Final Reflection: EDUC-6715I-3 New and Emerging Technologies

After completing this particular course, I have gained a better understanding on ways to implement new technology with my students and introduce new ideas to my staff. Previously, I struggled in terms of finding engaging ways to assist my staff with new technologies and designing presentation ideas which generate excitement and eliminate fear. While many of my coworkers are eager to begin integrating new technologies, a handful are still comfortable doing what they have done for years. I am excited to begin the challenge of teaching my staff new ways to introduce technology into their classrooms and provide support when needed to alleviate frustration.

My final project for this course discussed the usage of Xtranormal instead of PowerPoint and Word. I have found this technology to be quite useful and look forward to creating projects utilizing this form of communication. This assignment has given me an opportunity to integrate new technology in place of old, to teach meaningful lessons that my students will enjoy and embrace.

In terms of staying current with new technology, I have already subscribed to several RSS feeds that have useful information relating to technology and education. This information will allow me to see ideas that are being used by other teachers and contribute my own after trial and error lessons. I have also created an online blog for all physical education teachers in my district to share technology ideas and post questions and suggestions for use in the classroom. I look forward to working with my colleagues to create a network of ideas that will allow us to create the best possible learning environment for our students in the 21st century. Finally, I plan to attend two workshops over the summer that will give me ideas to present to my staff in terms of using technology in their classrooms. One of which involves using iPods and iPads in the every day classroom, and the benefits that this type of technology can have for all of our students. I am grateful for education that I have received over the last year and a half and am excited and enthusiastic to implement these new ideas with my students and staff!

Moodle and The Benefits

EDUC-6715I-3 New and Emerging Technologies

Please take a moment to look at my presentation on Moodle. This technology has many benefits in the classroom for both teachers and students. I found this information to be very useful and look forward to creating a Moodle account in the near future!


http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6365001/

EDUC-6714I-5 Reaching and Engaging All Learners Through Technology: Reflection

Over the past eight weeks, I have had the opportunity to learn about Differentiated Instruction, Universal Design for Learning and participate in a Differentiation Station social network group. This course has allowed me to gain a tremendous amount of useful information that can easily be applied to the physical education classroom. I learned that differentiated instruction (DI) is a concept that allows teachers to convey information by using one solid set of goals with different support systems and avenues (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). DI does not require a different plan for each student but rather provides an opportunity for the teacher to find the "zone" of learning for each student. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a strategy that builds in maximum flexibility while providing alternatives so that every child can benefit from a classroom lesson plan (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). UDL builds creativity into curricular materials and provides many options for both the student and teacher.

I have already started to make adjustments to my classroom procedures and lessons based on my new knowledge of DI and UDL. I have increased the amount and variety of technology in my classroom ranging from more opportunities with ActiVotes to utilizing Polar Heart Rate monitors and Nutrition-based computer software. While I have always made a conscious effort to incorporate technology into my classroom, I now understand the benefits that minor adjustments can make based on the specific learning style or learning preference of a student. For example, changing the font size or color of text, offering flexibility with content displays and creating a series of step by step cues for students to follow related to the daily objective.

Regardless of the topic, it is important for me to make an effort to get to know my students and their preferences when it comes to learning. This will allow me to design my lessons to meet the needs of all learners, an provide maximum opportunities to integrate technology into my content area. I plan on using one of the age appropriate surveys in the beginning of the next school year to gain and better understanding of my students' needs and create a spreadsheet using Excel to easily organize student data. This spreadsheet will make planning lessons easier and will allow me to keep track of data and use it from year to year.

I have truly enjoyed this class and feel much more confident in terms of using DI and UDL in my classroom. I recently shared my UDL presentation with our faculty and received a tremendous amount of support and interest is terms of using these concepts in the classroom. We have created a focus group that will meet once a month beginning in March to share ideas related to these topics and begin to discuss ways to improve student learning and technology use. I look forward to leading this group and feel that it will be very beneficial for our school, students, parents and community.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Reaching and engaging all learners through technology. Baltimore: Author.

Final Reflection

Over the past eight weeks, I was able to establish a GAME plan focusing on two main goals: incorporating blogs and wikis whenever possible into instruction and establishing a classroom website to increase communication. I have learned that even with a well-designed plan, adaptations must occur and the ability to be flexible must remain a constant reality. I was notified a few short weeks ago that my county was eliminating blogs from the technology department and focusing on wiki communication for all students. My GAME plan has been altered and the technology teacher and I are meeting this coming week to discuss the switch from blog communication to wikis. We have a tentative plan to switch our assignments over to wiki format but this will take several planning sessions and a great deal of flexibility when it comes to our students. My classroom website is coming along quite nicely. I found out that my website must be linked though my school's website and I have developed a trial site that I plan to have approved after returning from winter break. I feel that this website will increase communication with my parents and also allow me to keep my students up to date while they are outside of my classroom. I look forward to implementing both of my plans by the beginning of the second semester so that I may continue to challenge myself as well as increase the level of learning within my classroom.

Many people are surprised at the amount of technology integration that occurs in my physical education classroom. After completing my most recent graduate course, I plan to continue to increase my level of technology integration and look for additional creative ways to infuse technology into my program. I have learned that technology should not be forced into a classroom, but rather utilized when appropriate in order to achieve a high level of student success (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). I plan to increase the amount of contact with our partner school in England by communicating on a monthly basis via wikis. I am also interested in creating more problem-based learning activities and opportunities for my students to communicate through social networking devices. My goal is to take these plans in moderation and limit the overwhelming sense that technology often brings to a classroom by remaining organized and focused on achieving short term goals. Finally, I pledge to remain educated on the most recent technology advances so that I may give my students the best possible environment to succeed in the 21st century.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.

The GAME Plan and My Students

Over the past several weeks I have been incorporating the GAME plan model into my weekly schedule of events. As noted before, the GAME plan focuses on setting a goal, taking action, monitoring the goal and process and evaluating for success. My personal GAME plan focused on creating a classroom website and utilizing blogs and wikis whenever possible in my classroom. After changes made by my district, I was forced to make some changes with my plan but so far, things are still progressing toward my goal.

After reading over the NETS-T and the NETS-S I soon became familiar with the similarities that exist for both teachers and students in the area of digital expectations and overall technology use and examination. I feel that students need to understand where they are in terms of understanding their own knowledge of technology including strengths and areas of improvement. I know that my students complete a technology survey but in the future I would like to meet with our technology teacher and design the survey around the NETS-S . By doing this, I could gain a more accurate response as to where my students are in terms of their technology use, understanding and digital citizenship.

I think that the GAME Plan is an excellent model to use in the classroom with my students. Even at the elementary level, students must understand what it means to set realistic goals, take proper action, monitor progress and evaluate the overall process. Students can apply this process to just about any content area when working on a long term project or research assignment. The GAME Plan provides students with a clear understanding in terms of their own personal ideas and allows them to progress toward their goal in a constructive manner. I plan on using this method in the future with my students to demonstrate organization, management and an overall simplistic way to accomplish a task.

Reflecting on My GAME Plan

I was thrown an unexpected curve ball last week when I was told that our school system was no longer using blogs and that my classroom website had to be attached and linked with our school website. Prior to finding this out, my fifth grade students had been collaborating online with one another through the use of blogs. I have decided to convert the blog format into county approved wikis. I have started to research the easiest and most convenient way of performing this task due to the fact that this will effect 200 hundred of my students. I sent out a county-wide email to all elementary physical education teachers to find out how many of them were effected by this change. It turns out that 31 elementary school teachers were using blogs and were now faced with my same dilemma. We have set up a meeting with our area technology director who will be teaching us the best methods of moving blog posts into various wikis.

I have also continued to experiment with my classroom website and have started to construct a brief outline of the ideas and concepts that I wish to include on my page. The music teacher and I are meeting with our technology teacher to see first hand how he sets up and makes changes to our school website. This will hopefully allow me to see a "behind the scenes" look at how online projects can be set up and maintained in a simple format.

I plan on sticking with my GAME plan, despite these recent set backs. This may take more time then I had expected but I am willing to put forth the effort if it will benefit my students. I look forward to my upcoming meetings and will hopefully gain some understanding as well as a sense of confidence in terms of carrying out my GAME plan.

Changes Within the GAME Plan

As mentioned last week, the GAME plan philosophy, stems from the idea of establishing a goal, taking action on that particular goal, monitoring progress and evaluating the goal and its' effectiveness (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). I was able to meet with my technology teacher today to discuss my GAME plan, and was informed of a meeting that took place yesterday after school which directly relates to both of my goals for my plan.

My technology teacher told me that my county is completing doing away with blogs as a usable resource for students within the schools. The county has decided to use wikis instead, due to the fact that they are much easier for the teacher facilitate and maintain. I was told though that the county will be purchasing a license for every student and this change will go into effect starting January 1, 2010. While I understand the philosophy behind this change, I am now faced with transforming my students' work from blog format to a wiki. Some of my classes were able to already create their own wiki, but I will need to seek more information on licenses and finding the time to establish user names and passwords for my intermediate students. I am fortunate to still have the ability to use wikis as a form of communicate between myself, students and parents. Wikis will allow my students to "work individually, in pairs, or in teams to post or respond to postings" (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009, p. 98).

In addition to changing my blogs, I will also need to make changes to my plan for a classroom website. At the same technology meeting that was held yesterday, the county discussed classroom websites and determined that a private classroom setting outside of our domain would no longer be permitted. As a result, I will have to add my classroom information to our school website in order to adhere to county policy. I still plan on using Microsoft Front Page to design links and organize my classroom information. This change will also force me to make changes to the idea of having students complete homework online, due to the size limit of 20MB. This change will also go into effect on January 1, 2010.

Over the next few weeks I plan to continue to research these changes and develop new ways to put my GAME plan into action. I would love to hear if anyone else has experienced this dilemma and if so how it was handled.

As always, thanks for your feedback.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.


Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.

Monitoring the GAME Plan Progress

The GAME plan philosophy, steams from the idea of establishing a goal, taking action on that particular goal, monitoring progress and evaluating the goal and its' effectiveness (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). Over the past several weeks, I have focused on establishing two goals. They are as follows: incorporating blogs and wikis when appropriate in my physical education class and creating a classroom website to be used as a communication device between myself, parents and my students. Despite the short week, I have taken a few steps, recommended by Dr. Katherine Cennamo, to demonstrate my ability to be a self-directed learner by planning, monitoring and evaluating my GAME plan (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009).

As a result of my efforts this week, I have been able to meet with my technology teacher to explore scheduling and availability in terms of using the computer lab. We have established a rough outline of the times in which my fifth graders will be able to use to the computer lab, outside of their physical education classes to respond to specific questions and open-ended response assessments. As we learned in this week's resources, open-ended responses take little time to create and are widely effective in terms of allowing students to express their thinking in a creative manner (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). I have also started to experiment with Microsoft FrontPage in terms of creating my own classroom website. I have found this process to be quite simple to use and have enjoyed using the various tools and options. As Dr. Peggy Ertmer states, four important attributes of teachers that effectively integrate technology are: knowledge, confidence, beliefs and supportive culture (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). I am continuing to focus on all four of these attributes and allowing them to drive me toward succeeding in my GAME plan.

As of now, I do not feel that I need to modify my GAME plan. I continue to look for new and improved ways to make my GAME plan more beneficial to my students. I have learned a tremendous amount by completing my Walden resources, as well as by conversing with my fellow colleagues. My classmates have given me several suggestions and helpful hints that have guided me in the right direction over the past few weeks. I look forward to hearing from more of my peers this week as to how I can continue to push forward to motivate myself to finish my website and blog inquiries.

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. Baltimore: Author.

GAME Plan Part II

This week, I was asked to reflect on my GAME plan and discuss the resources, information needed and any steps that I have taken to carry out my GAME plan. Last week, I agreed to focus on the following two topics over the next several months: incorporating classroom blogs and wikis when possible and creating a classroom blog to inform parents and students of pertinent information.

As stated in last week's blog, all of my 5th graders currently have their own blog and classroom wiki. I would like to establish this same procedure with my fourth graders so that they are introduced to this technology prior to their fifth grade year. I have met with our technology teacher to discuss the possibility of acquiring new licenses for our fourth graders. We have emailed our county technology representative and he is currently investigating the cost of purchasing new licenses. In terms of 5th grade, I have developed a block plan related to the ballroom unit that they will begin after the Christmas holiday. I have included opportunities for my students to use the computer lab to work on their blogs and wikis related to this unit.

Unfortunately, I have not been as productive with my second goal of creating a classroom website. I still need to meet with the select group of teachers at my school and determine the process that they took in order to begin to establish a blog. I was able to receive a link to a personal classroom blog from another Walden colleague that has been very helpful. He teaches physical education as well so I was able to see the way in which his blog was laid out and the activities and ideas that he chose to include. I need to continue to seek additional information from other professionals including my physical education supervisor so that I am able to include any state content information that is relative to my discipline.

Please share any ideas that you may have about classroom blogs and the process of getting started with this task.

Thanks again Brian!

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

GAME Plan for Success

After reading all of the ISTE's Educational Technology Standards for Teachers, I realized that for the most part, I am up to speed in terms of technology expectations in the classroom. In physical education, it is sometimes difficult to develop creative ways to integrate technology while keeping the students moving as much as possible.

With that in mind, I have chosen to focus on improving my instruction in the following indicators:

1.c- promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.

3.c-communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.

1. c
GOAL - In order to accomplish this, I plan to utilize each classroom wiki whenever possible and have students communicate via classroom blogs.

ACTION - Each student in grades 3-5 already has already established their own personal physical education blog. When entering the computer lab each week, students will have the opportunity to answer a question prompt posted on their blog or wiki accounts.

MONITOR - I will access student accounts and respond to posts throughout the week when appropriate. I plan to guide students throughout this process and create online groupings to diminish any confusion that may occur with such large class sizes.

EVALUATE - The best way to see if this strategy is working is to read student posts and determine whether or not their conversation is meaningful and relevant to the specific topic.

3. c.
GOAL - One particular goal that I have always had that has never been fulfilled is to establish my own classroom website. Creating a classroom website would allow me to post objectives, announcements and any other information relative to my classroom. I could also communicate with parents by setting up a message board within the website.

ACTION - In order to accomplish this goal, I must begin to research the various tools used to create a classroom website. I can talk with teachers that have already been through this process and determine the best possible means of getting started on this project.

MONITOR - I would make it a point to visit my website often and update it regularly. I would also ask parents for feedback and encourage students to visit the website to seek additional knowledge regarding a given topic.

EVALUATE- Finally, I plan to use parent feedback and student comments in order to help make my website more user friendly and beneficial to my students and parents.

I am open to additional suggestions and would love to hear feedback on any of my ideas!!

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

The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS•T). (n.d.). International Society for Technology in Education Home. Retrieved November 10, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Final Thoughts on Information Literacy Skills

When this course first started, I must admit that I had no idea what to expect in terms of new learning. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to incorporate things from this class into my current classroom setting. The past eight weeks have provided me with a wealth of knowledge in terms of literacy skills and shown me strategies and techniques in order to successfully develop an Inquiry-Based Unit Plan.

After completing the 21st Century Fluency Audit during the first week of class, I learned that there were things that I need to work on in order to further develop my knowledge of 21st century fluency. I have gained strategies that have allowed me to overcome my weakness of locating and managing resources for problem solving and reading for information and application. I now understand the importance of being well-rounded in terms of new literacy skills and will continue to work on developing these skills in the future.

The most striking revelation that I had in regards to teaching new literacy skills is that it is really not all that difficult. I was intimidated at first, but I have soon realized that many of my students already possess a large amount of resources that simply need to be managed and developed. I was surprised to see the students' working throughout my Inquiry Based Unit Plan. They were excited to use the computers in order to conduct research on the Olympics and even more excited to transcribe their new knowledge into their classroom wiki. Without knowing it, they were questioning, understanding their resources, evaluating, synthesizing and transforming their information into a final project.

The knowledge from this course has made me think about other units in which I could incorporate the QUEST model for Inquiry Based Unit Plans. I have already spoken to our technology teacher and we have plans to incorporate this model into the 5th grade Ballroom Unit that occurs annually in the winter. I have also learned the importance of the ability to determine fact vs. fiction online. I have learned strategies and exercises to teach my students ways to determine valuable vs. invaluable websites. Students must understand what they are reading and know whether or not the information is creditable.

One professional learning goal that that I plan to pursue after completing this course relates to Prometheon Software and Interactive White Board Technology. This year, my entire school received Prometheon Boards, Active Votes and Active Tabs. I have already signed and started a Course on "Using Prometheon Boards", which is conveniently being offered at my school. I have enrolled in an online course as well through Prometheon Planet which will allow me to gain further knowledge in the area of this particular software. My goal is to become proficient with this new technology by the end of the second quarter so that I may utilize this technology to extend my students' 21st literacy skills throughout the second part of the school year. I plan to incorporate critical thinking skills, cooperative activities, strategies on applying new knowledge and fun and exciting activities designed to encourage interaction and creativity with the Prometheon Software. I

Final Reflection

After reviewing my original "personal theories of learning" assignment, I realized that my overall theories have not changed but have rather been reinforced by the material in this class. If I had written my theories on learning as a first year teacher, I can guarantee that I would have altered an endless amount of beliefs based on the learning from this course. I have been fortunate to work in a school system that stays fairly abreast of the currently ideas and philosophies that seem to be beneficial in the classroom.

With that mentioned, I still feel strongly that students learn best by doing. This was supported by many of the educational resources in this class. Students need to get up and move, work together and synthesize ideas in order to solve problems and gain meaning. I also believe that my students learn by developing creative ways to accomplish tasks as well as practicing a skill using repetition. This idea is supported through Dr. Pat Wolfe's belief that there are two types of memory: procedural and declarative. She explains that through declarative memory, students are able to recall information by using elaborative rehearsal, acting out new information and teaching a new skill to their peers (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008).

One immediate adjustment that I plan to make next year is to incorporate voicethreads into my students' learning. I loved experimenting with this program! My school has a partnership with an elementary school in Oxfordshire, England. I thought that my students could post video and comments on the units that they were studying in my physical education class. My students are very curious as to what the students in England are learning and this program would give them an eye into their world. It would also open the doors to multicultural learning.

I addition to voicethreads, I would also like to have some of my students set up international blogs with their peers from England. This learning practice would give my students an opportunity to share ideas, thoughts, laughs and learning with students that are a quarter of the way around the globe. Blog topics could vary and I would communicate with a teacher at that particular school to develop appropriate ideas.

One long term change that I plan to implement is to allow my students to interact with the Activboard in my classroom. This concept is new to me and I was very hesitant on allowing them to take an active role in this technology. However, Dr. Orey has taught me that letting the students put their hands on the equipment and manipulate the board is the best way for them to learn from this technology tool. Another long term change that I plan to make involving my instructional practice is to plan more lessons that infuse technology with new learning. This can be accomplished through concept mapping tools, wikis, blogs, voicethreads and many educational technology websites. My students need to be exposed to the technology that is current in their world, and it is my job as an educator to present the material in a fun, clear and informative manner.

Thank you so much for your assistance with this course. It has truly been enjoyable!

Voice Thread Post

Check out my voicethread and let me know what you think! I look forward to hearing from you!!

www.voicethread.com/share/530624/

When I think back to my years as a student, the majority of my academic memories involve my friends. I don't necessarily remember writing papers, taking tests or working on a homework assignment. What I do remember, is interacting with my peers in various ways to complete assignments, projects, discussions and challenges together. I can remember the confidence I gained from contributing to my group and the creativity that I was able to display on many occasions.

I believe that my children are the same way. Only now, they have the opportunity to incorporate technology into this process in order to advance their learning. Cooperative learning is enhanced through technology resources such as: Power Point, digital images, handouts and statistics (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). Socializing through groups like facebook, myspace, twitter, blogs and wikis allows students the opportunity to voice their opinions and learn from one another. According to Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn and Malenoski (2007), " Cooperative learning is not so much learning to cooperate as it is cooperating to learn (p. 143). By working together, students learn the importance of valuing the opinions of others, respecting one another's time and effort and contributing for the good of the group.

The social learning theory supports the thought that students who actively engage in constructing artifacts and conversing with others will be more inclined to succeed in the classroom (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). Socializing is an important role in cooperation. Students need more "knowledgeable" individuals in their presence such as parents, teachers, peers and in today's world, computers (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). Teachers must learn to be creative when designing lessons to ensure that communication, cooperation and socializtion are being utilized to the fullest extent. We must also continue to research the best means of instruction that will benefit our students and recognize them as individuals that possess a wealth of information to share with others.

In this week's resources, Dr. Michael Orey describes the relationship between the principles of constructivist/constructionist theories of learning. He explains that the constructivist theory of learning states that an individual actively "constructs" his or her meaning based on experiences (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). In comparison, Dr. Orey mentions that the constructionist theory of learning states that an individual learns best when they are able to create a concrete artifact or a project that they can in turn share with their peers (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). The constructionist theory can easily relate to education in that students are able to benefit from a hands-on experience in the classroom and learn by doing, with an attempt to share new knowledge with their classmates. Through the constructionist approach, students are able to develop assimilations (external reality is made to fit with one's beliefs) and accomadations (one's current beliefs are altered to fit external reality) to support their own schema (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008).

Students today can benefit from many hands-on expereiences through technology by using common programs such as: Power Point, Kidspiration, Podcasts, Blogs, Microsoft Excel, Photostory and learning based computer games. These activities allow students to contribute to a given topic through the use of technology with the final outcome resulting in a project or artifact to share with others. It has been my experience that students do in fact truly enjoy participating in engaging activities in which they have the ability to control the final outcome.

In our book entitled, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, Pitler, Hubbel, Kuhn and Malenoski (2007) explain that there are six tasks teachers can use to assist students in developing hypothesises. They are as follows: system analysis, problem solving, historical investigation, invention, experimental inquiry and decision making. Clearly these tasks emphasize the use of the constructionist theory due to the fact that they all reuire the students to engage themselves in the learning process and utilize tools in order to reslove disequilibrium (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). Through the use of spreadsheet software, data collection tools and web resources, students are able to make predictions, recognize patterns, incorporate critical thinking, form a hypothesis and gather and graph data.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

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