Week 7: GAME Plan Reflection

            When I began the Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas course at Walden University I had no previous knowledge on the GAME plan. Throughout this course, I have examined this strategy and followed the steps within this plan. When I first set up my goals I wanted to incorporate more technologies while supporting student learning in my classroom. Once I set up this goal I quickly realized that digital technologies and authentic instruction go together very well. "Authentic instruction incorporates real-world and complex problems" while digital technologies are there to help students work through those real world situations and problems (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009, p. 35).

            I incorporated a few new technologies, one being of them being Skype. Through this program students were able to collaborate online with students from another school. With such technologies "connections are relatively instant, feedback is almost immediate, and rapid productivity is observed" which allowed for seamless digital collaboration for the students (Hargis & Wilcox, 2008, p. 14). This worked out very well because students not only were able to use a new technology but also enhance their understanding of the topic and collaborate with peers in another school.

            Students had to work on a problem-based situation and develop a solution. They had to inquire about the topics they were working on and explore possible solutions. As stated by Thornburg, "inquiry addresses deeper issues" and the questions associated with inquiry are not fact based or have simple yes or no answers they are involve a deep thought process (Thornburg, 2004, p2). Technologies like Skype enabled students to get other perspectives on their proposed solutions. While digital story telling allowed them to present their final product and solution to the problem they explored.  Having students learn through inquiry is essential.  As stated by Dr. Thornburg "inquiry addresses deeper issues" and the questions associated with inquiry are not fact based or have simple yes or no answers (Thornburg, 2004, p2). Inquiry lessons have students dig deeper into the content and use their critical thinking and problem solving skills. "Critical thinking skills are not practiced in isolation; instead, generating ideas and refining them through analysis, synthesis, and evaluation takes place in the context of responding to some challenge or opportunity" (Cennamo, et al., 2009, p. 44). Therefore, the lesson that students are participating in becomes very challenging, engaging, authentic and meaningful. I was able to see this while implementing my GAME Plan.

            I plan to continue working on my GAME plan even after the semester comes to a close and further incorporate new digital technologies. I have seen how technologies can enhance lessons and make learning fun and engaging for students as well.  I was truly impressed with how great a tool digital storytelling can be within the classroom. There are so many possibilities that can be incorporated in digital stories within the social studies content I will most definitely be adding this much more within my classes. As a lifelong learner I "will be responsible for locating learning opportunities and completing tasks to meet my own learning goals" (Cennamo, et al., 2009, p. 1-2). Learning how to incorporate new technologies into my classroom with definitely be a major focus.

 

References

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.

Hargis, J., & Wilcox, S. M. (2008). Ubiquitous, free, and efficient online collaboration tools for teaching and learning. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 9(4), 9–17. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&hid=6&sid=24e05c3d-ff54-4716-8cf4-0687c834678d%40sessionmgr10

Thornburg, D. (2004). Inquiry: The art of helping students ask good questions (Executive Briefing No. 402). Retrieved from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/inquiry.pdf

Week 4: Monitoring My GAME Plan

To recap my GAME plan the first goal I set was to design learning experiences that incorporate various digital tools and student learning and my second goal was to allow students to be self-directed learners by controlling their learning while using various technologies. Over the past two weeks I noticed that these goals have merged. When researching the web I have found a plethora of resources from other blogs to education websites with different ideas on integrating technology into the classroom.

I currently do not plan to modify my action plan. One thing that I have learned so far is how many resources are available out there for teachers to use and the different ways that they can be used. Another thing that I have discovered while conducting this GAME plan is how much teacher's really need to know about the resources they are using in order to successfully implement them within the classroom. I have been trying out these technologies and working through them myself before exposing them to my students because I need to be able to help them when they need it. This has become a very time consuming task, therefore, I am taking it one step at a time because it can be overwhelming. I too am the self-directed learner trying to learn how to incorporate these new technologies within my classroom. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009, p.7) have stated that "as a self-directed lifelong learner, you'll be able to respond to the rapid and continuous technological changes that inevitable will occur during your professional career, keep your skills up-to-date, and better meet the needs of your students today and in the future".

I have only worked with concept mapping once with a handful of students during the summer. I would like to use this technology within my regular classroom but cannot decide if it would be better to have students work in pairs of larger groups. Has anyone used concept maps or similar software with large groups of students before? Would you recommend a small group setting or pairs only? If anyone has some insight I would greatly appreciate feedback.

References

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.

 

Carrying Out My GAME Plan

As a life-long self-directed learner I "will be responsible for locating learning opportunities and completing tasks to meet my own learning goals" (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009, p. 1-2). In order to carry out my GAME plan I will need to consult various sources to best meet my goals. The first step that I took was discussing my goals with my PLC. I wanted to get their suggestions, professional opinions, and ideas about my current goals. We were able to discuss the importance of incorporating new digital technologies within all of our classrooms and having our students become self-directed learners as well. I was also able to receive some great feedback and suggestions from my Walden PLC on my goals.

 

Last week I registered for a social studies Smart Board technology integration workshop. I attended this workshop today and found some creative ways not only to use the Smart Board but also was introduced to several interactive websites that will help students learn the content in different ways. The goals that I have set for my GAME plan will allow me to incorporate UDL. Universal design for learning (UDL) is a plan to help customize and provide flexibility among the lessons, activities, and assessments (Cennamo et al, 2009). The digital technologies that I will be working towards incorporating will not only give students various options and opportunities to succeed but also allow them to be self-directed learners. Therefore, both of my goals can be combined and worked on simultaneously.

 

The next step in my GAME plan is to continue researching ways of incorporating digital technologies which will give my diverse students the opportunity to succeed. I will also have follow up meetings with my PLC and will continue to search the web. I plan on incorporating some of these new technologies within my lessons and begin tracking student progress and motivation. Once I start tracking student progress I will then be able to modify the activities as needed and continue to integrate new digital technologies.  

References

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.

The GAME Plan: Technology

                                                    The GAME Plan: Technology

          The International Society for Technology in Education website has a set of standards for teachers regarding the use of technology within the classroom. After examining these standards I focused on two indicators that I would like to improve upon. The first standard I choose to focus on is standard two indicator A which states: "design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity" (ISTE, 2008)

            My GAME Plan for this standard is as follows. My goal is to design learning experiences that incorporate various digital tools and support student learning. The actions that I plan on taking are to speak with my grade level and department PLCs on the best digital tools that will help promote student learning. I will begin to research the internet to get ideas on how to best incorporate various digital tools and the different tools that I can use in different ways. Another way that I plan on gaining ideas on incorporating new digital technologies into my classroom is by reading and participating in various discussions and posts with my Walden PLC. I will monitor my progress by keeping a log of student progress after I begin incorporating different digital tools. I will also note any changes in my students motivation, content knowledge and progress of work while using these digital tools compared to what I have seem prior to the use of the digital tools. Lastly, I will evaluate myself based on student success. I will be able to determine my success based on how well my students are doing. I will be able to find out if I was able to reach my goal when examining student work and through discussions with students.

            The second standard that I plan on focusing on is standard two indicator B which states: "develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress"(ISTE, 2008).

            My GAME plan for the above standard is as follows. My goal is to have students learn the content while being "self-directed learners" who have more control of their learning and progress while using various technologies (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009, p. 1). The first action that I will take to reach my goal is polling students on what it is they would be interested in learning about, within the content. Then I will begin to research ways on how I can enable my students to become self-directed in learning the information and the technologies that they can use to learn and assess themselves. I will then monitor my progress once again through student products. I will see if they are working to their abilities, I will hold discussions and conference with students individually to determine their progress. Lastly, I will be able to evaluate my progress and whether or not my goal was reached based on the success or lack of it through student products.

References

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/standards/nets-for-teachers

Theory of Learning: Reflection

           At the beginning of the course Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction and Technology I developed a personal learning theory. In this theory I discussed the ways I believe my students learn and best understand the content I present and teach. I am now at the end of my course and have had time to reflect on this theory based on what I have learned. I have expanded not only my knowledge of various learning theories but also my personal learning theory.
           In the original development of my theory, constructivism and the multiple intelligence theories were my primary focus. I had a strong belief in these two theories as being the most successful to aid in student learning. Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences theory gears "curricula and instructional approaches to individual intelligences and their (student) dominant ways of knowing, for the successful pursuit of knowledge" (Lever-Duffy, J., & McDonald, J.) Whereas, the constructivist theory focuses on experience, the act of doing also or a trial by error approach to learning (Lever-Duffy, J., & McDonald, J.). I still believe these two theories are very important to student learning. However, I understand that there are other theories that are just as important and work wonders when used with various educational technologies.
           Based on the information from this course, I will be making some adjustments to the integration of technology within my classroom. I plan on adding tools like virtual field trips and concepts maps to my instruction. These tools will be used as both learning and instructional tools. Concept maps are great cognitive tools because they will cause students to think about the information instead of just recalling it. (Orey, 2001a) I have expanded my knowledge of the constructivist and constructionist theories and how I can integrate technologies with these theories as well. Constructionism will be a great learning theory to apply as well, project based assignments will be very beneficial and useful with this specific theory.  Since constructionism focuses on building knowledge through experience and creation of something to then share with others it will be beneficial for students to collaborate and work together on various projects. (Orey, 2001b)
          I have also developed two long term goals regarding technology integration within my instruction. The first goal that I would like to set is to continue exploring and learning about new technologies. Throughout my master's courses at Walden, I have learned about many new technologies and ways of using these technologies in the classroom. I did not know many of these technologies existed and definitely did not know how to use and incorporate them within my classroom prior to my courses. Therefore, I want to ensure that I am continuously learning about new technologies even after I have completed my graduate program. I have learned about the technologies out there today, but, I know that they will keep changing and becoming more advanced. Exploring blogs and the internet will help me stay current on new technologies and their usage. New technologies will continue to emerge and there will be new ways that educators can incorporate those within the classroom.

            The second goal that I have is to improve upon my integration of educational technologies. There a several learning theories that can be used within the classroom to benefit student learning. These theories are even more successful when integrated with different technologies. I want to integrate more technologies into my everyday lessons. Technologies like the VoiceThread, podcast, wikis, blogs, can all be integrated into the classroom to aid student learning and experiences. This course and ones prior to it have exposed me to the possibilities of technology integration. Therefore, a long term goal to integrate new technologies will be beneficial, not only for myself, but also for my students and their learning. I plan of integrating at least one new technology every year in my classroom. Integrating new educational technologies will have an impact on my students learning and their experience within my classroom. Technology has become very important to the 21st century learner and I need to give my students the opportunity to have experiences using different types of technology.

References

Lever-Duffy, J., & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001a). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Cognitive_Tools

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001b). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Constructionism,_Learning_by_Design,_and_Project_Based_Learning

Social Learning Theory

          "The instructional strategy of cooperative learning focuses on having students interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 139). According to Dr. Orey the social learning theory stresses that students actively engage in constructing artifacts and conversing with others. (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a).  Therefore, cooperative learning and the social learning theory are closely related.

            In my classroom, I use cooperative learning often because my students learn a lot from each other and they enjoy working together. PowerPoint is one tool that I have my students use to create presentations in groups. In the past, I had students work on skits, posters, brochures and many other cooperative learning activities. I now see that there are many educational technology tools that can be used within the classroom that encompass principals of the social learning theory.

            "Creating a video is a complex task that requires many roles and responsibilities" and is a great example of the social learning theory that can be applied within the classroom (Pitler, et.al, 2007, p. 141). This activity can involve students in many ways and students can work together to create a video project in the classroom. Creating web sites or webquests are also two activities where students can work cooperatively. Another great tool that I was introduced to this week is the Voice Thread. The voice thread is an online social learning tool that can be used within the classroom. According to Kevin Jarrett, voice thread is like a photo album where people can upload images or video and comment on it through text, video, or audio (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011b).  This application gives students the opportunity to collaborate whether they are in the same room or across the world. It is another great example of learning through the social learning theory. I created a voice thread for a possible lesson that I would like to do with my students. By creating this voice thread I was able to see how easy it will be for my students to collaborate and work cooperatively together by making comments or by creating their own. This is a link to the one I created:  http://walden.voicethread.com/share/3266178/.

            These activities enable students to learn from each other and enhance their understanding through collaboration. As stated by Dr. Orey the "more knowledgeable other" is the person or thing that the learner needs to help them learn in a social learning environment (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a).  Cooperative learning activities like the ones mentioned above allow students to learn from someone or something that has more information; that someone can be their classmate or teacher and that something can be a specific website or book. Technology has created more opportunities to use the social learning theory within the classroom.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011a). Social learning theories. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_1342106_1%26url%3D

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011b). Spotlight on technology: VoiceThread. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_1342106_1%26url%3D

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Constructivist and Constructionist Learning Theories

         Constructivist theories assert "that knowledge is not simply transmitted from teacher to student, but actively constructed in the mind of the learner" (Orey, 2001). Whereas, "constructionism suggests that new ideas are most likely to be created when learners are actively engaged in building some type of external artifact that they can reflect upon and share with others" (Orey, 2001). The constructionist theory goes deeper than the constructivist one because it emphasizes the creation of these artifacts.

            There are various instructional strategies that can be used within the classroom that support the constructionist learning theory. In a constructionist learning environment the teacher is there to facilitate the learning and the learner is the one who takes ownership of their learning. One technology oriented strategy that majority of educators already use that correlates with this theory is the PowerPoint.  Having your students create PowerPoint presentations about a certain topic and later present these to the class is one great example of constructionism because the students are the creators and designers. This is one approach that I use often and see how much my students enjoy creating and designing their own PowerPoint presentations.

            Learning by design "emphasizes the value of learning through creating, programming, or participating in other forms of designing" (Orey, 2001). There are many educational technologies that allow for students to learn by design, one mentioned already is PowerPoint, and other ones can include but are not limited to web quests, wikis, blogs, podcasts and web pages. All of these tools allow for students to create something online. Students can work independently or collaborate with their peers when using these tools. All of these tools can be an asset to a classroom because they not only correlate with constructionism but they all offer fun and exciting ways that students can enjoy participating in and learning from.

            Generating and testing hypothesis can be another instructional strategy used with the constructionist learning theory. "When students generate and test hypotheses, they are engaging in complex mental processes, applying content knowledge like facts, and vocabulary, and enhancing their overall understanding of the content"(Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 202). Teachers can have students generate and test hypothesis by using an array of software and online tools that are now available. "Web resources and gaming software, in the form of interactive applets and simulations, allow students to use background knowledge, make decisions, and see the outcome of their hypothesis" are great tools that support constructionist learning principles"(Pitler, et al, 2007, p. 212). Students are immersed in the experience of these games and learn from them. Our students live and breathe technology and incorporating educational technologies in the classroom will make them more engaged in the learning process. Many teachers like me enjoy using this learning theory because it really engages students. However, incorporating technology with this theory can make it even more exciting and educational.

References

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Constructionism,_Learning_by_Design,_and_Project_Based_Learning

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.