Final Reflection

Creating a game plan was similar to creating a personal professional development plan. Having a plan to refer back to and reflect on has helped keep me focused on specific goals over the last few months. Having a plan keeps instructional practices evolving in an efficient manner. Overall, following the personal game plan has fostered new learning and impacted instructional practices in a positive way.

The first part of my game plan revolved around collaborating with fellow teachers to gather materials that are aligned with curriculum changes. Using a Dropbox provided flexibility and instant gratification. All participants loved the ease of use and ability to collaborate whenever it was convenient for each individual. Moving forward, it will be important to make sure that the Dropbox account does not become a dumping ground for everything. The account needs to stay organized and streamlined to fit the new curriculum changes within the district, including common core alignment. Now that there is a specific group of teachers collaborating on the assignment, it will also be helpful to ask administration for a common prep or time during faculty meetings to collaborate further and discuss materials.

After collaborating with colleagues, my instructional practices have been directly impacted. Websites have been shared as well as teacher-made materials. Being that state testing will also be changing, I found it extremely useful to reference a document one teacher created that highlighted the new skills being addressed. Sharing resources has helped free up time for other important duties such as planning and creating other problem-based activities.

Using Dropbox has been a success. However, I would probably not open this tool up to a class activity. It may be useful for students to create individually, but other digital tools such as wikis and blogs would be more beneficial for students to collaborate with. Other digital tools can be monitored much more easily. The Dropbox account is acceptable to share among peers who understand internet norms and privacy morals. Young students who are just learning the importance of these topics need more monitoring and scaffolding.

Moving forward, I will make sure that I use problem-based learning as often as possible. Designing lessons that allow students to collaborate and make their own accurate meaning from the material is very important. Also, the ISTE has shown the importance of implementing and using digital tools appropriately. Today’s students need to know how to use technology appropriately, and the ISTE gives teachers a comprehensive list of skills to address. Finally, using social networking appropriately is something I will try to do with students more often. Familiarizing students with these skills can only benefit them moving forward. Overall, I found the  resources and classroom practices discussed very useful to today’s school settings.       

Monitoring My Personal Game Plan

Monitoring Game Plan Progress

Monitoring my personal game plan has been helpful. Dropbox has been an excellent tool in having colleagues collaborate while using technology. Dropbox has provided an easy way for multiple people to collaborate virtually, but there have still been some challenges. All teachers having been attempting to use the tool, but finding resources that fit the common core standards has been difficult. Many of the current curriculum guides are not currently aligned with common core, and finding new resources has been a challenge. This issue plays into how my personal action plan needs to be modified. It would be beneficial if all the teachers on grade level could change how to gather information to post. Teachers should be more conscious of selecting documents that meet common core standards. It would also help to find additional collaboration time with teachers during or after the school day to find the appropriate materials.

So far, I have learned that my colleagues are extremely motivated to collaborate and tackle the task at hand, and have been very receptive to using the Dropbox account. Most teacher feedback has been positive about the ease of use and organization within the resource. However, I do question if this task will be completed in the short-term or long-term. It has also been challenging to find the time to discuss the resource with colleagues during the school day. Hopefully, with a long stretch of school days coming up, collaboration time will become available.

The International Society for Technology in (2008), has also promoted an emphasis on using digital tolls to collaborate. My game plan also included creating a wiki for students to use and collaborate on regarding information on the Revolutionary War. It was initially difficult to find relevant websites that were age appropriate and on topic. It has been a challenge to find good websites for the students, so moving forward I will only introduce the sites that worked well. Also, when introducing the wiki and how to use it to the student, I will do it over a series of days instead of in one long session. The students seemed to have many questions and it would have been easier to demonstrate use in smaller, manageable chunks.

I have learned that infusing technology into the classroom has excited the students about the unit, and they enjoy using the wiki. Students seem to be taking ownership of the wiki and the information they find regarding the Revolutionary War. Moving forward, I would like to know how to add to the wiki for future classes to enhance the learning experience.            

Game Plan Information and Resources

The International Society for Technology in Education (2008) helps teachers understand the importance of technology in education and how to efficiently implement it in the classroom. The website gives teachers a number of standards to address in their curriculum. The standards are excellent discussion points and goals for teachers to strive for in their instructional practices. The indicators that I mentioned last week that I feel I can improve on are Modeling collaborative knowledge by engaging with colleagues in particular via a virtual environment (1.d), collaborating with students using digital tools (3.b).

In order to achieve indicator 1.d. a Dropbox account would have to be created. Collaborative time with colleagues would also be needed to explain how to access the website, and how to navigate the site. A list of topics to be addressed would also be helpful. After everyone understands how to add materials and use the site, it would be helpful to have collaborative time to periodically discuss how the tool is being used and organized. The contents of the site can also be discussed.

Indicator 3.b. can be achieved by creating a Wiki account for students to access and post information regarding the Revolutionary War. First a Wiki account would need to be created with student access. The teachers can model how to navigate the site and post information. Then numerous child appropriate websites would need to be uploaded onto the website for students to access. Also, using rubistar4teachers.org a rubric would need to be created and posted so students understand the expectations.    

Gathering these resources and information can be done easily. Collaborative time would potentially be the most difficult item to achieve. If faculty meeting time or common prep time could be used, it would be ideal for staff. Otherwise, finding time for an entire grade level to meet and discuss the resources may be difficult to do.

  

ISTEA and The Personal Game Plan

It is important for teachers to constantly think about how they design, implement, assess and evaluate in the classroom. Thinking about teaching and learning throughout the process will ensure that students are getting the most out of instruction, and that time is being used efficiently. As we continue to move deeper into the age of technology, organizations such as the International Society for Technology in Education play a crucial role in helping teachers plan, deliver and evaluate lessons effectively.

After examining the International Society for Technology in Education website (2008), I feel that I am comfortable with the second and fourth standards. I feel that the district has helped me achieve the second standard by providing new technology in the forms of laptops, Promethean Boards, IPads and a media center in the library. These tools help me personalize learning activities and have a technology-rich environment for the students. The new technology also provides students and teachers with a number of ongoing assessment options to check the pulse of student growth. The second standard of designing and developing digital age learning experiences and assessments is now easily achieved. Also, as a teacher of any grade level, I feel that it is second nature to follow through on the fourth standard. This includes modeling digital citizenship and responsibility (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008).  Digital tools should always be used responsibly, and teachers should practice modeling safe, legal and ethical use.

One indicator from the International Society for Technology in Education website (2008), that I feel can be improved is 1.d. Modeling collaborative knowledge by engaging with colleagues in particular via a virtual environment is something that I strive to improve. Much time and effort can be saved by creating a Dropbox or similar account. These online accounts allow multiple people to access a shared account. Users can add and take information from the account easily and from anywhere. Teachers can share resources such as modified work, tests, plans and much more. After setting up the account and showing colleagues how to use the resource, it would be helpful to create folders to organize the work. Monitoring the use or Dropbox would be easily achieved by logging on often and checking to see what has been added. After a year of gathering resources, it would be helpful to take an inventory check and evaluate what parts of the curriculum still need to be addressed.

According to the International Society for Technology in Education (2008), it is important to model digital age work and learning. I would like to specifically focus on indicator 3.b. Collaborating with students using digital tools is an excellent way to keep them engaged in the lesson. I would like to create a wiki or blog for students to post group research on regarding the Revolutionary War. Both the Social Studies and Language Arts curriculums dedicate a unit to this topic which has a vast amount of information. I feel that it is sometimes hard for student to synthesize all the important information. By having a forum for groups to post important information from what they read to, I feel students would benefit greatly. A rubric could be created to monitor student progress and ensure they are doing all the requirements. Evaluating the learning can be done by having groups share what they have compiled and presented in a final project. Other groups as well as teachers can give feedback on group findings.

Implementing both indicators mentioned would be beneficial to both teachers and students. Sharing information would be done easily. Implementing technology will also continue to submerge all in the digital age of technology.         

 

Resources

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers

 

Final Reflection

A number of teaching theories have been discussed during the life of this course. In the beginning, I felt that my personal learning theory was closely related to that of the social constructionist theory. I feel that it is important for learners to learn from each other as well as teach each other. After reviewing many theories, I still feel like the social constructionist theory is most closely related to my classroom. With many areas of education, it is sometimes best to blend a bit of everything in order to reach all learners. I believe this is also true when employing learning theories into the classroom. Exposing students to a variety of instructional methods would ensure that all learners have been met. If students are all unique and learn in different ways, they should be exposed to different ways of learning material. Although I have used educational technologies in the past, I feel that this course has exposed me to so much more. Using the Internet to look up information, complete Webquests, and play educational games is just the beginning of educational technology. The tools discussed in this course will allow me to expose students to learning during more hours of the day and at the learner’s convenience. Students can also collaborate with each other more frequently and efficiently through some of the educational technology discussed.

Throughout this course, I have learned about a number of different educational technology tools. Being that I teach fifth grade, I feel that it is important that I provide explicit instruction when using technology. Some of the students still don’t have the skills or availability to use the Internet daily. Moving forward I would like to definitely use the Spiderscribe tool in my instruction. Paired with the Promethean Board, I feel that the website can provide a clear graphic depiction of many concepts being taught. Students can use the website to fill in graphic organizers and take notes. As a teacher, I can use the website for KWL charts or summarizing and note taking. I also feel that it would be beneficial to introduce my students to Voice Thread. It can be a great resource for me to read direction and passages to students who have difficulty reading. Students can also listen to themselves read to help increase their fluency. Even if some of the students don’t have Internet access, I could use the computers in the library to record the final reading of their guided reading books each week.

Completing this course has made it easier for me to set goals within my classroom. I am more aware of the resources available and feel that I am comfortable using many of them. One goal I plan on setting and achieving is making the Social Studies curriculum more fun through the use of technology. Sometimes the cause and effect concepts relationships and abstract concepts are difficult for fifth grade students to understand. Incorporating graphic organizers, importing videos, and bringing up pictures and other visuals will increase student understanding. Another goal I would like to accomplish is setting up and using a classroom blog to complete certain assignments. I feel that this is a great way to make a home-school connection as well as foster student collaboration. Implementing a blog would allow students to socialize with each other and complete assignments. I feel that it would be worth while and increase student interest in many assignments. I look forward to implementing many of the tools discovered into the classroom.

                        Cooperative Learning Strategy and Social Learning Theory

The Cooperative Learning Strategy is based upon students interacting with each other in groups to enhance their learning (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Learners can be arranged in a variety of differentiated groups. Groups offer individuals the chance to learn from each other, and have each member communicate with each other. In today’s society, globalization has become more common and people of all ages are required to collaborate in the work environment.   

The Social Learning Theory is based upon the idea that students gain understanding by interacting with others and with their environment (Laureate Education Inc., 2010). The Social Learning Theory and Cooperative Learning Strategy are closely related. I feel that cooperative learning fits into the Social Learning Theory. Students can enhance their learning and their environment by collaborating with others in a multitude of ways. By definition, a learner should communicate or their knowledge of a topic to others in order to show an understanding. By doing so, the learner is being social. Technology allows people to communicate, collaborate and socialize very efficiently.

Many instructional tools can be used for student collaboration. One educational technology tool I have used in the past is a Webquest. A Webquest is an activity that allows students to learn about a particular subject or solve a problem (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). I have used Webquests in the classroom to have students explore certain topics such as energy and the types of resources used in Science. The students enjoyed using the technology, discovering information, and communicating with each other throughout the process. Using Webquests is a Cooperative Learning Strategy that fits into the Social Learning Theory. By using Webquests, students can focus on using the information provided rather than looking for it, and also provide support so the students achieve the higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).  

Voicethread URL: http://walden.voicethread.com/share/4098666/

                                                                        References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). [Webcast]. Social Learning Theory. Baltimore: Author.

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

 

                                                     Constructionist Learning Theory
The constructionist learning theory is built upon the premise that learners stay motivated to learn, and show an understanding of material by creating something. By structuring a learning environment this way, students have a chance to explore what meaning and gain information on their own or with assistance. The approach is much different than a traditional teacher-centered model. By allowing the students to experience the learning, they are more prone to understanding the material rather than memorizing it. An instructional strategy that embeds technology and uses a constructionist approach is generating and testing hypothesis. According to Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski (2007), when generating and testing hypotheses, learners are engaging in complex mental processes, applying knowledge and increasing their general understanding of the content.

Generating and testing hypotheses is closely aligned to the constructionist approach to education. According to Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski (2007), the six ways to help generate and test hypotheses is through system analysis, problem solving, historical investigation, invention, experimental inquiry, and decision making. Each of the methods discussed promotes student exploration and creation. Learners are responsible for discovering information and building meaning for themselves and for collaboration.

To apply this strategy in the classroom, I could see students creating a concept map to gather information about specific questions regarding the Revolutionary War. Students could participate in a historical investigation and explore why certain figures such as Benedict Arnold acted the way they did. I could also use an online KWL chart to gather student knowledge and make connections for students. The chart could be completed as the unit progresses. Overall, generating and testing hypothesis is useful across curriculum and could be used in almost any content area (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007).

References

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