Carrying Out My GAME Plan WEEK 3 EDUC-6713I-6

The intended learning strategy is: Discovering what makes up a strong bridge structure. This will be accomplished through a group effort consisting of internet research, compilation of data, and a presentation of the results in a multimedia program such as powerpoint.

Resources needed are: The first resource is access to the internet; luckily this is available in one of my classrooms. I plan on creating a teacher’s blog site which will contain step by step instructions on the bridge project. It will also have information such as links to web sites containing important information on bridge structures. I am fortunate that each computer has a powerpoint program on it for students to demonstrate what they have learned.

One of my strategies or goal is: to determine the learning preferences of my students so I may properly place them in groups which consist of diverse talents that compliment each other. My goal is to create teams of learners with different skills so they can help each learn the entire bridge design curriculum rather then watering it down. Cennamon, Ross, and Ertmer (2010) confirm this by mentioning “As a teacher, you develop learning goals for your students that allow them to obtain the skills and knowledge required by curricula and standards”(p.121).

So far I have been able to confirm each computer does have a working version of powerpoint, and the web links from last year are still valid. I plan on taking an informal survey to see how many students do NOT have internet access at home. This will be an important factor when determining if (and what type of homework) I can assign.

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

My Personal GAME Plan (EDUC-6713I-6)

The process of developing my personal game plan and successfully implementing it can best be achieved through a step by step process. Initially it appears to be an overwhelming task, however, when broken down into steps the process becomes manageable. I am taking the advice I give to my students when ever they feel intimidated by the scope of a project. “A step at a time will get you to where you need to be”

The first performance indicator I have chosen to focus on for improvement is: Indicator #1 Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity.

According to Dr. Peggy Ertmer confidence is an important variable when teaching technology. If I am to successfully promote innovative thinking, and inventiveness then I must be comfortable as well as confident in my own abilities to make use of the technology needed to facilitate the experiences. My plan is to introduce one additional piece of technology to my bridge building lesson which will promote student reflection, planning, and creativity. The powerpoint program can be a useful mindtool which will fit this situation nicely. Computers are available on a daily basis so I will always have access to this technology. Cennamon, Ross, and Ertmer (2010) describe a mind tool as “a computer application that enables learners to represent, manipulate, or reflect on what they know” (p.56).

The important part of using technology as a teaching tool is to be comfortable with it prior to implementing it into the lesson. Students can sense when a teacher is hesitant about doing something new. The action I will take to achieve this goal is to become more familiar with the powerpoint program by running through each step of the lesson as if I were a student, remove any pitfalls, and create a working sample which I can use as a teaching tool. I will monitor my progress by comparing results of lessons conducted prior to the implementation of the new technology with results of the revised lesson. I will be looking for an increased level of student engagement, creativity, and problem solving.

The Second performance indicator I have chosen to focus on for improvement is: Indicator #4 Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

This goal gives me the opportunity to collaborate with other teachers in my school. Teaching safe and ethical use of digital information has become a top priority at many schools. My goal is to prepare students for high school and beyond. Eagleton and Dobler (2007) mention that: “to prepare today’s students to be successful in school and to compete in tomorrow’s workplace we had better start teaching them to be web literate”(p.119) .

My classroom is the perfect setting to promote and model digital etiquette as well as proper social interactions as they relate to technology. Students too often cut and paste information without giving proper credit to the author, or post inappropriate information on sites such as facebook.

To achieve this goal I would first need to become more educated in this area. My librarian is highly skilled in the area of referencing material and creating citations. I believe we could work as a team to teach these skills to all students at our middle school. Internet safety is touched upon by a local police officer who does a presentation once a year. I would like to collaborate with the officer and take this into my classroom where they have the use of computers.
Monitoring and evaluating my progress in this area will be a challenge. My learning will be extended through collaboration with my peers; I believe we could all learn from each other. I am open to any suggestions on how to evaluate my progress.

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). “Enriching Content Area Learning Experiences with Technology, Part 1” [Educational video]. Baltimore: Author.

REFLECTIVE ASSIGNMENT Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom

Introduction

Each of the preceding six courses I have taken prior to this have all proven to be a valuable learning experience. This course stands out from the others because of the awareness which has been brought to my attention of the responsibility I have as a teacher to instruct my students on not only the new, but essential literacy skills they must possess in order to be successful.

While teaching the new literacy skills to my students my biggest revelation was how much we all needed to learn. I found myself learning along with my class. I was amazed at the amount of wasted time my students can spend searching for information, and when the search was complete there was not any guarantee the information they found would be accurate. Eagleton and Dobler (2007) mention that: “to prepare today’s students to be successful in school and to compete in tomorrow’s workplace we had better start teaching them to be web literate”(p.119) . I came to realize this was an issue which needed to be addressed immediately.

The knowledge I have gained during the course has already taken affect. It is reflected in the changes to my lesson plans and the way I conduct my classes. I am fortunate to have a classroom full of computers which are connected for internet research. My students do some very interesting multimedia projects during the year, and now they will be much more productive because of what I have learned during this course. I believe my students will become more efficient in their web browsing techniques and it will be reflected in their work.

I work in the technology department at a middle school. My job is to expose students to various types of technology. For example computer technology, bridge building, and typing skills to name a few. The professional goal I have already begun to pursue is to promote the use of technology in all areas of my school. I believe it is critical that all teachers regardless of the subject they teach understand the importance of promoting new literacy skills through out the day. In the past it has been viewed as the responsibility of my department to do this. The steps I have begun to take are designed to encourage other teachers to integrate technology in their classrooms. For example: I collaborate with teachers to use their subject matter in my technology classes, and offer my computer room to them when it is not occupied.

Conclusion

To be successful in promoting new literacy skills it should be a common goal of an entire school. The use of technology does require a learning curve and the acceptance of change to a teachers routine. It does require a change in the culture of the school, however, in the long run teachers and students both receive the benefits.

References
Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press

Think Out Loud Evaluations Application 4 (EDUC - 6712I - 4)

Hello,
Just click on the link or title line to view my think out loud application on Screen Toaster.

Hope you enjoy!

Thanks,
John M

Reflection on my Personal Theory of Learning (WEEK 8)

My personal learning theory from week one was focusing on the correct outcomes, however the path chosen to reach those goals needs to be adjusted. My consideration has always been the student’s needs and how to make the lessons interesting to keep their attention. A modification to my learning theory will be to take a closer look at which methods work best with my students and not which way I learn best. I often begin my engineering / technology classes with a brief lecture requiring students to take notes in Microsoft Word. Each student is seated at a computer so this arrangement works well. I am not so sure if this is the best way to begin a lesson. An adjustment may be to reduce the note taking session to a shorter period of time. Lever-Duffy, and McDonald (2008) have noted that “a teacher must have an awareness of his or her own teaching style to be able to adjust it to meet the needs of the learners” (p.26). I realize that this type of lesson is reflective of how I best learn and must also be aware of my students’ needs.

Due to the nature of the courses I teach and the technology available to me I am comfortable with using Powerpoint, Excel spreadsheets, and drawing programs such as Corel Draw. Two new tools I would like to make use of are both web based. They are the virtual field trips and voice threads. I believe they will enhance my students learning by creating new and interesting avenues for them to learn and express themselves. I view both tools as a database of knowledge which all teachers can access.
My long term plans are to work with teachers outside my technology content area to:

1) Educate my peers on some of the options they have to create lessons using the technology tools I have learned during this course.

2) Then collaborate with others to create lessons for my technology classes which integrate subject matter from other areas, such as math and science.

I have always believed it to be my responsibility to encourage and teach my peers how to make use of technology effectively in their classrooms. I often have other teachers use my classroom to do online research and project power point presentations for the entire class to view. My long term plan will be another enhancement to this which will certainly benefit teachers as well as students.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). “Brain Research and Learning” [Educational video]. Baltimore: Author.

Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Teaching and learning with technology (3rd ed. pp. 2–35). Boston: Pearson.

MY VOICE THREAD

Hello Everyone,
Just click on the above title "MY VOICE THREAD" and you will be taken to my voice thread.
I hope you enjoy! Thanks for viewing.
John M

WEEK 5 Connectivism & Social Learning in Practice

There is a wealth of information in the resources, most of which will take more then a week to fully explore. It all relates to the social learning theory which revolves around the idea that people learn primarily through interactions with others and their surroundings. Dr Orey speaks of the Zone of Proximal Development. I believe this is an important concept to consider when planning any activities revolving around the social learning theory. This “zone” is based on determining what a student is able to learn at this time and not teaching beyond that zone. We all have a Zone of Proximal Development and are familiar with what happens if we are required to work too far out side this zone; we become overwhelmed and usually lost.

I believe cooperative learning is a powerful tool if used properly. The reason I mention “if used properly” is I have seen classrooms where it is applied incorrectly and the result is a very chaotic classroom environment. Cooperative learning and technology are terrific partners and enhance the social learning process. The focus of cooperative learning is on getting students to interact with each other, compare their ideas and ultimately learn from their peers. The use of a multimedia tool such as Powerpoint is a great way to integrate technology into cooperative learning. A single presentation of this type will require groups to take on many tasks such as: researching, word processing, organizing ideas, and collaboration with their group to combine all the pieces into a final project.

There are several types of communication software which allow us to learn cooperatively. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, (2007) have noted that: “now more then ever technology allows students to collaborate on projects without the constraints of time or geography” (p.153). There are collaboration and networking tools such as Webquest and Facebook available which allows us to interact with others in different parts of the world. Our work here at Walden University would not be possible if it were not for the several collaboration, productivity, and social networking tools available to us each day.

My concern with technology is that we can sometimes become paralyzed when it is not available to us. I teach Engineering / Technology classes and see what happens when internet access is down. I understand we are never going back to the days of listening to your favorite radio show by candle light, and I don’t want to. I would just like to teach children to use a dictionary when spell check is not available, and not to panic when the battery on their Ipod dies.
References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Social Learning Theories [Educational video]. Baltimore: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.