Monitoring Your GAME Plan Progress
It’s official, I have jumped into the deep end of the pool. I have created an account with ePals Global Community. This is a risky endeavor as I have yet to hear back from my curriculum director. Summer is a difficult time to reach staff so I have sent a follow up e mail to my principal and my curriculum director regarding online collaboration. Admittedly I am concerned, our student technology use guidelines are currently being revised and I have confirmation YouTube is blocked for students. I am worried what other venues may now be limited. Hopefully by the next post I will have more information regarding student technology access.
Even though I do not have “official” permission I signed my class up for two online projects. The two projects are “What’s it Like Where You Live” and “Jump into ePals Introductory Project”. The first project was chosen because it addresses a key element of my GAME plan, which involves working online with students from another part of our country. The second project “Jump into ePals Introductory Project” was chosen as a result of this week’s reading resources which point out the importance of coordinating lessons with assessments.
Assessing student technological skills before beginning an online project ensures that content learning will not be hindered. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) lend support by stating, “It is important to know your student’s technology proficiencies so that you can plan and implement appropriate learning activities and assessments” (p. 160). The “Jump into ePals Introductory Project” is a way for me to evaluate student competence with a variety of technology such as website navigation, copy and pasting of images, and use of a word processing program.
Content standards will still be addressed. Students must be able to communicate in an appropriate manner using correct grammar and sentence structure. However, the main focus of this unit is the acquisition of skills associated with these tools. There is a need for teachers to asses technological literacy which is defined by the International Technology Education Association as, “the ability to use, manage, assess, and understand technology” (as cited in Engstrom, 2005, p. 30). I have chosen rubrics as my main assessment tool as they are easily adapted to different subject areas and learning endeavors. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer, (2009) state, “Rubrics are malleable and can be created for any content area and assessment mode, such as the scoring of projects, essays portfolios or live or videotaped student performances” (p. 155). Once my students have moved through this introductory unit I will begin the “What’s it Like Where You Live” project.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Engstrom, D. E. (2005). Assessing for technological literacy. Technology Teacher, 64(4), 30–32.
ePals global community. Retrieved July 18, 2012, from http://www.epals.com/
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Carrying Out Your GAME Plan EDUC 6713D
Have you ever felt like you have “bitten off more than you can chew”? That is my feeling as I review my GAME plan. It all looks so lovely, such a well thought out and presented plan. Now that I am reviewing it, I realize I might have jumped into the deep end of the pool and the water is freezing. Perhaps it is time to realistically look at what I am comfortable doing while still meeting the goal of my plan.
First and foremost I want my students to work collaboratively with other students from a different region of the United States. This remains my intent. In order to accomplish this I listed three action steps. The first step was to review school policy. I have e mailed our school’s contact person regarding the participation in an ePal project and all that this may entail. For example, the creation of student e mail accounts, student participation in Wiki sites, and sharing of video resources via the web. The second step involved pursuing collaborative learning communities. I chose to investigate Vicki Davis’s suggestion of ePals (Laureate, 2010).
The ePals Global Community website matches willing participants with classrooms as well as ongoing projects. Upon review of the site, I found two projects that addressed my original goal and that seemed manageable. The titles were What’s it Like Where You Live and The Way We Are PowerPoint Project. Both projects were listed as e mail exchanges, however e mail communication is only a part of the projects. The first project is based out of Tennessee and has students describing aspects of their region through digital projects. The second project has elements of the first where students are describing their region, however it has the added component of also discussing the culture of the student’s community (http://www.epals.com/index.php). I am both relieved and pleased to have found two projects that address my goal and are manageable. Once I hear back from our school’s contact person, I plan to complete my next action step which is to make contact with the teacher involved.
Admittedly both of these projects rely heavily upon technology. Resources to be used include but are not limited to Microsoft Power Point, designated websites, use of e mail, digital recording equipment, and even scanners. In considering Universal Design for these projects, it is important to include multiple methods for the student to achieve the desired learning goal. The focus can not be on the technology it must be on the content. Cennamo, Ross, and Ermer (2009) add support by citing, “UDL emphasizes that achieving outcomes should not be contingent upon the media used to achieve them” (p. 121). Technology should act as a support to the skill or content to be learned.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
ePals global community. Retrieved July 11, 2012, from http://www.epals.com/index.php
Laureate Education, Inc. [Executive Producer]. (N.D.). Enriching content area learning experiences with technology part II. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Have you ever felt like you have “bitten off more than you can chew”? That is my feeling as I review my GAME plan. It all looks so lovely, such a well thought out and presented plan. Now that I am reviewing it, I realize I might have jumped into the deep end of the pool and the water is freezing. Perhaps it is time to realistically look at what I am comfortable doing while still meeting the goal of my plan.
First and foremost I want my students to work collaboratively with other students from a different region of the United States. This remains my intent. In order to accomplish this I listed three action steps. The first step was to review school policy. I have e mailed our school’s contact person regarding the participation in an ePal project and all that this may entail. For example, the creation of student e mail accounts, student participation in Wiki sites, and sharing of video resources via the web. The second step involved pursuing collaborative learning communities. I chose to investigate Vicki Davis’s suggestion of ePals (Laureate, 2010).
The ePals Global Community website matches willing participants with classrooms as well as ongoing projects. Upon review of the site, I found two projects that addressed my original goal and that seemed manageable. The titles were What’s it Like Where You Live and The Way We Are PowerPoint Project. Both projects were listed as e mail exchanges, however e mail communication is only a part of the projects. The first project is based out of Tennessee and has students describing aspects of their region through digital projects. The second project has elements of the first where students are describing their region, however it has the added component of also discussing the culture of the student’s community (http://www.epals.com/index.php). I am both relieved and pleased to have found two projects that address my goal and are manageable. Once I hear back from our school’s contact person, I plan to complete my next action step which is to make contact with the teacher involved.
Admittedly both of these projects rely heavily upon technology. Resources to be used include but are not limited to Microsoft Power Point, designated websites, use of e mail, digital recording equipment, and even scanners. In considering Universal Design for these projects, it is important to include multiple methods for the student to achieve the desired learning goal. The focus can not be on the technology it must be on the content. Cennamo, Ross, and Ermer (2009) add support by citing, “UDL emphasizes that achieving outcomes should not be contingent upon the media used to achieve them” (p. 121). Technology should act as a support to the skill or content to be learned.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
ePals global community. Retrieved July 11, 2012, from http://www.epals.com/index.php
Laureate Education, Inc. [Executive Producer]. (N.D.). Enriching content area learning experiences with technology part II. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Developing Your Personal GAME Plan EDUC 6713D
Setting out on a road trip with no particular destination can be exciting at first. However, if you don’t know where you are going, how do you know when you have arrived? Better yet did you even enjoy the trip? Having a destination in mind and a planned route ensures a safe and productive journey. In my opinion, this can be true for a road trip as well as in the classroom.
For this week’s class assignment we are to develop a GAME plan to increase our proficiency for two NETS-T (National Education Standards for Teachers). Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) define GAME as a series of steps, “1. Set Goals 2. Take Action to meet those goals 3. Monitor progress toward achieving goals and 4. Evaluate whether the goals were achieved and Extend your learning to new situations” (p.3). The two standards I chose address designing authentic learning experiences and exhibiting ethical behavior.
The first standard is 2.a which states, “Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S.” and section a states, “design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity”. The second standard is 4.d which states, “Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices” and section d states, “develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools” (http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx).
These two areas were chosen based on my desire to develop a creative, collaborative, learning environment for my students through the incorporation of authentic instructional activities. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) cite, “creativity is often developed through an authentic instructional approach” (p. 27). They go on to define the principles of authentic instruction as, “1) learner autonomy and 2) active learning, and tend to be anchored by 3) holistic, 4) complex, and 5) challenging activites” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 28).
The following are the steps of my personal GAME plan.
Goal:
I would like to design an authentic learning activity that incorporates appropriate technology that will enable my students to work collaboratively on a project with students from another part of our country.
Action:
1. I will review my school’s policy on the use of BLOGS, Wikis, Podcasts, and SKYPE for classroom instruction.
2. I will seek out learning communities interested in participating in a group project via the use of the internet
3. Once contact has been made, I will collaborate with the other teacher to determine a subject area focus and establish a unit complete with individual lessons, time frames, and desired learning outcomes for the students
Monitor:
In order to monitor student understanding I plan to use formative assessments. Examples include response journals, individual conferences with the students, and review of artifacts created.
Evaluate and Extend:
Once the activity is complete student understanding will be evaluated by a summative assessment of the unit material. I will reflect on what went well during the activity and what elements could be improved upon. As an extension, I will present my findings to my grade level partners in the hope of expanding this project.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx
Setting out on a road trip with no particular destination can be exciting at first. However, if you don’t know where you are going, how do you know when you have arrived? Better yet did you even enjoy the trip? Having a destination in mind and a planned route ensures a safe and productive journey. In my opinion, this can be true for a road trip as well as in the classroom.
For this week’s class assignment we are to develop a GAME plan to increase our proficiency for two NETS-T (National Education Standards for Teachers). Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) define GAME as a series of steps, “1. Set Goals 2. Take Action to meet those goals 3. Monitor progress toward achieving goals and 4. Evaluate whether the goals were achieved and Extend your learning to new situations” (p.3). The two standards I chose address designing authentic learning experiences and exhibiting ethical behavior.
The first standard is 2.a which states, “Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S.” and section a states, “design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity”. The second standard is 4.d which states, “Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices” and section d states, “develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools” (http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx).
These two areas were chosen based on my desire to develop a creative, collaborative, learning environment for my students through the incorporation of authentic instructional activities. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) cite, “creativity is often developed through an authentic instructional approach” (p. 27). They go on to define the principles of authentic instruction as, “1) learner autonomy and 2) active learning, and tend to be anchored by 3) holistic, 4) complex, and 5) challenging activites” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 28).
The following are the steps of my personal GAME plan.
Goal:
I would like to design an authentic learning activity that incorporates appropriate technology that will enable my students to work collaboratively on a project with students from another part of our country.
Action:
1. I will review my school’s policy on the use of BLOGS, Wikis, Podcasts, and SKYPE for classroom instruction.
2. I will seek out learning communities interested in participating in a group project via the use of the internet
3. Once contact has been made, I will collaborate with the other teacher to determine a subject area focus and establish a unit complete with individual lessons, time frames, and desired learning outcomes for the students
Monitor:
In order to monitor student understanding I plan to use formative assessments. Examples include response journals, individual conferences with the students, and review of artifacts created.
Evaluate and Extend:
Once the activity is complete student understanding will be evaluated by a summative assessment of the unit material. I will reflect on what went well during the activity and what elements could be improved upon. As an extension, I will present my findings to my grade level partners in the hope of expanding this project.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx
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