5 Developing Your Personal GAME Plan

As teachers, it is not only our duty to teach content knowledge but also to incorporate technology that will solidify the content we are presenting to our students. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has a list of standards that teachers should integrate in their classroom. Although I teach a technology class, I find that even I am not meeting every National Education Technology Standard (NETS).

I wish to focus more on the first NETS standard "Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity" (ISTE, n.d.). Within that standard, there are two indicators in which I would like to strength my confidence and proficiency in by using the GAME model (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).

Goal: (1) Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources

(2) Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.

Action: (1) Come up with "real-world issues" that students or professionals may encounter and have students brainstorm ideas to solve these issues.

(2) When I give an assignment, demonstrate the thinking process I would go through to complete the project. Encourage students to come up with other ways to complete the assignment.

Monitor: (1) View students solutions to problems

(2) Discuss the numerous ways students wish to complete an assignment.

Evaluate/Extend: (1) have students apply these solutions to see if they work. Also have students reflect

on their solution. Were there better ways to go about solving the problem?

(2) Allow students to use their actions in their assignment and then reflect on the

outcome. Are there other ways the assignment could be completed?

Resources:

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.

ISTE NETS for Teachers 2008. (n.d.). International Society for Technology in Education Home. Retrieved March 9, 2011, from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx

*** This Email was sent by an educator at Riverside High School in Western Line School District.

0 EDUC 6711 Reflection

Over the past eight weeks, I have learned a vast amount of knowledge to help more effectively integrate technology with each lesson. As a computer teacher, my students use a form of technology every day; however, I do not always use the technology in the most efficient way. This class has given me vital instructions on how to teach more successfully through the use of technology.

As stated in my Personal Theory of Learning, I use different teaching styles depending on content of the subject matter. I will continue to vary my instructions as before. However, I have learned new ideas that I hope to implement immediately. One technology tool that I am excited about using is VoiceThread (Laureate, 2009c). I am anxious to have my students collaborate online via this new and exciting tool. I know my students will enjoy it and will also be able to discuss and analyze numerous topics through the power of this web-based software. A second technology tool I am already incorporating is concept maps (Laureate, 2009a). I had the students create a concept map describing how a computer works. With allowing students the ability to use their own creative webs and images to describe each part of the computer, they grasped the material much more easily and retained it for the test.

For the long-term, I want to incorporate more collaborative activities with my students as well as use more non-linguistic representations. To have my students work more collaboratively, I plan to use blogs and wikis for students to post projects. I also can incorporate discussion boards through students’ blackboard accounts where they can discuss ideas for their projects. When I am lecturing and introducing students to new topics, such as computer ethics and virus protection, I will use a non-linguistic approach. I will have the students draw pictures to represent the ideas discussed or they may use clip-art or pictures from the internet to illustrate what is being taught (Laureate, 2009b).. Thankfully, I always have access to computers and the internet, so the possibilities for my students are endless. I must concentrate on using that time wisely and keeping the students actively engaged so that the use of the technology will be beneficial to their learning.

Resources:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Cognitive Learning Theories [DVD}. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Instructional Strategies, Part One [DVD}. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Spotlight on Technology: VoiceThread [DVD}. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

1 Social Learning in Practice!

Listen to my VoiceThread and feel free to leave me a comment!!

http://voicethread.com/share/1376579/

4 Constructivism/Constructionism in Practice

According to Dr. Orey, Constructivism is a theory of knowledge stating that each individual actively constructs his/her own meaning. Constructionism is the theory of learning that states people learn best when they build an external artifact or something they can share with others (Laureate, 2009). Constructionism can enhance learning tremendously in the classroom. The goal of any teacher is to have students actively involved in each lesson. What better way to achieve this than through actual construction of an idea, project, or artifact.

The text Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works offers several ideas for students to generate and test hypotheses in class. These activities work hand in hand with the Constructionist Theory because students are creating spreadsheets, graphs, charts, etc to become better acquainted with the information in the lesson.

One idea given in the text is the creation of a spreadsheet to show the difference between savings and investments. The students enter information and are able to decide which form of investment would generate the most money in a 30 year period. The text also suggests that the students do not have to create the spreadsheet from scratch; the teacher can insert the formulas to save on time, yet the students still end up with the same result (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). These spreadsheets can easily be formatted into graphs and charts so that the information is more easily visible to the students. In the end, students have created their own spreadsheet and chart/graph instead of just listening to a teacher lecture on the topic.

Another activity that I found interesting is the virtual simulations, specifically the World War II strategy game. Students take on the role of a country leader during World War II and make diplomatic and economic decisions best for that particular country. What a great way for students to fully grasp all of the many factors that existed during the war! In order to win, students must apply what they know and be able to make informed decisions based upon that knowledge. Students are actively participating and strengthening their country with this game instead of just listening to lectures and taking notes (Pitler et al, 2007).

The constructionist theory can easily be integrated into the classroom with the use of technology. With a little creativity, students can learn in new, hands-on method that makes the information relevant to them.

Resources:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories [DVD}. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

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

6 Behaviorism in Practice

In the text, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, the authors discuss two topics: “reinforcing effort” and “homework and practice” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007). In both of these chapters, technology is embedded in the instructional strategies, and the behaviorist learning theory is reinforced.

In the chapter “Reinforcing Effort”, the authors discuss how it is important for students to realize that their success is directly related to the amount of effort they put into each assignment. They suggest that teachers reinforce this idea until students recognize it as a norm and automatically put effort into their work. This is a prime example of Behaviorism, repeating an activity until you get the desire result. The chapter on “Homework and Practice” again reinforces the theory of behaviorism, in that students should continue to strengthen their abilities through repeated practice (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007).

However, the book does not simply leave students with boring practice as an option. They include numerous techniques that involve technology to achieve the goal. Students can monitor their effort through spreadsheets and graphs made with computer software. They will visually see the results of their efforts and how it correlates with their success in the classroom. Also, students can participate in online games as a form of remediation. They may be practicing the same math skills over and over, but are using a different medium to obtain their goal. So although the students are repeating certain skills until they are embedded in their minds (Behaviorism), they are doing it in creative ways that should keep their interest.


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

0 Podcasting

I recently created my first podcast. It is based on the results of a technology usage survey I conducted with my 7th and 8th grade Summer Enrichment Camp students. Check it out here!