Reflection of New and Emerging Technologies

For my final course at Walden I experienced thought provoking activities centered on how to identify, evaluate, and plan for using new and emerging technologies. I liked that this course contained a very practical component of thinking about our own district and building and considering what we can do to lead the pack towards the proper training and use of appropriate technological tools.

While completing the main assignment of creating a learning activity and implementation plans we were encouraged to consider all the angles – including funding sources, grant proposal content, and advancing the use of new technologies in our buildings. This is important because to be successful in the 21^st Century, students need to cultivate critical thinking skills, be able to collaborate with others, and be solution oriented. As our global perspective evolves, students must be able to use digital tools to communicate with others and convey their ideas in an effective manner.

As a result of my learning in this course, I plan to take advantage of social bookmarking sites I have created with my fellow students to stay abreast of new and emerging technologies and how they can be incorporated as educational tools to enhance the educational experiences of my students. In addition, I will make it a priority to share what I find with my fellow teachers and develop creative ways of incorporating new digital tools into our curriculum.

Introduction to Using RCampus

Feel free to visit my Voicethread location and share your thoughts on using this great tool for class management and communication:

http://voicethread.com/share/1182931/

Reflection: Reaching & Engaging All Learners...

During this course I had the opportunity to compile several resources on Universal Design for Learning, Differentiated Instruction, and using technology as assistive and supportive tools for my students. As I stated in earlier posts during the course, two heads are better than one and five heads are better than two! I had reaped the benefits of the research skills of my whole social networking team. I will spend my summer organizing these resources on my Delicious social bookmarking page to share with my colleagues. In addition, I plan to take time to examine all the various tools and websites more thoroughly to determine which I will implement with my students. I will decide which surveys and learning profile inventories will serve me best to get to know my students and use them at the beginning of the next school year.

I have learned how to effectively implement UDL and DI principles to give my students various avenues to reach the same learning goals and provide them the opportunity have a choice and a voice in addressing their learning goals. Through my Ning network I have learned about many tools that are available to infuse my lesson planning with flexibility at every part of the learning process. Students will be able to receive information in a manner that suits their learning style. They will have a choice in how they interact with content to achieve mastery and they will can choose different methods to convey that mastery to me using digital tools, quizzes, or any number of tools available.

In the immediate future I plan to implement UDL and DI strategies by offering students the opportunity to choose from a few different methods in receiving content. They will be able to access webquests and online videos as well as their text book and notes/lecture. In lieu of traditional tests and quizzes, they will choose from multimedia tools to demonstrate their mastery and create a product to present. I am planning to implement this will an upcoming unit on the effects of plate tectonics. It is my intention to further build in flexibility to all coursework I offer to students thus changing the "face" of instruction in my classes completely... A very exciting prospect!

Using the GAME plan to help students

The first thing I think of when considering how to use the game plan to help my students develop proficiency in the technology standards and indicators outlined in the NETS-S is that I need to explicitly teach them the GAME Plan. Students need to understand what we want them to learn, what our goals are for them, and what mechanism we want to use to accomplish this. I will expose them to and explain both the GAME Plan and the technology standards. Much like we have done in our coursework, an engaging approach may be to let them develop their own plan on learning with guidance from the teacher on logistical issues. Some students may need a great deal more support than others and this can be an area for brainstorming or peer assistance from students more confident with the activities. We would probably stick to one goal for each student and work the GAME plan through a whole semester worth or activities.

Revising my GAME Plan

My first goal was to introduce and familiarize myself and my students with emerging and existing digital tools that will enhance the learning environment. I have learned and experienced many things that I can apply to my practice. I am gaining experience and confidence using wikis and blogs with my classmates and this can be readily transferred to use with my students. I now check my RSS feeds daily to manage my incoming information and stay abreast of new ideas and uses for digital tools. I am increasing my use of my Delicious account to easily located links to relevant topics. This is a tool my students are using on their own after I gave a demonstration and many have commented on how much they like it. I also can incorporate voice threads - although I need to play with this a little more... I'd like to have my students experience this before the end of the year.

I am still working toward my own professional development and sharing my knowledge with colleagues. We have a PD this Friday and I will be presenting so I am well on my way!

The next goal I would like to work toward is to develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become
active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress. I chose this goal because my students need to develop their ability to to manage their own learning. They struggle with self discipline and accountability. They require a great deal of "hand holding" and lack self assurance. I would like them to gain confidence to take risks and work on open ended projects where they have a voice and choice.

Monitoring my GAME Plan

I believe I am making effective progress toward the goals I have set. My actions so far have been effective in this progress. I have taken an active role in my building to promote the use of technology tools. In addition, the course I am currently taking at Walden is exposing me to many new strategies for integrating digital tools. For example, this week we are collaborating on a Wiki as a project. Through this authentic experience I am invigorating my skill with this particular tool and can pass it along for use with my students. I am using my aggregator account to follow the blogs of my classmates and staying up to date with their postings - again, an authentic learning experience that can easily translate for use with my students.

I still need to find grant sources and apply for them. I am finding some great sites that compile possibilities through my social bookmarking site. One good site is http://www.grantsalert.com/grants.cfm?id=4&gid=33360.

I feel like I am making good progress so at this point I don’t feel the need to modify my actions. In retrospect they seem quite doable.

Monitoring My Game Plan

I have had success in finding information I need to implement my GAME plan. I have been especially encouraged by the wealth of information I have read and received from my classmates at Walden. The social bookmarking is an incredible resource. At the current time I do not feel the need to greatly modify my game plan. I have spoken with administrators in my building and I am scheduled to present at the next PD day on February 12th. They love that I want to promote integrating technology and are eager for my involvement in improving the skill level in our building. They are very supportive of my professional goals and plan. So far I have learned that my students appreciate and get excited about working with new tools and are feeling a sense of accomplishment. I was surprised to learn that many of my 9th grade students have very little experience with computer based technology tools. Many were even unfamiliar with PowerPoint so I have decided to greatly increase their access - even if it means many headaches and frustration on my part to get their hands on it. I owe it to them as their teacher. I am still struggling with the question of where to find grant money to try to get resources for my students. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

Carrying Out My GAME Plan

To carry out my GAME plan I will need many resources. One important resource is access to college classes and workshops that teach and encourage regular use of cutting edge technological tools. To truly integrate 21^st Century skills it is necessary to have regular access to computer equipment and the internet. A great way to share internet sites with pertinent information is social bookmarking with sites like Delicious where you can share bookmarks and tag them for easy access when searching. Along the same lines of shared bookmarking is developing a network of colleagues (both near and far) to share ideas and information with. Most of the really great stuff I’ve been introduced to has come to me via this route. Another important resource is the administrators in my building. Developing relationships with the people in these positions is important. When they know you are interested and willing to participate they will think of you when opportunities arise for workshops and training. The biggest resource that I wish I had and do not is computer access in my classroom for my students.

Additional information that I will need is knowledge of web sites and blogs frequented by teachers who have similar goals as I do. Where can I find others to build working and learning relationships with? Also, I would like to learn about grant possibilities and how to effectively write grants to get technology into my classroom in a ratio of one computer with internet access to one student who needs to use it to participate in activities that promote deeper engagement and learning.

Steps I have taken so far include taking classes at Walden to increase my skill level and awareness. I have let my administrators know I am willing to be a proactive member of the team. I am gaining experience using blogs in both my personal and professional life. I have set up a Delicious account to have access to sites my colleagues feel are relevant and helpful. Hopefully this is a solid place to start!

My Game Plan

After examining the National Education Standards for Teachers, I have identified two areas where I would like to develop more confidence and proficiency. These two areas are Standard two and Standard five. Standard 2-C states “customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.” Standard 5-D states “contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community.”

My Game Plan

Goals
• To introduce and familiarize myself and may students with emerging and existing digital tools that will enhance the learning environment. My colleague often says he wants to help his students “work smarter, not harder.” As I work my way through this program, the statement makes complete sense!
• To increase my knowledge, skills, and abilities with digital tools and share my knowledge with colleagues through collaboration and professional development.
Action
• I will share my goals with others verbally
• I have already started this phase of my game plan by taking this Master’s program at Walden. I will continue to take classes that engage in the use of digital tools to expand my experience. In addition, I will seek out authentic experiences in my own life using blogs, wikis, and other tools to become more proficient in using them.
• I will follow blogs, communicate with other educators who have similar beliefs and establish support networks to broaden my spectrum of knowledge in the area of classroom integration of technology. I can systematically increase the use of these tools over time.
• I will meet with administrators of my building to convey my interest in being a proactive part of the team in this area and offer to present new and improved ways of integrating technology at PD breakout sessions in our building.
• I will model “working smarter, not harder” to my students and colleagues.

Monitor
• To monitor my achievement of my technology integration goals I will recruit one of the administrators I work with to set appointments to regularly discuss the types of digital tools I have added to our class toolbox and assess their effectiveness in enhancing the learning experience.
• I will share new technology tools with other teachers and offer to work together with them to strategize creative ways to implement and modify the current uses of the tools

Evaluate & Extend
• I will survey my students for feedback on the usefulness of each tool we introduce and experience.
• I will reflect on my ability to facilitate the use of each new tool in the educational setting and determine if I need to find more resources or collaborate with a teacher who has more experience and success using the various tools