Reflection of My Learning and What it Means for My Practice

Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer’s (2010) GAME plan is one that anyone can use when taking on a new challenge. This process works well for learning a new technology but could also be used to achieve any goal that individuals may set for themselves. Many teachers may be concerned that they cannot afford to spend class time teaching this process during an era when there is such an emphasis placed on high stakes testing. I would argue that a teacher cannot afford not to teach this process. Teaching students to set goals, take action, monitor their progress, and evaluate their success will have huge returns for them as they continue their education. This process really helps to promote lifelong learning. One of my goals for lifelong learning is to identify and integrate technology in a manner that increases student engagement and comprehension. My experience with the GAME plan process has taught me to focus on one technology at a time so that I do not become overwhelmed and want to give up. Learning a new technology is a bit intimidating as I fear I will not be able to use it successfully. Gaining experience with technology boosts my confidence so that I can introduce the tool to my students.

Technology can be a great tool to elevate student engagement and comprehension of the course material. It is important for me to remember that technology should be used to support student comprehension of the course material and not allow my students to get caught up in all of the bells and whistles that a technology may offer. I will continue to pursue technology integration that supports my content areas. My experience with the GAME plan process showed me that Flip video and website creation are tools that I can use with my students. Digital storytelling, wikis, and problem based learning are other strategies that I would like to incorporate. There are a multitude of resources that I can use to support these endeavors including: Google docs, Rubistar, and the “In Plain English” series of streamed videos. When incorporating technology it will be important for me to utilize the tool before using it with students so that I am able to answer questions, identify clear guidelines and expectations for its use, and ensure that the standards and objectives for the unit align with the technology use. I am looking forward to putting the things I have learned into practice in my classroom.

Jenny

Resources

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

Using the Game Plan with Students

During the last several weeks, I have been developing my proficiency with the ISTE’s National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS –T). Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer’s (2010) Game Plan is an approach that worked well for me as I developed skills related to the creation of a website and use of flip video. This process allowed me to set personal goals related to technology, take action to achieve those goals, monitor my progress, and evaluate my progress and effectiveness with the technology. The Game Plan approach worked well because I was able to customize it to my own goals. It allowed me to make adjustments and take action as needed. The Game Plan process is one that may work well with my students.

The ISTE also has a set of National Education Standards for Students (NET-S). As I read through these standards, it quickly became clear that the NETS-T and NETS-S are inter-related. It appears as though the NETS-T were designed so that they would support the NETS-S. A teacher fluent with the NETS-T would also be enhancing skills related to the standards for students. I am working to build my fluency with the standards described in the NETS-T. The efforts I have made are setting me on a path to further develop or enhance the technology standards in my students. These activities have increased my awareness about the technology standards that both teachers and students should have.

The Game Plan is a process that I plan to teach my students. It will be introduced at the beginning of a new project and then used as we progress throughout the semester. I will provide my students with guidance throughout the process. Students will need to identify the aspects of the project and set goals that will allow them to be successful. Many of these goals will relate to the technology they are using for the project. I will help students in taking action, monitoring, and evaluating their plan. The more experienced students become with this process the less direct support they will need from me. Recording my thoughts about this process has been helpful in reflecting on what I have learned. Reflection is an important step in becoming a self directed learner. Therefore, my students will record their thoughts throughout the Game Plan process by keeping a journal or posting to a blog. Incorporating the Game Plan process can promote self directed learning in my students while seamlessly integrating technology.

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

Revising My Game Plan: Class Website & Flip Video

Those of you following my blog will recall that I have been working on building my proficiency in two areas of the NETS-T. The initial goals I set were established in my blog post titled “GAME Plan.” The GAME Plan is an approach designed by Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2010) to promote self directed learning. This method has worked well for me as I develop proficiency related to my goals of: using Flip Video to record myself teaching for my professional portfolio and in the creation of a website to improve communication and collaboration among teachers, students, and parents.

I have spent quite a bit of time over the last several weeks working to accomplish these goals. The most important thing that I have learned is that developing my proficiency with technology is not something that can ever fully be achieved. This is due primarily to the rapid speed that technology changes or new technologies are introduced. I need to embrace technology and the fact that I will need to continue professional development with it if I am to provide the best education that I can to my students. The efforts that I have made in regards to my Game plan are a good indicator that I am up to the challenge.

The development of my website “Mrs. Nabb’s Classes” is off to a good start. I have the schedule of activities for the next week or so updated for each class. I actually had a parent request help with keeping track of their son’s progress. I was able to direct them to this site so that they can visit with the child about what assignments would be due. Creating helpful links for students to visit from my site is one goal that I am still working towards. I have had quite a bit of success also in using flip video. The greatest challenge that I have to overcome is finding the time to edit my clips. I will continue to record myself teaching because it does help me to identify areas that I could improve. I discovered that I do not provide enough wait time when asking students questions during class so that is something I am working on. A goal that I have in regards to Flip video is to capture myself teaching a variety of lessons. This goal will really allow me to see what class is like for my students so that I can identify areas to improve both in my teaching and in the lessons I create.

There are several learning goals that I would like to set for myself based on the NETS-T. Promoting student reflection using collaborative tools, standard 1c, is an area that I would like to further develop. I would accomplish this goal by developing a blog and creating guiding questions for my students to answer. I am also excited to get the flip videos into the hands of my students. Developing learning experiences that allow students to create videos would help build my proficiency in several of the areas of standard 2. Students are capable of amazing things when provided the opportunity. Enhancing my skills in regards to the NETS-T will encourage me to create more of these opportunities.

The GAME plan approach worked well for me as I developed my proficiency in these areas. When it comes to technology, I have found that I learn best by trying it out. I am often intimidated by a new technology when I first begin to use it. Gaining experience and confidence with the tool is essential for me if I am to incorporate it into my class. It is very helpful for me to have someone help me through a process one on one. However, this is not always practical due to the situation. Having a more knowledgeable person to go for assistance is very valuable to me.

Jenny

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

The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS•T). (n.d.). International Society for Technology in Education Home. Retrieved November 10, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Evaluating My Progress with Flip Video and a Class Website

One of my goals as a teacher is to enhance my students’ ability to become self directed learners. A self directed learner can be described as someone who investigates a topic of interest or works towards learning a new skill (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2010). It is essential for teachers to model the skills of self-directed learning if they are to enhance those skills in their students. I have identified two areas of the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS•T) to build my proficiency in. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer’s (2010) GAME Plan approach has been working well for me as I work towards these goals. So far I have established my goals and begun to take action. This week, I would like to evaluate my progress towards meeting my goals.

My first goal was originally to develop a blog in order to collaborate with students, peers, parents and community members. After considering the advice from other teachers and researching related information, I have decided that a website may work better for this purposed as opposed to a blog. Doing a simple Google search for “class websites” lead me to an abundance of programs that I could use. Weebly is the resource I chose to use for my site creation. From this site I can create pages for each of my classes. This approach appears as though it will work better for me as I felt that creating a blog for each of my classes would be more than I could easily manage. My site is called Mrs. Nabb’s Classes. I have written a short introduction and created pages for each of the courses I teach this semester. The IED page has the week activities listed and I plan on updating the other courses as well. One of the features that I liked about Weebly is that it will allow me to password protect some of the pages if I choose to purchase the pro version. This is an important option for me because one of my courses requires material on the internet to be password protected. At this point I am simply listing the activities we are doing so I do not have the need for it yet.

My second goal is to utilize the flip video to record clips of myself teaching to compile for my professional portfolio. I am currently in the process of editing the clips I have to create a short movie of one of my lessons. I am planning on sharing this video with my teacher quality committee. The Mimio board is used in this lesson and several of the teachers in my group would like help in how they can use it in their classroom. The editing has to be done on my home computer as the software is not yet loaded on my school laptop. I would be able to progress with this faster if I was able to do the editing at school without the many distractions I have at home.

The actions I have taken have been very effective at helping to meet my goals. I feel much more confident about both of these technologies and am excited to incorporate them into my lessons. Both of these tools could be very effective at engaging my students in the content material we are covering. The fact that a website can be viewed by anyone could really motivate my students to do their best work if they were to create their own for some type of project. In order for my students to use the flip videos for class projects, I need to talk with the IT department about having the software installed on computers throughout the school. In regards to the class website, I would love to see some examples of great sites that teachers have developed for their classes. I tried to research this but have found some pretty average sites. If anyone could direct me to some great websites that I could visit for inspiration, I would really appreciate it. One of my next steps is to add links from my site to the high school, internet grading, and the AEA online site which students can use for research. I also need to add information to the other courses I have so that all students can benefit. I am anxious to capture more video of my classes so that I can add it to my portfolio. In working towards these goals, I need to allow myself the time needed to do an effective job with them.

Jenny

Resources

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

The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS•T). (n.d.). International Society for Technology in Education Home. Retrieved November 10, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

My Progress with Flip Video and Blogs

Seamlessly integrating technology into my instructions is a very important goal. Its importance is magnified as I read articles like Friedman’s “It’s A Flat World, After All” and Prensky’s “Turning on the Lights.” Both authors make clear the need to re-evaluate how and what students are learning in today’s classrooms. I have been using Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer’s (2010) GAME Plan approach to build my proficiency with technology integration. You may recall that this approach involves setting goals, taking action, monitoring progress, and evaluating success and extending learning (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2010). The goals I created were established to build my proficiency in the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS•T). This week, I would like to consider the steps I have taken towards meeting my goals.

The first goal I developed was to implement a class blog to communicate with students and parents and have students utilize blogs for collaborative reflection. I have discovered that I need to modify this goal. The IT department at my school has informed me that they will be setting up blogging sites for each teacher within our school’s server. They prefer for blogging to be handled this way so that students do not need individual email accounts and teachers can closely monitor the discussions. Therefore, I have decided to focus on the first part of that goal to implement a class blog so that I can communicate with students and parents. This will allow me to keep students who miss class informed. They will also be able to post questions to me about the material. I appreciate the advice from people on my last posting. This really answered a lot of questions for me. Focusing on creating a blog for the class as a whole is a good step to begin with so that I can work towards having my students use their own blogs. I think that I will summarize what was done in class. Do any of you have suggestions for what I need to include on this blog?

The second goal I have is to use flip video to record myself teaching and compile the clips for my professional portfolio. I have made a lot of progress in this area. I have recorded clips from one lesson and my next step is to edit them into a video. I need to have the IT department load the flip software onto my laptop. In the mean time, I will have to do my editing on my home computer. I would highly recommend the flip videos to other teachers. I have found them to be very user friendly and the quality is quite good considering how affordable they are. I may need to modify my plan to include how many lessons I would like to record. I think that one to two a month is a good goal to have as I do not want to become overwhelmed with the task. This would give me a good base of information to review as I evaluate the things I am asking my students to do. I am really interested in having my students use these cameras in the future. Have any of you had students do projects with them? Do you have any advice?

Thanks to everyone who has assisted me with my goals. I really appreciate the helpful advice I have received. I will continue to keep you posted as I work to build my proficiency in these areas and I look forward to hearing more great suggestions.

Jenny

Resources

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

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

Carrying Out My Game Plan

One of the goals I established for myself last week was to utilize Flip Video technology so that I can record clips of my lessons. I have made quite a bit of progress in this area. Using one of the school’s new flip cameras, I recorded clips of a lesson where I had students utilizing the Mimio. I chose to record portions of this lesson so that I can demonstrate my ability to engage students through the use of technology. I tried to upload the clips onto my school laptop and found that I was unable to do so without administrative rights. The IT department will be installing the software onto my laptop. Until it is installed onto my computer, I have uploaded the clips to my personal computer. My next step is to edit the clips into a movie so that I can include it with my portfolio. A lot of staff development time in my school has been spent considering the level that we are engaging the students in. Because of this, I have decided to primarily record my students in action. I think that this best demonstrates the kind of work that I am asking the students to do. I was asked last week if I would share my lessons on the Internet. After considering this, I do not believe that I will as the videos will contain shots of my students. It would be a great deal of work to have each student complete a consent form so that I could upload the files to the Internet. This is a step that I am not willing to take on at this point. Therefore, I will collect the clips and compile them onto a DVD. I may use the clips to demonstrate to other faculty how I use various types of technology. They could also be shared with administration during the evaluation process. Most importantly, I will use them to evaluate my teaching practice.

The progress that I have made in regards to my goal of incorporating a class blog and individual blogs for students is much slower. There is great potential to improve collaboration and communication among students through the effective use of a blog. Asynchronous discussion allows students who may hesitate to participate in class discussion more time to formulate their thoughts (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2010). I have spoken with my IT department about implementing blogs. They informed me that next year each teacher will be provided with a blog site through the school’s server. I will continue to pursue creating my own blog site so that I can better communicate with students and parents and then transition to the school’s blog as it becomes available. I am interested in having my students create their own blogs and I would love any guidance people could give me on this as it is out of my comfort zone. Is it necessary to have students creating their own blog sites as I could post questions to begin the reflection process on mine and then just have them contribute their? (It seems like this would promote discussion with me and not with the other students.) Does anyone have any sites to recommend? Are there sites that you can control who can view the blogs? Does it defeat the purpose of blogging if they cannot be viewed by outside sources? There are many areas of this that I need to research. The use of blogs has been very limited at my school so I hope that some of you can provide me with some guidance.

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

Game Plan

Marc Prensky (2008) makes it very clear, in his article “Turning on the Lights,” that the need for technology integration in today’s classrooms is great. Students employ a variety of technological applications outside of school and it makes sense that educators would draw on this same interest and knowledge in the classroom. The National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Teachers (NETS•T) should serve as a guide for teachers as they work to infuse technology into their curriculum and practice.

Within each standard are several indicators that I feel fairly comfortable with. Each standard also has indicators that I would like to become more proficient with. I am most comfortable with Standard 2 as a whole. I utilize a variety of digital tools to create learning experiences of relevance to my students. Students are often able to investigate areas of interest due to the technology and manner it is incorporated. The formative and summative assessments I use align with the content and technology being covered.

One of the goals that I have as it relates to technology is to have the students utilize a blog and to create one for my classes as well. This goal will build my proficiency in indicator 1c: “promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify student’s conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative process.” It will also allow me to gain confidence with indicator 3b: “collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success.” Promoting student reflection is something that I struggle so this goal is especially important as reflection is essential to building understanding. Implementing a class blog will allow for greater collaboration so that students and parents stay informed.

I will utilize the GAME plan strategy, presented by Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2010), in order to take control of my learning….
Goal: Implement a class blog to communicate with students and parents and have students utilize blogs for collaborative reflection.
Action: Determine what provider to use (edublogs, blogger, wikispaces, etc…). Seek advice from other teachers who have used the technology. Identify the material to include on it. Identify areas of curriculum to use blogging for reflection with. Create guiding questions for reflection. Create the blog sites. Instruct the students in how to use the sites and how to create their own blogs.
Monitor: Identify areas where further information is needed. Consider how the process is going. What changes are needed in the action plan?
Evaluate: This will be an ongoing process. It will be important to record what worked well so that the needed changes can be made. This goal will develop my own proficiency with blogs. I will also consider students’ ability to reflect on the learning they have done. The amount of time spent discussing missing work should decrease if the class blog is used effectively by those students.

Standard 5 is another area that I would like to improve on. At a recent workshop I attended, Tony Wagner shared the idea of using a flip video camera to record clips of teachers in action. I would like to utilize this idea to develop professionally. This goal will build on several of the indicators for standard 5.
Goal: Use the flip video to record myself teaching and compile the clips for my professional portfolio. I will record myself during a variety of lessons and focus on the activities that I have the students doing. I would like to capture my use of technology so that I can evaluate its effectiveness.
Action: Check out the camera, record clips throughout the year, and compile them onto a CD.
Monitor: This goal will allow me to monitor my own ability to use technology and engage the students. It will be an ongoing process. It will allow me to evaluate my teaching so that I can make improvements and to share lessons where I have used technology with fellow teachers.
Evaluate: I will consider areas where technology was utilized effectively and identify strategies for improving the lesson and enhancing student engagement. I will not only evaluate my teaching but also learn how to use the flip technology to edit clips into movies that represent my lesson. Lessons that I am proud of could be shared with other teachers to promote the integration of it into their classrooms.

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

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

The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS•T). (n.d.). International Society for Technology in Education Home. Retrieved November 10, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Reflection: Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom

The learning opportunities that I have had in the master’s course, Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom, have provided me with a great deal of insight into the teaching of new literacy skills. The definition of literacy in the 21st century is much more than being able to read, write, and communicate. Today it consists of a variety of additional skills including: communication, media, information, and teamwork (Jukes, 2007). The new literacy skills are ones that every student needs so that they can be successful in the 21st century workplace. The most striking revelation that I have had is that teaching students these literacies may be even more important than some of the content material. I know this will not be a popular statement with many teachers. However, I have a hard time identifying content material that students cannot learn with a simple Internet search, excluding math. Choosing not to teach the new literacies is simply not an option. Alan November (2008) believes that “the decision not to educate our students in this new media is a dangerous one” (p. 3). It should be the responsibility of every educator in the school to teach these new literacies not just the librarian or English department. The content can be the vehicle through which the literacies are taught.

This insight will certainly influence my teaching practice as I continue in the profession. The new literacy skills can be embedded into the curriculum so that students learn the content material while developing fluency. I will continue to evaluate my curriculum in order to determine where the teaching of the literacies naturally fit. Inquiry based unit plans appear to be a great method for the teaching of the new literacies. I would like to incorporate more of those into my various courses.

The information in this course has exposed me to multiple areas where I would like to develop professionally. The first is to model ethical use of technology. Sara Armstrong recognizes “modeling as the most powerful way of teaching” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009b). An area where I could improve in this regards is to cite pictures that I have used in PowerPoint presentations. Including the citation for these pictures would demonstrate the value that I have for using technology ethically and would encourage my students to do the same. I will accomplish this goal by adding the citations prior to the use of the presentation in my classes so that by the end of the year many of them will be improved.

Another professional goal that I have is to implement the use of digital storytelling as was presented in “Visual Literacy through Digital Storytelling” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009a). The first step I need to take is to determine the technology that will work best for my situation. I would like to use VoiceThread but have also heard many positive comments about Garageband. I will need to acquire microphones to be used with this as my lab currently does not have any. A rubric will be provided to all of the students prior to beginning the project so that the expectations are clear. I will demonstrate how to utilize the technology and provide instruction on using images, sound, music, etc… to tell a story. Utilizing this type of project will increase my own literacy skills as well as those of my students.

Jenny

Jukes, I. (2007). 21st century fluency skills: Attributes of a 21st century learner. Retrieved from http://www.committedsardine.com/handouts/twca.pdf

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009a). Program nine. Visual Literacy through Digital Storytelling [Motion picture]. Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009b). Program twelve. Safe and Ethical Practices [Motion picture]. Understanding the impact of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore: Author.

November, A. (2008). Web literacy for educators. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

Reflection: Effective Integration of Technology in the Classroom

The learning opportunities in this course have required me to deeply consider my personal theory of learning. Eclectic was the term I used to describe that theory during Week 1 and it remains accurate today. Picking and choosing strategies and approaches from all of the theories has allowed me to better meet the needs of my students. The behaviorist theory is most evident in my classroom management. Behaviorism can be used effectively, especially in classroom management because as Melissa Standridge (2002) points out, “students work for things that bring them positive feelings, and for approval from people they admire” (p. 6). Cognitivism is a theory that I would not have identified directly with prior to this course. However, I have discovered that I employ many cognitive strategies including concept mapping. I would like to utilize this theory more often in my teaching as building strong and numerous connections in the students brains will increase the likelihood that the information can be recalled (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). Constructivism and Social Learning are two theories that I call on often in my daily practice. These theories allow me to work towards the student-centered classroom that I strive for. Technology can allow students to work independently or in teams to create some amazing artifacts within these theories. These artifacts can be used as alternative assessments that demonstrate the learning that has taken place. The benefits of social learning are numerous. Perhaps the discussions among students are the most valuable. Technology can be used to engage students within all of these theories of learning and student engagement should be a primary goal of all teachers.

There are several technology tools that I would like to use with my students to enhance learning. Voice thread is the tool that I am most excited about. Learning will be enhanced through the effective use of this technology as the students will be able to have discussions about images related to course content. Students who hesitate to contribute to class discussion will have time to prepare their thoughts. The walls of the classroom are virtually eliminated as students can contribute to the voice thread from any computer with internet access at any time of day. Another technology that I am excited to take full advantage of is Microsoft Word. Many of the advanced features of Word were presented in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (2007). The Track Changes and Insert Comments features on Word can allow for students to receive feedback on their writing. Students can also receive feedback in Word by utilizing the Flesch-Kincaid Readability Scale to see what grade level their writing was done at. Other features in Word that I want to familiarize my students with are using the reference tab in creating a bibliography, working with citations, and using the program for research. These applications of Word can enhance student learning by offering comments on their work, providing feedback, summarizing, and researching.

Portfolios have been an integral component of my classroom for several years. They provide students with a collection of their best work and demonstrate the learning that has taken place. My experience in this course has shown me that my students may be better served by creating their portfolios online. This can be accomplished through the use of a blog. It will take me a year or so to work out all of the fine details of this endeavor but I will begin by providing the students with a rubric of my expectations for their portfolio. Student will be able to scan images, upload digital photos, and create links to voice threads, etc… as they compile their artifacts. Compiling portfolios online will allow for the students to comment on each other’s work, offer suggestions, seek input from people outside the walls of the classroom, and to work on them anywhere. Another goal that I have in regards to technology integration is to create a webpage for myself where students can access their classroom pages. I will begin this endeavor by starting with one or two classes and working up to all of them. On each classroom page I will list upcoming deadlines, downloadable files, technology tutorials, helpful links, and a link to a blog where students can ask questions. This will be a large job for me but will be a big step in creating a kind of global classroom that can meet the needs of my students. Providing technology tutorials will be very helpful to my CAD students in using our software. This kind of a site will also be very beneficial to students who have been absent while blogging will allow for the students to assist one another. This goal will also allow me to create a more environmentally friendly classroom with students submitting assignments electronically.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program five. Cognitive Learning Theories [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA:ASCD.

Standridge, M. (2002). Behaviorism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved April 30, 2009, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Social Learning and Voice Thread

Voice thread is a great technology that supports connectivisim and social learning theory. This tool allows for people to upload images, video, or other graphics and to comment on them. Networks of information can be created among the people who comment on these images. I created a voice thread that I could use in my Engineering Design Course as a review of multiview drawings. The thread can be viewed and commented on at: http://voicethread.com/share/523939/ This is a very difficult concept for students to grasp and could serve as a great review for them. I can also forsee students creating their own thread that demonstrates their rationale for the location of dimensions in their multiview files. I can envision many applications of voice thread in my classes but this is just one example of how I could use it.

The social learning theory is one that I have tried to incorporate into my own classroom. It is structured around the components of culture, collaboration, and context. I find it somewhat difficult to seperate from constructionism as I often have students work in teams to create an artifact. "Cooperative Learning" is an instructional strategy that supports this theory while embedding technology. The discussions that students have with one another while working cooperatively are vital to this theory. This strategy provides an opportunity for students to problem solve, think creatively, and support one another. Some technological tools that support this strategy include the use of blogs, wikis, and document sharing applications. These tools can really aid in the communication among the team while spreadsheets, PowerPoint, and podcasts are tools that can be used in the creation of artifacts. In today's society it seems less important to be able to recall trivial facts and much more important to know where to find the answers and how to work with others and technology in doing so.

Constructivism in Practice

This week I had the opportunity to explore several strategies that incorporate technology and correlate with the constructionist /constructivist learning theories. In order to understand this correlation, I first needed a clearer definition of these theories. Lever-Duffy and McDonald (2008) points out that for constructivists, “knowledge is unique to the individual who constructs it” (p. 16). The distinction between constructivism and constructionism was defined more clearly by Dr. Michael Orey (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). He clarified that constructivism is really more of the study of how each person constructs their own knowledge while constructionism focuses on the actual act of building or creating something.

The use of educational technology lends itself beautifully to the constructionist learning theory. This is clearly seen in the strategy of project-based learning. This strategy allows students to utilize technology in nearly every aspect of the project. The internet can be used in collecting research for the project. This research can be compiled onto spreadsheets and/or database programs. A wiki could be used as a means for a group to collaborate and communicate on the project. PowerPoint, podcasts, and publishing software are just a few of the technologies that could be used to present the solution to the class. Many of the stages of project based learning provide an opportunity for creation of an artifact that can demonstrate the knowledge that the individual or group has gained.

Project based learning is really exciting to me. Many of its benefits are pointed out by Mark Nichol in his article “Why Teach With Project Learning?: Providing Students With a Well –Rounded Classroom Experience.” There are numerous reasons that really attract me to this type of learning experience. Project learning provides a great opportunity to shift the classroom focus from being teacher-centered to student-centered. The students can really develop a sense of ownership in the work that they are doing and take great pride in it. The artifacts that they create are truly one of a kind and can demonstrate the learning process that the student or group experienced.

Some other great technologies to assist students in the creation of artifacts include Publisher, word processing programs, Excel, and PowerPoint. Publisher is a great tool for students to create brochures, newsletters, calendars, etc… These documents look very professional and can really support the learning that has taken place. Excel can also be used as an embedded technology as it was demonstrated in generating and testing hypothesis. These technologies can definitely be used to enhance the learning process.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program seven. Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories[Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Lever-Duffy, J. and McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations. In Teaching and Learning with Technology (3rd ed. pp.2-35). Boston: Pearson.

Cognitivism in Practice

Lever-Duffy and McDonald (2008) recognize that “cognitivists focus on learning as a mental operation that takes place when information enters through the senses, undergoes mental manipulation, is stored, and is finally used” (p. 16). This definition really helps me to understand this approach and the strategies that support it. Several such strategies were presented in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. One of these strategies is the use of a rubric which the text identifies as an advance organizer. I have created rubrics for my students using the table functions in Microsoft Word. Providing students with the rubric prior to beginning a project just makes good sense to me. It allows students to get in the proper mindset for completing the project. The expectations are made clear to everyone and students are able to identify the tasks needed to complete the project.

Concept maps are another tool that supports the cognitive learning theory. Effective use of this tool requires the students to think critically about what the necessary information is. The maps can be used as a tool for brainstorming and organizing. They can later be turned into an outline for a paper or can lead to the completion of an artifact.

I loved the idea presented by the text of combination notes. I will likely use this with the assistance of Microsoft PPT. This strategy asks the students to identify key facts on the left side of an inverted T. On the right side the students use pictures, videos, music, etc… to support the facts. A summary is included at the bottom. This strategy also requires the students to analyze the key information. Their understanding is reinforced through finding media that supports the facts. My own understanding of information is increased when I have an image to link to it. Visual representations of information appear to help many of my students in comprehending information as well.

Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Behaviorism in Practice

This week, I had the opportunity to learn of several instructional strategies that embed technology. I found several of these strategies very interesting and believe that they could help my students be more successful. Many of these strategies correlate with the principles of behaviorist learning theory.

One of the greatest challenges that I face in the classroom is demonstrating to students that effort pays off. It seems as though some students do not see the correlation between effort and achievement and may even perceive failure before they have begun. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) point out that “effort is the most important factor in achievement” (p. 155). The relationship between effort and achievement can be taught to students by having them compile self evaluations of their effort onto a spreadsheet. This can then be compared to the grade that was earned. The data can be easily created into a chart that provides the students with a visual representation of the relationship between effort and achievement. This strategy aligns closely with behaviorism as the data serves as the stimulus to promote the desired response of greater effort. Many students may be motivated to put forth more effort when they can see the connection between effort and achievement.

Another instructional strategy that correlates with the behaviorist theory is the use of homework and practice. The effective use of homework can provide students with an opportunity to develop and utilize the skills and knowledge they are gaining in the classroom. Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock point out that “students need about 24 practice sessions with a skill in order to achieve 80 percent competency” (as cited in Pitler et al., 2007, p. 188). The web is full of resources that can be utilized by students at home to develop skills or in the classroom to enrich a lesson. There are multiple tutorials, lessons, and quizzes that students can use to practice their skills. One of the sites that I have used to provide practice for students in developing skills with reading the ruler is The Ruler Game. Many of these resources provide instant feedback to the learner. Reinforcement often comes in the form of an X for incorrect answers or the term correct and wrong. Some of them provide access to more challenging levels upon successfully completing lower ones. While many of these activities can be a fun way for students to develop skills, I would use them as enrichment to the lesson.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA:ASCD.

Reflection on Impact of Technology in Education

My eyes have really been opened to the opportunities that technology can provide students and how vital technology related skills will be to their futures. My masters’ course has made me aware of the value of tools like blogs, wikis, and podcasts. I had never used these tools prior to this course and now view them as integral components in teaching students 21st century skills. Using these tools personally has allowed me to become comfortable with them and to feel confident that I can effectively incorporate them into the curriculum. Learning to use them was fun and I think that many of my students would feel the same way. I am excited to put them to use in the classroom.

My knowledge of the teaching and learning process has also been enhanced through this course. Today’s students are what Marc Prensky (2001) refers to as “digital natives”. These students have been exposed to technology from birth. Prensky points out that the digital native prefers games, multi-tasking, receiving information quickly, and thrives on instant gratification. These students are vastly different from those of previous decades. It stands to reason that teaching methods of the past are not best practice for these digital natives. While I may not perform my best when faced with multiple tasks at one time, many of my students do. Establishing a classroom environment and providing learning opportunities that allow my students to utilize the skills they have and develop other 21st century skills will benefit them greatly in the future.

Understanding the characteristics of digital natives and the skills they will need in the 21st century workplace has demonstrated the importance of shifting from a teacher-centered approach to a learner-centered approach. Students have an abundance of resources at their fingertips. This has made memorization of information trivial as it can be found easily on the Internet. There is a greater need for students to develop skills like critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and communication. These skills can be enhanced through collaborative projects where the teacher provides problems or situations for the students to solve. This kind of fundamental shift allows the students to take control of the learning with the teacher serving as a facilitator. The teacher’s role as a facilitator is vital as they guide and coach the students through the situations. The benefits of this type of learning as compared to the previous methods of lecture, worksheet, and test are huge.

Incorporating technology into the curriculum is a time consuming and sometimes daunting task. I often have the feeling that in order to incorporate something into my curriculum, I need to be an expert on it. That is not the case with technology. It is important to have a general understanding of the technology to be used but not essential to be an expert on it. In working with technology in the past, many of my students have come forward as experts in the area and have assisted me and their classmates in using some aspect of the tool. Providing students the opportunity to use new technologies is one of the most important things a teacher can do. Using new technology can be exciting and motivating for both the students and teacher. I can continue to expand my knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading with technology by being willing to try new things. Providing appropriate learning opportunities and assessments will increase student achievement.

I have set two long-term goals that will transform my classroom environment. My first goal is to establish a blog where any of my students or their parents can go and get general information. I will include my school contact information, links to important websites, FFA information, and links to all of my classes. For each of my classes, I will include the projects we are working on, upcoming due dates, and other critical information. This application of the blog will allow the parents and students to stay connected with what is going on in the classroom. My second goal is to get all of my students blogging. This will look different in each of my classes. My engineering class will use the blog as an online portfolio. Students in horticulture will use the blog to post lab summaries and interact with other classmates. I will provide learning opportunities where all of my students will post to their blog at least once every other week and also comment on two of their classmates’ blogs. There are many obstacles that I will need to overcome to accomplish this. The first is that my school has a block on blog sites. I will research what type of blog site I want to utilize and then present the benefits of it to my principal and the use of an RSS aggregator. Computer use is another issue to overcome. I will need to be creative in ensuring that students have ample time to complete the assignments. My survey of student access to technology revealed that all of my engineering students have access to a computer at home. Completing some blogging as homework is an option, at least for this class. This will be a time consuming endeavor. I will be completing this process in stages rather than doing it all at once so that I am not overwhelmed with it. This will allow me to establish my blog and incorporate blogging into all of my classes in the next two years.

This course has taught me a great deal about the importance of incorporating technology into the curriculum. At the beginning of this course, I took a self-assessment to evaluate my skills with utilizing technology. I initially rated myself low in many of the areas. I would rate myself much higher if I were taking the assessment today. I am sufficient in all of the areas of the assessment and even exemplary in some. Standard two, planning and designing learning environments and experiences, is an area where I now feel like I excel. There is always room for improvement. Understanding the importance of technology, 21st century skills, and the characteristics of digital natives can allow me to provide my students with the type of learning environment that can prepare them for the demands of the 21st century.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).

Podcasts

This week I was given the task of creating a podcast. This was a completely new experience to me. I can see how this application of technology could be beneficial for my students but I need to get more experienced with it myself. I used Gabcast to create my recording and it can be found by clicking on the title Summary of Student's Digital Abilities. Gabcast was a very user friendly site and I will likely use it again.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

The Web site for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a very detailed site including information on the importance of 21st century skills, tools and resources, states involved in the partnership, and an overview of the partnership. I would encourage any educator who is interested in implementing 21st century skills into their curriculum to visit this site.

The variety of businesses involved in the partnership is very impressive. They are large, truly global companies whose information I would value in regards to what employers are looking for in workers of the 21st century. Some of these entities include: Cisco, Dell, Lego, Ford, Adobe, and the NEA, just to name a few. I found a very informative PowerPoint presentation titled “21st Century Skills in Education: What does it look like in the states?” More disappointing than surprising to me was the statement that businesses felt recently hired high school students were deficient in written communication skills, followed by leadership, work ethic, critical thinking and problem solving, and self direction. This statement makes it clear that the current education system needs to further develop these skills in its students.

I was also surprised to see that Iowa is one of the ten states identified in the initiative. Iowa is currently working on a core curriculum where 21st century skills will be integrated. Implementing the Iowa Core Curriculum will be taking up the majority of our professional development time in the near future. Local school districts have not begun work with the Iowa Core but it is exciting that 21st century skills are being included.

The entities in the partnership point to skills in critical thinking, I.T., health and wellness, collaboration, innovation, and personal finance as areas that will be growing in importance in the next five years. This has direct implications for students and educators. It is clear that there is a growing need for teachers to utilize technology to enhance the critical thinking and decision making skills of our students so that they can be successful in the workplace.

Using Blogs in My Classroom

I have been brainstorming ideas on how blogs could be utilized in my classroom. There are a couple of ideas that are very intriguing to me. One area where a blog could be used successfully would be in my Horticulture class. This class is composed primarily of sophomore through senior students. The course is heavy in lab work focusing on topics such as parts of plants and their functions, photosynthesis, propagation, and various greenhouse applications. Students utilize the scientific method to work through experiments related to the various topics. Each student develops a lab summary upon completion.

The lab summary has been submitted to me in the form of a report in the past. I would like to see this submitted in the form of a blog. The criteria for the lab summary would remain virtually the same. Students would be required to share the hypothesis they developed, materials utilized, lab procedure, and results. They would also be required to include a chart or graph that summarizes the results, an explanation of why they felt the hypothesis was proved or disproved, and any further questions or ideas that resulted from the lab. As a new step, I would have the students include digital pictures of their lab process. I would also require the students to read the lab summaries of their classmates and thoughtfully contribute comments to two other students.

Utilizing a blog in this way would have multiple purposes. First, it would serve as a place for the students to display their work. Knowing that others will have access to their blogs may motivate them to do their very best they can. The blog will become a kind of digital portfolio as all of their lab summaries would be accessible. Second, the blog would serve as place for the students to interact about the content. Student comprehension of the material would be increased by answering questions others may have and receiving explanations for questions they may have. The lessons would definitely be enhanced by the motivation the students would have to display their best work and carrying out discussions related to the lab. The rigor and relevance of the content would be increased by utilizing a blog in this way.

I have never had students use blogs in my classes before so I am certain there are some components of my idea that may need further consideration. I would appreciate any feedback you may have that would help me be more successful with this idea.

Clickers

One of my favorite new tools to utilize in the classroom is the Clicker. A teacher in my department received grant money to purchase a classroom set of clickers and I have been fortunate to utilize them this year. This technology allows me to establish a set of questions I want my students to answer. Each student has a clicker which is basically a fancy remote control. The students then answer the multiple choice, true/false, and yes or no questions that I have projected onto the screen. At the end of the questioning period, the results can be projected for the class. Graphs are established that show what percentage of the class got each question correct. It also displays an individual percentage and what questions were missed. I have only used this as a lesson or unit review but some teachers utilize it as an actual quiz.


My students seem to love using the clickers. There is something about holding the remote in your hand and sending your answer to the receiver that keeps them interested. I really like using the clickers because you can get a good sense of where all of the students are at with comprehending the lesson. Every student answers all of the questions. I also like to go back and consider why kids missed certain questions. Perhaps I did not cover the topic thoroughly or it was just a very challenging question.

If you are interested in more information here is a link to the site our clickers were purchased from http://www.smartroom.com/.