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