GAME PLAN

The two goals I would like to strengthen are: facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity and design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments. This is something that I am working on for myself, and in order for my students to be prepared for the work world they need to be strong in these particular areas as well. To grow stronger in theses areas I will set goals for myself, do what I have to do to meet the goals, continue to monitor and reflect on my progress, and last but not least evaluate my achievement level (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).



G:I plan to use technology more in my lessons, and maybe get my students to help create some of those lessons. I would really like to increase how I use technology in my classroom for assessment. I would like use technology on a one on one basis with my students, since I have such a small group. I have already started working towards this goal by using the Smart board in some of my lessons.



A:Ask other teachers about ways to incorporate technology in the classrooms. Continue to learn as much as I can about technology, so that I can teach my students how to use it creatively but effectively.

M:I will make sure that I monitor and reflect back on every lesson I teach to the kids. I will continue to monitor how they are using technology. I also plan to keep a journal of my reflections.

E:Continue to reflect and see what I can do to make the lessons better. Do I need to do more or less. If everything goes good, I will extend my learning and the students learning.

References:

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.

REFLECTION

After taking EDUC-6712I-2 Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom, I am more aware of a lot of things when it comes to teaching students literacy skills. Teaching students traditional literacy skills is not enough to prepare them for everything that it is available to them via internet. A lot of students spend hours and hours of researching on the computer, and don’t even know what they are really looking for. Students need to be taught specific literacy strategies such as: questioning, searching, evaluating, synthesizing, and communicating (Laureate 2009). I think that I am pretty strong in those particular areas. My weakest area if I had to choose, would be synthesizing. Dr. Hartman said synthesizing was “making sense of multiple resources” (Laureate 2009). This would be something that I would need to become stronger; however I do tend to use a variety of resources. I also really think that this is the toughest area for my students to grasp.

The biggest revelation I had in this class was on the assignment when we had to view and evaluate a website. I viewed a website on Martin Luther King Jr., and it really looked like it was factual and everything a person would need if they were researching him. When I looked at the website a little closer and examined some of the links, it was the most horrible and degrading thing that I have ever heard about MLK. It really was a wakeup call. Students have access to so much on the internet, and a lot of the stuff is not true. Students have to be taught how to look for reliable and valid resources. All people have to look for that when surfing the net.

Personally, I think these technology courses at Walden have been very beneficial for me. I have learned so much, and feel so much comfortable with technology now. But I still have a lot to learn when it comes to using technology more effectively and teaching my students how to use it. I am going to continue pursuing my degree at Walden, and also take advantage of the free technology courses my district offers. Like I said, “I still have a lot to learn.”

Reflection

“Instructional Theory versus Learning Theory” by Dr. Orey described how learning theories can feed into technology integration into the classroom. The learning theory examines what goes on in the learner’s mind during the learning process. The instructional theory is when strategies are used in the learning environment to facilitate learning.

I believe that all students can learn, and that teachers should use as many teaching strategies as possible to meet the needs of every student. I am a fan of Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. Lessons should be created to meet the needs of each student, and like Dr Orey said, “The environment in which we teach may also vary.” (Orey, 2001) One tool I would implement into my classroom is cooperative learning. I believe students can learn a lot from each other, and with this type of interaction all students can be successful. Another tool I already use a lot is the advanced organizers. Advanced organizers help kids to lay out all of their information into things other than words like graphics. Children who have trouble expressing themselves verbally really have a good time with the advanced organizers.

Two long term goals that I have set for myself are as follows: take more risks with technology and to provide more immediate feedback to my students. After this course and my previous courses, I have learned a lot about the advantages of using technology in my classroom. I want to go beyond the simple power points and advanced organizers with my students. Lastly, sometimes I don’t respond to my students like I should because there just aren’t simply enough hours in a day, but I am going to make it a priority.

Voice thread

voicethread.com/share/784904/

Social Learning

I believe that social learning can be beneficial for some students within a classroom. Other students may not be able to handle it, so as a teacher, you should have some other strategies to use in your bag. I like using social learning in my classroom, but I have to monitor this group of students a little more than I had to with previous groups. I would think that middle school aged children would be able to handle social learning more, but from my personal experience thus far, it seems that they can’t.

On the other hand, I do enjoy watching my students work cooperatively and collaboratively. I do believe that they learn a lot from their peers, and that it boosts their confidence when they feel like the experts in a situation.

Constructivism Theory

I really enjoyed this week's resources and what they had to share about how students learn. I especially like the constructivist theory. This theory states that people learn best when doing things, like building an artifact and then they share it with others. In my classroom, I ask my students to complete projects, and then sometimes they share their final results with the class. The students enjoy doing the projects, because it is like they are taking control over their own learning. They create things and construct their own meanings. I believe that when students build and create they will remember things longer, or have something to connect a piece of information with.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Cognitive Learning Theory

Dr Orey in "Cognitive Learning Theories" explains how important it is to use multiple sensory components when teaching. It is important because like all people, students learn better when they are able to use a variety of their five senses. He also explained how the brain connects with previous information, and that we never really forget information, we just have to have a method or process to get to it. That is why we need to let our kids experience things, and have many connections to a piece of information. I also like what Dr. Orey said about using word processing information programs as table making charts. Students have the opportunity to fill in the table with pictures, key words, and web resources to help them remember information. I can really see how that would be beneficial to a visual child, in which most students are. I think this strategy with get students very involved since they would be the creators.