Course Reflection: New and Emerging Technologies

The learning activity that I developed in Weeks 6 and 7 involves the use of the educational video game Immune Attack, which can be found and downloaded from the website for the Federation of American Scientists (http://www.fas.org/programs/ltp/games/index.html). It is an interactive, multi-level video game where students maneuver through various components of the immune system and make decisions based upon what they encounter. In a strange turn of events, I actually met the creator of the game this past weekend! I attended the USA Science and Engineering Festival on the National Mall, where hundreds of organizations presented over 1500 interactive science exhibits. Ironically, one of the exhibits that I visited had Immune Attack on display! It turns out the woman who designed the game, and is designing the new version of the game, was there and I was able to talk to her about it. I was also able to see kids playing (and enjoying!) the game.
Prior to this class, I would have put myself into the group of people who are skeptical about educational video games, both in their ability to teach and the practicality of using them in the classroom. Now, as a result of this class, I have completely changed my position. I am looking forward to finding more educational video games and I hope that many new ones are produced in the near future. I see now that good educational games provide authentic learning experiences, and that students become highly engaged in the games. While I have learned about many emerging technologies during this course, I know that I will focus on identifying emerging educational video games for use in my classroom. I am now also more prepared for effecting change in my school by encouraging other educators to adopt this type of technology, as well.

APP4: Online Learning with Course Management Systems

Please view my Voice Thread presentation about web-based course management systems.

Reaching and Engaging All Learners through Technology - Final Reflection

Throughout this course, I have learned about the principles of Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction, as well as how to use technology as I implement those principles. In the Differentiation Station social network, my group compiled many resources that provide tools and ideas for using technology to help make content accessible to all students. Of the resources we gathered, I plan to make immediate use of the resource which introduce technologies that correspond to various learning styles and multiple intelligences. In my own classroom, this is an area where I have room for improvement. While I do use a variety of technology tools, all students have been required to use the same tools at the same time. As a result of what I have learned in this class, I plan to immediately adjust my instruction so that not all students are using the same technology at the same time. I will use the resources from my Differentiation Station network to find technology tools that customize learning based upon learning style.

In addition to resources, my group also posted information about research that supports UDL and DI. I plan to use these research findings to support a presentation that I will make to my department about incorporating these principles into our instructional practices.

Final Reflection

The GAME plan (Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer, 2009) that I developed and followed involved learning about wiki programs and networking with others to discuss the inclusion of wikis in instruction. I wanted to hear how other teachers had used them and whether or not they were effective. I do not want to use technology for the sake of using technology in my classroom – I want to use it in a way that results in increased student learning. As a result of my GAME plan, I learned a lot about how others use wikis and I feel confident about incorporating them into my classroom. I also became more familiar with the wiki program provided by my school so that I can use it effectively next year.

The immediate adjustments that I will make to my instructional practice will not take effect until next school year, as I am finishing the 09-10 school year as I write this blog entry (students are taking their FINAL final!). I plan to incorporate wikis in addition to other technology tools as much as possible next year. I want to find a way to incorporate at least one new technology aspect in each unit in both of my prep areas, which are Biology and Human Anatomy & Physiology. Since HA&P is a new class for me, I would like to incorporate even more technology tools. Ideally, I would like to center the curriculum around 21st century skills. Since I have no strict curriculum guidelines for HA&P, I have free reign to experiment with problem-based lessons and technology. I see this class as a learning opportunity for both me and my students, and a place where I can really hone my skills with many technology tools. As I do, I will also incorporate more problem-based learning and technology into my Biology classes. The Biology classes have a very extensive curriculum, so I sometimes fear trying something new and failing, therefore wasting valuable time.

As a result of this course, I have learned many new ways to effectively integrate technology into my curriculum, as well as some new technology tools that I have never used. I still feel like I have a lot to learn, though. I will continue to use the GAME plan approach to setting and achieving my goals when it comes to technology integration.


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.

Introducing the GAME Plan to Students: Week 7

The GAME plan process is versatile and can be used any time I want my students to be self-directed learners. I can use the GAME plan process with my students to help them meet the NETS-S standard of “Communication and Collaboration.” According to the indicators for this standard, students should be able to communicate and collaborate with other in a digital environment. While I know that my students use social networking sites, micro-blogging sites, and blogs in a social manner, I do not think that they use them for informational or educational purposes. I would like my students to set goals for themselves to regularly visit and participate in a blog, micro-blog, or other social network site for informational or educational purposes. I plan to have them research various sites for this purpose, then write a GAME plan for participating in two of the networks. They may also choose to create an aggregator account to keep track of the sites they choose.

Another way to incorporate the GAME plan process with students is to have them identify one technology tool that they would like to know more about, then create a GAME plan for learning how to use that tool, as well as why it is useful. Part of their plan would need to include creating a presentation for the class, so that all students benefit and learn the about the tool.

Week 6 GAME plan progress

What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?
What goals are you still working toward?

So far, execution of my GAME plan has resulted in new ideas for incorporating wikis in my classroom. I also feel more confident with the program provided by my school, and I am aware of some other teachers in my building who can help me in this process.

Based on the NETS-T, what new learning goals will you set for yourself?
If you are not ready to set new learning goals, how will you extend what you have learned so far?


I would like to set new learning goals for becoming familiar with and incorporating even more technology tools into my classroom. As I continue through my coursework, I am constantly learning about more and more ways to incorporate technology into the classroom. In addition, I need to use technology to enhance my own knowledge base. For example, I could create a twitter account to network with other educators.

What learning approaches will you try next time to improve your learning?

To improve my learning, I need to spend more time investigating the uses of technology in the classroom. Educational newsletters and blogs contain current information about new technologies and how other teachers are using them. Keeping up with current educational news about technology will help me to achieve my goals of incorporating more technology into my classroom.

GAME Plan Update 6-2-10

At this point in my GAME plan, my actions have effectively helped me to meet my stated goals. In talking to colleagues, I learned important information about the wiki program provided by the school. I have also learned about new ways to incorporate wikis into my instruction from both colleagues and Internet resources. I have not had the opportunity to discuss the use of wikis with other teachers in my district. I will be able to address that part of my plan in the fall during professional development days.

I think I have learned a great deal about the uses for wikis in the classroom. I think the next step is to adjust my plan to include the development of lesson plans using wikis. I have set a goal for next year to assign at least one wiki project per quarter to my students. This new goal will ensure that I put what I have learned to good use in the classroom.

Moitoring my GAME plan progress

I have made significant progress toward learning about how other teachers in my school have used the wiki program provided by the school. Two of the teachers I spoke with told me that they have used it with great success. I had many questions about student grouping and assessment for wiki projects. I originally thought that each student or group would be assigned to a different wiki page, but it seems like a better idea to create just one wiki for the class. That way, all students can see everyone else’s work. Each student or group would create a different page, all on the same wiki.

My colleagues also shared some great ways to use the wiki once it is created. They have created projects in which each group is assigned one topic for their page. Once all the pages are created, students read other pages created by other groups. Then they add edits to the page with questions about information that they wanted to learn from the page but did not. The same students are responsible for finding the answers to those questions and posting them. Students are motivated to create thorough pages because they can then use the information on the wiki during an open-wiki quiz.

Discussing wikis with my colleagues was very helpful and sparked a lot of ideas on my part for how wikis can be used. I also feel more confident about using the school-provided program, and I know I can count on my fellow teachers for assistance when I need it.

In working toward the goals of my GAME plan, I have found many educational blogs geared toward technology in the classroom, many of which address wikis. This information is also helpful, as I can learn about how teachers outside of my school are using wikis and other technology. As I read more from teachers around the globe, it becomes clear to me just how large of a gap there is between teachers who use technology and those who do not. Teachers who use technology are very passionate about how keeping abreast of the newest technologies and about thinking of new ways to incorporate technology into instruction. I have found many teachers through educational blogs who can see instructional uses for cell phones and even Facebook! Yet many teachers do not incorporate any technology into teaching and learning at all. It may be hard to believe, but some teachers who still use an overhead projector! While I am not yet at the level of technology gurus like David Warlick, I do have a desire to incorporate technology into instruction. The more I read in the global educational community, the more obvious it is that technology integration is key to student success.

I still have work to do in my action plan. I would like to communicate with more teachers about how they use wikis in their classrooms. I also plan to seek out more resources through online educational communities. At this point, I do not plan to modify my action plan, but rather to keep working with my current plan.

Resources for my GAME plan

The next step in following through with my GAME plan is to identify the resources and additional information that I will need as I work toward my goals. One of my biggest resources will be other teachers, both inside and outside of my school community. My colleagues will be important resources, as I can contact them easily to discuss my goals and actions. I will also contact the technology specialist for my school for information about the wiki software provided by the school. Additionally, I will search for online resources, such as educational technology blogs and learning communities. Therefore, personal contact and the Internet will be my main resources.
So far I have discussed the use of wikis in the classroom in with a few of my colleagues. None of the ones I spoke to have used wikis for instructional purposes, but I now have the names of a few colleagues who have, and I plan to speak with them next.

GAME Plan

After reviewing the National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T), I realized that I am not currently doing everything that I can to meet all of the standards and indicators identified in this document. One of the indicators that I feel I can improve upon as a teacher is in my ability to “design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity” (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008). While I have tried to incorporate new technologies into my instruction over the past year, I know that I need to continue working toward learning about new resources to use in the classroom. Another indicator that I would like to work on is to “participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning” (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008). In order to improve my performance on these two indicators, I have developed a GAME plan, or a self-directed learning plan, according to the steps described by Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009). My single plan addresses both of the indicators that I am working to improve upon.

Goals:
Learn about how wikis are used to support student learning.
Determine what type of grouping works best when assigning a wiki project to students.
Learn how to assign students to groups within the wiki software provided by my school.
Identify other teachers in my school who have used the wiki software for student projects.
Identify other teachers throughout my county who use the wiki software in their classrooms.
Identify local and global learning communities where wiki and other technology use in the
classroom is discussed.

Action:
Ask other teachers in my school about their use of wikis in the classroom.
Subscribe to technology newsletters and blogs to participate in global learning communities.
Engage in discussions with global learning communities about the use of wikis in the classroom.
Network with other science teachers in my county at professional development events and ask about their use of wikis in the classroom.
Ask other teachers to share what they know about using the wiki software provided by my school.
Ask other teachers how they prefer to group students when assigning a wiki project.
Discuss best practices for assessing wiki projects with other teachers in my school, county, and the global learning community.

Monitor:
I will monitor my action plan weekly and assess my progress toward each of my goals. If necessary, I will make modifications to the action plan in order to meet all of my goals. I will keep a log of all the information that I gather as I carry out my action plan to facilitate the monitoring of my progress.

Evaluate and Extend:
I will evaluate whether or not I have achieved all of my goals as stated. If not, I will adjust my action plan in order to meet my goals. If I have met all of my goals, I will have evidence for each goal in my log. Once my goals are met, I will be able to seamlessly incorporate wiki projects into my curriculum using the software provided by my school. Most importantly, I will do so with confidence in my own abilities and with confidence that the project will lead to student success.

As I reflect on my GAME plan, I am concerned that my plan is too ambitious. My list of goals seems lengthy, but many are interconnected. Also, my action plan addresses each goal that listed, so I should be able to meet each goal successfully. I hope to see much success with my GAME plan, as I often feel overwhelmed by the number of technology tools that are available and the rate at which new technologies emerge. I want to incorporate them into my curriculum, but I get bogged down thinking about how much there is to learn. I developed my GAME plan around the use of wikis because my school provides a wiki tool through BlackBoard, a site that all teachers use to post updates and assignments. Since the software is provided, I do not need to take additional steps to get permission from the school and from parents to use the wiki. Once I master the wiki and use it in a way that enhances student learning, I will develop another GAME plan to determine if and how I can obtain permission to use tools outside of the BlackBoard program.


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). The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Course Relfection: Information Literacy and Online Inquiry

As I reflect back on what I have learned during this course, my most striking revelation about the teaching of new literacy skills is the sheer number of new literacy skills that need to be taught to prepare students today for success. Fortunately, as a result of this course, I have also learned some effective ways to seamlessly incorporate these skills into inquiry-based projects designed around constructivist/constructionist theories of learning. While I have incorporated some constructivist/constructionist projects into my instruction in the past, the projects have been fairly small in scope and addressed only a small number of new literacy skills. After completing this course, I now feel prepared to implement extensive inquiry-based projects which address many content standards and new literacy skills. My future teaching practices will reflect the project-based learning strategies that I learned during this course.

My goal for the future is to develop a cross-curricular project for my students. I will discuss possible projects with the ninth grade English teachers and develop a plan for students to learn and practice new literacy skills in both classes. The scope of the project should include content standards for both English and Biology in addition to new literacy skills. We can develop a rubric to use for each class to address standards specific to each subject area. Approaching the project from both and English and a Biology standpoint will provide students with additional instruction and practice with new literacy skills, reinforcing the importance of these skills.