Reflection

           I have really enjoyed implementing the GAME plan during this class.  I had used the digital resources and tools that we learned about, but actually using the NET-S standards and content standards in this class was helpful in creating a lesson that was truly engaging and beneficial to my students. The GAME plan has probably made me feel more secure in implementing some of these lessons. My confidence is higher and I have seen the benefit of this within my classroom. Right now I would not modify the plan, I will just keep using it the way that I have been.

            The immediate adjustment that I plan on making in my classroom is to continue using social media to stay in contact with parents, to continue using digital storytelling across all subject areas, and to continue using problem-based learning. I am lucky to work in a district where my students have their own laptops and we have very good internet. I am able to use the technology in many different ways.

            Overall, this class has helped me better understand the NET-S, give me better ways to integrate the technology that I have, and help me practice digital storytelling, which was something I had not used very often. I found this class to be very beneficial and quite enjoyable.

Game Plan Progress

I feel that my progress towards my goals is pretty good. I am getting good feeback from parents with my Remind 101 text account and my classroom Facebook page. They like that the information is right there and they do not have to log into an account or access their email to check for class updates or messages.  I also feel that my class blog is helping students become more reflective in their thinking and learning. They love the blog and enjoy being a part of it.

            The questions for this post are, are you find the information and resources that you need?  Yes, I do feel like I am finding the needed resources.

Do you need to modify your action plan? I do not feel that it needs to be modified at this time, but I do feel like I need a little more time to look at the data just to make sure of that.

What have you learned so far? Getting students to use correct writing on a blog is very difficult. Most of the writing they see electronically is not correct. They want to use abbreviations, not use correct grammar, correct punctuation, or make their posts a complete piece of writing.

At this time I do not have any new questions. I feel like it is going well and I am enjoying see the progress within myself and my students.

Carrying Our Your GAME Plan

The NETS-T standards that I chose to focus on were:

1.to promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and create process.

2. to collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

Resources Needed:

            I will need to set up my classroom blog. I will need student computers and access to the internet. I already have these things so that will not be a problem.  I will also need a remind 101 account and a Facebook page.

            I will not need any additional information. I think that I have everything I need in order to get these things all up and running.

Steps Taken so Far:

            I have already created accounts with Remind 101 and sent out the flyers to get my parents signed up to receive my classroom texts. I have also set up a classroom Facebook page. I have sent a note home about this and parents and students have already started adding the account.  Students already have their own laptops and access to the internet while at school.

NETS-T Goals

When I read the NETS-T standards I felt like there were more than 2 standards that I could focus on for my goal.  Since I had to pick 2 I decided to go with the ones that I thought I was the furthest from meeting. The 1^st standard that I felt I was weak in was to promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and create process. The 2^nd standard that I felt I needed the most work on was to collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

The actions that I plan on taking to achieve the 1^st goal is to have students start doing reflections to post on our classroom blog. I feel that this will give them the opportunity to reflect on their learning and understanding of the concepts in class. This will also give students the opportunity to read other students’ reflections, and comment on them. The 2^nd standard I selected I am going to plan on implementing remind 101 with my classroom parents. This will be able to keep parents in constant connection with what is going on in my classroom. I also have a class Facebook page that I will use to keep students, parents, and community members involved in what is going on in my classroom. This is a place where I can share pictures and projects. I can also use it for communication or even asking for resources or support from the community and parents.

I plan on monitoring my progress through a journal. I will keep my thoughts about how the technology tools are helping me achieve my goals. I can also write down things that I would like to change or any strategies that seemed to be beneficial. I would also like an outside person to be aware of the goals that I have for myself. I plan on having my principal be involved so that way they can watch for the growth towards my goals as well.

I plan on keeping current with any new technology tools that come out that might help me achieve my goal more effectively. This will help me extend my learning. I also plan on using some social media to help with this. Edmodo is a great resource to find and locate support, resources, or new ideas.

Reflection

The learning theory that I described in week 1 was that as long as my students know that I love them and care about them, that they will work hard for me. I stated that I identified most with Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. During week 1 of our resources, I was introduced to the real definition of a learning theory.  A learning theory examines what goes on in the learner’s mind during the learning process (Laureate, n.d.). While I still really relate to Gardner’s multiple intelligences, I feel that all of the learning theories combined

            I have already started implementing voice threads in my class. I feel that this enhances student learning because students are engaged and creating an artifact as a result of their learning. I am planning on implementing a class blog as well. This will help students strengthen their writing skills. The students will also have to comment on blogs, this will also help their communication skills. The students will be able to participate in conversations via the blog.  I feel that my ability to implement technology to enhance learning has vastly improved.

            One goal is to create an active classroom blog. I feel that this is essential in a classroom, I have just always struggled to keep a blog updated. I plan on achieving this by making my students more involved with the development and upkeep of the blog. Another goal that I have for my classroom is to use my edmodo account to reduce the amount of paper that I am using. I can digitally send them a worksheet or assignment instead of printing and copying it.

           

References

Laureate Education (Producer).  (n.d.). Instructional theory vs. learning theory [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu