EDUC 6715 Final Reflection

This course New and Emerging Technologies has really opened my eyes to the different types of emerging and disruptive technologies that exist. Initially I thought of all the technology that my school had locked in the store room somewhere and realized that as each year progresses something new comes out that replaces the old and makes its use much more user-friendly. On Wednesday of this week we had the interactive whiteboard installed in each classroom thus replacing the LCD projectors that we used to wheel into each class we had. This technology has proven success after two days of use. Most teachers are excited to use it. One student tried swinging from the part that hung overhead so the projector could project images onto the screen. He was dealt with accordingly and it sent a strong message to other students that if you break it you will be dealt with accordingly. It has improved class participation and helped to alleviate behavioral issues since all students are fully engaged in the learning process. It also appeals to the visual and kinesthetic learners.

The Horizons Project had some invaluable ideas and resources that will definitely help to enhance the teaching and learning of math and other subject areas. I definitely see myself as an agent of change in my school. Already my coworkers are asking for assistance in lesson planning. The math department has a presentation to do on a differentiated lesson and my contribution will be on the technology aspect. I plan to use a video from brainpop.com and the graph application on the whiteboard to show how a lesson can be differentiated. I also want to introduce them to a social network site such as Ning.com. \

Overall I am very satisfied with this course. Walden definitely knew how to culminate the program with a bang where we could incorporate what we have learned to our practice. This was not a degree without a purpose. I believe it has satisfied all my requirements of a program that would fit my needs. I am now confident that I can lead my school and students with 21st century skills and prepare my students to be successful in their future endeavors.

EDUC 6714 Final Reflection

As the countdown begins to the end of this course of study, I must say it has truly been an enlightening experience working and learning in such an environment. Not only am I walking away with a Masters degree, but I am completing this program more knowledgeable about how to integrate technology in my classroom. This class taught me so much about the UDL and DI that when I got observed this week my AP told me that I was doing a fantastic job differentiating my lessons. She absolutely loved the powerpoint presentation and she thought my students were well engaged. The resources from the differentiation station that we had to participate in made me understand more of how to collaborate in group settings no matter where we are.

It is incidental that on Wednesday of this week Interactive smartboards were installed in each classroom. The level of participation in my classes has improved drastically. Now I have students who would otherwise shy away from participating wanting to participate. I save their work in files so that they can go back later on and view their work. This is an awesome way to differentiate the lesson to address the needs of all learners. Now I can show clips directly related to the lesson and not have to worry about the technology failing. I would like to try using a ning account for students to communicate with each other and with me.

Overall this course was very beneficial to me. I have achieved my goal.

Spotlight on Emerging Technology

Here is the link to my presentation.
voicethread.com/share/1026410/

Reflecting on my GAME Plan

Thanks to this course I have devised new and improved ways to enhance my pedagogical skills. I have met all the goals I had planned in my GAME plan. My students are benefiting from the resources and some of my coworkers have come on-board. I know my principal has been thinking of ways he could use this medium to communicate with staff. My students are offering constructive feedback on their classmates work and offering creative problem solving strategies. My pass rate has improved by over 50% based on the regents scores and I will get even more success as I incorporate more strategies and tools to help my students to succeed. The podcast works well because I had one student tell me that she could listen to the podcast when she was having difficulty completing an assignment. I have recorded pointers students need for problem-solving.

Reflection

In retrospect I have realized that I was not teaching my students how to critically evaluate a website prior to using it. I do not even think my district was aware of the intricacies that are involved in us allowing our students to use various websites. I will definitely have my students check the validity of websites using REAL prior to using information presented.

I have grown even more in my area of expertise. When it comes to locating information I am encouraging my students to set up accounts with Delicious which will help them to narrow their search results. I like Delicious especially because it narrows the content and it even shows applicable videos that can help with their research. Students will be encouraged to ask essential questions when working on a project and to share the challenges they faced and how they overcame the challenges. They are encouraged to think critically and to synthesize information prior to using it.

One goal I have is to incorporate more technology in my class. I think I want to focus of digital storytelling to help my students apply themselves. Digital storytelling is an interesting way to compile all the information learned and real world applications into one application. I can use this tool as an alternate means of assessing learning.

Reflecting on GAME Plan for students

As I think of what I have achieved since I implemented my GAME Plan, I realize that I am even closer to my goal which is to implement more technology in my classroom to aid and enhance my pedagogical skills. My students have learned to collaborate with their peers by offering suggestions, help and support as they learn together through use of email and blogging. The NETS-S standards encourage the use of digital tools to communicate and collaborate efficiently. I believe I am closer to achieving this goal since my students have learned to leave constructive feedback, whether by asking a question or offering an alternate means to solving a problem. They have also learned to respect each other's opinion in that they are becoming great digital citizens. In my GAME Plan the goal is for them to use and improve their critical thinking skills. They are working on such based on the assignments they are given to offer feedback. Sometimes I may give them a problem with a step by step solution and they need to explain to me what they think the person did wrong and tell what the person should have done. Sometimes they have to perform research as was evident in a lesson taught on inequalities where they had to find illustrations of inequalities in their everyday to reinforce the concept of 'less than' and 'greater than.' Technology has definitely made a difference in the way I approach my lessons since I want to make math come alive for students in high school.

GAME Plan Update

So I set up an account at www.ning.com so that I can restrict who is invited to view the blog. I have also uploaded clips from YouTube for my students to watch. The videos will help them if they have forgotten how to solve a particular problem. I am thinking of creating a podcast for my lessons, that way I can include my pointers that I want them to remember. My nagging thought is 'do I allow them to use their personal email accounts or should I allow them to set up a new account and link it to this account?'

GAME Plan update

So far I have been able to converse with my colleagues on integrating more technology in the classroom. Some are eager to do so while some are still reluctant saying there is not enough time with the deadlines to meet and students to prepare for regents. to them it seems impossible. But as Steve Ross said in his video that integrating technology may in a way help students to learn since it addresses multi-levels. If students are comfortable with the mastery of one skill they can move on to more complex skills while others who still need more time to gain mastery can work without feeling pressured.

DIME my Game Plan update

So far I am able to find the information I need to accomplish my GAME plan. I recently had a conversation with my coworker who told me that there was a student who scanned their report card into the computer and changed the grade to show that the student was passing when in fact the student was failing the last two marking periods. That sanctioned my whole philosophy that we are not teaching the students in a way they can relate to. This student will never write an essay, never think through a math problem. He is tech-savvy and because the methods do not appeal to him he is disruptive. This is even more reason for my GAME plan. Resources to accomplish my GAME plan are readily available. I only need to create the podcast and/or a video. I thought of even having my students create their own podcast or video. I need to give the project more time though because I have not received all the permission slips from my students. My principal asked how will I monitor to ensure the safety of students and I told him about the privacy mode. As for when will I allow them to view the podcast. I figure that during class, right after I have taught the concept and they are practicing they can log on and listen to the podcast if they are having trouble remembering something. They can even use the podcast at home. It would be perfect for them to have created a Delicious account so that they can organize their information sites. They can also visit YouTube to see other videos. Delicious gives them the exact videos that relate to the topic. My new concern now is that each time I will have to send a letter home to parents to let them know what is happening. But then that is the purpose of the blog, to have parents view the work their children are doing in school. I have also learned that not many people are open to change. I probably will have to have my colleagues visit my class to see how I implement these tools and then maybe they will try.

DIME my GAME Plan

I believe I have most of the materials needed to carry out my GAME plan. We have the computers and wireless internet access throughout the building. However there are some things I am still working on such as having my students return the permission slips from their parents saying it is ok for them to participate in a class blog. Once I get the green light from that I will definitely have my students create their blogs. I am in the process of creating podcasts for my lessons. That way when I give them a particular assignment to do based on a particular topic they can always play it back to hear so that I will not have to repeat to them seven times and they can listen at their own convenience. I also want them to set up an account with Delicious.com which will help them to organize their research, if they have to do a search on a particular topic.

I am still thinking about how to get my coworkers to try this in their class. Many of them will tell me that our students do not respect property in that they will try to take the keys out of the computers and or steal stuff. I am going to encourage the ones I know will implement technology in their class by showing them how to use a voicethread or to use delicious as a search engine. I am not sure how to encourage my English coworker how to use this in her classroom as yet but I am slowly putting it together. My principal suggested I do a Professional Development on Technology and I told in sure. We should be doing it on the next PD day.

GAME Plan

The two areas I need to address from the National Education Standards for Teachers are 1b which states that teachers promote student reflection using collaborative tools and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.

I chose this area because I realize that too often when we teach mathematics it is abstract to the interest of our students. They do not see the relevance. If I use digital tools and resources such as virtual field trips and blogs and wiki and voicethreads not to mention interactive games I am giving them a creative medium in which they can reflect on what they have been taught. This will help them to remember the concept in years to come.

The other area I need to address is 3b where the teacher collaborates with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation. I will also tie this with 3c that states the teacher communicates relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.

I like this area and I am looking forward to addressing it since we want our students to be creative and successful. Digital tools will be around for a very long time. One of my ninth grade students was very pleased when I asked the class if anyone knew what blogging was all about. She was able to share her blog page with me. This is something she will have for the rest of her life to show to her children and grandchildren. Parents can be kept up to date with the projects their children are working on without even visiting the many classrooms the student is in. Administrators can use the tools to keep the school informed of the daily happening and as a reminder of upcoming projects. We can use tools such as virtual field trips to bring the community into the classroom. This will enable our students to understand the link between what they are learning at present and the relationship that exists between it and the real world.


Hence my GAME Plan.

My Goal is to promote success and innovation using digital tools.

What Actions will I take
I want to include student, peers, parents and the community since this is the cohesive unit. We will set up a class blog and discuss the parameters for blogging -no cursing, correct use of the language, no OMGs etc. This blog will be made available to their parents who can help in the monitoring of comments. This blog will serve as a medium for them to reflect on daily lessons and post their comments, answer a question, offer help to a classmate who is struggling. My peers will be encouraged to use this as a tool in their lessons also to peak students interest and creativity. We will comment on virtual field trips where the community florist gave a run-down of what her typical day is like.

How will I Monitor my progress
I could have students set up an RSS feed to follow their classmates blogs and offer constructive feedback to at least 2 members. I will also communicate with my peers on the effectiveness of this in their classes. I will also be in contact with parents via email and through discussions and progress reports and school newsletter I will be able to monitor the effectiveness.

Evaluate
I will evaluate based on feedback from parents and students. I will also look for some improvement in their scores. I am not saying that everyone will be getting perfect scores however, there should be some improvement even if their grade went up by only 5points that is an improvement to me and an indication that this method is helping.