Sunday, December 20, 2009

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.
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2 comments:

  1. Mrs. Bonnie ChronisterDecember 20, 2009 at 5:27 PM

    Jenny,
    You make a very important point in your post that teachers must be mindful of keeping the content standards as the main focus of the lessons. Teachers need to monitor student work to insure that the bells and whistles of 21 century technology are used within reason in student work. Technology itself can become intoxicating and distract students and teachers from their original educational goals.
    Great point.

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  2. schielkDecember 20, 2009 at 10:10 PM

    You make a very good point about how technology can become overwhelming. As an educational technologist, I need to be more aware of this when I work with educators. Because I work with technology all the time, I am sometimes not aware of the trepidations that some educators face when introduced to new technology and teaching methods.

    While it is good for educators to master technology before they use it with their students, I also think that teachers need to be open to the technology skill that the students may already posses. In this day and age, students often come to class with technology skills that far exceed those of the educator. I like to see educators who take advantage of this and empower the students to share their skills with both the teacher and their classmates. Classrooms with this type of atmosphere truly become a community of learning.

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