It is imperative that educators integrate
technology into their curriculum in the 21st century classroom. In order to be successful in this endeavor,
teachers need to be knowledgeable, confident, have strong beliefs, and work in
a supportive culture (Laureate Education, Inc., 2013). Teachers need to know when and how to use
technological tools and have the confidence to not always know the answer. In order to become a teacher who can be
successful with the integration of technology, I need a G.A.M.E. plan.
Goals
– My goal is to become more competent in two NETS-T standards. The two standards I wish to address are 2.a.
and 2.c. 2.a. states that teachers “design
or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and
resources to promote student learning and creativity” (ISTE NETS-T). 2.c. states that teachers “customize and
personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles,
working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
Action
– In order to meet my goals, I will need to seek out information regarding
technological tools that fit well with my content standards. Technology should not be forced. Instead, it should enhance a lesson or unit
(Laureate Education, Inc., 2013). I will gather plenty of ideas from this
course, but I will need to conduct my own independent research regarding tools
as well. Additionally, I will need to
learn more about my students’ diverse learning styles in order to choose my strategies
wisely.
Monitor
– I will need to monitor my progress and make adjustments as I navigate through
unfamiliar technology programs and tools.
I plan to use my blog in this course to take monitoring notes on my own
progress. In addition to my blog, I will
use a reflective journal to keep notes on my instructional successes and
failures.
Evaluation
– To evaluate my progress in designing lessons with technology tools and
personalizing them for my students, I will use my blog and reflective journal
to practice self-awareness of my instruction.
Being a self-aware instructor is an important element in professional
growth (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).
Additionally, I will use assessment data to inform me of the success of
my instruction with technology.
References
Cennamo, K. Ross, J., Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful
classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage
Learning.
Laureate
Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2013). Enriching content area learning experiences with technology: Part 1.
[Video Webcast]. Retrieved from https:// class.waldenu.edu
Hi There Zachary,
ReplyDeleteI want to commend you on your Blog post. It is written extremely well. You do a fabulous job laying out the GAME plan and giving specifics on the four parts (goal, action, monitor, evaluate).
It sounds like you have a great plan in place for becoming more familiar and comfortable with the two NETS-T standards.
What grade level do you teach? What kinds/types of technology are you hoping to integrate?
I am not sure what direction you are looking to head but an online resource I have recently used for one of my English classes is Fakebook. It is a exactly what it sounds like, a fake Facebook. I had my students create fake Facebook pages as characters from the book we were reading. They had to post status and the status had to relate to what the characters in the book were going through. They also had to make a list of friends based off of who their friends were in the book. The students loved it because it related to what they love, Facebook.
Here is a link to Fakebook... http://www.classtools.net/fb/home/page
Stacy,
ReplyDeleteThank you. I teach seventh grade language arts, and I think Fakebook would be a great resource for me. Many of my students have Facebook accounts, so the idea of creating a page for a fictional character might appeal to them. I was considering creating a classroom blog for students to answer questions from the perspective of characters in a play, but I think students would prefer posting Facebook like statuses.
Thanks,
Zac