Technology is a tool that can be used to deep
and enhance a student understanding of material. Students grow in a society when they a
constantly exposed to technology on a daily basis. Students are constantly connect to technology
daily through media, personal devices, and digitally (Prensky, 2008). However, when kids are in school they are
often required to power down and put aside their technology. This results in children mentally powering
down as they entered into a world that they are no longer familia
r with. I feel that instead of requiring children to
push aside technology they use daily teachers should find ways to incorporate
it into the students’ learning process.
I feel that the technology can be used as tools to help enhance a
students understanding, collaborations, and assessment methods.
I reviewed the National Education Standards
for Teachers and took the time to reflect on the standards to determine areas
that I would like to strengthen my confidence and proficiency. The two areas that I would like to strength
my confidence is according to the International Society for Technology in
Education (2008):
·
Facilitate and inspire
student learning and creativity.
o c. Promote student
reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual
understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes
·
Design and develop
digital age learning experiences and assessment
o a. Design or adapt relevant
learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote
student learning and creativity
I want my students to use my knowledge of
biology to enhance students learning experience by using technology, creativity
and innovation through virtual environments.
I want students to be able to use technology as collaborative tools to
enhance their thinking, planning, and creative process. Technology can also be used to enhance student’s
collaboration with each other both face to face and digitally. I also want to become more confident in
designing, developing, and evaluating more authentic learning experiences for
students. The technology can be used to
promote their learning, creativity, and addressing diverse needs of
students. In addition, it can be used as
a summative assessment method that encourages students to demonstrate their
learning, understanding, and creativity through the development of digital
technology.
In my GAME plan to strengthen my confidence in
technology I want to become more confident in my use technology incorporation
in the classroom to enhance student communication and collaboration. In addition I also want to become more
confident with my technology incorporating in the classroom for students to
demonstrate their creativity and innovation.
As a teacher my goal is to implement more technology into my classroom
that can enhance student understanding of the biology content I teach. I want to become more familiar with
technology that can be used as learning tools to enhance my classroom-learning
environment.
In order to achieve this goal I am going to
begin to research different technology tools and skills weekly that can be
incorporated into the classroom as suggested by Caitlyn Thompson (Laureate
Education, Inc. 2009). I will enhance my
knowledge of technology weekly that I can share with my colleagues and students
to enhance their learning environment.
As I begin to research new technology skill I will be able to gain
confidence in them and try new activity in my classroom. I would also like to incorporate online
discussion blogs that students will be able to collaborate and further discuss
biology content online. Students will
also be able to demonstrate their creativity and critical thinking skills as
discuss information on the blogs.
Students will also be able to collaborate and communicate with each
other with the incorporation of multimedia and cloud based projects. I would like to incorporate a new multimedia
tools that I have never used with my students before to create an online group
project. In order to achieve my goals I
am going to also look for professional development opportunities my school
offers to enhance my understanding and knowledge of technology tools I have
available to me.
I plan to monitor my goal by reflecting on the
different strategies that I implement with my students. I know that some activities will run
smoothers then others. In addition, I am
aware like all lessons I must critique each new strategies I implement. I must reflect on tools that worked and did
not work. In addition, I will keep a
journal of skills that worked and did not work along with implementation I will
add.
As I monitor my strategies I am incorporating
to reach my goals I will also evaluate the learning process. I will identify tools, skills, and strategies
that worked and did not work. I will
also determine areas of strengths and weakness of area that I need to further
work on. I will focus on areas of
weakness on how I can enhance my learning goal I set for myself. I use the evaluate process as a tool that
will allow me to grow as a teacher and create confidence in the incorporating
of technology in my classroom.
Education is a learning process that both
students and teachers can deep their knowledge.
As I teach my curriculum to students they are enhancing their content
knowledge while incorporating technology tools they may be currently familiar with. As a teacher I will enhance my knowledge how
to effectively incorporate technology to increase collaboration, communication,
creativity, and innovation.
Reference:
International Society for Technology in
Education. (2008). National education standards for teachers (NETS-T).
Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer).
(2009). Integrating technology across the content areas: Promoting
self-directed learning with technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Prensky, M. (2008). Turning On
the Lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40-45.
Retrieved from
http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=0892c2f3-decc-40a2-b7e0-73ad271b80d3%40sessionmgr111&vid=5&hid=107
Hi Nicole,
ReplyDeleteYour goal of using virtual environments in science seems like a perfect fit for your content. Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009) state that simulation software fosters creativity and critical thinking. Manipulating ideas in a virtual laboratory or field provides students with the opportunity to work in authentic situations and construct knowledge through exploration.
Blogging not only deepens the understanding of students in content but strengthens skills in all areas of literacy as well as developing appropriate and respectful communication skills. Prensky (2008) proposes that schools need to allow students to connect to the world while learning. Students gain different perspectives and points of view as well as factual knowledge while engaging in such activities as blogging. The learning of your students will be greatly enhanced as you progress toward your goals. Good luck!
Gayleen
References
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful
classroom use: A standards-based approach. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
Prensky, M. (2008). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40–45.
Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database.
Gayleen,
ReplyDeleteI am nervous and often discuss with my colleagues how I think blogging would be more benificial then worksheets for homework. I find it extremely frustrating when students have worksheets for homework and I collect them that they just copied from a friend. I feel that they are not truely learning. Whereas, when students would be require to blog they have to synthnesize, evaluate, and criticially think on thier own. I am excited to begin to experiment.
Nicole
Hi Nicole,
DeleteI agree with your statements about worksheets. Anything authentic is much more effective than practicing skills in isolation. Good luck!
Nicole,
ReplyDeleteAccording to Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer (2009), “the nature of the blog is to share personal reflections, opinions, and feelings (pg. 75). I think that your idea of blogging is a good idea. I also am bothered by students copying others homework. I have a couple of thoughts to keep in mind when having student’s blog for homework. First, what will happen if the students do not have Internet access at home? I know that this is becoming a less of a problem as more and more people get Internet access, but if they do not have Internet at home they will now have to get it done at school either before or after school. My second concern is that students are still able to copy even if it is a blog. You just look at another student’s blog and write something similar to that. Now I think that using the blog to get students reflections, opinions, or feelings could help eliminate that, because it is going to be your opinion, but you never know. I think blogging is a great idea and hope to use it in my class someday soon. I just wanted you to think about those two concerns.
References
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful
classroom use: A standards-based approach. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
Jonathan,
DeleteYou made a really good point about students copying other students blogs. I know there are some students that have lack of Internet usage at home or technology issues do arise. I myself experience Internet outages for days which felt like forever. However, I would allow time during the day to assist students with those issues. There are definately a lot of issues to take into consideration.
Nicole
Hi Nicole
ReplyDeleteI think your goal to use technology in order to enhance students learning experience will be very beneficial for you as well as your students. Technology provides us with the tools interact with materials in ways that we usually wouldn’t be able to. “There are tools that help students visualize certain phenomena and other tools are available that help students understand other types of phenomena, such as structure of argument. “(Cennamo, Ross& Ertmer, 2009,p.61) By adding technology and visiual aid you can increase student engagement as well as student knowledge about the content materials.
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.