My goal in my GAME plan was twofold. I aspired to start a class wiki and I endeavored to connect with other educators via blogs and learn more about technology in the classroom. With regards to the class wiki, I hit a home run. The wiki is up and running and the students are seeing it as a viable place to go for information and communication. I learned that instituting a new technology tool is a process. I needed to not only create the wiki but think of ways to utilize it and do much poking, prodding and cajoling to get the students on board. My students are working on a power point project and I am able to post the instructions for the project as well as have a page devoted to problems and a reflection page. These components are vehicles of communication that allow the students to connect to their peers in an unusual way. I have found that they will not turn to this form of communication unless reminded to daily. This is to be expected though as this is so new to the students. I am very pleased with the class wiki. I will incorporate this tool every year that I am in the classroom. I will also show my fellow educators the efficacy of using this tool and encourage them to use one as well.
Speaking of fellow educators, this brings me to my second goal. I have ear marked or subscribed to several blogs that I feel are giving feed back and good information on incorporating technology in the classroom. I had to hunt and peck to locate good sources. The GAME plan helped me to persevere with my actions until I felt I had some really useful blogs.
I appreciate the GAME plan process. It allowed me to stay focused. When a person has to generate a goal it creates an environment of learning. Having to articulate the action that must take place to achieve the goal gives wings to the goal. Finally, success can be felt as the goal is monitored and evaluated. Going forward, I anticipate using the GAME plan process as I continue to use wikis in my teaching practice and as I turn to the teacher blogs that I have subscribed to for useful information on technology in the classroom.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Using the game plan to promote NETS-S
Teachers need to use the GAME plan strategy with every endeavor in the classroom. GAME stands for Goal, Action, Monitor and Evaluate. It is paramount that educators strive to incorporate technology where it is possible in the curriculum. To do this it takes creativity. It is this creativity that we need to model for the students. We should not add the technology component just for the components sake but rather to enhance instruction. I believe if an educator shares the process and efficacy of having a goal, taking action, monitoring their progress and evaluating their success the students will incorporate this strategy as well. When we are talking about adding a new piece to our teaching repertoire it is especially important that we stick to the GAME plan so that we know our inclusion of technology is the right choice.
The NETS-S standards stipulate that the students need to be creative and innovative, collaborate with others from peers to those of other cultures from around the globe, develop research and information fluency, use digital resources and tools to identify and solve authentic problems and to exercise ethical behavior with their use of technology. These are skills that can be taught by the classroom teacher and using the GAME plan will ensure success.
The NETS-T standards dictate that teachers need to demonstrate creativity, design lessons that explore real-world issues while solving authentic problems, promote reflection using digital tools, model ethical use of digital information and technology, always strive to be a lifelong learner and to promote the effective use of digital tools and resources in the professional community.
Just as it is important to have a goal of incorporating digital technology for various instructional reasons, it is also important to be mindful of when technology is a good fit and when it is not. Going forward I aim to maintain vigilance to the ever-changing landscape of technology so that I can best meet the needs of my students and their NETS-S standards. I know that I will have to use the GAME plan to accomplish this.
Ruthie
The NETS-S standards stipulate that the students need to be creative and innovative, collaborate with others from peers to those of other cultures from around the globe, develop research and information fluency, use digital resources and tools to identify and solve authentic problems and to exercise ethical behavior with their use of technology. These are skills that can be taught by the classroom teacher and using the GAME plan will ensure success.
The NETS-T standards dictate that teachers need to demonstrate creativity, design lessons that explore real-world issues while solving authentic problems, promote reflection using digital tools, model ethical use of digital information and technology, always strive to be a lifelong learner and to promote the effective use of digital tools and resources in the professional community.
Just as it is important to have a goal of incorporating digital technology for various instructional reasons, it is also important to be mindful of when technology is a good fit and when it is not. Going forward I aim to maintain vigilance to the ever-changing landscape of technology so that I can best meet the needs of my students and their NETS-S standards. I know that I will have to use the GAME plan to accomplish this.
Ruthie
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Evaluation of Progress
Evaluation of Progress
The goals in my game plan have moved in the right direction. I have added some 21st century skills to my teaching repertoire and this is wonderful news. As with any new strategy or technique an educator adds to the classroom there is a time of adjustment and seeing what works and doesn’t work with the students. Thus far, I have not run into any problems with my GAME plan but that doesn’t mean problems won’t arise at some point.
What I have learned so far is that having a class wiki is not only convenient for me but convenient for the students as well. I have learned that the generation of a wiki should be done at the beginning of the year so that it can be built upon during the year. I have learned that some students take to visiting a wiki for class resources like a duck to water and other students do not. Finally, I have learned how to construct the wiki and this was not rocket science which is good news for promotion of this tool to other educators.
The goal that I am still working on is to encourage other educators to see the efficacy of using class wikis so they too can incorporate 21st century skills into their classroom instruction. As I shared earlier, my experience of creating a class wiki was innocuous and I will have my wiki to show as an example for other teachers.
There are so many technology tools out there that I can avail myself of that I will be kept busy exploring the possibilities for a long time. I want to use epals, ning, ming, do a flat classroom project and try to always be cognizant of where in my instruction I could use a technology based tool as either a collaboration component or as a means to create a product.
The goals in my game plan have moved in the right direction. I have added some 21st century skills to my teaching repertoire and this is wonderful news. As with any new strategy or technique an educator adds to the classroom there is a time of adjustment and seeing what works and doesn’t work with the students. Thus far, I have not run into any problems with my GAME plan but that doesn’t mean problems won’t arise at some point.
What I have learned so far is that having a class wiki is not only convenient for me but convenient for the students as well. I have learned that the generation of a wiki should be done at the beginning of the year so that it can be built upon during the year. I have learned that some students take to visiting a wiki for class resources like a duck to water and other students do not. Finally, I have learned how to construct the wiki and this was not rocket science which is good news for promotion of this tool to other educators.
The goal that I am still working on is to encourage other educators to see the efficacy of using class wikis so they too can incorporate 21st century skills into their classroom instruction. As I shared earlier, my experience of creating a class wiki was innocuous and I will have my wiki to show as an example for other teachers.
There are so many technology tools out there that I can avail myself of that I will be kept busy exploring the possibilities for a long time. I want to use epals, ning, ming, do a flat classroom project and try to always be cognizant of where in my instruction I could use a technology based tool as either a collaboration component or as a means to create a product.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Blog Effectiveness
Old wiki, new uses... the utility of the wiki is growing. In terms of assessing how effective my actions were in helping me to meet my goals I would say I'd give myself an A. The wiki is up and running and the students are accessing it. I feel a sense of accomplishment and going forward I know that I could repeat the process for whatever my instructional goal might be.
If I had to think of a question I might still have or anything I still might need to learn it would be in the area of how many different uses the wiki could be used for. I am starting a PBL project and I will post instructions for the project and use the wiki for a journal reflection spot at the end of the project. I know that as my instructional calendar unfolds I will continue to pull in uses for the wiki. I wish I had started the wiki at the beginning of the year instead of at the end. It is exciting to think of class wiki's being a solid part of my teaching repertoire. I am telling other teachers how they could incorporate it in their classes.
Ruthie
If I had to think of a question I might still have or anything I still might need to learn it would be in the area of how many different uses the wiki could be used for. I am starting a PBL project and I will post instructions for the project and use the wiki for a journal reflection spot at the end of the project. I know that as my instructional calendar unfolds I will continue to pull in uses for the wiki. I wish I had started the wiki at the beginning of the year instead of at the end. It is exciting to think of class wiki's being a solid part of my teaching repertoire. I am telling other teachers how they could incorporate it in their classes.
Ruthie
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