After visiting the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) website and reviewing the National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T), I was able to reflect on my teaching skills and the ability to successfully integrate technology into the curriculum. I believe I have a grasp on certain standards, such as promoting, supporting, and modeling creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness and promoting and modeling digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information, but understand that as a teacher I must be a life-long learner. The world of technology is constantly changing, so I must continuously educate myself to be a role model and encourage my students to be self-directed learners. This past year, I had the opportunity to incorporate blogging into my Language Arts lessons. I modeled appropriate blogging techniques, shared examples of discussions I participated in through Walden, and stressed the importance of good writing/speaking to establish credibility. I also used technology for other subject areas and promoted creativity while students were asked to explore, collect data, and produce creative projects while following a rubric and meeting content expectations. These are only a few of the ways I met specific standards, but hope that I can become more confident and improve my teaching by setting goals, taking action, and then monitoring and evaluating my progress towards achieving those goals related to the use of technology. My GAME plan is as follows:
GOAL 1: Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources. I want to have the ability to differentiate instruction to meet ALL my students’ needs while using technology. I hope to give extra assistance to those in need and challenge students who understand the subject matter and technology tools being presented to them.
GOAL 2: Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools. I want to incorporate blogging, assign pen pals, and introduce real world issues by interacting with students from various states and countries.
ACTION (goal 1): I plan to continue to educate myself by participating in professional development opportunities and by exploring the Internet and searching for authentic resourceful websites that will provide me with useful strategies to incorporate within my lessons. As stated by Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, “While technology is not essential to creating authentic, learner-centered instruction, it offers a powerful resource for engaging students in authentic experiences, typically increasing both their motivation and their learning” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 51).
ACTION (goal 2): I plan to blog and interact within various “teacher” chat-rooms to familiarize myself with colleagues around the world. Creating relationships and collaborating will benefit both me and my students.
MONITOR/EVALUATE: I will monitor my students’ progress and reflect on the teaching strategies I have chosen to use with each individual student by journaling and collecting data. I will continuously think about and modify my current teaching strategies as I observe student output and ask questions similar to the ones below. This will allow me to evaluate and make adjustments if my goals are not being met.
Are the technology tools/resources I am using allowing my students to be successful self-directed learners? (Students will discuss and reflect. Teacher will observe.)
Are positive relationships being built between students (and teachers) from different cultures? (Students/teacher will share information from discussions.)
As a teacher, I believe that I must prepare my students for a world where technology is becoming more and more prevalent. Developing students’ creative and critical thinking skills will assist them in becoming successful problem solvers in our fast-paced ever-changing society.
References
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.
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Suzie,
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of professional development opportunities do you have that are available to you? In my district we have PDC (Professional Development Committee) days where we can choose different sessions to sit in. Right now there is a big push for Social Diversity, but we do have some opportunities for technology sessions. So for me it really depends on the push of the district.
Erika
Suzie-
ReplyDeleteYou have a great plan here, very detailed and organized, of course :) I think that the idea of action 2- using teacher chat group will especially help you with staying focused on meeting diverse needs with technology. Your focus on preparing students for an uncertain future, is crucial; good luck, I am sure you will achieve this goal.
Suzie,
ReplyDeleteI think you will have an easy time meeting your goals, especially the second one, because you're willing to use the technology and become familiar with it before having your students do the same. That was one of the more important points I took from this week's resources. If we expect our students to use the technology, we need to have the confidence in using the tools as well. And using the tools allow us to develop strong beliefs about the importance of the technology. You won't be using blogging in your classroom just for the sake of using it. You'll be using it because you understand the value, and your students will be able to build the confidence and beliefs about technology as well.
Erin
Erika,
ReplyDeleteI will be honest with you. Until recently, when I became really interested in the various technology tools we have been introduced to through Walden, I have always leaned more towards participating in professional development dealing with student behavior, reading, and writing. At the end of this past school year, our district formed a new technology committee that is working on re-establishing our district's technology goals based on state and national standards. I am looking forward to assisting them and having the opportunity to take classes and further educate myself. The farther we get into our Masters program, the more excited I get about incorporating new technology into my daily lessons. Like you, I am sure that when it comes down to it, it will depend on the push of the district:)
Shaina & Erin,
ReplyDeleteI believe we are very lucky to work in an elementary building that has such a young staff and several of us who are educating ourselves by obtaining a technology degree from Walden. I strongly believe that we all see the importance of "turning on the lights" and realize that students currently grow up in the light. As stated in this weeks reading, "they're deeply immersed in it long before educators ever see them" (Prensky, 2008, p. 41). Another reason why we, as educators, must have confidence in using various types of technology. We must build on their knowledge and take them to higher levels of thinking.
Suzie
If I were to have a third goal it would be to "Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by". In my action plan I too am planning to visit teacher blogs, were there any in-particular that you plan to use? You have a lot of great ideas.
ReplyDeleteMs. Byrne,
ReplyDeleteI have always been one to explore the Web for new ideas to use in my classroom. I do not have a particular blog I visit regularly, but I do hope to find some as I put my GAME plan into action. I believe it is important to create relationships with cohorts from different walks of life. Understanding how various teachers from different school districts, states, countries.. incorporate technology into their daily lessons will provide me with a tremendous amount of information to share with my students.
Suzie