Final Blog Reflection

As this course comes to an end and reflecting on my GAME plan, I have gained great insight as to how to implement my plan.  I have read articles and conversed with colleagues to seek the information I needed.  I find myself growing in the area of designing and developing digital-age learning experiences and assessments.  With what I have learned through this course, I have begun to realize the possibilities and gained ideas from the videos as well as from my cohort.  By creating and implementing the unit plan lesson for problem based learning, I have begun to utilize digital age learning experiences.  By implementing this lesson, I also strengthened by promoting and modeling digital citizenship and responsibility.  I have learned how to utilize technology with the limited amount I have.  I hope to have impacted student learning by implementing my new learning.  I may have to modify my plan due to the lack of technology in my classroom in order to strengthen my use of the NETS-T standards.  I will have to utilize the computer lab more and seek advice from school personnel in regards to the limited technology. 

The immediate adjustments I will make to my instructional practice regarding technology would be to use it in the classroom.  I have a few student computers in my classroom that I could be utilizing during daily instruction.  I also need to make better use of the computer lab and have my students work cooperatively using the computers to enhance learning.  I could incorporate problem based learning through technology by having students research certain aspects of the standard being taught.  I now realize how important it is for students to solve a problem on their own and learn from their findings.  I could also use technology for social networking or online collaboration to promote student engagement.  This could be done with a wiki or a blog site.  This is a great way for students to go beyond the classroom for answers.  Students have the opportunity to ask experts questions and share their findings to a larger audience. 

As far as digital storytelling, this would be the most engaging lesson but at the same time, the most challenging for a math teacher.  After reading ideas I could use digital storytelling for, the most useful unit this would be most beneficial would be when I am teaching the Pythagorean Theorem.  I like the idea of using this form of technology for this lesson as it engages the students and brings the Pythagorean Theorem to life.  After reading about digital storytelling, I find this type of lesson to be used most often.  Students can download a quick video or still pictures and narrate.  This is a quick way to assess the students that does not take up as much time.  I also read from suggestions that these could be shared a little along the way as warm ups or even as a review for a test.  Out of the three types of lessons I designed, I like this format the best in a math class.  I feel that my students can be creative as well as learn the material and share what they have learned to others.  I feel that the students gain an ownership of their learning and they are in control of what they share.  I will definitely use these types of lessons in future lessons I plan for my students.   

Monitoring My GAME Plan Progress

Monitoring My GAME Plan Progress

Since I have developed me GAME plan, I have been more active in exploring different types of technologies.  I have found some information that pertains to the school and county terms of conditions of the use of technology among students.  This has been insightful in that I am discovering that not all teachers are adhering to the policies properly.  I still need to explore the use of an active board for myself instead of reading about it or hearing about it from others.  I would like to actually take the time and use one for myself to become acquainted with the technology and its terminology before using it in front of the students to increase my comfort level. 

In order to modify my action plan, I would like to design ideas that I could use to better the use technology for my students.  After learning about the various types of technologies, I would then like to learn how to effectively implement the technology into my daily lessons.  After reading about the four types of assessments, I would also like to include how I can incorporate the use of technology that can support and enhance assessments. 

I have learned that finding the necessary information is right at my fingertips.  The literature is there to help me learn about technology as well as the responsibility of the use of technology.  I have also learned that teachers are compelled to share their knowledge and are willing to help and to advise.

The new questions that have arisen after I have been learning about the technology and school use of technology policies is how can I successfully implement the use of technology in my math lessons and assessments?  After I become more comfortable with how to use the technology properly to promote digital citizenship and responsibility and in designing and developing digital-age learning experiences and assessments, I would like to implement my findings.  I would like to implement the four types of assessments and choose the most appropriate assessments rather than the traditional paper and pencil test.  Therefore, how can I properly promote digital citizenship and responsibility and how can I appropriately implement the use of technology to enhance student learning in a math class?

Carrying Out my GAME Plan

In order to carry out my GAME plan in the area of designing and developing digital-age learning experiences and assessments would be through trainings and literature.  I would like to read articles as to how to use certain types of technologies and how to incorporate it into my math class.  I would also utilize trainings to help train me in using the technology.  For instance, I would like to be trained as to how to use an active board or a Mimeo that my school has.  I feel I would be able to use technology to help design and develop learning experiences.  I still have a sense of anxiety with some technology.  I believe it is learning the unknown and wanting to use technology to the best of my ability.  I will also ask colleagues that use various types of technologies and how they utilize it in the classroom.  This will help me to gain insight as to how the use of technology can have an impact on student achievement.  Some additional information I would need would be trainings as to how to use certain types of technology tools.  I would use “how to” manuals that the school has and turn to research as to how to incorporate this technology in my class.  The steps I have done thus far have been to receive a more up to date LCD projector that is more user friendly and efficient in the classroom.  I have also consulted with colleagues as to how they created certain digital learning tools.  I hope to consult more with colleagues to gain advice and information on certain learning tools they use.

The second area I would like to carry out is in the area to promote digital citizenship and responsibility.  In order for me to truly understand and feel comfortable in this area would be to read articles and converse with my school technical support teacher. By reading articles, I would be able to learn the legal aspect of good behavior with technology.  With technology forever changing, it is important to keep up to date with all of the changes to keep current on digital ethical and legal behaviors.  I would also gain insight from my local school technology coordinator.  He will be able to share protocols specific to the county and school in the areas of ethical and legal behaviors to promote digital citizenship and responsibility.  Additional information I would need would to be to have a printout with the exact county protocols with the use of technology.  I would also need to research Georgia, county, and school policies with the use of technology in order to teach my students the correct protocols in using technology.  The steps I have taken so far have been to attend a workshop with the technology department as to what the students can and cannot do with technology.  I was also shown examples as to how students can successfully and legally acquire resources to place in a project.  With the help of the technology support staff, I can be able to successfully promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility.   

Personal GAME Plan

Based on the NETS-T, I do not feel comfortable in the area of designing and developing digital-age learning experiences and assessments.  This is where teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008).  I would like to be able to use this indicator to be able to utilize digital-age learning experience and assessments in my math class.  An action I would take to strengthen my confidence would be to research contemporary tools I could use in the classroom to maximize student learning.  I would gather information needed to fit my lessons to what the students are learning that are designed around the technology.  In order for this to occur, the main action that would need to take place would be how to obtain certain technologies in my classroom such as an active board or and LCD projector.  I would monitor my progress by using multiple and varied assessments with the content and technology to monitor student performance as well as the efficiency of the technology I utilize.   Based on digital assessments, I will be able to receive data from the assessment and I can be able to adjust my teaching based on the data to address the students’ needs and styles.  In order to evaluate and extend my learning, I would ask myself if I have met my learning goals and if not, what I will do differently in the future.  I will use the assessments as a summative assessment to evaluate the use digital-age learning experiences from the lesson or unit taught.

 

Another indicator I would like to strengthen would be to promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility.  This is where teachers understand local and global societal responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008).  A goal I would have would be current on the ethical and legal behaviors.  I do not feel as confident in this area as I should.  I would like to be able to fully understand the ethical and legal uses of digital technology.  An action I would take would be to research information that properly defines proper ethical and legal uses of technology.  I would want to feel confident in the background knowledge to be able to model for my students.  I will monitor my progress by conducting research to make sure that the information is in alignment and notice patterns from the information.  I will incorporate my findings into my teaching as I become more efficient in modeling the correct digital etiquette.  I will evaluate and extend my learning through my lessons and incorporate modeling citizenship and responsibility.  I will incorporate more digital based projects where the students can then begin to practice proper digital etiquette with ethical and legal behaviors.  I will know if I have modeled this properly based on the outcome of the students from a digital project they will complete.  If they are not successful, then I will know I need to model proper etiquette in a different way for all learners to understand.

 

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Teachers_2008_EN.sflb.ashx