After reviewing my GAME plan that I wrote about last week, I have realized that I am in good standing with the actions that I have been currently taking. That does not mean that what I have done is enough. In order to keep my students up-to-date with the latest technology skills and requirements that further education and careers are requiring, I need to make sure to keep them focused and exposed. First, I need to use the computer lab time that I have to expose them to multiple technological resources. In the past, I have showed them how to create things like a podcast or blog. I am familiar with so much more and I want to expose them to that. The digital media that I can present to my students will help provide great flexibility with planning, implementing, and assessing activities based on learning (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009).
In addition, I will also need to know what type of background each of my students have in the use of computers and other technology. I will create a basic survey that asks questions like who has computers and Internet at home. Although I do this in the beginning of the year, the new survey will go into more depth. Since I have exposed them to a few new methods, I will ask about blogging and other specific examples. I want to know how much they have learned already, how comfortable they are, and what they want to learn in the future.
Since I am the general education teacher of a CTT classroom, I will also need to make sure that my coteacher is always on the same page as I am. That means working with her to make sure that she is just as valuable a resource to our students as I am. Together, we can make exemplar pieces that give our students an idea of what we are expecting as well as gives her the knowledge and readiness for technology as well.
I am confident that I have been moving in the right direction all along with my GAME plan, even though I only wrote it last week. I feel like I have been working towards this goal using this plan much of my career, but now that it is written down, I can monitor, as well as modify what I am doing and how I will achieve my goal.
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.
Matthew,
ReplyDeleteI think a survey of your students' background knowledge is a good way to figure out where they are coming from and what they are interested in learning. When you taught podcasting and blogging, in what context did you teach those?
Just like lesson plans, it is easier to follow and monitor a GAME plan that is written down. It sounds like you are making great progress already.
Christina
I agree that knowing your students background with computers or any form of technology is very important when creating lessons that use technology. Securing computer lab time is a problem at my school we have 1,400 students and 2 computer labs that are available for sign up. This makes planning for a lengthy project hard to do you have to plan it in advance so that you are insured lab time.
ReplyDeleteI am the same way about writting something down it makes the goal easier to acheive and reach once I have it on paper! Good luck!
Christina,
ReplyDeleteI am able to keep their surveys on file for the year. It has actually worked great. As for podcasting and blogging, I always show my students an exemplar piece of what we will do. When I first teach it to them, it is usually something that is simple and basic, so they learn their way around the programs we use.
For example, when I taught them to podcast, we went to the computer lab and used the program Garage Band. On all of their desktops, I created a file of pictures of all the letters of the alphebet that I got from the Internet. I showed them how to use the program and let them see mine. Then they created a podcast from an acrostic poem about their name. With each thing they said, they added a picture of the letter of their name they were talking about. It got them to learn the basics and now a few of them have used podcasts in other projects they have done.
Matt
Kimberly,
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about lab time woes. We have 1,100 in the elementary school I work in with only one lab. I have a few computers in my class, and my students even have technology as a prep. I locked in a few periods a week for the school year. I do grant work with my students so it allows me a lot of time to get the work done. I also use the time to show them separate tricks and lessons. Any little time helps in that lab. Hope it doesn't discourage you from using it as often as you can.
Matt