The Final GAME Plan

The lesson that this teacher has learned throughout this class is when it comes to lesson plans, planning is as important as the execution. At the beginning of this class, I formulated a Game plan using the ISTE standards (2010). The two standards that I chose were

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
2. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

In the past I realized I had not let my students be fully self-directed, and take charge of their learning. By giving them the tools in which to explore and seek out answers on their own, I would be preparing them for a future in which they would be more confident in directing their own learning, rather than just doing assignments by rote. In order to achieve this goal, I needed to add more technology-enriched learning into m class. Our reading stated, “when technology is incorporated in an effective way, it can indeed facilitate creative thinking skills in the language arts classroom (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 196). I started this process by developing a class website, one in which we could post, view assignments and take assessments. I chose to use Schoology due to the ease of navigating the site. This has been a tremendous addition to my class, both for the students as well as myself. The students have gained confidence by using this site on a daily basis and I have gained confidence in using it on a daily basis. I will continue to add technology into my lessons in order to prepare my students for the future. Every student has different learning styles and this approach is helpful because it allows the student to both gain and seek information in several different ways, hopefully it will reach students who have different learning styles (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010a). By modeling, I have also gained valuable insight in teaching. By engaging is my own learning, such as this class, the students see both the importance and relevance of being in charge of their won education.
My most immediate adjustment will be to add more digital storytelling. This is a wonderful tool to use, since it develops several skill in students.
“As with other mind tools, digital stories enable learners to reflect, represent, and communicate what they know” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p.67) Another benefit is student engagement, using “collaborative online tools and social networking, students are provided flexibility during the learning experience” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). I will continue to reflect, as well as plan in teaching, I see them in often overlooked but vital in the learning process. I have seen the improvement first hand. By implementing these wonderful lesson tools, hopefully my students will be most prepared for what is waiting on them in the future.
using collaborative online tools and social networking, students are provided flexibility during the learning experience (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009).





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.

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2008). NETS for teachers 2008. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009a). Promoting self-directed learning with technology. [DVD] Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009b). Spotlight on Technology: Social Networking and Online Collaboration, Part 1. [DVD] Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Reflect...and take lots of notes!

What a journey, what an experience this has been. I must admit, I came to class hesitant and under the impression that this technology was more advanced than I was…how could I use this in my classroom? I realized that taking it a little piece at a time, (I tend to leap forward ten feet!) this was not only doable, but would be a great addition to my lessons as well as fun for my students. My first attempt was a huge success; the Schoology account has really taken off and proven to be a huge asset to both my students and myself. It is so convenient and really engages the students. Although there have been several glitches, teacher made I might add, it has been one of the best things I have incorporated into my classroom. Hopefully, it will continue to grow, which leads me to my point…finally! I have discovered that whatever the lesson, I must, must, must monitor and revise consistently. This has always been my intention, but I was negligent in the follow through. My next project, the digital storytelling is a new adventure that I am sure will be a hit, with the students as well as the audience in which they are presenting for. I am making a conscious effort to consistently monitor, revise and take notes, as this is the key for success in the future.

Revise, Review, Rewind

This week we actually worked on posting in the blogs created on Schoology. I was so excited, after several mis-steps, thinking I had gone over the material, everyone understood and we are ready to launch. The hardest part for me was being so hands off, it is not in my nature to be this way! I let the students discover, make mistakes and take the lead in this process. I would answer questions through our online messaging system, I really wanted this to be a learning process for them, one that was problem based and they could build on. The research took longer than I anticipated, and that put us a day behind, then the kids had a difficult time figuring out how to post, even though this had been gone over a zillion time, at least to me. After messaging, then revising y online instructions, it started coming together. Four days for what I scheduled one and a half days.....oh well, a learning experience and one I need to do further reflection for. The overall product was not what I was expecting and at this point I am debating from starting from square one, or having them revise...we are going to have a discussion tomorrow, so we will see. Another step in the right direction, just much slower than anticipated!

The next step...

This past week I saw so much progress, both in the students adapting to the Schoology account as well as the peer editing group. In evaluating each, I have found that I need to model the Schoology daily, and make it a part of the lesson. I also have started posting helpful hints, such as word list to use, in order to get some of the reluctant users motivation to check in daily as well. In the peer editing group, we are working on key components, such as thesis, topic sentences, grabbers, and giving the students parts to check. This way, they have these key items highlighted and labeled beforehand, it gives then a chance to look at it beforehand, I found the 30- to 40 minutes to be not enough time and I am working on ways to get the most done. This week we will begin the online editing and posting essays, wish me luck!

Monitoring the GAME

Ahhhh, Holidays, Breaks and Vacation…with a two-day work week, there was not a lot of work to be monitored on my GAME plan. I am still working on downloading to our site and have all students access the material. So far I have it to each class. I plan on playing around with it this weekend, in between the decorating, cleaning up and packing daughter back up for college. On a positive note, the trial run of my peer tutoring was a success. Right away I saw that it was imperative that the students have their rough drafts completed, this way the peer tutoring can focus on the edits and support and elaboration, rather than helping them write the entire paper. For the most part they were well behaved and focused, and it was not a struggle to get students to attend, I had 4 with the promise of several more after break.
On the personal development side, I downloaded my instructions for National Boards…hopefully I will actually get to read them later this week!

Week 2 of the GAME

This week was interesting to say the least. I have 100% of my students now signed up for their Schoology account, and have posted and downloaded assignments for the week. This part worked out well, as the flu is raging through my classes and twenty percent of my students have been absent. Feedback from the site, from both parents and students was positive. My editing and peer review did not go as well. My grand hopes of online interaction and editing came to a crashing halt as the system would only allow five students at a time to edit. This is my error and how I set up the system, so hopefully it will be resolved this week...wow, there is so much to think about when starting up! I did make a conscious effort to go over my lessons right after class and make notes, something I should have been doing all along, but now I am making it a habit. I have made a request for the computer lab, to have set times for my students, in an effort for all students to have access while I am around to answer questions. The only materials needed is a more techno-savvy teacher!
My next goal is to have a peer tutoring, it will have to be an after school project, for my struggling writers and diverse learners. It is my plan to have the students write their rough drafts in class, then have several peer tutors, I have five who have volunteered so far, go over and edit before they write their final copies.
On the personal front, to address my growth and development, I signed up for National Boards!
Call me crazy......

GAME PLAN!

Behind every successful endeavor, there is a game plan; this is especially true in education. With our students exposed to technology in their life outside school, we must find a way to integrate technology inside the classroom. In order to become a successful teacher of 21t century learners, I must complete and implement a game plan that includes the technology that is such an important part of their life. In order to guide the direction I want my teaching to take, I must have a solid action plan on how to accomplish these goals. This plan includes using the GAME plan using the ISTE (2010). The two standards that I have chosen are:

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
2. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

Goals and Actions
I am currently revamping many of my lessons to include technology-enriched activities. Specifically, I have set up an account on Schoology, in which students may edit, compose and suggest essays in an online setting. I also want to include assessments on this site. In order to properly instruct my students, I will model the lesson first, that way insuring complete understanding from my students. Secondly, I will continue to continue my understanding and education in technology, as there are new developments daily! In order for me to be the best instructor, I must first be current on all the technology that is available to my students. My district offers several a year, and although my class does not have EReaders at this time, I am taking a class on their use in the classroom in hopes we will acquire the in the future.

Monitor
In order to monitor myself, I will have weekly reflections in which I will see what worked, what did not and how I will change it in the future (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2008). I will use a blog to monitor this progress and set up a time weekly in which I will post, making me accountable for this goal. This self-monitoring will be essential in helping me accomplish my goal, as well as adjusting the lessons for the future (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).


Evaluation
In order to evaluate my progress, I will evaluate the student’s progress and engagement in the lesson. This will be done at the completion of each unit and allow me to see how successful the lesson was in engaging the students and improvement in their writing. I will also look to the students for their feedback on what they feel was beneficial and what they would change. Their feedback is crucial. For my second goal, I will self monitor and adjust as needed. Since technology is such an ever-changing field, I will always challenge myself to stay abreast of new developments and to serve as a role model to my students.

By designing a game plan, my lessons will be more directed and focused, therefore hopefully having favorable results. It is my hope to be a life long learner as well as showing my students through example that learning is a life long process (Cennamo, et al., 2009).

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.
ISTE. (2008). The ISTE NETS and performance indicators for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved
from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Program 1: Promoting self directed
learning with technology. [DVD]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore,
MD.

The End of Class-A Reflection

Technology…last year this very word would strike fear in my heart. I was interested, saw the importance of technology in my classroom, but the very thought of exposing myself as a novice in front of my students, who were much more advanced than I was, was terrifying. I was the typical educator Miners and Pascopella described in “many educators who sometimes are not nearly as literate with the Internet as the students that they teach”(Miners & Pascopella). After much soul searching, thought and reflection, I came to the conclusion that in order to be the best teacher I could be for my students, I must take the dive into technology and yes, join the 21st century of technology.
Education 6710 was my introduction into this world of technology and learning. Podcast, Wiki’s, Blogs…all words that were familiar to me, but the question was how to use them. As Will Richardson stated in Blogs, Wikis and Podcast and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, “these tools have considerable relevance to state and local core content curriculum standards, and there is much reason to believe their implementation in schools will better prepare students”(Richardson, 2008). I saw how powerful thee tools could be, and was determined to use them in my classroom. After all, my students are tech savvy, according to Miners and Pascopella, students spend twenty-seven hours on the Internet at home per week, they only are spending 15 minutes at school (Miners & Pascopella). It is my job as their educator to balance these scales and integrate this necessary tool into our curriculum. After creating my blog, I found that it was not nearly as difficult as I had originally thought, and my mind was quickly thinking of all the great things I could do with my students using this tool. I have currently set up a classroom blog, where they can post their original work, check on assignments and ask questions and get opinions from their classmates. So far, it has worked well, and I see it developing into much more in the future. The students love it, and have taken ownership, reminding me to check out their work, and update our blog. It has also been beneficial in my area with snow days and flu days taking a tool on attendance with the writing test looming ahead. I feel we are not behind in our writing, thanks to our classroom blog, as the majority of my students have Internet access. I know our blog will continue to evolve, as both my skill and knowledge improves, as well as the student’s role and involvement.
The Podcast was my most challenging assignment; to start with it was a comedy of errors. As Miner and Pascopella stated, “technology should open new doors to students, not limit them.” I kept telling myself as I erased, re-recorded and tried to link the podcast to my site. By continuing to open the door, through all the trials and errors, I learned, along with my students, that the best way to learn was through persistence. They saw me making mistakes and continuing, and they saw that perseverance really does pay off. Although our podcast was rough, and certainly not what I expected it to be, nevertheless it was completed. I also learned through our podcast that public speaking and speech should be added to my lesson plans.
Through these experiences one thing became clear to me. While I was not the most technological savvy person, I could learn and become a teacher where technology was successfully integrated into their classroom. I see the benefits how having these tools and to be an effective teacher to today’s digital natives, “it still comes down to providing students with relevant and exciting content” (McHale, 2008). This is my goal.
“Our students have changed radically. Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach” (Pensky, 2008). This statement confirms my commitment to continue to grow as a teacher who embraces technology. I have partnered with the technology instructor at school, and we have found several wonderful sites in which the students can edit, grade as well as critique other student’s essays, which has proven to help tremendously with their own writing. In order to increase my student’s achievement, I will continue to develop new ideas, implement them, refine them and most importantly, to educate myself in order to better educate my students. Ironically, last week we received our new teacher evaluations and one of our goals is integrating technology into our classroom. I volunteered to help our technology director conduct mini sessions on this topic. For me, to do and teach is the best way to learn. I also plan on attending a learning retreat this summer, which specifically addresses using technology for writing in the classroom. I will continue my technology education, because I have seen the value to my students, and added benefit of their enthusiasm over this type of learning. Students who are enthusiastic and engaged naturally are more successful.
My long-term goals include incorporating more collaborative/group projects into my curriculum. As stated, these collaborative efforts are the way of the future work force, gone are the days of working solo. This will again prepare them for future positions. Today “successful businesses are looking for employees who can adapt to changing needs, juggle multiple responsibilities and routinely make decisions on their own”(Partnership for 21st Century Skills). By having students who are comfortable and confident in this learning environment my classroom will be a stepping-stone to their future success. I will implement this though designing lesson plans that are conducive to collaborative learning. By using Wikis and Blogs, these group projects will also expose the students to the benefits of collaborative learning. By simply shifting from journal writing, to posting on a blog, I am giving students an opportunity to connect technology into a technology learning experience.
My next long-term goal is to give more thought provoking and discussion questions. I firmly believe that students need to develop their critical and analytical thinking to a greater degree than they are currently. By giving students an authentic audience is one way to gain their interest (Richardson, 2009). By having lessons that the students see the value in, they will be more likely to engage and participate in class. With the incredible amount of information at heir fingertips, it is important that the students be able to objectively look at the material and critically analyze it, rather than to take it at face value. By tying this lesson into a carry-over lesson in life, it will benefit the student now and in the future. I plan on integrating this into our research project, to teach the students what is reliable information and what is questionable and where to find the answer. This can be done as a current events project as well, taking our lessons from the headlines of the paper. Another source is by watching the different news stations, and looking at the different “spins” each has. This was particularly true in last year’s lessons, and I would like my students to be able to get to the truth, or the bottom line, rather than just thinking that because they read it on the Internet or saw it on television it was true. I plan to take clips from various sources and have group discussions on getting to the facts. This will bring both the critical thinking as well as responsible use of technology into my classroom.
As with any new plans, the first stage is to implement it. Through reflection and modification, I hope that these two goals will be a part of my lessons and will be integral t the success and learning environment of all of my students.

Resources

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). [DVD]. “The changing work
environment, part 2”. Baltimore, MD.

McHale, T. (2005). Portrait of a digital native. Technology & Learning. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/article/4572

Miners, Z., & Pascopella, A. (2007). The new literacies. District Administration,
43 (10), 26-34.

Prensky, M. (2005). Listen to the natives. Educational Leadership, 63(4), 8–13.

Prensky, M. (2008, March). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40–4

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

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Another First!

This week my assignment was to create a podcast on student's use of technology, both at home and in school. I started with a questionnaire, asking my students what type of technology they used at home on a regular basis. Other questions were:

1. Discuss the differences between the technology use use at home and at school.

2. How do you think Kings Mountain High School prepares you in the technology field regarding your classes and your future education/employment?

3. What do you find to be the most beneficial tool, the least?

4. Do you think your teachers are more/less proficient with the use of technology compared to you and your classmates?

5. What would you like to see added to your classes to make them more engaging?

Demographics
My English 2 class consist of 24 students, non-honors.
2 ESL
6 with modifications
16 Boys/8 Girls

I found that five of my students do not have access to computers at home, they use the pubic library or school media center

100 % had their own cell phone

100 % had IPods or MP3 Players

70% Felt they were technology literate

12% Felt they were not as proficient as their peers in the use of technology

Enjoy the PodCast as they discuss this in their own words!
Classroom Podcast

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

"Literacy in the 21st century means more than basic reading, writing and computing skills. It means knowing how to use knowledge and skills in the context of modern life."(Partnership for 21st Century Skills) Are we as educators preparing our students to not only be literate, but also to be employable? The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a group of major business education organizations that was specifically formed to address this. The partnerships' main goal is addressing the "profound gap between knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st century communities and workplaces." (Partnership for 21st Century Skills)
While some would argue that big business should stay out of education, I think it is one of the best things possible. Where else can we get firsthand knowledge of what employers are looking for in employees, are we not preparing students for the workplace? I found the information in The Partnership for 21st Century Skills valuable, concise and informative. As educators we must have a framework as described in this website to prepare and educate our students for tomorrow.
I was quite surprised that NC is one of the states that that is an active participating in The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Governor Mike Eisley supports this initiative whole heartedly. Since the major source of North Carolina's revenue was textiles, and we have lost much of these business, it is more important than ever than ever for NC to produce students who are technology literate and highly skilled in order to both create and fill positions in NC .
As an educator I am excited to have this map of the future in place. From an educator's standpoint, this is a perfect example of what we need to link business and education for the greater good of the student. As with any new idea, there are kinks and bumps to iron out. With school funding at an all time low, money to support the 21st Century Skills will be an issue. Hopefully, this will take precedence over less needed state money drainers such as standardized state testing models. While the Partnership for 21st Century Skills will be difficult and tedious to implement, I know it will be well worth the effort. As an educator, I try to project what my students will need in the future to become successful citizens, I feel this initiative will address may of those questions.

References
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). A report and mile guide for 21st century skills. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/downloads/P21_Report.pdf

Classroom Ideas and Ponderings

I would like to create a blog on creative writing for my three 10Th grade composition classes. I have thought about a group effort essay, editing skills or essay add-on, in which each class would be responsible for a different part of the essay, then putting it all together. I also looked at giving my three classes a set of fifteen adjectives and let each student write a blog containing those words to see how many different stories can be written using the same words. I like this idea, as we are working on descriptive writing and how adjectives can change the entire tone of a story. The students would have instant access to each others work, rather than copies. I also like the idea, as the students could uses modeling, this really helps with my students who struggle with writing. These are a few of my ideas that incorporate what my lessons are for the next several weeks and I am trying to be a tech-know teacher and tie them in. I would also like to create a blog on "Angela's Ashes", the novel we are currently reading. My thoughts are to have a character "speak" about their viewpoint, rather than the authors. Another idea is from our text and have the students journal. I like the idea of a blog for these because it will be interactive and static. They can correspond to each other and while it is active learning, it will also be fun! So many ideas! I am going to narrow down these ideas and get input from some of the students.
Have any of you worked with creative writing and blogs? I would love to hear past experiences and other ideas regarding writing and use of novels!
have a great week...

A New Year, A New Way

One of the many great things about the New Year is that we get to review past promises to ourselves, create new ones and revise several others. This year my focus will be on integrating technology into my classroom. The first step is for me to educate myself, I am currently working on my Masters in Informational Technology. The next step is to research, what works and what does not. Is there a better way to find out than hear from others regarding their successes?
I currently teach tenth grade English in a small town in North Carolina. I teach composition and World Literature. Does anyone have suggestions regarding using technology in writing and grammar? I hope to gain from your expertise and look forward to hearing your input.
Have a great New Year!