Reflection (GAME Plan)

My original GAME plan developed at the beginning of this course was very general and needed to be more specific.  My GAME plan was to increase my students’ eagerness to use technology because they see the benefits of it while also increasing their knowledge.  Through this course, I gained a greater understanding of how I could make my GAME plan more specific and still accomplish what I wanted.  An example would be to create problem based learning units that allow my students to use math in everyday life.  I also became very acquainted with some other technology resources that allow me to portray real life discussions and presentations.  My original GAME plan is a year long process, so I have not met the goal yet.  I have been working towards it and I will continue working the remainder of the year. 

Developing a GAME plan has helped me learn more about setting goals and how to follow through with them.  I need to set goals that are attainable and can be measured.  I “need to constantly assess [my] technology integration skills in order to identify the new knowledge and skills [I] need” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 4).  Technology is constantly changing and evolving and educators will need to keep pace with this progress.  Probably the greatest thing I will take from this course is how to apply technology in a way that inspires creative and higher-level thinking throughout a lesson that involves technology.  In the past, I have used technology mostly for lower level thinking.  While this captures most students’ attention, it does not help them to understand the content material at a higher level.

I am planning on using the unit that I developed for this class and also take what I have learned about writing problem based lessons to keep developing them.  I have never developed a problem based lesson as well as I did for this class, which has provided me with more confidence.  I would like to take all of the technology that I became more familiar with and integrate it into my curriculum to generate higher level thinking.  I would like to change my perspective on homework and emphasize that “learners are given control over the amount of information they receive, the number of practice exercises they complete, and the level of success they obtain before moving on” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, pg. 37).  I also need to reconsider my theory that a successful lesson means that all of the students completed their homework.  Instead, I need to focus on the ultimate goal of learning the material and how this can be accomplished.

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.

GAME Plan (Application 7)

The process of using the GAME plan to set goals for myself and to create lesson plans has been very beneficial.  The GAME plan is a simple outline that provides all of the necessary steps.  Looking at the NETS standards for students, I see how it would be beneficial for me to create a goal for each standard that will get accomplished sometime during the school year. 

The goal of the GAME plan can be the individual standards that my students must accomplish.  The action will be the steps or activities I will use in my classroom to meet the standards.  Some of the activities that I plan to use are blogs, wikis, VoiceThread, Geometer’s Sketchpad, social networking, podcasts, PowerPoints, and more.  This will give me a great outline of what will need to be accomplished throughout the year.  Developing my action plan will require “analyzing and determining tools and strategies that will best help students master curriculum standards” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 245).  Monitoring and evaluating each activity may differ for everyone.  This part of the GAME plan will be very important to make sure all of the students are meeting the NETS standards in addition to the curriculum standards. 

Setting a GAME plan for a year can be a great way for me to outline what needs to be taught, when it will be taught, and how I will teach it.  Every standard will be taught in a manner that is implementing technology to enhance every student’s learning.

 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.

Jenna Enevoldsen

Revising my GAME plan

As a look back on the goals I set, I realize they are long-term goals that may not come to fruition any time soon.  My goal was to show my students how valuable technology can be in learning as well as in life.  Going forward, I want to be more specific with my goals so they will be easier to measure.  Through my readings and experience, I have become much more familiar with technology and how I can use it in my classroom to benefit my students.  Setting goals has increased my awareness of how technology is used. 

At this point, I am not ready to set any new goals.  Instead, I want to continue to work towards my current goal.  I want to add to my action plan by using social networking in my classroom.  I want to use something more than just a blog, such as Twitter or another similar website.  I also want to collaborate with another teacher somewhere in the world and start working on more technology projects.  All of these ideas came from this week’s resources, which inspired me to reach out to other teachers (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). 

My goal has helped teach me the benefits of using manipulatives, games, and drill and practice applications.  I have found that some work really well while others are not as effective in getting the curriculum across.  I have also developed a better understanding of problem-based lessons and how to implement them.  Finally, this week has taught me more about social networking and ways I can implement it in my classroom. 

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009b). Social Networking and Online Collaboration, Part 2. [Educational video]. Baltimore: Author.

Jenna Enevoldsen

GAME Plan (Application 5)

The actions towards achieving my goal are going to be ongoing through my teaching career. I have initiated my search for technology tools that will supplement my teaching, allowing my students to learn the material at a higher level. I was looking at some virtual manipulatives this week and found a great way to help teach my class to add integers. Another tool that I discovered, which was mentioned in our reading for this week, was creating tessellations using a computer program. All of these different tools are just a start; I hope to continue this search throughout my career. I have also learned about more ways to explore data through calculators and computer programs. Geometer’s sketchpad has also been useful in my classes, but I am now getting a better understanding of how to use it in a problem-based learning activity.




I think PBL (problem-based learning) units and lessons can be very beneficial in a math classroom, but it will take some time to determine the correct way to implement them that will allow my students to learn at a higher level. One method I am going to try is to use “mini PBL units” to get started (Ertmer &Simons, 2006, p. 43). Integrating technology in my classrooms by using PBL units, my students will see how beneficial the technology was for solving a problem as well as the benefits of using technology in general. One change that I would like to make to my plan is to integrate PBL units. Accomplishing this change will require a lot of practice and will be something the students need to get used to.



References

Ertmer, P., & Simons, K. (Spring 2006). Jumping the PBL implementation hurdle: Supporting the efforts of K-12 teachers. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), 40-54. Retrieved from

GAME Plan (Application 4)

In my GAME plan I focus on teaching students the necessity of technology.  I feel that I need to continue to develop my ideas on how implement that technology.  As of now, I have used technology in hopes of increasing motivation and engagement rather than also increasing higher order thinking.  Another change that I would like to make towards my GAME plan is to include integrating technology in the assessment part of my classroom.  I want the technology to help with “monitoring and evaluating the academic progress of students” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 163).  I want to use technology in every unit to assess my students, whether it is a formative assessment or a summative assessment. 

The resources that have been given every week have helped me to find more ideas on how to implement technology.  I have also been doing some brain storming on how I could integrate technology through various presentations and projects.  I have also been provided many ways to score these types of assessments.  Using rubrics seems to be the most beneficial for the students because it shows the “different levels of quality” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 155). 

PowerSchool will be beneficial for me to individualize my instruction, as it summarizes all of my students’ data that is collected on a daily basis.   As a teacher, it is important to remember that “early identification and reporting of student difficulties can lead to identifying helpful interventions before the problems become insurmountable” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 158). 

One point of discussion that really sparked my interest this week was my use of technology as it relates to higher order thinking.  A lot of my ideas have been for lower level thinking, such as playing math games to get a lot of practice.  Every time I teach a lesson or assess my students, I want to ask myself if the students were able to use higher order thinking.

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.

Jenna Enevoldsen

Monitoring my GAME Plan (Application 3)

In order to carry out my game plan, there are a lot of resources that will be very beneficial to my students’ learning.  My classes have introduced me to a lot of new resources, but I will also need to attend various workshops to increase my knowledge.  The resources this week helped me to realize the importance of setting goals for the students and that more emphasis should be put reaching the goal rather than how it was attained.  This is where the use of technology allows teachers to be “flexible” with their teaching to individual students (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). 

To accomplish my goal, technology will be utilized to help address all learners.  The first part is a classroom website that allows communication through a blog, posted homework, as well as websites that provide practice problems.  The next resource is to become familiar with the on-line edition of my textbook, which provides an electronic format of the text in addition to a virtual instructor that will teach lessons.  These are everyday uses of technology that can be very convenient for the students.  Then, as a teacher, I will install the textbook question bank on the computers in my room.  This will allow students to get extra help or to complete their homework on the computer.  As a classroom lecture, I will utilize a smart board and projector to present PowerPoint presentations to the class.  The students will also need these tools for the project they will be assigned.  One of my classmates also suggested that students can keep track of their grades in Excel, so Excel will need to be available on my computers.  In addition, on the web many movies, computer generated manipulatives, and other teaching aides, all of which will require a computer or computers and a smart board. 

Through workshops and talking with peers through blogs or in person, I need to find ideas that will keep technology at the center of implementing different learning strategies.  There are many technology tools that I have already learned about but have never tested in the classroom.  Prior to implementation, I need to do a lot of research and become familiar with all of the programs.  To make technology a greater focus in my classroom I plan to “utilize instructional strategies that allow individual students greater access to active learning” (p. 123).   

I have taken the necessary steps and developed classroom website where homework is posted and students can read and respond to my blog, although the blog feature does not get used very often.  There were a few times I had my students play games on the computers in order to polish their skills through repetition, but this does not happen enough.  I have also had my students complete a PowerPoint presentation on a unit out of their book.  The students did all of the research on the internet to prepare themselves to present a unit to the class.  This is a recent project and the two classes are almost finished. 

When integrating technology to show students how important it can be for their learning, the possibilities are endless.  I am looking to gain more knowledge throughout the school year that will increase my ability to utilize technology in all of my lessons.   Hopefully my students will see the impact this technology has on their learning. 

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.

GAME Plan

While I have been taking classes on integrating technology in the classroom, I have strived to increase my level of technology being used inside the classroom.  Through my findings I have also realized the importance of how the technology is being presented.  I have established a “GAME” plan for myself to increase my teaching ability (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).  The two indicators I want to focus on from the NETS-T are #2 a and b. 

My goal for the indicator #2 a and b is to teach students the advantage technology has on their learning.  I want students to go to a computer to further their learning rather than always asking the teacher for the answers or immediate help.  I want my students to go to technology to assess how much they have learned in the current unit.  I want my students to utilize technology if they do not understand the way a book, peer, or teacher is teaching a lesson. 

My action plan to meet these goals is to incorporate technology in multiple ways, such as “individual use,” “small groups” and “whole groups.” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 88-92) Technology needs to be used in everyday lecture lessons for either homework, motivation, or as a manipulative.  Throughout the year, I will also have my students complete at least one big project that is done using the web, Microsoft word, and PowerPoint.  This project teaches the students many skills that are needed for research, evaluation, and then using the information correctly.  It also shows them how useful and accessible information is on a computer.  My last plan of action is to engage in at least one professional development seminar to increase my knowledge on the use of technology.  I would like to find a workshop that focuses on how to integrate technology in the classroom in an effective way.

To monitor my progress, I will continually evaluate my students’ grades to see what lessons the students did not understand.  With that knowledge I will be able to use technology in different ways to change a lesson if the students did not understand it the first time.  Also, to monitor my progress, I will keep a journal that I will write in every day to discuss what went well with the technology and what could be improved.  With that feedback in writing, I will be able to make adjustments, which will also be recorded.  Through this journal, I plan to “go beyond a simple description of what happened to consider why it happened, how it is connected to other events, and what adjustments should be made to subsequent actions based on this understanding.” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 11) 

Evaluating my work and progress will begin with reviewing my journal to see how changes were made during the year and if they increased my students’ interest in the use of technology.  I will also evaluate the projects my classes created to see how much creative thought my students demonstrated.  Through that process, I will compare the unique aspects each project and the methods I used to present the material.  If I find one class that had more projects that inspired creative thinking, I will have to reflect on the procedure I used for that project. 

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.