My GAME plan to improve in the areas of: “Facilitate and Inspire Students Learning and Creativity,” and “Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership,” is not necessary a quest that has a certain ending. This week in the learning resources, I learned more about open-ended questions and how they contribute to higher levels of thinking and creativity (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). My GAME plan is kind of like an open-ended question, because every time I improve and take one step closer towards my goal, I usually discover more ways that I can improve as a teacher. I am not necessary moving closer towards the ultimate completion of my goals as I am growing as a teacher.
I am finding the resources that I need, however there are always more resources that I want. One thing that I find very useful is that instead of looking forward to stuff I do not have yet, I focus my attention on stuff that I do have and use it. This year I was lucky enough to get an Ipad to use with my class. I started off putting all my lessons plans on it as a document reader. Little by little, I began to realize it’s potential. Currently, I now use the Ipad to wirelessly control all my music in my classroom, I use it to remotely control my Keynotes, I now scan my music on it and use it at the piano, I use it as an xylophone with a xylophone app when we are short on instruments and I could go on for a while with it’s potential.
A few weeks ago, I presented to the music teachers in my district and although my presentation was not on the Ipad directly, I made sure that I shared a little blurb about how I use it and what benefits it has in a music classroom. So with just this one new technology resource, I was able to accommodate both areas in my GAME plan.
My plan is probably never going to be modified; however my course of action and learning will constantly evolve. As new technologies emerge, my techniques will change, but my constant drive to improve will hopefully remain forever.
Resources:
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.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Educationaly Technology GAME Plan Continued
The best thing about my current game plan is that the aspects of it do not involve me to go out of my way to complete. What I mean is that it is not some extra hassle that needs to be added on to my lesson in order to make it complete. Instead, the incorporation of technology to facilitate and inspire my students learning and creativity, and the process of engaging in professional growth and leadership are more like lifestyle in teaching switch. Technology has become an essential addition to the 21st century and naturally it needs to find it’s place in a classroom. I believe that walking into a classroom, we would expect to find a pencil and a paper and eventually finding computers and other forms of technology should be just as common.
I constantly engage in professional growth from a learner’s perspective as much as possible. This may involve a formal class, a professional development seminar, or even something as simple as learning from a youtube video or having lunch with a colleague and discussing classroom related rhetoric. However, anytime I am inspired with something that I created and this usually involves technology, I create a presentation for my colleagues for the next district wide staff music in-service. As Zach Chase describes everything can be archived with technology (Laureate Inc, 2009). This is essential, because everything that I teach is available to review instantly on my computer. Presenting is my way of giving back to the professional community and luckily other music teachers share this same ideology through their presentations.
The resources that I need to carry out my GAME plan involve resources that I currently have like, a class computer, my Ipad, Itunes, the Internet, a projector, etc…, the resources also include resources that I want like to have like a midi studio, more computers, a class set of Ipads, etc… and even includes resources that I’ve never heard about or that might not have even been invented yet. Basically, my main goal is to create a lesson and then ask myself “What technologies would make this lesson easier, more motivating for the students, and more successful in my classroom? “ If I do not currently have access to the technologies that I need, then I ask for them and if my request is denied, I make do with what I currently have. In today’s world, it is not necessarily what you know but whether or not you possess the creativity and knowledge to know how to find and access useful knowledge and resources.
Resources:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Enriching content area learning experiences with technology, part. 1 [Motion Picture] Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. Baltimore: Author.
I constantly engage in professional growth from a learner’s perspective as much as possible. This may involve a formal class, a professional development seminar, or even something as simple as learning from a youtube video or having lunch with a colleague and discussing classroom related rhetoric. However, anytime I am inspired with something that I created and this usually involves technology, I create a presentation for my colleagues for the next district wide staff music in-service. As Zach Chase describes everything can be archived with technology (Laureate Inc, 2009). This is essential, because everything that I teach is available to review instantly on my computer. Presenting is my way of giving back to the professional community and luckily other music teachers share this same ideology through their presentations.
The resources that I need to carry out my GAME plan involve resources that I currently have like, a class computer, my Ipad, Itunes, the Internet, a projector, etc…, the resources also include resources that I want like to have like a midi studio, more computers, a class set of Ipads, etc… and even includes resources that I’ve never heard about or that might not have even been invented yet. Basically, my main goal is to create a lesson and then ask myself “What technologies would make this lesson easier, more motivating for the students, and more successful in my classroom? “ If I do not currently have access to the technologies that I need, then I ask for them and if my request is denied, I make do with what I currently have. In today’s world, it is not necessarily what you know but whether or not you possess the creativity and knowledge to know how to find and access useful knowledge and resources.
Resources:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Enriching content area learning experiences with technology, part. 1 [Motion Picture] Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. Baltimore: Author.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
G.A.M.E. Plan for Educational Technology
The web site for the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) (2008), lists 5 standards that should be applied in the classroom. The two that I want to focus on are #1 “Facilitate and Inspire Students Learning and Creativity,” and #5 “Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership.”
Dr. Katherine Cennamo describes the acronym G.A.M.E as a productive method for teachers and students to organize their learning and actions (Laureate Inc, 2009). G.A.M.E stands for set goals, take action, monitor progress, and evaluation (Laureate Inc, 2009). National standard 1 and 5 directly compliment each other because if a teacher facilitates and inspires student learning and creativity, then it will be easy to become a leader and share with a professional community about successes, and if a teacher partakes in professional growth and leadership, then they will have more tricks on how to motivate and engage their students.
My first goal is to review each of my lesson plans before I teach them and find a way to incorporate technology into my lesson so that it compliments both the curriculum and learning objectives. Technology, when added to the mix of learning, provides a powerful tool to both engage and motivate the students, as well as provide a plethora of useful information (Cennamo, Ross, Ertmer, 2009). One thing that I stress is that the technology aspect is added after the lesson plan is created. I follow the rule that Biology Teacher Tim Best suggests on how in education we teach a concept and we find technology to help us teach this content. We do not take a form of technology and try to adapt the curriculum to make it fit into the specs of the technology (Laureate, 2009). Other goals will be to model the use of technology with my students, promote growth and creativity using technology within my students, and lastly to present ideas to and learn from my professional colleagues.
The action step is basically to find ways to make my goals become a reality. I am constantly looking for ways to find technology that compliments my subject of music. Students are constantly walking around with Ipods and phones that play music. Also, software like garage band and I-tune are making manipulating and creating music possible for students in the classroom and at home without a professional recording studio. As for the professional growth and development section, I am always one of the teachers that presents to my colleagues at the musical in-services every year. I will continue to provide opportunity to share and learn from my fellow music teachers and also from my colleagues that teach other subjects who use ideas that can transfer into my music classroom.
The Monitor and Evaluation phase of the GAME strategy is the most important of all. Sometimes I think of the most creative ideas for my students and suddenly when they are put into action, they flop. Or sometimes, I think an idea is perfect, but when I try it out, I find that it needs to be adapted to the needs of my class. I teach 4 sections of 5th graders and although I am following the same lesson plan for every section, my teaching method is different for each individual class. This happens because I am constantly monitoring and evaluating the needs of my students.
Charles Lane
Resources:
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.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Enriching content area learning experiences with technology, part 1 and 2. [Motion Picture] Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. Baltimore: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Promoting self-directed learning with technology. [Motion Picture] Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. Baltimore: Author.
National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). (2008) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.
Dr. Katherine Cennamo describes the acronym G.A.M.E as a productive method for teachers and students to organize their learning and actions (Laureate Inc, 2009). G.A.M.E stands for set goals, take action, monitor progress, and evaluation (Laureate Inc, 2009). National standard 1 and 5 directly compliment each other because if a teacher facilitates and inspires student learning and creativity, then it will be easy to become a leader and share with a professional community about successes, and if a teacher partakes in professional growth and leadership, then they will have more tricks on how to motivate and engage their students.
My first goal is to review each of my lesson plans before I teach them and find a way to incorporate technology into my lesson so that it compliments both the curriculum and learning objectives. Technology, when added to the mix of learning, provides a powerful tool to both engage and motivate the students, as well as provide a plethora of useful information (Cennamo, Ross, Ertmer, 2009). One thing that I stress is that the technology aspect is added after the lesson plan is created. I follow the rule that Biology Teacher Tim Best suggests on how in education we teach a concept and we find technology to help us teach this content. We do not take a form of technology and try to adapt the curriculum to make it fit into the specs of the technology (Laureate, 2009). Other goals will be to model the use of technology with my students, promote growth and creativity using technology within my students, and lastly to present ideas to and learn from my professional colleagues.
The action step is basically to find ways to make my goals become a reality. I am constantly looking for ways to find technology that compliments my subject of music. Students are constantly walking around with Ipods and phones that play music. Also, software like garage band and I-tune are making manipulating and creating music possible for students in the classroom and at home without a professional recording studio. As for the professional growth and development section, I am always one of the teachers that presents to my colleagues at the musical in-services every year. I will continue to provide opportunity to share and learn from my fellow music teachers and also from my colleagues that teach other subjects who use ideas that can transfer into my music classroom.
The Monitor and Evaluation phase of the GAME strategy is the most important of all. Sometimes I think of the most creative ideas for my students and suddenly when they are put into action, they flop. Or sometimes, I think an idea is perfect, but when I try it out, I find that it needs to be adapted to the needs of my class. I teach 4 sections of 5th graders and although I am following the same lesson plan for every section, my teaching method is different for each individual class. This happens because I am constantly monitoring and evaluating the needs of my students.
Charles Lane
Resources:
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.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Enriching content area learning experiences with technology, part 1 and 2. [Motion Picture] Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. Baltimore: Author.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Promoting self-directed learning with technology. [Motion Picture] Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. Baltimore: Author.
National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). (2008) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
