A Teacher:

Takes A Hand
Opens A Mind
Touches A Heart
Powered By Blogger

Monday, October 25, 2010

Week 8 Reflection

After learning more about the GAME plan, I realized it is a new way to plan all together! I like to organization that comes with the GAME plan, and I also like how it makes you think of 'things that could go wrong' or anything else you may forget!

As I continue to build my GAME plans, I reflect on my past ideas and try to integrate new ideas. My original plan was to have my students respond to the class blog by Wednesday and two classmates by Sunday. I still want to have that as a goal, but I want to do more! My new plan is to add digital story-telling to my blog. I want to show students how the possibilities are endless! I feel if I slowly show them more and more tools, they will appreciate technology even more... and they will also see the positive side of technology with positive exposures. My hopes are my students will come back to school someday and show me something new that I did not know!

So far, my students have really hooked on to my new technology style of teaching. At first they were a little uneasy, but after they got to the computer lab and realized how much they could do... their attitudes turned around! I think the most important thing was that I took it slow (at first I talked about my whole blog goal which overwhelmed them... but then I realized I needed to go one step at a time). Once my students built the confidence in themselves to create their own and upload their own pictures, they discovered the joy in blogging!

I am also very, very excited to incorporate my unit plan that I developed throughout this class. My number one love in life is to be creative! I always wanted to incorporate that to my lessons. With the help of this course, I now created 3 lessons that use technology, lessons from my subject, current events, and creativity! I can't wait!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Week 7 GAME

As I view the NET-S and the NET-T, in a way I see the similarities and in a way I see the differences. In the NET-S, it looks more like the standards we would expect to see. It is what the students should be expected to know/do after the lesson is taught. For example, Digital Citizenship. After the teacher incorporates a lesson for this standard, students should be able to exhibit leadership, use technology appropriately, etc. Now with the NET-T, I feel it shows us how we should teach... how we should teach so our students learn what we expect them to learn. I feel this is more of the ethics behind what we want our students to learn. It also shows us how we need to act and demonstrate. We cannot teach our students one thing and act against what we are teaching.

This goes along with my GAME plan, because after creating my game plan, I would think of how to incorporate these. I am using digital citizenship with my blogging project. I want them to have a positive experience with technology and I want them to use and speak appropriately while using their blogs. In return, I also need to speak and use my blog and the class blog appropriately. It goes hand in hand!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Week 6 GAME

Throughout the GAME experience and chapter 12 in our book, I learned a lot! I really like how our book has each subject individually discussed with specific ideas and goals for us to learn and use. Through the Stories from Practice and the GAME lesson plan formats/examples, I feel my teaching has already improved.

I want to work towards standard 1 and I feel I am doing a great job. Standard one says to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity. I think I am doing this through the creation of our class blog and individual blogs. My students are learning in a new way. Plus, they tell me it is fun! If you can combine fun and learning, you are doing your job!

This standard came easy for me, I believe, because I am a creative person and I always want to see creativity shine in others. I just never thought of using it towards technology in the classroom with science... but it is great so far!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Week 5 GAME

I am a Marine Biology teacher, therefore I read the chapter for Integrating Technology in the Science Classroom. I learned a lot! Some things I am already doing, which makes me feel good, and other things I learn to do, which makes me excited!

I like the stories from practice. The first one I read was incorporating technology into the labs. I don't know why, but I never thought to incorporate technology to the labs. (I have used them for many other things, though!) He also gave each person a specific job. I like this idea, too. I let my juniors and seniors pick their own lab partners, but I think it would be neat to have a project where students had a specific job to create one final lab.

As I look at my goals for integrating technology into my classroom I am pleased with my actions so far. My blogs are up and running, and my students are excited about them! It makes me smile when I get to school and a student runs up to me and says, "Ms. Shrift did you see my blog? It is really neat! Did you read it, did you read it?" And these are students I never saw excitement in before! (Plus they are 'cool' high school students.) Their research blogs were due October 5. That was the first assignment on their blog. Hopefully within the next 2 weeks I will have the weekly discussions started! That is my next goal.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Week 4 GAME plan

I feel very confident in my lesson for my students to continue their blogging experience, but I wanted to do more with the assessing. In the beginning, I wanted to assess my students on their ability to set up their blog, add pictures, design, and gadgets. Also, their first research blog is due October 5. I will be assessing that for information pre-determined by the project.

As I read through Chapter 6, I learned more about the assessment. I decided I want to first get feedback from my students on what they want to learn when it comes to blogging. I explain to them the possibilities are endless, but I want them to learn some of these possibilities! I also want to discuss the outcomes I want my students to accomplish, so they understand the 'point' to the lesson.

Finally, also while grading, I want to incorporate outcome feedback along with cognitive feedback. This will be an easy task for me to complete because I am planning to comment to each of their blog posts! I will not put their grade, due to privacy issues, but I can encourage my students by telling them if what they are doing is right or wrong, but also how to improve or a new strategy to try.

So far, the biggest challenge I have is students being absent on computer days. My students need my guidance to get started, and they won't come to school early or stay after to get additional help. I know this is 'not my fault' but I still want my students to have this positive experience! Hopefully I will find extra time in class, but we have been working to the bell lately.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Keeping the Plan Going...

I must have not published this post when I thought I did... hopefully next week I will complete this part correctly!

My GAME plan is to promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility; and to engage in professional growth and leadership. As I thought of these goals more intently, I realize what exactly I need to do.

To make sure my students promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility, I spoke with them this week about blogging etiquette. I explained to them, while we are blogging, I expect the same language they are permitted to use in school to be used while blogging; and any language not permitted in school is not permitted on their blog.

Previous to this week, my students were not excited at all about the blog (well, maybe a couple students were excited), but now almost all are excited! I scheduled time in the computer lab for my students to get their blog set up and to begin research on submersibles. The comments last week were, 'This is going to be stupid', and the comments this week after exposure to blogging were, 'This is like a really cool facebook!' I was very excited!

Some of my students completed their research post and even added pictures! If you want to check out our blog you can go to MarineBiologyPeriod1.blogspot.com... they each posted to their own blog.

To teach responsibility, eventually my students will have to respond to my blog by Wednesday and other classmates by Sunday... but we did not get their yet!

Finally, to teach my students about professional growth and leadership, I am having my students complete this blog (discussed above). Students are going to be building their own submersible, but before they can build, they needed to complete research about how real submersibles worked in the past and how they work now.

Towards the end of the year, I also have a research project where students need to research their favorite marine animal! They seem to like that one best!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

The GAME Plan!

Hello Classmates! I am sorry I am posting late, but I was not used to having parts of the application due before Sunday. I know that is not an acceptable excuse, but I wanted to apologize.

Any way! I think the GAME plan is a great way for teachers to always keep fresh goals and ideas in mind, and then also remember to use the goals, extend the goals, and reflect on the goals. In our book Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use, I feel evaluating is the most important step. This is a step that I think most teachers forget to do.

GOALS:
4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility and focus on c. Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related ot the use of technology and information. I chose this because I am working on having my students create their own blog and post on their classmates pages and the class page. With all of the technology out there that students abuse, I wanted to show them a positive way to use a technology tool. I want to show them how to not abuse this wonderful tool!

5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership and focus on c. Evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning. I plan to incorporate this into the blogs. My goal is to have a new blog post by each Sunday and have the students respond by Wednesday. In Marine Biology, there is A LOT of research and current events that occur! I want my students to be aware of all of these events and happenings, but to not strain them.

ACTION:
I briefly mentioned this above, but basically both standards are reflected in the blog project. I want my students to have a positive exposure to a great technology tool and I want it to be an enjoyable experience.

MONITOR:
I will monitor my students by checking their posts made to the class site, and to their classmates. If I see inappropriate language or usage, I will speak with the student the next day about his or her behavior.

EVALUATE:
I already made revisions to this project. At first, I realized that I was moving too fast and expecting too much. I realized that I needed to teach the students the basics before I can expect them to make their own blog, follow the class blog, respond to mine, and respond to two other classmates... I think it is very, very important for teachers to look at what they taught or how they taught it and if it needs adjustments for the next lesson or the next year when they teach the same lesson... they need to make the change!