GAME Plan - Course Reflection

While completing a Walden University class - Integrating Technology Across Content Areas - I created my own personal GAME Plan. I began my plan a few weeks ago as I set my goals, took action, and monitored my progress in reaching those goals. To begin with, I set two goals that reflected two ISTE standards (ISTE, 2008). My first goal was to use multiple technologies for communicating with parents, students, and peers. The second was to participate in learning communities both in person and online as well as to participate in professional development focused on technology. 

For my first goal, my primary focus was increasing contact with parents. I sent a survey to parents requiting information regarding contact preferences. Overwhelmingly, but not surprisingly, parents requested that I contact them by phone. This of course allowed me to incorporate Remind. I found this resource and truly wanted to use it but only if parents preferred this method. Sure enough, eighty-one of eighty-six students signed up for Remind. I have already sent out messages and have even been thanked by parents for making parent-teacher connecting easier.  Not only have I impacted the communication between the parents and me, but I have seen an increase of Remind being used in my school. Even the guidance counselor has codes set up for each grade level for students and parents to connect with her. I also wanted to connect more with my peers. As simple as it sounds, I have simply requested cell phone numbers from teachers. Instead of having to wait for an email, teachers and I have increased our communication by texting. While this may be simple, it is certainly something that I have not done in the past. 

Secondly, I wanted to increase my knowledge of technology tools by attending technology informational seminars and connecting with learning communities. Through this, I was able to learn about two new technologies that I wanted to try in my classroom. The first was Plickers. This allowed students to hold up a sign with colored blocks while I used my tablet’s camera to “read” the answers. Using this in my classroom, I found, was not as friendly as I have imagined. I love the idea, but a lot of time, the camera does not read answers and I have to keep pointing the camera to certain student sheets than should be necessary. I’m not ready to give up on it yet since it is a cheaper alternative to purchasing clickers for the room - which will not happen any time soon. The other technology I wanted to try was Nearpod (both of these are described in the last post more fully). I have not had an opportunity to use this tool yet, but I fully prepare to try it out in the future. 

Throughout this course, I have realized just how truly important technology is for student learning. Of course, I had an understanding of the fun and engaging part of technology for students, but using technology is more than just student entertainment in the classroom. Marc Prensky (Prensky, 2008) says that schools need to allow students to power on, to turn on the lights in the classroom. He mentions that one way teachers can do this is by simply allowing our students to use technology to conduct research and create products. Technology integration within my classroom is essential. The first adjustment I will make to my instructional practice is the inclusion of digital storytelling. Of all the sources we have studied throughout this class, this is my favorite, and I want my students to be able to experience it. More importantly, Dr. Arnie Abrams (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009) shares that digital storytelling builds the following skills: research, analytical, creative thinking, problem-solving, interpersonal, communication. I also believe this is a really good first step as my class will continue moving forward by incorporating problem-based learning. 

As I mentioned, in an older post, the GAME Plan method never truly stops. You continue to set or modify goals, take action, and monitor your progress to meet those goals and new ones to come. This is not a negative aspect of the GAME plan. After all, technology continues to improve and we need a game plan in order to not fall behind, and this GAME Plan provides the tools and organization to make that a reality.

Resources: 

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the content areas: Spotlight on technology: Digital storytelling, part 1. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Prensky, M. (2008). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40–45.

Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database.

GAME Plan: Monitoring

GAME Plan Review:

  Two weeks ago I created a GAME Plan based on Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer’s (2009) book Technology Integration forMeaningful Classroom Use, and I chose two ISTE standards that I believed I could improve upon within my classroom. The first was Standard three, Indicator C which said that teachers should, “Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats” (ISTE, 2008, p. 2). The fist part of the GAME Plan is G which stands for setting goals. My goal for this standard was to use muliptle technologies for communicating with parents, students, and peers. The second, Standard Five, Indicator A asks teachers to “Participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning” (p. 2). My goal is to participate in learning communities both in person and online as well as to participate in professional development focused on technology. 

Last week, I moved to the second part of the GAME Plan - A - which stands for action. I located the type of resources I would need in order to carry out my plan. This week, I’m on the third step - M - for monitoring. This means that I am determining whether I am succeeding in my plan based on what I have learned so far. Below I will share with you some things that I have learned over the past week and some new searches that will need to be added to my plan.

Standard Three - Indicator C (Digital Communication):

The tool I am seeking information for that I could use to communicate with parents is called Remind. As I searched this website I found that sending text messages to parents is actually a one-way communication. You can send texts to parents but they cannot reply to that number. One area that I was concerned about was the fact that all parents may not be able to receive texts. Remind takes care of this by allowing messages to be sent by email rather than texts. The parents can sign-up for which ever method they choose - I really liked this. The teacher in my school who uses this tool really likes it. She told me that you can send messages out online or Remind even has an app that allows you to send messages out on your phone as well. Additionally, she said that parents were very receptive of the messages and were grateful that the teacher was seeking to communicate with parents. 

I have not sent out a survey to parents yet. School begins again in a week and a half, so  I will be doing that soon. I am going to be preparing my questions for the survey. I have taken a few surveys through SurveyMonkey, but I have never created one. This will be my newest question as I seek to discover a good survey site. Anyone have any suggestions?

Standard 5 - Indicator A (Technology Learning Communities):

           Last week I mentioned that I signed up for two technology sessions that a state organization was providing. I am so excited after attending the seminar last Saturday  as I have learned many tools to try out for my classroom! I will share two of them that I found quite interesting. The first is called Plickers. Each student will receive a sheet of paper with weird blocks on the sheet (just check out the website). When the teacher asks a question, the students turn the paper so that A, B, C, or D is on the top of the page. The teacher then takes a smart phone/iPad (or other device), using the app and camera feature, sweeps the camera across the room. It reads the student answers (using the weird blocks) and informs you of their answers on your device. I love this since our school has limited clickers. Only one technology piece is needed. 

The second is called Nearpod. This does require each student (or a group of students) to have a device (smart phone, tablet, etc.). The best way I can describe this tool is like having a PowerPoint on the board but also having the Powerpoint on the student devices as well. The teacher has complete control of what is on the student phones (when the “slide” changes). What is really cool about this is that the slides can be interactive. Students can draw, select, match items. Students get the slides on their phone by using an app. You’ll really just have to check this one out! 

While there are many cool tools out there I must be careful. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) write that “it’s important to emphasize that technology should only be used when it facilities learning, and not simply as a novelty” (p. 146). I need to remind myself that while technology can be fun and cool, it is also importation that the lesson goals come first, and the technology is used to support those goals to reach a successful outcome. 

Each new technology tool that I want to incorporate into my classroom, practically will have its own GAME Plan. Will this tool work? Is it working? Do I need to find a new tool or keep using this one? Truly, GAME plans never end! Happy Planning!

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.

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers

GAME Plan: Resources

Review of GAME Plan:

In my previous blog post, I wrote about Dr. Peggy Ertmer’s (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009) four areas that teachers need to have in order to integrate technology effectively within a classroom. I shared my GAME plan on how I was going to increase the four areas of technological knowledge, confidence, beliefs, and culture support by focusing on the International Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE) (2008) National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). I narrowed my focus to two indicators within two different standards. Standard three, Indicator C said that teachers should, “Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats” (ISTE, 2008, p. 2), and my goal is to employ multiple technologies for communicating with parents, students, and peers. Standard five, Indicator A requires teachers to “Participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning” (p. 2). My goal is to participate in local and global learning communities in professional development seminars and workshops and in online communities.

Standard Three - Indicator C (Digital Communication):

I heard about a communication tool called Remind before my first year of teaching. It was my goal to incorporate this into my teaching this past year, but it fell to the wayside. This year, as part of my GAME plan, I am going to investigate into this communication tool that uses cell phones. I am aware that communication is sent by text messaging, but I need more information before I can begin to determine if this tool is appropriate for my classroom. As I began to talk with colleagues, I discovered that a teacher in my school uses this tool. Therefore, I will seek her advice in addition to the information provided on their website. 

In order to gather information about parent preferences for technological communication, I will send a survey home with students (perhaps using technology) asking parents different communication types they prefer. I will further need to discuss with colleagues concerning the various ways I can communicate with parents. 

Standard 5 - Indicator A (Technology Learning Communities):

One of the actions indicated in the previous post was an interest in attending workshops and seminars that focused on technological uses within the classroom. After researching online for local and statewide gatherings, I noticed an upcoming inservice to be hosted by a teaching organization that offered a variety of sessions throughout the day. I have signed up for four sessions but only two offer technology information. The first session includes technology that can be used within kindergarden to second grade classrooms. The second session deals with integrating technology in and out of the classroom. This session according to its description should also discuss communication technologies.

I also mentioned that I wanted to join an online community of teachers that utilized technology within their classrooms and shared their experiences using them in the classroom. Edutopia is an online community focusing on the betterment of education. Within this site I located an online group in  centered on the theme “Classroom Technology” which offered blogs by educational professionals as well as classroom technology videos. I will read through some of the older blog posts first, and I have added this to my personal aggregator so that I will be able to read new posts as well. 

Sources:

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers

http://www.edutopia.org/blogs/tag/classroom-technology

Technology GAME Plan - EDUC 6713 (Wk2)

          Dr. Peggy Ertmer (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009), a professor of Educational Technology at Purdue University, says that in order to integrate technology effectively within a classroom, it requires that the teacher have technological knowledge consisting of some technology skills or at least knowledge of how technology allows students to interact with the content. Additionally, Dr. Ertmer mentions that the educator should have confidence in his or her abilities (or confidence to inform a student “I don’t know”), positive technological classroom integration beliefs, and a supportive culture. In order to grow in the areas of knowledge, confidence, beliefs, and support, I need to engage in Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer’s (2009) GAME plan which “requires you to think about and take steps to direct your learning process, specifically while learning about technology” (p. 3). My GAME plan will focus my learning according to the International Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE) (2008) National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T).

  Entering my first year of teaching, I had plenty of ideas that I eagerly wanted to incorporate into my classroom, but as I reflected over the year, many of these ideas fell behind to, what I considered, more pressing issues. However, I have made a vow to incorporate these ideas in my next year of teaching. One of these ideas can be seen in NETS-T standard three. Indicator C requires teachers to “Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats” (ISTE, 2008, p. 2). Another area of improvement I would like to invest in is listed under standard five. Indicator A  requires teachers to “Participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning” (p. 2). This second area will certainly promote my knowledge and confidence, but it will also create a supporting culture of educators within my school and globally. 

In the GAME plan, G represents that teachers should set goals (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). Second, A means to take action. M is for monitoring progress, and E asks educators to evaluate and extend. I will use the GAME plan to improve my professional development in the two areas listed below and addressed above. 

Standard 3 - Indicator C (Digital Communication):

  Typically, communication with parents consisted either of talking in person, email, or by telephone. Communication with students was limited to conversations within the classroom, and communication with peers was either by email or in person. Overall, technological communication was practically nonexistent which I find to be very disappointing. My goal is to employ multiple technologies for communicating with parents, students, and peers. In order to reach this goal, I will first seek advice from peers concerning their methods for communication. I will also ask parents and students how contact should be made specifically using technology. Additionally, there may be district or school guidelines as to technological communication which will need to be researched. In order to monitor my progress toward reaching this goal, I will first determine if I am indeed communicating with parents, students, and peers technologically. Also, many services will prepare records of communication. This too will serve be used to monitor my progress. In the evaluation stage, it is necessary that I reflect on the use of the technologies. Did they work? Was communication successful? Should I change technologies? Lastly, I believe it is important to share my findings with my peers. This, of course, can be done electronically as well.

Standard 5 - Indicator A (Technology Learning Communities):

  Technology application within the classroom is essential in the 21st century, and it is the teacher’s responsibility to participate in professional development opportunities to increase technological knowledge. For this reason, I have chosen this standard as an area in which I need to improve. My goal is to participate in local and global learning communities in professional development seminars and workshops and in online communities. The internet is full of educators sharing their uses in their classrooms. Therefore, I will search and join a network of teachers in order to read these teachers experiences using technology in their classrooms. Furthermore, it is essential that I also share my evaluations of technological uses in my classroom (which could certainly include the use of communication tools described above). I will monitor my progress by keeping records of technologies that I wish to incorporate into my classroom. My aggregator will also provide notices of new postings which will allow me to monitor postings which I have and yet to read. I believe a good way to evaluate my progress would be to reflect on my new knowledge. Am I gaining new knowledge? Are these online communities and local seminars providing valuable information? If not, I will need to join another network or further explore other workshop opportunities. 

Teachers strive to engage learners and encourage and lead them be lifelong learners, but first, the educators need to be lifelong learner role-models. What better way could this be done than by exploring new technologies and sharing them with peers and students and incorporating them into the classroom. If teachers are excited about the new and exciting technologies that students can use to promote their creative thinking, surely, the students will be excited as well. In the long run, I believe that if teachers will continue to become more knowledgeable and confident, promote and help create a supportive culture, and believe that technology can make a difference in the classroom, then students can and will also improve in these same exact areas.

Sources:

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/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the content areas: Enriching content area learning experiences with technology, part 1. Baltimore, MD: Author.