EDUC-6712I-2 Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom

Before taking this course, I thought that I knew how to research information. However, the most striking revelation I had about teaching new literacy skills to my students is I realized that I knew very little about researching a topic and absolutely nothing about validating Websites. When researching, I would type in a key word and then look at all the links that “popped up”. It was time consuming and exhausting. I knew that not everything on the Internet was fact, but if it looked and sounded valid, I believed it to be true. The knowledge and skills I have acquired from this course will enable me, as well as my students, to validate sites and gather much more reliable information.

I have gained knowledge and experience from this course that will influence my teaching practices going forward. I have learned that web literacy skills are necessary and I must teach them to my students. Eagleton and Dobler (2007) state that “at a minimum, students need to be able to identify an information need, figure out which resources to use to address that need, evaluate the information they find, read and synthesize information from multiple sources, and transform all those stray pieces of information into something original.”

I have also learned how easy it is to incorporate different types of technology into my classroom. I stated numerous times, in my posts, that the technology is not available at my school. However, I now know how to incorporate it, when it becomes available. According to Dr. Hartman (2009), “Our past was rooted in book culture. The future will be rooted in online and digital media”. Creating my Farm Inquiry Unit Plan helped me gain knowledge and experience with integrating different forms of technology to units and lessons.

My professional development goal that I would like to pursue that builds upon my learning in this course and develops my own information literacy or technology skills is to teach my students 21st century technology skills so they can be successful the rest of their school career and in life after school. I will do this by using the technology that I have as much as possible so they can become proficient in research processes and presentation modes.


Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Baltimore, MD.

Using the GAME Plan Process with Students

I created a GAME plan to help myself create and meet goals for the NETS-T standards. I would love to be creating these goals for now – but they are for the future. It is discouraging to know that I have worked so hard developing and evaluating my person GAME plan and I can’t implement or monitor it. However, it is exciting to know that I will be ahead of the game, when we finally have the technology resources in our school.

The GAME plan process was very helpful and a unique way for me to create and meet the goals that I established for learning about technology and technology resources. However, I don’t think that I will be using the GAME plan process with my Kindergarten students. It is not age appropriate and would not be helpful for them. I will help and teach my students how to develop proficiency in the technology standards and indicators outlined in the NETS-S. I think creating their own GAME plan is a wonderful idea for older students and one that I will be sharing with the teachers in my elementary!

Revising Your GAME Plan

I, personally, feel like I have not made significant gains in my GAME plan. I think knowing that even though I have a GAME plan – also knowing that it will be a long time before I can fully implement it – is very discouraging. However, I will do my best.

I have already began to Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership. I have joined different technology blogs that are giving me great ideas. I will be observing a teacher at a surrounding school in September, to see how she incorporates technology into her classroom. I am now a member of our technology team! That means I will be involved in searching for ways to incorporate technology. I will also help search for the funding to get technology into our school.

I began working on my PBL lessons last week. I feel that they are helping me learn how to Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. However, I do worry that the lessons I have created can not be pulled off in a Kindergarten classroom. They could never be pulled off in my classroom. Unfortunately, two computers is not enough technology to incorporate my PBL lessons!

Again, I am doing my best to stay optimistic about my GAME plan! I continue to strengthen my strategies for integrating technology into my classroom! Wish me luck!!

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.