EDUC 6717I-New and Emerging Technologies Reflection

As I sit down to write this final reflection, I feel a huge range of emotions. I am thankful to have been a part of such a wonderful program and to have learned so much from the instructors and colleagues. I am excited to be finished, yet apprehensive as to exactly how I am going to implement all that I have learned. The new school year is almost here and already I am staying awake at night trying to think of ways to incorporate technology into my lessons. Perhaps I need to remember one of the first things I learned...baby steps!

At the beginning of this program I didn't know what blogs, wikis, podcasts, or even voicethreads were. I looked at digital gaming to be something that should be left at home for free time. I couldn't have been more wrong. Probably most importantly, I have learned that change is good and necessary. I have colleagues who refuse to catch up with 21st century learning skills, saying that it's just too difficult to implement. As a change agent, my goal is to show them through my lessons that it is not too difficult. I believe that the more they see students getting excited about their learning, they too will want to get involved. Although these classes have come to an end, I will strive to keep the lines of communication with others open so that I can continue to identify even more emerging technologies and how to use them effectively. It is really true to say that we as teachers are life long learners! This class has shown me that digital gaming can be a successful teaching tool when used appropriately. These tools actually play a part in transforming teaching and learning in that it is no longer teacher based. Students are able to take into consideration their own learning styles and adjust the tools as they see fit. This gives even young students so much power. Finally, this class has made me realize that lack of funding or tools is no excuse. As the change agent, it is my job to research the grants, communicate with my administration about our needs, and work with my colleagues to find a way.

In closing, I would sincerely like to thank everyone who has gone through this amazing journey with me. I agree with those who say it's all a little blurry right now, but I wouldn't have traded this learning experience for anything. I look forward to keeping in touch and continuing our learning, even though we may be miles apart. Thank you for sharing all of the great resources and giving such insightful comments. I wish you all the best of luck and I can't wait to implement some of our new ideas together!

Amy

Course Management Systems

Below is the URL for my Voicethread on Course Management Systems:

voicethread.com/share/1256804/

Thanks!

Reflection: Course 6714

It is more evident to me than ever that as an educator I need to not only recognize that students are diverse in their learning, but also in their lives. It is my challenge to bring their real world into academic subjects and let them begin to take charge of their own learning. Although this cannot be done overnight, the process needs to begin now and needs to continue to move forward without stopping. Adding differentiated elements to my instruction will engage both learners and administrators alike and help to bring 21st Century Learning into my classroom. Technology is a crucial part of this learning puzzle. The use of online learning and interest surveys, modifying learning environments so that students have access to small group, whole group, and individual instruction, and the inclusion of both parents and administrators in the process is key in meeting the needs of the diverse learners.

I think that one of the most important things I learned in this class is that I must take the time truly needed to integrate all of the amazing resources to which I have been introduced. There are a vast number of websites that can be utilized to reach my students regardless of their level and I am determined to use them in the upcoming year. I enjoyed making my Powerpoint presentation and also watching other people’s presentations. Everyone has contributed so many wonderful resources and ideas; I am eager to put all of these to work in addition to continuing to collaborate with my Walden colleagues!

Thanks everyone for a great class!

Discussion 8-Final Thoughts

As I said last week, it amazes me that this class over. I have been frustrated at times, yet that feeling usually subsided once I really looked at my GLAME Plan and took it piece by piece. I believe that the biggest "Aha" moment for me was simply realizing the importance of HAVING a GAME Plan! This truly helped me to stay focused on my goals and allowed me to truly identify what was or wasn't working, so that I could adjust my lessons accordingly.

Immediately, I will focus more on the NETS-T standards, which really helped me in planning my activities. I will strive to use small groups more often, as well as give students more freedom in their learning by doing continued PBL activities. Although I have had difficulty acquiring computers for my classroom, I can see how using technology across the curriculum is of great benefit. My goal is to work alongside my school's technology team to acquire as many working computers as possible for our school and then REALLY use them to reach our goals.

I would like to thank everyone for their amazing ideas and wonderful insight! I have learned so much from you!

Amy

My GAME Plan With Students

Wow! Is this class over already? Time flies when you are learning so much so quickly AND trying to implement these new ideas and technologies in your classroom! (At least this is the case for me!)

Although I have had to revise my GAME Plan numerous times, I think that overall it was a very successful learning experience for me. In my own class, we are just in the beginning phases of my lesson, but having a GAME Plan from the beginning has made a HUGE difference for me. There are times when I am so busy "doing" that I don't focus on my true expectations for students or the desired results. This class has changed that completely. I have realized that for me, it's almost better to work backwards--focus on my desired outcomes first and THEN implement a plan to achieve those goals.

Through these lessons, my students will truly benefit from having focused on the technology goals. Prior to this, I had never thought of these standards as a top priority. (Shame on me!) Creating a GAME Plan takes time and effort, but makes the actual teaching part of it so much easier and more effective! My students and I have learned and adapted to situations together, which is such a great experience. We will move forward with our lessons, make changes where it's necessary, and stay focused on our plan.

Thank you to everyone who gave me such fabulous ideas for my lessons! I loved reading about all of your ideas as well as your own lesson plans. You are an amazing group of educators!

Amy

Revising My Game Plan-Week 6

This week I have tried to REALLY take a step back and look at my GAME Plan from the beginning. My goal was to work on on Standard 1 and improve my ability to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativy through the use of technology. I feel that I have at least started this process, but again, I have a long way to go. I have tried to implement the use of technology as much as possible in my lessons, but for now I am taking baby steps. As for Standard 4, I feel that I have begun to promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility through my lessons and I feel good about that. I wrote in my first blog that I wanted my students to have computers at their fingertips and adaquate time in which to use them. Well, this hasn't gone so well. Sometimes things are beyond my control and I have to make adjustments and use what I have. By using parent helpers and pairing up my students, I can make the most out of the computer time I have. I have to go back to truly being flexible!

This week for my assignment, I am going to attempt blogging. Even though this may be difficult for some of my first graders, I think if I keep it simple, it will work. For my first lesson, I am having my students look on the internet for the weather in the city in which they live and also in another city somewhere in the world. They will graph these temperatures as they keep track of them. Now, I am going to have them blog about the varying temperatures and tell what kind of clothes they would be wearing if they were in that other location. My students can compare and contrast that to the type of clothes they would wear in their home city. Basically, they are solving the problem, How can I find out what the weather will be today and what type of clothing is appropriate to wear for this type of weather?

All in all, I need to keep in mind that I don't have to "do it all" right away. My goal is to build a solid foundation upon which to expand my students' learning of technology tools. When I look back to where I was just one year ago, I have made HUGE progress! That is something to smile about.

Week 5 GAME Plan Progress

It sounds like this was a crazy week for everyone! Unfortunately, mine was no different. The good thing is that I made it through, and next week is Spring Break! Yippee!!

How effective were your actions in helping you meet your goals?
My actions have been beneficial in helping my meet my goals in that I actually have a plan. Too many times, I tend to "fly by the seat of my pants" when I have a good idea and don't think about how it could be carried out most efficiently. By consistenly evaluating my plan, I am able to identify what is or isn't working and adjust my teaching accordingly. This has been of great benefit!

What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?
First and foremost, I have learned that being flexible is KEY! Also, considering the technology problems I am having (ie: lack of working computers, mice that don't work, lack of time in the computer lab) I have learned that having a backup plan is of the utmost importance. There is nothing worse than getting students excited about something, only for it to not work. In order to avoid disappointment, I now try to have a backup plan in place. I have also learned that sometimes less is more! My first graders are only able to do a few things on the computer, which originally frustrated me. But now, I have come to realize that they are able to do those things well. That shows success.

What do you still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?
To say that I still have a lot to learn is an understatement! I STILL have to learn about more age-appropriate websites for each of the first grade subject areas and how to assist thirty six -year olds in accessing them. I don't have any new questions, I just need to focus on the ones I originally had,.

How will you adjust your plan to fit your current needs?
Simply stated, I need to continue with my original questions, focus on those areas, and again readjust as needed. I think that this will change with each lesson in which I integrate technology.

Monitoring My GAME Plan Progress

When considering my current GAME Plan and how it is working, I am a tad bit disappointed, but yet still hopeful. I believe that it is most effective to evaluate my progress consistently and make changes as needed to better my plan. Having said that, here is what I have found:

Are you finding the information and resources you need?
This is where I am getting frustrated. I simply do not have the resources available that would make my plan more feasable. I am limited to two working computers in my classroom and one thirty-minute session in the computer lab, where each student will have use of their own computer. Finding information, however, has been much better. I have found virtual field trips on www.scholastic.com as well as United Streaming. I have taught my students how to access various websites and how to bookmark them. This part has been successful and I am very excited to continue teaching my students about the resources that are available to them.

Do you need to modify your action plan?
Simply stated, yes, I do need to modify my action plan. I need to rethink my time constraints and how I am going to allow for each student to have adaquate time on the computer. I will need to do more whole group instruction using the SMARTboard for techniques and then have parent helpers available to assist the students when it is their turn for individual work on the computer.

What have you learned so far?
I keep coming back to the fact that implementing technology and project-based learning projects takes time. This has been my biggest obstacle! I have learned that I need to be extremely prepared in carrying out my plan and have appropriate resources ready for my first graders. I must be able to give them the actual website, instead of doing a search in class. I also have to remember that my students are six and seven years old. Their skills are just beginning to develop. Am I asking too much from them? Am I differentiating instruction so that each student has an end-project that is sufficient for their ability? These are just two of the many questions I continue ponder as I rethink and adjust my GAME Plan.

Carrying out my GAME Plan

As I review last week's blog and think about how I can incorporate that about which I am learning, I now can identify some of the ways in which I will further carry out my GAME plan.

Resources Needed:
First, I spoke of providing computers and integrating technology as much as possible in my classroom. To do this, I need to make sure that my students have access to working computers for adaquate periods of time. It is my job to make sure that I am aware of my students' various learning modalities and adjust my plans accordingly. For example, I use United Streaming for many of my subjects, showing video clips. I have stories on tape for those students who are better auditory learners. I would like to use SKYPE to encourage more guest speakers, even if they are in a different state. Finally, my colleagues are a huge resource for me. They are further advanced in technology and give me amazing ideas and suggestions.

Additional Information:
I believe that perhaps the most important thing for me is to identify how my students best learn. Once that is established, I can identify how to meet their needs most efficiently. When using various websites, it is very important to identify which sites are appropriate and unblocked! There is nothing worse than getting students excited about seeing something, only to be blocked! It creates frustration on both sides. Also, because I teach first grade, my students don't have the longest attention span. Therefore, it is best for me to identify which sites are most appropriate for their age and have a plan of action to access them.

Steps Taken So Far:
So far, I have looked ahead in our curriculum and identified areas in which technology can be integrated. I think it is important to make sure that the technology will truly enhance the learning experience. I have broken down certain lessons in all of my curriculum areas where I can use technology. However, this is a long process and it will take much more time to get where I want to be. It is a process!

Developing My GAME Plan

In reviewing the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS-T), I have identified two of the standards and performance indicators with which I am beginning to feel comfortable and others which will require much more strengthing on my part. Truly, I have to say that there aren't any that I am completely confident with, simply because I am in the beginning stages of implementing more technology in my classroom. The two standards that I feel most comfortable with are Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity, and Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility.

Having said this, these two standards are ALSO the ones that I would like to strengthen more. Teaching first grade, these are the two areas which I feel build a solid foundation for further technology lessons. First, for Standard #4, my ACTION is to make sure my students have the technology resources at their fingertips by providing computers and that are accessible and adaquate time in which to use them. Second, I will focus on teaching them proper digital etiquette and responsibility so that they can learn the basics of collaboration and digital-age communication. For Standard #1, I will take my lessons and integrate as much technology as possible into each, giving more time for my students to think creatively and to, in a sense, guide themselves in the learning process that will be most beneficial to them. In order to achieve this goal, I think it is essential to model for my young students on a consistent basis, and engage them as much as possible.

To MONITOR my students, I will check for understanding through both student-teacher conferencing and informal assessment. To MONITOR my own progress I will conference with my colleagues and peers and readjust my plan as necessary. I really think it is important to have open communication with others, evaluate, and reflect on what both my students and I can do better.

As I become more familiar with these performance indicators, I will be able to better EVALUATE that which is truly improving and enriching the learning experience of my students. I think it is (and will continue to be) a challenging process, seeing as my students are so young and they are just learning how to read and write. However, as times change and technology becomes even more of a part of our daily lives, I believe it is important to strive to prepare my students (and myself) the changes in technology that are yet to come.

EDUC 67121-4 Reflection

From this class, I will take new ideas and skills that I did not possess when I entered, a short eight weeks ago. The most striking revelation I had is that I personally have not been teaching the basic technology skills that my first grade students need to have, in order to be successful in school. I have not put teaching technology high on my list of priorities, until recently. I can now see that my students MUST be shown certain skills that create a solid foundation for further learning. Because I teach such a young grade, I must continually model the necessary skills for my students, so that they will become second nature to them.

This new found knowledge and experience will influence my teaching in the way that I will now make technology a priority in my classroom. I have to teach my students that technology goes way beyond video games and gaming websites. My technology goal is to use technology more regularly across the curriculum and truly try to create more time for projects where my students can utilize their new skills. To achieve such a goal, I will have to spend time creating appropriate lessons, collaborating with other colleagues about 21st Century Literacy Skills, and finding volunteers to assist my young students. Perhaps, above all, I will need to continue pursuing my education in technology, so that I am aware of what it takes for students to be successful in this ever-changing field.

I have enjoyed learning alongside all of you!

Amy