Moving Forward with My Game Plan

It is difficult for me to currently move forward with my game plan. I am not able to implement or evaluate my game plan, because school has not started yet. However, I have learned a few things that I can apply in my instructional practice.

Just a reminder of the goals that I established for learning about technology and technology resources:
- Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources
- Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
Exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others.

I am now subscribed to different technology blogs. I have found many ideas that I hope to implement in my classroom. These blogs have really helped me to understand that using digital tools in kindergarten needs to be simple. Simply having a student take a picture is incorporating these tools. I think that I was making it much to hard, trying to figure out how my students were going to create a power point presentation!

I have also begun creating my PBL lesson plan!

Monitoring Your GAME Plan Progress

It is very difficult to develop, implement, monitor or evaluate a GAME plan in the middle of the summer. Unfortunately, I currently do not have a classroom full of students and am not able to get feedback. I’m not sure if I need to modify my action plan and new questions have not arisen yet. However, I am still taking the steps towards meeting the goals that I established for learning about technology and technology resources.

I have already contacted a few teachers from surrounding schools. If approved by my principal, I will be set up a date to go and observe how these teachers use digital tools in their classrooms. Although, these tools are not available in our district, I still need to become proficient and learn new ways to customize and personalize using digital tools.

I also got a great idea from a classmate. I have started searching for technology discussion boards. I am able to take part in active boards to get ideas about what technologies other teachers are using in their classrooms.
Again, it is very difficult to have a lot of progress in my plan. It is summer break. However, I do have progress in finding the information and resources that I need!

Carrying Out Your GAME Plan

I was given the opportunity to review my game plan and explore the strategies that I will need for seamlessly integrating technology. We are currently on summer break and I have not been able to take many steps so far. However, I do have a school meeting this week and plan to inform the principal that I would like to join our technology team! I have also started to think about how I can carry out my game plan and pull all of my ideas together!

I will need a lot of resources to carry out my plan. Unfortunately, most of the resources that I need are not available. Digital Recording equipment, computers, a computer hooked up to a TV, and a classroom blog are all resources that I do have available and will need to carry out my plan.

I need additional information about how to incorporate new technology into my classroom. I plan on using the internet, other teachers and my Walden classes to get these ideas. I believe that observation of other teachers who seamlessly integrate technology will be the best way to obtain new information. I hope that when school begins, in August, I will begin to strengthen my confidence and proficiency in technology!

Megan

Developing A GAME Plan

Honestly, I am not very familiar with the National Education Standards for Teacher (NETS-T). I only review them, when required by my classes. I get very discouraged when viewing them, because I know that they are not implemented in my classroom or our school. It seems that we are starting to take the steps towards using updated technology, but are still very far behind using; overhead projectors, chalk boards, and dated computers that are often not working.

After viewing the NETS-T, there are two indicators that I would like to share my GAME plan for strengthening:
- Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources

- Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
Exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others.

I believe that I began my teaching career able to customize and personalize learning activities using digital tools. However, I fear that I am no longer proficient in this area. Technology and the digital tools used in classrooms have changed significantly. I will have to observe how teachers, at other surrounding schools, use technology in their classrooms to achieve my goal of becoming proficient once more. I also believe that this course and other Walden courses are helping me to learn how to incorporate digital tools. Once technology is finally updated and infused at our school, I can start practicing this indicator and become proficient. Until then, I will continue to learn the new ways to customize and personalize using digital tools!

I can’t begin to explain the “want” that I have for technology at our school. However, I lack leadership, participation and ideas for infusion. I blame it on being a new teacher and just trying to survive my first few years. I, now, understand that if I want change I am going to have to become proficient in this NETS-T indicator. I think that this school year is a great time to start! I will participate in our technology team, share my vision of technology infusion with our administration and help develop technology skills of other teachers. I understand that this won’t immediately change our situation but will hopefully push our school closer to the 21st century.

Reflection: Final Blog Posting

I have had several courses over the years that discuss Learning Theories. Each time I take a course and have to evaluate or think about my personal theory of learning, it changes. This course was no different. However, I think this change will reflect the rest of my teaching career more accurately. I began this course aligning myself with the Constructivist perspective. I am continually encouraging my students to discover knowledge and continually build. However, I have ended this course realizing that I cannot commit myself to one particular theory or model. My learning theory is to choose some parts of each theory.

I wish I could make immediate adjustments to my instructional practice regarding technology. I have learned about many new technology tools that I would like to use with my students. Virtual field trips, concept mapping and communication software are just a few tools I would like to begin incorporating into my classroom. This course has given me wonderful ideas, which I hope to use in the future. Unfortunately, the technology is not available for me to make changes. It also seems that it is not in our near future to have smart boards or computers in our classrooms. I am hopeful that I will be teaching a 21st century classroom one day!

Voice Thread

http://voicethread.com/share/1043725/

Enjoy!

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

Cooperative learning focuses on having students interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Technology can play a big role in cooperative learning. It gives students the ability to form groups and allows them to communicate at anytime from anywhere. My classes at Walden are a prime example of cooperative learning! Multimedia, Web resources and communication software can all facilitate cooperative learning. Communication software; blogs, wikis, instant messaging and Skype, is more appropriate for first grade students.

The collaboration tools that I have explored and cooperative learning are very similar. They both correlate with the principles of social learning theories. Social learning theory focuses on students actively engaged in constructing artifacts and conversing with others (Orey, 2009). Students can use collaboration tools/connectivism in Social learning. Connectivism will help students to be actively engaged and converse with others. As Siemens (2009) states, “networks are rich, there has been a significant explosion on how we connect with other people”. Our students have so many different types of technology that they can use to connect with other students for social learning or networking. It makes learning possible all of the time!

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009).

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.