Final Reflection for Course 6713

It is true that by setting goals, having a plan, monitoring progress, and engaging in reflection; we can create a technology rich environment and help to prepare our students for future tasks, jobs, and life situations, (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2010). As we began the process of our GAME plan, I found it to be a great tool for organization, goal setting, and accountability. I still believe that we must place careful thought into how we approach and document these tasks; but after having monitored my GAME plan throughout the duration of this course, I realize that this can be done in a number of specific ways. Originally, to achieve my first goal, to become more “proficient and confident in promoting and modeling digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information,” (NETS-T, 2008); I had stated that I would engage in proper training for technology tools, increase the number of opportunities that my students had to utilize technology, and to model and scaffold the idea of proper etiquette and responsible social interactions related to technology use. I even had the idea of developing class guidelines for use with each individual class that I engaged. While this is a great starting point; creating lesson plans that helped to clarify what proper use is and isn’t, using teacher think-alouds, and helping my students focus on my own thoughts of how to use technology responsibly becomes a piece of that support. Ideas continued to develop and lead my vision to be further detailed with pedagogy and specificity. The idea of incorporating Problem Based Learning Lessons that promote in-depth understanding of subject-area content while simultaneously developing student’s higher-order thinking skills (Ertmer & Simons, 2006), became a reality. Anticipating my students becoming self-directed learners, learning to collaborate with others in an effective and productive manner, and to have confidence in my students and the technology that I have taught them to use to solve problems which may not have a concrete solution became a larger part of my focused approach. Online collaboration is a piece of my plan that allows for social group work and improves the amount or frequency of feedback that a student receives. Assessing students and providing feedback using a checklist or rubric allows for me to facilitate learning and to record when students shared data, analyzed data, and completed writing tasks to communicate their findings.

The second goal that I aspired to of being able to “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,” (NETS-T, 2008) is one that did not necessarily change throughout my GAME Plan revision, but one that became a goal that I could see more clearly as the course and our knowledge evolved. Now, a few weeks before the new school year, I am again reminded that no matter what subject we teach or how much experience we have, that there are people out there in the same position, trying to take risks, increase rigor, and infuse technology in their classrooms. This fact drives me to keep open lines of communication with neighboring middle schools and to share resources and knowledge that we develop. Even more so, it invests me in the idea of supporting the new teachers we have at our middle school. With my dissemination of information relating to the NSTE-S and NSTE-T, and the inspiring help of my colleagues; we can and will develop activities, assessments, rubrics, and guidelines for strengthening reading, writing, literacy, and technology skills.


References

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Ertmer, P., & Simons, K. (Spring 2006). Jumping the PBL implementation hurdle: Supporting the efforts of K-12 teachers. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), 40-54. Retrieved from http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=ijpbl.

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.

Using the GAME Plan Process with Students

The NETS-S and the NETS-T are inter-related in such a way that the focus or objectives for technology use, literacy skills, global networking, and digital citizenship overlap with each other; the student standards simply require an active role of participation in the activity, whereas the teacher standards employ a creative and developmental nature of how we can help students achieve these goals and be successful in the activities. My goal of becoming more “proficient and confident in promoting and modeling digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information,” (NETS-T, 2008); fits directly with the goals that are set for students themselves. By analyzing practices already in place and then engaging with appropriate resources, I can create experiences where students work responsibly and creatively to solve problems, interact with others around the world, and regardless of content area, can learn more, and retain it because they are satisfied with the experience, (Hargis, & Wilcox, 2008). Instructional practices such as PBL, online collaboration, and digital storytelling, for example, provide a forum for both teacher and student standards to be addressed. In a different forum, I can engage my students in using computer based assessment tools and work towards furthering goals such as, “students demonstrating a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations,” (NETS-S, 2008). The use of probeware to collect data in science experiments, having students blog about their lab reflections rather then just writing the report in their lab book, and enlisting administration to support our progress; all works towards the ideals for which the NSTE Standards were created. I honestly, look forward to my students becoming more comfortable with new standards and processes; to them becoming self-directed learners. I see nothing wrong with having them develop their own GAME plan for certain tasks or goals. With my dissemination of information relating to the NSTE-S and NSTE-T, and the help of my colleagues to develop activities, assessments, rubrics, and guidelines for strengthening reading, writing, literacy, and technology skills; the sky will truly be our limit.



References:

Hargis, J., & Wilcox, S. M. (2008, October). Ubiquitous, free, and efficient online collaboration tools for teaching and learning. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 9(4), 9–17.

National Education Standards for Students (NETS-S) located at
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007.htm

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.

Revising Your GAME Plan for NETS-T

My first goal is still to become more “proficient and confident in promoting and modeling digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information,” (NETS-T, 2008). After engaging in the resources throughout this Walden class I have learned that I will not only need to become proficient in how to use these tools, but also in how to creatively incorporate them into my already existing curriculum. I am convinced that by doing so I can create experiences where regardless of the content or subject area being taught in a classroom, my students can work collaboratively in small groups, learn more, and retain it because they are satisfied with the experience, (Hargis, & Wilcox, 2008). Online collaboration allows for this social group work and improves the amount or frequency of feedback that a student receives. I plan to incorporate a number of Problem Based Learning Lessons that reflect the use on online collaboration and promote in-depth understanding of subject-area content while simultaneously developing student’s higher-order thinking skills (Ertmer & Simons, 2006). I am looking forward to my students becoming more comfortable with this process and therefore being self-directed learners.


Additionally, I have learned that student participation can easily be assessed using a checklist to record when students shared data, analyzed data, and completed writing tasks, (Trundle, Willmore, & Smith, 2006); and plan to enlist the help of my colleagues to develop such checklists and assessments for the projects that we create. I really do believe that, together we can overcome some of the challenges we face when deviating from traditional instruction and standards for which students are tested at the end of the year. A new goal that I am now working towards is to “use my knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments,” (NETS-T, 2008). When engaged in online learning, the primary means of communication is to read and write to interact with others on the same network. This, in itself, promotes the strengthening of reading and writing skills, the participation in authentic experiences with others, and the idea that we can learn from one another,” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). Creativity and asynchronous teamwork will need to be a large part of achieving this goal, as well as the continued revision of already created lessons.


References:

Ertmer, P., & Simons, K. (Spring 2006). Jumping the PBL implementation hurdle: Supporting the efforts of K-12 teachers. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), 40-54. Retrieved from http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=ijpbl.

Hargis, J., & Wilcox, S. M. (2008, October). Ubiquitous, free, and efficient online collaboration tools for teaching and learning. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 9(4), 9–17.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program Ten. Spotlight on Technology: Social Networking and Online Collaboration , Part One [Motion picture]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.

Trundle, K. C., Willmore, S., & Smith, W. S. (2006, March). The MOON project. Science and Children, 43(6), 52–55.

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.