I am happy to say that I am progressing nicely with my game plan. It is encouraging to know that I am on my way to meeting my goals. I am pleased with my progress and am thrilled about how my students have responded.
At this point, I bought myself a new planner to assist me with time management. This has been a big help! I spend about 20-30 minutes of my planning time each week reading and researching to find ways to incorporate technology into my lessons. Furthermore, I have discussed with my colleagues my intentions of integrating technology into my daily lessons, and now when we collaborate, they are assisting me by sharing ideas that I am able to use.
I am finding many lessons on the internet that I am currently using, so locating resources hasn't been a problem. At this time, I do not think that I need to modify my action plan, because I am content with my progress. I have learned that integrating technology is very rewarding and really helps with classroom management. Students become highly engaged when they are utilizing their devices and it makes the learning process enjoyable for all. A question that I have, is for my colleagues. Can you share with me a way that you incorporated technology into your content area lessons?
So, all in all, things are looking good. I am on my way to meeting my goals and I am excited about my progress.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Carrying out my GAMEPLAN...
When I think about the resources that I will need to assist me on my quest of tackling this game plan, the first thing that comes to my mind is time to read. I need to set aside time each week to be able to read and research on the internet to find lessons that integrate technology so that I can have my learners engage in 21st century skills. There are so many valuable resources on the web that I can access, but I need to be able to manage my time wisely so that I can do so. Another resource that I will need to help me reach my goals is the advice of my colleagues. In my building, there are several Master and Docturate level teachers that are utilize technology on a daily basis, that could serve as a mentor for me and assist me in this process. By collaborating with other teachers, I can obtain new and creative ideas for lessons, and share what I have learned throughout my own research.
Additional information that I will need to consider is the interests of my students. If I can create lesson plans that incorporate technology with things that motivate them then I will be able to meet their needs and get them to be highly engaged in my classroom. I also need to consider the socio-economic status and the demographics of my learning community, so that I can be flexible and adhere to the Universal design for learning, (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).
So far, I have been reading and researching in my spare time to begin collecting resources and information that can assist me with my lesson plans and integrating technology. I found an interest inventory that I am going to administer with my students to investigate their interests and their learning styles so that I may differentiate my instruction. Lastly, I have had conversations with my colleagues during collaborative planning time to discover new ideas for lessons that will integrate technology into my learning community.
Reference
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.
Additional information that I will need to consider is the interests of my students. If I can create lesson plans that incorporate technology with things that motivate them then I will be able to meet their needs and get them to be highly engaged in my classroom. I also need to consider the socio-economic status and the demographics of my learning community, so that I can be flexible and adhere to the Universal design for learning, (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).
So far, I have been reading and researching in my spare time to begin collecting resources and information that can assist me with my lesson plans and integrating technology. I found an interest inventory that I am going to administer with my students to investigate their interests and their learning styles so that I may differentiate my instruction. Lastly, I have had conversations with my colleagues during collaborative planning time to discover new ideas for lessons that will integrate technology into my learning community.
Reference
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.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
GAME PLAN
GOALS:
After I reviewed the website for the International Society for Technology in Education, I found myself becoming a bit overwhelmed because I know that I have a great deal to work on. I really must admit, that their are several of the indicators and standards that I need to address, and strengthen my confidence and proficiecy in. I am going to focus on ISTE NETS-T standard 2b, which requires that,"I develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, mangaging their own learning, and assessing their own progress," (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 84). I know this is an important part of teaching my students to become self-directed learners. The other area that I would like to grow in is standard 5c, which states, "teachers will evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning," (www.iste.org).
ACTION:
I will address these areas by considering what my students need to know, what they already know, and how will I be able to determine if they have been successful. I will create an environment that is conducive to learning incorporating the use of techology into my daily lesson plans. To ensure that my goals are met, I will have my students engage in lessons that will help them meet their goals by educating them through blogs, wiki's, virtual field trips, and using their mobile devices. In addition to that, I will designate at least one class period every two weeks to spending time in the computer lab to teach my students the content area objectives. When I create the lessons that I have my learners participate in I will consider the content that they need, which strategies will work best to meet their needs, and what resources will I need to get them there,(Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009)? By evaluating and reflecting on current research I will be able to create more authentic and meaningful lessons incorporating the use of technology into as many lessons as possible. In my opinion, being in this master's program with Walden, I am demonstrating that I am taking action and am on my way to achieving my goals.
MONITOR:
It is important to monitor the progress of my learners but it is equally important to monitor my own learning goals. To ensure success, I will continue to stay current through reading and research, and by being a reflective learner. By keeping a reflective journal I will be able to record personal strengths and weaknesses, and also keep records of how my learning community is progressing on our educational journey. Another way that I will reach my goal of finding ways to use digital tools and resources to support my students learning is by posting to my blog to reach out to other educators all over the world to help me with my quest.
EVALUATE & EXTEND:
Finally, I must evaluate the effectiveness of my instruction and personal progress. I believe that I will know my strengths and weaknesses by using the data that I get from my students achievment test scores. In my district, we assess our learners three times a year through MAP testing, which is Measure of Academic Progress. This gives excellent information about my students reading comprehension and language levels, as well as their reading lexile too. I will closely analyze that data to evaluate my teaching and find ways to better meet the needs of my learners. Lastly, I would like to extend my learning by educating my colleagues through collaboration, sharing the knowledge that I gained, the struggles that I encountered and seeking any advice that they may have so that I can be a better teacher for my students.
I am thrilled to have these goals to work for and anxious to start on this journey to achieve them. I know that with hard work and determination, I will be successful and my students will be too!
Reference
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.
After I reviewed the website for the International Society for Technology in Education, I found myself becoming a bit overwhelmed because I know that I have a great deal to work on. I really must admit, that their are several of the indicators and standards that I need to address, and strengthen my confidence and proficiecy in. I am going to focus on ISTE NETS-T standard 2b, which requires that,"I develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, mangaging their own learning, and assessing their own progress," (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 84). I know this is an important part of teaching my students to become self-directed learners. The other area that I would like to grow in is standard 5c, which states, "teachers will evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning," (www.iste.org).
ACTION:
I will address these areas by considering what my students need to know, what they already know, and how will I be able to determine if they have been successful. I will create an environment that is conducive to learning incorporating the use of techology into my daily lesson plans. To ensure that my goals are met, I will have my students engage in lessons that will help them meet their goals by educating them through blogs, wiki's, virtual field trips, and using their mobile devices. In addition to that, I will designate at least one class period every two weeks to spending time in the computer lab to teach my students the content area objectives. When I create the lessons that I have my learners participate in I will consider the content that they need, which strategies will work best to meet their needs, and what resources will I need to get them there,(Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009)? By evaluating and reflecting on current research I will be able to create more authentic and meaningful lessons incorporating the use of technology into as many lessons as possible. In my opinion, being in this master's program with Walden, I am demonstrating that I am taking action and am on my way to achieving my goals.
MONITOR:
It is important to monitor the progress of my learners but it is equally important to monitor my own learning goals. To ensure success, I will continue to stay current through reading and research, and by being a reflective learner. By keeping a reflective journal I will be able to record personal strengths and weaknesses, and also keep records of how my learning community is progressing on our educational journey. Another way that I will reach my goal of finding ways to use digital tools and resources to support my students learning is by posting to my blog to reach out to other educators all over the world to help me with my quest.
EVALUATE & EXTEND:
Finally, I must evaluate the effectiveness of my instruction and personal progress. I believe that I will know my strengths and weaknesses by using the data that I get from my students achievment test scores. In my district, we assess our learners three times a year through MAP testing, which is Measure of Academic Progress. This gives excellent information about my students reading comprehension and language levels, as well as their reading lexile too. I will closely analyze that data to evaluate my teaching and find ways to better meet the needs of my learners. Lastly, I would like to extend my learning by educating my colleagues through collaboration, sharing the knowledge that I gained, the struggles that I encountered and seeking any advice that they may have so that I can be a better teacher for my students.
I am thrilled to have these goals to work for and anxious to start on this journey to achieve them. I know that with hard work and determination, I will be successful and my students will be too!
Reference
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)