Reflections on Emerging Technologies

After exploring several emerging technologies and their educational applications, I created a learning activity based on a digital game, “Lure of the Labyrinth.” This digital game bridges drill and practice content centered web games and the in-depth, story based games that serve as popular leisure past-times. I realized the potential educational digital games have in engaging students while supporting curriculum (Billings, 2009). The key to integrating any technology is aligning it with the standards and curriculum. Technology should not be a stand-alone activity or resource, instead technology tools should enrich and support the learning experiences. Beyond creating learning activities, I realized the importance of advocating for technology integration, especially when the technology also has applications viewed as fun or social such as digital games or MUVEs. By sharing learning activities and experiences with emerging technologies, colleagues can also become aware of educational benefits of technologies and gain confidence in incorporating them into lessons as well. Although I now know of the many benefits of integrating technology, technology resources are needed to implement learning activities. Knowing how to locate and apply for grant resources can be the difference in bringing emerging technologies to the students.

There are immediate adjustments I will need to make to facilitate technology integration that will benefit my students as well as students in my district. In the past, I viewed my role in my school and district as very insular; I was a teacher of the students in my class. I now recognize the importance of sharing my experiences and knowledge of technology as that can lead to change for both my students, the students in my school, as well as in my district. I realize now that leadership does not rest solely on administrators’ shoulders. (Fullan, 2002). There are important considerations in being an effective leader such as recognizing and understanding the different leadership styles needed to implement the change for bringing emerging technology to the students. Additionally, making decisions about which technologies to adopt does not have to be a guessing game; McLuhan’s Tetrad provides a format to analyze emerging technology and determine where money is best spent (Laureate Education Inc., 2009).

Awareness and knowledge of emerging technology is key in leading the way in technology integration. I will use journals, professional development opportunities in MUVEs such as Second Life and professional learning networks to help me stay abreast of new trends and tools. I am no longer limited in the professional development opportunities and professional learning networks by geographic location and budget as the Internet has taken down those barriers and even offers solutions for organizing information (Warlick, 2009). Taking that a step further, I can guide my students to taking advantage of the resources and opportunities available through MUVEs, digital games, and online learning modules to differentiate learning experiences and provide authentic, collaborative activities right in our classroom. Our 21^st Century learners rely on and expect technology to extend their social lives. They are already comfortable navigating and participating in online communities, gathering information, and collaborating in digital settings (Lemke & Coughlin, 2009). We can tap into this and enrich their learning experiences while demonstrating relevance of technology in all parts of their lives or we can lose out on opportunities to use technology as a bridge between school and the rest of their lives. Experiences such as Global Kids educate students about world-wide topics while involving them in meaningful, authentic activities (Yoder, 2009).

Technology provides the opportunity to expand educational experiences beyond classroom walls. None of the opportunities are possible however, without teachers willing to step into leadership roles and model and advocate for changes that benefit students (Laureate Education Inc., 2009). To be an effective teacher for my 21^st century learners, I need to be forward thinking in terms of technology while promoting integration and resource adoption.

Billings, K. (2009). Lessons from the trenches. School Library Journal, 55(10), 26–27. Retrieved from the Education Research Complete database.

Fullan, M. (2002). The change leader. Educational Leadership, 59(8) ,16–20. Retrieved from the Education Research Complete database.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). New and Emerging Technologies. Baltimore: Moller, G.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). New and Emerging Technologies. Baltimore: Thornburg, D.

Lemke, C., & Coughlin, E. (2009). The change agents. Educational Leadership, 67(1), 54–59. Reproduced with permission of Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development in the format electronic usage via Copyright Clearance Center.

Warlick, D. (2009). Grow your personal learning network. Learning & Leading with Technology, 36(6), 12–16. Retrieved from the Education Research Complete database.

Yoder, M. (2009). Walk, fly, or teleport to learning. Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(2), 16–20. Retrieved from the Education Research Complete database.

Online Learning in K-12 Schools

Here is a link to a Voice Thread I created on Moodle, a Classroom Management System.

http://voicethread.com/share/1183349/

Reflections on Differentiated Instruction and Universal Design for Learning

As I reflect on my experience with my group’s social network, several thoughts come to mind. The collaboration was both enjoyable and valuable. Each group member contributed different resources on Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction. These resources included both background information, as well as practical ways to implement the approaches. Additionally, our chat session helped me clarify and develop a deeper understanding. My group members themselves were great resources.

How will I use these resources to implement Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction in my classroom? First of all, I have borrowed an idea from one of my group members to organize the resources. I am bookmarking each of the websites so I can easily locate and use them. I incorporated many components of the student inventories and surveys shared by my group into a beginning of the year survey on interests, learning profile and intelligences. I plan to use this to set the stage for my differentiated classroom as the results will help me begin to make connections with my students and guide my plans (Laureate Education Inc, 2009). I like the idea of locating resources related to a unit of study to use in differentiating my lessons. These resources will provide the multiple routes so that all students will arrive successfully to our destination; the learning goals (Laureate Education Inc., 2009). Additionally, I recognize now, from first hand experience, how valuable a learning network can be in clarifying and deepening understanding. My students could benefit just as much as I have from being offered the experience of a learning network.

I have already adopted the vital mindset that each student has unique learning needs and strengths (Laureate Education Inc., 2009). With that in place, technology provides the tools and resources to make Differentiated Instruction and Universal Design for Learning a reality in my classroom. The most immediate adjustment I will make to customize learning during the last nine weeks of this school year will be to offer a choice board on our oceanography unit as a culminating activity and final assessment. Students will have the opportunity to select three activities based on interest and learning profile to demonstrate their understanding of the content material. Technology tools including spreadsheets, Microsoft Paint, Audacity, digital cameras, and Pixie 2 will enable students to create authentic products while taking their learning of oceanography deeper with internet resources on currents, careers, and geography. This choice board will be a first step in offering product options to my students and in bringing differentiation to my classroom.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Reaching and engaging all learners through technology. Baltimore: Tomlinson, C.

Tomlinson, C. (1999). Differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development. Retrieved from the Walden Library ebrary.

Reflections

The GAME plan really is a guide to developing self-directed learners (Laureate Education Inc., 2009). By putting the GAME plan into practice as I developed skills and confidence in incorporating digital tools into my lessons and helped my students become digital citizens, I better recognize the benefits of using the plan and now feel comfortable using it with my students. To guide my students on a path of becoming self-directed learners, it helps to have structure in place; the GAME plan can be that structure. As the focus is on the process, the GAME plan can be used to support any goal students may have once they learn how to use it (Laureate Education Inc., 2009). It can help turn goals into realities with actions, monitoring and evaluations to support the goals.

For my own GAME plan, one of my goals was to integrate technology to support student learning of content in a meaningful way. I have since discovered numerous ways to use technology tools to support content. It is easy to set goals, but the GAME plan provided the roadmap for me to integrate tools such as podcasts, PowerPoints, and streaming clips to support my students’ learning of content. The monitoring and evaluation steps encouraged reflection on which tools were most effective for each lesson. One of the most significant things I have learned is to first identify the content objective and then select the technology tool that will support student learning of the content (Laureate Education Inc., 2009). This ensures that the content is the focus and the technology tools provide the learning experiences or assessments.

As I used the GAME plan to create a classroom of digital citizens I realized that my students knew very little about their responsibilities with digital resources. Through the pre-assessment I created as part of the action step, I discovered my students needed to develop skills in two areas: citing resources and making information their own. Both of these will be ongoing areas to work on. As I monitored their progress, I realized they needed awareness, tools to use to support them such as websites like http://citationmachine.net/, graphic organizers to assist in organizing the research information and modeling from me.

My biggest “aha” moment centered on online social and learning networks. This is the area where I will make the most significant adjustment to support student learning with technology. After recognizing the way the discussion boards have positively affected my learning, and studying the variety of ways they can be integrated, I realized it is time to have my students engage in this kind of activity. I plan to start with an online discussion board. I like the idea that Vicki Davis brings to light that everyone has a chance to participate (Laureate Education Inc., 2009). The students who shine in traditional class discussions often are confident answering orally, strong auditory learners, and fast processers. The format of the online discussion board levels the playing field and gives each student the time and opportunity to participate in a meaningful way. The asynchronous format will enable all of my students to engage in discussion, even if they attend the resource program on different days and have never met (Laureate Education Inc. 2009). Students will be able to clarify and extend their learning and take their thinking about the content information to a deeper level through the discussions. I plan to use the GAME plan to bring this new goal to reality.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Cennamo, K.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Davis, V.

Using the GAME Plan With Students

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has outlined standards, National Education Technology Standards (NETS) for students as well as teachers. The standards for teachers highlight the experiences, models, and supports teachers need to provide for students to meet their standards. These student standards are:

Creativity and Innovation

Communication and Collaboration

Research and Information Fluency

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making

Digital Citizenship

Technical Operations and Concepts

(ISTE, 2007).

Without a plan in place, it could be hit or miss whether students meet these standards. The GAME Plan would provide the structure and support for meeting these standards.

Goal Setting: My students need to know what is expected of them (developing skills to meet these standards) in order to know what goals to set. The first part of our goal setting activities would include sharing the standards with them, communicating where they need to “go” so they can set a path to reach their “destination.” We would then create a KWHL chart to identify what they are already able to do, what they need to learn, and how they will do this. Goal setting encourages self-directed learning as students make plans for their learning (Laureate Education Inc., 2009). As these are life skills and will take time to develop, students will be encouraged to plan short and long-term goals.

Creating an Action Plan: This is the natural next step, as students identify what they need and want to learn, they have to figure out how they can make this happen. Their action plan brings their goals to reality. This is the H in the KWHL chart – how will they make this happen? I would show students examples of the digital tools we will use to meet the goals. Using a concept map we can make a graphical representation of what the standards look like in practice using the descriptors and including the tools we will use in the process. As a class, we will create a chart illustrating which standards are addressed by digital tools such as blogs, voice threads, and digital storytelling.

Monitoring the GAME plan: As students use digital tools to address their standards and meet their goals, they need a way to track their progress. Students could use individual charts based on their goals using the wording from the standards’ descriptors. When students’ actions relate to one of their goals they could put a check next to the goal. This would give them a sense of accomplishment and provide a visual reminder of the goals they are working towards. Learning log entries could be used to reflect on their successes and challenges. Class discussions could address any revisions needed to the GAME plan.

Evaluating the Plan: How well did the plan work? This is the time to come back to the KWHL chart and review where we started (W – what do we already know) and where we are now (L – what have we learned). As our ultimate goal is self-directed learners, this is the perfect point to set new goals to continue to develop skills to meet the NETS-S as part of a new plan using experiences from the first GAME plan as a guide.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Davis, V.

National Education Standards for Students (NETS-S) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007_Standards.pdf

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

Carolyn Doyle

Revising My GAME Plan

It’s time to examine my plan and determine if there are areas that need to be revised to best meet my goals. By stepping back and reviewing the standards I selected to focus on and revisiting the others I can refine my plan.

What have I learned so far that I can apply in my instructional practice?

This week’s learning resources, especially the DVD chapters on Social Networking and Online Collaboration send home the idea that the benefits I have experienced through the discussion board postings would also extend my students’ learning (Laureate Education Inc., 2009). I need to investigate how to establish a discussion blog for my students.

What goals am I still working towards?

After reviewing the National Education Standards for Teacher (NETS-T) the two indicators that I chose to become more confident and proficient with are

Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments Indicator a: design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity

and

Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility Indicator a: advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources (ISTE, 2008).

I feel both goals I selected will be ongoing, I can’t forsee checking the box and being “finished” with either. This GAME plan will encourage reflection and revision as I continue to monitor my progress and my students’ as I introduce new tools and model and develop traits of good digital citizenship.

Based on NETS-T, what new learning goal will I set for myself?

The new learning from this class, especially this week brings me to revisit Standard 1 and add that to my GAME plan. This Standard, Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity addresses integrating both collaborative tools and problem solving experiences in learning activities. I can see that the standards can be interrelated and Standard 1 will correspond well to the other two in my plan. The lesson plans I am currently developing on problem-based learning and collaborative tools fit right with this standard.

What learning approaches will I try next time to improve my learning?

Beyond this class I will continue to collaborate with teammates and colleagues, I have found learning from and with them to be an extremely beneficial experience. I also realize collaboration can be extended beyond the walls of my school through blogs and online collaboration sites with other teachers. Now that I am aware of online tutorials I will continue to take advantage of participating in those to continually discover new digital tools to use.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Davis, V.

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

Carolyn Doyle

Evaluating My GAME Plan Progress

As I am well into my GAME Plan, it’s time to evaluate my progress of integrating technology that will enhance student learning experiences (Laureate Education Inc., 2009) and teaching my students to become digital citizens.

How effective are my actions in helping me meet my goals?

My actions included reviewing lessons to determine if integrating technology tools would enhance and enrich the learning of my students and if so, selecting technology tools that would be most effective. I adapted a recent lesson on the effect of wind currents on ocean currents into a PowerPoint presentation, using several print resources and adding images and videos to enhance student understanding. This lesson was content heavy and this technology tool provided me the opportunity to present the information in a variety of ways, tapping into students’ differing learning styles. The podcasts created for previous week’s lessons have enabled students to follow along in their reading and re-listen to the content as much as possible.

The pre-assessment on citing sources and plagiarism has determined the mini lessons my students need in order to become solid digital citizens. I have discovered talking about how I create a product, the Ocean Currents PowerPoint, for example, brings citations and the importance of using your own words to the forefront and has increased awareness. This is only a start, but it is progress.

What have I learned so far that I can apply in my instructional practice?

I am in the process of creating my first digital storytelling product using Windows Moviemaker. I participated in an online tutorial last week to learn the basics of this technology tool and then spent time working through the various features. My product will have its debut at my family night later in the month. It will give students and families an opportunity to experience a creative problem solving activity students took part in. Through the tutorial and my experience creating this product I feel comfortable introducing this tool to my students.

What do I still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?

There are so many options for student collaboration using technology tools. Although I have used blogs such as this one and a wiki for collaboration and see the benefits, I have yet to incorporate any of these into my learning activities for my students. I need to build a bridge from what I know about using them to teaching my students to use them so they can reap the benefits. My questions center around effective management strategies for using these in my classroom.

How will I adjust my plan?

After reviewing my initial plan, I don’t see any adjustments needed, but I do see the importance of continually reflecting on my progress so that progress is made. Throughout the past few weeks I have integrated streaming videos, podcasts, and PowerPoint presentations into my lessons on Oceanography. The movie I made will enhance my family night event and keep families informed about the kinds of learning activities their children take part in. Students will begin their own culminating activity for our oceanography unit and at that point, I will introduce mini lessons for notetaking and citations to develop skills needed for my students to be good digital citizens.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Davis, V.