would also, somehow, like to use this blog to work with the community. I can take pictures of stellar student work and post it for our local community to see. The community could respond back to my students and help guide them and give them motivation. If students hear positive thoughts from more then just the normal people, they may be more motivated to work hard.
Based on what I have done so far, I do not feel ready to set new goals. I feel that at this point, that would be overwhelming. The goals I have are far reaching and need time to put into action. I feel that once I reach these goals, others will create themselves.
I believe in order to learn more, I need to be more open and take more time. I struggle to find the time needed in order to work on my GAME plan. Things are falling into place, but I feel we have so many other things asked of us as teachers. We must attend meetings, classes, staff developments...all in order to better ourselves. In order to improve my learning, I need to take all I learn in these classes and use them in my GAME plan...I really think they can all work together!
I have defiantly learned that technology is a great way to draw students in and keep them engaged. I can put the same thing on my blog and on a piece of paper, and the work from the blog will be done more frequently and at a higher standard. Students use the computer on a daily basis at home and enjoy it. By allowing students to work on computers in my classroom, normal everyday lessons and assignments wind up feeling like games! It is amazing how much it is helping my student's grades.
I am still working towards the goal of have more community interaction using the Internet. When I get back from maternity leave, I think I will take my student blog live. I will send out letters letting parents know about the blog and update it regularly with what we are doing. It will no longer just be a blog for students to use, but also a great way for parents to keep up with what their students are doing. This is possible now through Homeworknow.com, but I find this site takes a lot of time to access and update, for both myself and the parents who follow along. I think I would also, somehow, like to use this blog to work with the community. I can take pictures of stellar student work and post it for our local community to see. The community could respond back to my students and help guide them and give them motivation. If students hear positive thoughts from more then just the normal people, they may be more motivated to work hard.
Based on what I have done so far, I do not feel ready to set new goals. I feel that at this point, that would be overwhelming. The goals I have are far reaching and need time to put into action. I feel that once I reach these goals, others will create themselves.
I believe in order to learn more, I need to be more open and take more time. I struggle to find the time needed in order to work on my GAME plan. Things are falling into place, but I feel we have so many other things asked of us as teachers. We must attend meetings, classes, staff developments...all in order to better ourselves. In order to improve my learning, I need to take all I learn in these classes and use them in my GAME plan...I really think they can all work together!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
GAME Updating
As of today, my actions have been pretty effective in meeting the goals I have set forth in my GAME plan. My first goal was to communicate more with students, parents and the community using technology. Starting in January, our gradebooks will go live and parents will have 24 hour access to see how their students are doing. I have also been working on updating my HomeworkNow page, which is an interactive teacher website, and keeping people up to date on what is going on in my classroom. My second goal was to engage in professional growth and leadership. I have volunteered to spend some time working with my peers to show them all that I have learned in this class and the others I have been in. I think that in doing this, not only will I help my peers, but I will also better myself and sharpen my skills with the technology we have already begun to use.
So far, I have learned so much I can use in my everyday instruction. I need to keep a GAME plan in mind for everything I do, be it technology related or not. Everyone can benefit from keeping their goals in mind, students included. I have also learned that students react very well to technology. A simple test created on my blog instead of on paper really helped the students succeed. The grading was the same for me and the student's grades improved.
I know I still have a lot to learn. Right now it seems that it will take me a while to reach the end of my GAME plan. I would like to work on it all year and complete the evaluation step at the end of year. This will allow me to see how I really did.
My plan will soon need to be adjusted just a little bit. I will be going out on maternity leave and not have as much interaction with my students and peers. I plan to continue my student's use of technology through use of my blog. I have already let my sub know that I will be updating my blog and sending her the information my students need to learn. By doing this I am still working on my first goal and helping my students in the mean time.
So far, I have learned so much I can use in my everyday instruction. I need to keep a GAME plan in mind for everything I do, be it technology related or not. Everyone can benefit from keeping their goals in mind, students included. I have also learned that students react very well to technology. A simple test created on my blog instead of on paper really helped the students succeed. The grading was the same for me and the student's grades improved.
I know I still have a lot to learn. Right now it seems that it will take me a while to reach the end of my GAME plan. I would like to work on it all year and complete the evaluation step at the end of year. This will allow me to see how I really did.
My plan will soon need to be adjusted just a little bit. I will be going out on maternity leave and not have as much interaction with my students and peers. I plan to continue my student's use of technology through use of my blog. I have already let my sub know that I will be updating my blog and sending her the information my students need to learn. By doing this I am still working on my first goal and helping my students in the mean time.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
GAME PLAN-Week 4
I have to admit that this week I have not taken nearly enough steps towards meeting my the goals in my GAME plan. I have gotten information about online communities from my peers in this class, as well as from my professor. I will need to spend some time looking over these in order to benefit from them.
I believe that I need to modify my plan by not just relying on my administration to point me in the direction of community connections. I need to find these connections and make them myself. Once I make the connections I will, of course, need to get them approved by my administration team, and hopefully this will help them see all that is out there to assist us in bettering our students learning environments.
This week I have learned that things don't necessarily come easy when it comes to technology. Not everyone is willing to learn new things and take the steps needed to improve themselves in a way that can help our students. While technology may be a great way to assist our students, many people are not willing to take the time and energy to learn the technology themselves.
The only questions that have arisen so far are how to find online learning communities and really how to benefit from them. I need to spend more time looking into these and seeing all they can really do for me.
I believe that I need to modify my plan by not just relying on my administration to point me in the direction of community connections. I need to find these connections and make them myself. Once I make the connections I will, of course, need to get them approved by my administration team, and hopefully this will help them see all that is out there to assist us in bettering our students learning environments.
This week I have learned that things don't necessarily come easy when it comes to technology. Not everyone is willing to learn new things and take the steps needed to improve themselves in a way that can help our students. While technology may be a great way to assist our students, many people are not willing to take the time and energy to learn the technology themselves.
The only questions that have arisen so far are how to find online learning communities and really how to benefit from them. I need to spend more time looking into these and seeing all they can really do for me.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Continuation of My GAME Plan
Sorry this is late..Baby Brain struck and I didn't post in time!!!!
This week I am reviewing my GAME plan. It is something I will do repeatedly over the next few weeks in this class and I look forward to bettering my self in the process.
In order to carry out my plan, I will need several things. The first of these is the support of the staff and administration at my school. Nothing can be done if help from these two sources cannot be received. I need people who are open minded and willing to accept the challenges that face us with technology. I hope to be able to find these colleagues and have already received a lot of support from my administration.
The additional information that I will need in order to complete my plan is about our community relations at a school and county level. I need to find out who our community partners are and who I can go to for help. I also need to find out the best ways to present and share my material and lessons with the community. To do this, like I said in the plan, I will need to sit with my administration and discuss my options.
So far, I do not feel that I have been able to take many steps in reaching my goal. One thing I did do was talk to my principal about technology in lessons and how I believed that students should think outside the box. She was so happy about this that she came to observe my students and I one day in the lab and brought a state representative with her. This was a HUGE step for me, as along with him came the Atlanta Journal Constitution, a large paper in Atlanta, and a photographer. Perhaps with this "press", my ideas will seem more valid and be more widely accepted by the people I teach and work with.
This week I am reviewing my GAME plan. It is something I will do repeatedly over the next few weeks in this class and I look forward to bettering my self in the process.
In order to carry out my plan, I will need several things. The first of these is the support of the staff and administration at my school. Nothing can be done if help from these two sources cannot be received. I need people who are open minded and willing to accept the challenges that face us with technology. I hope to be able to find these colleagues and have already received a lot of support from my administration.
The additional information that I will need in order to complete my plan is about our community relations at a school and county level. I need to find out who our community partners are and who I can go to for help. I also need to find out the best ways to present and share my material and lessons with the community. To do this, like I said in the plan, I will need to sit with my administration and discuss my options.
So far, I do not feel that I have been able to take many steps in reaching my goal. One thing I did do was talk to my principal about technology in lessons and how I believed that students should think outside the box. She was so happy about this that she came to observe my students and I one day in the lab and brought a state representative with her. This was a HUGE step for me, as along with him came the Atlanta Journal Constitution, a large paper in Atlanta, and a photographer. Perhaps with this "press", my ideas will seem more valid and be more widely accepted by the people I teach and work with.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
My GAME Plan
G-My goal is to strengthen two areas of the NETS-T. These two areas are “Model Digital Age Work and Learning” and “Engage is Professional Growth and Leadership”. With the first area, my main focus needs to be, and always has needed to be, “collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation”. I feel that I communicate well with students and parents by basic email or phone calls but other than that, I lack any digital tools as well as lacking as communication at all with the community. The other area that my goal would be to strengthen is to engage in professional growth and leadership. This standard states that you “participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning”. While I personally would like to do this, I find it hard to find peers that would like to explore these applications with me. I need to find a way to change this.
A-The action I would take to meet the first goal is to find meet with my administration to discuss what local community members could or should be contacted. I would like to explore my options about what would be the best way to connect with the community, parents and students all at the same time. I think the best way to do this would be with an online newsletter. This can easily be created and sent out to all the members of the community that I would like to communicate with. A newsletter could be created on a blog, which would allow for feedback.
For the second goal, I would need to think a little bit harder. My school does not really foster local or global learning communities, so the first thing I would need to do is to find these. While Walden has been a good source for this as of yet, this will change when I graduate. I would also like to find a community that my peers and students can visit as well in order to keep them up to date with all the new things technology has to offer.
M-The M in the GAME plan stands for monitoring. I’ll need to “monitor whether I (you) am making sufficient progress towards my goals and reflect on whether the strategies I have chosen are working” ( Cennamo, Ross, Ertmer, 2009). This, at the moment, is a little hard for me to figure out, at least for my second goal. The first goal is easy to monitor. I can create the class blog and keep track of how many people I send it to and who gets it, as well as who responds to my postings. The second goal could be a little harder to manage, especially now that I do not even know where to start in finding learning communities that will help with creative applications. I know that, for now, I can continue to use my Walden community as a place to learn new things and can easily measure my growth here. I can see how many new ideas and technologies I implement and how useful they are to my students. In the future I can do this with the new things I find.
E-Evaluation of these goals should be fairly easy. Have I implemented the new technology I have learned? (goal 2) Have I connected through technology with people in the community? (goal 1) I plan to see, through this class, if evaluating these goals is really as easy as it seems. I sure hope so!
I really do hope to follow through with this GAME plan. I also plan to present the idea of even having a GAME plan to my principal. We’re going through a rough transition right now and have some sort of plan could really help us get to our final product. While the GAME plan in the course is all technology related, I can see that it could be easily modified to meet the needs of our school and later pull in the technology aspects of it.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.
A-The action I would take to meet the first goal is to find meet with my administration to discuss what local community members could or should be contacted. I would like to explore my options about what would be the best way to connect with the community, parents and students all at the same time. I think the best way to do this would be with an online newsletter. This can easily be created and sent out to all the members of the community that I would like to communicate with. A newsletter could be created on a blog, which would allow for feedback.
For the second goal, I would need to think a little bit harder. My school does not really foster local or global learning communities, so the first thing I would need to do is to find these. While Walden has been a good source for this as of yet, this will change when I graduate. I would also like to find a community that my peers and students can visit as well in order to keep them up to date with all the new things technology has to offer.
M-The M in the GAME plan stands for monitoring. I’ll need to “monitor whether I (you) am making sufficient progress towards my goals and reflect on whether the strategies I have chosen are working” ( Cennamo, Ross, Ertmer, 2009). This, at the moment, is a little hard for me to figure out, at least for my second goal. The first goal is easy to monitor. I can create the class blog and keep track of how many people I send it to and who gets it, as well as who responds to my postings. The second goal could be a little harder to manage, especially now that I do not even know where to start in finding learning communities that will help with creative applications. I know that, for now, I can continue to use my Walden community as a place to learn new things and can easily measure my growth here. I can see how many new ideas and technologies I implement and how useful they are to my students. In the future I can do this with the new things I find.
E-Evaluation of these goals should be fairly easy. Have I implemented the new technology I have learned? (goal 2) Have I connected through technology with people in the community? (goal 1) I plan to see, through this class, if evaluating these goals is really as easy as it seems. I sure hope so!
I really do hope to follow through with this GAME plan. I also plan to present the idea of even having a GAME plan to my principal. We’re going through a rough transition right now and have some sort of plan could really help us get to our final product. While the GAME plan in the course is all technology related, I can see that it could be easily modified to meet the needs of our school and later pull in the technology aspects of it.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.
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