Evaluating GAME Plan Progress, Week #5

Goal #1:
1c Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity by promoting student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes (ISTE NETS-T, 2008).


How effective were my actions in helping me meet my goals?
This week’s learning has helped me meet my first goal in that researching and applying PBL (Problem-Based Learning) scenarios opens up a whole new area of “collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning and creative processes (ISTE NETS-T, 2008). Taking the time to evaluate many web resources, read and reflect upon the blog and discussion postings of colleagues, and attempt to synthesize these within the context of the course text resources all helped me determine how to apply PBL within my ancient civilizations course in a number of ways.

What have I learned so far that I can apply in my instructional practice?
I have learned that basing learning activities on problems gives students the opportunity use technology to “clarify and define the problem, gather and analyze data, present solutions, engage in reflection, and produce a product to demonstrate the final outcome” (Laureate, 2009). I have also learned that the problems students solve do not have to take place in modern times, but that I can have them pretend to be ancient philosophers, politicians, architects and scientists solving problems that existed back then and, ultimately, analyzing how these types of problems have changed or remained the same throughout time. I have truly figured out how to apply PBL to my curriculum while focusing on state social studies and technology standards.

What do I still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?
I still need to determine how to scale down my project ideas to fit within the time-frame that works for both computer lab sharing and interdisciplinary planning. As a middle school teacher, I need to be mindful of sharing the lab throughout the year, as well as the long-term project schedules of my peers teaching other subjects. We have fallen into a schedule of sorts to be certain that resources are available and that students are not overwhelmed. Basically, I cannot add a 4 to 6 week project in addition to the one our department traditionally undertakes in grade six. So, how can I use PBL at least two to three times per year, yet scale the projects back enough to make it manageable for students to be successful?


How will I adjust my plan to fit my current needs? At this point, the adjustment I need to make to my plan is to direct my inquiries toward methods of presentation. I feel knowledgeable in the other areas outlined above, and am waiting on district feedback regarding electronic means of student reflection still. So, this week, I plan to explore Media Player, Flickr, voicethreads.com and other types of digital presentation software. This seems to be the next piece in need of research, and within my control.

Goal #2:
5a Engage in professional growth and leadership by participating in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology and improve student learning (ISTE NETS-T, 2008).

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This second goal continues to help me make progress toward the first goal. My participation in the “local learning community” at my middle school has been helpful in that conversing with my student teacher and a few tech-savvy colleagues has helped me process and build upon ideas in short, productive bursts. In addition, my participation in the more “global” Walden community, including the digital classroom and blogs, has been critical in helping me find and make use of many new web resources this week. I have not only familiarized myself with several PBL support sites, but many social studies sites with primary-source-based evidence and teaching and learning strategies, and engaging, relevant streaming video resources as well. I intend to apply all of these to my practice in multiple ways. Moreover, their digital availability makes them highly accessible to both students and me, from multiple locations and devices. Once of my PBL ideas involves students acting as teachers, so the accessibility of these resources for all of us is critical, and will make both of our jobs easier. Imagine, for example, a group of students teaching a class and facilitating a learning activity concerning the Peloponnesian War. Easy access to streaming video, photos, Power Point presentations and quiz or game making software will greatly facilitate the process!

I am feeling pretty good about goal #2, and see this as an area that I have made a habit of working on continually. My next plan adjustment is to expand by “local learning community” to include my students as they experiment with teaching options and we learn from one another.

References:
International Society for Technology in Education (2008). National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved on 02/08/10, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program 8. Spotlight on Technology: Problem-Based Learning, Part 1 (Motion picture). Integrating technology across the content areas.Baltimore: Author.

Monitoring My GAME Plan

Goal #1:

1c Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity by promoting student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes (ISTE NETS-T, 2008).

Goal #2:

5a Engage in professional growth and leadership by participating in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology and improve student learning (ISTE NETS-T, 2008).

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I have not made as much of progress as I had planned to on my personal/professional GAME plan this week, however, I have had some technology-enriched lessons go well this week, and have shared some fruitful exchanges of ideas with a new student teacher in my classroom.

With respect to resources and information, I got some valuable leads from colleagues’ blogs this week, which I am excited about, and which are moving me closer to my goal of setting up class blogs. The only hold-up, and it is understandable, is that I have not been able to meet with our technology staff yet. I am waiting for a response to a meeting I’ve requested concerning setting up a blog on the school server, or which public blog sites are acceptable, and the practicality and possibility of setting up an electronic drop box for assignments to be submitted to me. Yet, the helpfulness of these ITC blogs, as well as our Walden discussion threads, really apply to both my goals of getting digital discussions started with and between my students, and participating in local and global learning communities.

I do, however, think I need to modify my action plan, somewhat. In the same manner as I must wait until our tech experts have the time to meet with me, I need to accept the fact that participating in a new learning community will have to wait for the moment. I have just begun working with a student teacher and am working hard on my electronic portfolio. I truly don’t have the time to locate or participate in a new online community. Yet, I am thoroughly enjoying working with this student teacher, and I believe he is benefiting from the technology I have already integrated into my classroom. Today we had a grand time bouncing ideas off of each other, helping students complete a web quest / timeline of ancient Greece, digitally, and do some minor research as to Greek inventions while citing sources in the newest MLA format. Our combined enthusiasm was palpable, and I am confident that his comfort using technology with students will continue to increase as we work together. During his time teaching my classes, I have two more computer lab reservations, and we began this first day brainstorming how he/we might use them. So, in a sense, this is our own small, local learning community - one in which we are both acting as teachers and learners.

Upon reflection, this week has taught me to be less rigid in my interpretation of how to achieve the NETS for Teachers. I may be moving toward my first goal more slowly, and my second goal in another way than what I’d imagined, but I am making progress and my goals are crystallizing. I suppose the reflection for this blog entry has helped me realize that, like ever-changing technology itself, one’s journey to become more proficient in its use can be unpredictable evolution as well. In order to “increase my participation in local and global learning communities,” I need not only locate and join new communities for my own learning, but I need to contribute to communities of learning as well.

Carrying Out My Game Plan: Resources & Information Needed

With respect to my first goal of “facilitating and inspiring student learning and creativity by promoting student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes” I have been researching possible blog hosts that will work and be allowed in my school building (ISTE NETS-T, 2008). Admittedly, I am most comfortable with the host I am currently using, blogspot.com, and have found that visiting the blogs of current and past colleagues at Walden University has given me new ideas as to how I might use a blog with my middle school classes. The next step for me is to meet with the technology “guru’s” at my school for information regarding the feasibility of setting one up for each class. They are my most valuable resource at this stage. We have had a recent change in district-level administration that may afford new opportunities within this area, so I am anxious to speak with our “resident experts.” I would very much like to set up both a threaded discussion format, as well as a drop box, like the one we work with at Walden, to be able to evaluate student work and offer feedback electronically. With continual attempts to upgrade computers in our large school, not all machines have the same software, so printing not only consumes paper and ink, but is not always a fully accurate representation of student work if, for example, they have created something in Excel 2007, but must print on a machine with 2003.



As for my second goal of “engaging in professional growth and leadership by participating in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology and improve student learning, I am in the process of seeking out local and global learning communities dedicated to improving student learning with technology application (ISTE NETS-T, 2008). With respect to this goal, currently, my work at Walden; following colleagues’ blogs, keeping up with the many excellent resources and submitting my final NINE eportfolio artifacts to finish this program by April 25 is all the professional growth I have time for outside of what my school dictates. I have, however, bookmarked several excellent web resources that I look forward to getting back to throughout the summer.

My Personal GAME Plan for Enriching Learning Experiences with Technology

Upon reflection, I have set one goal in an effort to improve the my sixth graders' ability to think deeply and critically, and another to improve my own ability to stay abreast of evolving technology so that I can preserve meaningfulness and relevancy in my teaching. I have done so because creative, self-directed, analytical and reflective learning are both engaging and developmentally challenging for middle school children. In the same vein, keeping current in the teaching and technology fields is enriching for me, and will make me a better teacher. A brief outline of my GAME Plan's follow.

Goal #1:

1c Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity by promoting student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes (ISTE NETS-T, 2008).

Actions:

• Research blog hosts and locate one that will work within my school building.

o Visit professional websites for advice.
o Interview colleagues who have used student blogs as educational tools.
o Question our schools technology and TAG staff for input.

• Learn the features and benefits of the hosting site.
• Set up a class blog.
• Model and use the blog format to facilitate collaborative reflection class concepts and the comparison of ancient traditions and values to modern ones.

Monitor Progress:

• Survey students as to the blog’s usefulness as a means of making the key concepts more clear, and make adjustments to the assignments or format if necessary.
• Compare depth of reflection and comparison blog responses with those in traditional spiral journals.
• Conduct class discussions and determine the depth of response from various levels of students following a week’s blogging.
• Track the percentage of participation and the levels of quality of response according to a clear rubric, and rework collaborative groups or lab availability if necessary.

Evaluate & Extend Learning:

• Project and discuss outstanding insights from the blog in class.
• Explore blogs from other schools and classes to cultivate new application ideas.
• Encourage students to share ideas as to how to add “flair” to the blog, how to make it more meaningful to an audience in cyberspace, and how we might communicate with another class.

Goal #2:

5a Engage in professional growth and leadership by participating in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology and improve student learning (ISTE NETS-T, 2008).

Actions:

• Seek out local and global learning communities dedicated to improving student learning with technology application.

o Visit sites recommended in Walden course materials.
o Ask the advice of our media specialist.
o Ask the advice of our curriculum specialist.

Monitor Progress:

• Reflect on how my participation is affecting my teaching.
• Reflect on how my participation is enriching students.
• If progress in either area is lacking, alter my participation so that it facilitates a positive impact on teaching and learning commensurate with time and effort spent.

Evaluate & Extend Learning:

• Determine which communities were most beneficial and least.
• Analyze what qualities and features are optimal in a learning community.
• Consider new applications or types of communities that take teaching or learning to another level.

Resources
International Society for Technology in Education (2008). National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T. Retrieved on 02/08/10, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.

*Photo Credit: http://techknowtools.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/tech-savvy-students-mentor-teachers/

Welcome 6713 Cohort!

Hello, again, and welcome EDUC 6713 cohort!

Let's work together to learn new, innovative ways to encourage self-directed learning in our students. With thoughtful planning and the help of technology, we can facilitate creative thinking and get our students excited about learning while they master 21st century problem-solving skills.