Online Learning Modules

online learning on Prezi

Reflection

The Differentiation Station social network has provided a good basis for something I would like to see in my own school/district.  We spend so much time in professional development that seems to be professional development in name only.  It would be nice to have an online forum that colleagues and I could use to share ideas.  This would eliminate the need to meet in person (a system that seems to only breed gossip and procrastination) and encourage the use of technolgy, which would be a plus.

One of the daunting things about moving my classroom towards UDL and DI is that it is largely uncharted territory.  It is nice to have a resource to go to where others are going through the same thing.  Even more helpful is that I do not have to spend a lot of time looking for resources.  I can see what people have already used and what they thought of it.  I think this sort of educational community is the future of teaching, and I feel I got more value out of it than in any meeting I have had so far this year.

In the past, I have taken "technology integration" to mean that students will be working more with technology.  Essentially that is true, but I realized that in many cases they were working with technology simply to work with technology.  There was no basis for students working with a particular tool other than their own personal preference.  While interest is part of differentiation, it definitely is not the only part. 

In the immediate future, I would like to place more emphasis on customizing technology instruction for each student.  It was really helpful to learn about UDL as the basis for differentiation.  This helps me see student strengths instead of weaknesses.  I plan on using surveys to gauge student interest and ability levels to begin with and proceeding from there.  It is a simple first step towards UDL/DI but it is one that I have skipped in the past, believing I would be able to tell what was best for the students just by knowing them.  That has worked in some cases, but surveys will help me refine the practice.

Reflection

I enjoyed the GAME plan process.  It would have been nice to have been working on this during the school year so I could have received more immediate feedback, but I suppose there is something to be said for having some time to plan ahead.

I think all of my GAME plan goals are within reach and very soon I will be acting on them.  This has been the most excitement I have had going into a school year, and the opportunity to try out some of the things I learned in the course is a big reason for that.

I would like to continue to learn about new technologies, but I have started to see that new technologies don't create better students on their own.  It is essential to learn effective ways to implement these new tools and to be certain that the student's best interest is always at the core of everything new that I try.

The biggest adjustment I will make in my teaching is making technology more of a focus by addressing some of the NETS standards.  If I've learned anything, it's that the assumption that this generation of students is technologically savvy is pretty absurd.  They have access to all of the tools, which gives them a leg up on past generations, but, like anything else that needs to be learned, students are unfamiliar with how to use the technology effectively.  I plan on taking things slower and making sure that all students have a firm grasp on the technologies we are using and what they are capable of.

Student Game Planning

Getting students involved in the GAME planning process make a focus of the importance of helping students to establish clear, attainable goals that have measurable progress.  All teachers have experienced frustrated students, and while the easy route may be to assume that they simply don't like the subject matter or think it's too hard, it's often more a problem of figuring out the process of learning.

The GAME plan seems to be a bit different than this, though, in that the teacher progresses with the students.  I feel like my GAME plan looks good on paper, and that I have come up with several good ideas, but I also feel like a big part of the equation is missing since I'm still on summer vacation.  Students are really who this GAME plan is meant for, and it is important that there is emphasis placed on meshing the two game plans--teachers and students.  The standards seem to be concurrent with one another.  The teacher is charged with creating scenarios in which the students can learn and the students are responsible for taking ownership of their own learning.

I like how goal-setting is part of the process for students and teachers.  I feel like this is something that I often overlook as a teacher--of course they're setting goals!  They want to succeed!  That is definitely not always the case, and many students do not understand how to set paths to attaining their goals.

Revising the GAME Plan

In the past few applications, I've learned that one of my NETS goals--designing or adapting relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources--has been somewhat limited in my scope.  I've viewed it more as finding new resources for students to use.  The applications have helped me refocus on creating learning experiences for the students, i.e. designing lessons that help them use their new skills.

I've also tried to grow more familiar with NETS, so I have some new goals and standards I would like to focus on:

1) I've seen that reflection is important as we explore new learning tools, so I'm going to incorporate reflections into lessons when we work on digital skills.

2) When I've used blogs in the past, I've learned that getting everyone on the same page prior to starting is beneficial.  Therefore, I'd like to focus on communication with students, parents, and colleagues about new technologies that we use or will be using.

3) Something that I always overlook, in part because I probably don't think it's up to me but, in reality, it partly is, is promoting responsibility with digital tools.  I often assume students know how to use these tools and what rules follow along with them.  It definitely wouldn't hurt to clarify what the rules are and what my expectations are as well.

I think I learn pretty well with new technologies, and I think the key to that is having an open mind.  I'm lucky to have grown up with many of these tools coming into their own, so it really seems like second nature to me.  I think it is very important to spend time with the tools before you get an idea of how they might work in the classroom.  It would be nice to have been teaching a class while I was in this one so that I could have tried out some of my new ideas.

Game Plan Part 4

Not much has changed in a week.  I continue to progress and work with what I laid out last week.  I have heard from a few former students and they have agreed to help.  What I'll have them do is look at some things I'm considering using and class and have them give me feedback.  I try to keep in mind that I need to put myself in the shoes of the students, but even with that mentality it can be hard to do, so their perspective gives me some ideas on how to tinker with the process.

I'm still set to give a professional development workshop on one of our professional development days prior to the start of school.  I haven't heard any of the logistics, though.  It would be nice to know what room I'll be in and what materials I'll need to have prepared.  It shouldn't be too hard to do once I know the parameters.  I'm going to show them how to set up a blog and a Google Reader and how they might want to use it in class.  A friend of mine is doing one on all sorts of web applications.  Hopefully this brings some new converts to the technology side of things.

Game Plan Part 3

Thanks to summer, I've had some time to put a lot of effort into my game plan.  I've been able to find what I need so far, though I wish some of the educational technology blogs I read would update more frequently!

I subscribed to a few new technology blogs on my Google Reader and they have given me some new insight into what tools are available.  I've spent a bit of time brainstorming how I could use applications like Twitter in the classroom.  I read how one group was performing Romeo & Juliet through Twitter.  It was interesting to see how they didn't necessarily use the dialogue but focused on the emotions.  This could be a good activity with my students.  I have one like-minded colleague at school that I see often over the summer.  We bounce ideas off of each other and I've made a point of steering our conversations to technology and the classroom.

As of now, I wouldn't modify the overall framework of my plan, but I would add a few things to it.  For example, in order to hit the ground running this fall, I would like to contact some former or future students and have pilot my ideas to see if they are feasible.  In the past I've had students launch into new technologies and there are always hiccups along the way.  It would be nice to get those worked out beforehand.

Looking forward, I'd like to get a feel of how any new technologies in the classroom will be received.  For example, last year, I had my students working with blogs all year and found them blocked at school in mid-May, making it very difficult for students without computers at home to get their work done.  It would be nice to have an idea of what will be available at school before we get started.  This will involve contacting some administrators.