Reflection
My vision of my role as an educator has become significantly wider since completing this course – indeed this entire graduate program. Technology in all its facets, especially digital technology has become undeniably important for 21st century teaching and learning, and will continue to become more important as time goes on. Learning is greatly enhanced by the methodologies that can be applied through digital technology from the earliest phases of formative assessing, learning how students learn, and the products, which they make. This course allows me to narrow the gap between the digital natives and myself, a digital immigrant. For this, I am truly excited.
My plans for the upcoming school year with regard to the use of technology in my instruction include the using of surveys from the Differentiation Station that our class has set up. I will choose the most appropriate surveys for my incoming freshmen classes and administer them during the first week of school. Survey monkey is one of these tools for evaluation that I use to learn more about my students learning styles and preferences.
I have come to understand how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has been developed and motivation behind its creation. The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), through its website has offered a vast amount of empirical evidence showing how the brain works in relation to learning, with its recognition networks, strategic networks, and affective networks, giving great insight into how students learn. CAST has also shown that rather than asking the learner to fit into a designated curriculum, that the curriculum should be based on the learning needs of the individual learner. Based on this evidence, I now can differentiate my instruction to that all my students can access content area knowledge.
Despite the fact that accessibility to technology is inconsistent and unpredictable in my school, I will plan my lessons to take full advantage of the digital technology that is available. I will set up wikis and blogs through Google groups for my students to work collaboratively. I will teach them how to check websites for ownership, authorship, and authenticity, and I will teach them to use technology create products that convey the breadth and scope of their understanding of content. Bray, Brown and Green (2004) have discussed the benefits of digital learning for all learners, but especially for those who are learning disabled. (p.34).
Our differentiating station in its creation has become a great “go to” resource for our group and I believe will continue to be in the future. It serves as a great resource for us as educators to create classrooms supported by digital learning from surveying students to evaluate their learning styles, preferences and intelligences, to sites for UDL and differentiation. I am sure that I will return to it often and continue to contribute to its growth over time.
One of my biggest concerns has been addressed in this course with regards to differentiation of instruction, and that is giving students more autonomy in the classroom. The thought of breaking away from the teacher-centered classroom where all seats are in five or six neat rows to one where students are engaged in inquiry-based collaborative learning is both exciting and scary. I am very confident, however, that if I spend the time preparing for this new approach by getting to know my students so that I can better prepare for how I will teach.





References
Bray, M., Brown, A., & Green, T. (2004a). Looking at gender, culture, and other diversities in the classroom: An overview. In Technology and the diverse learner: A guide to classroom practice (pp. 1–18). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Center for Applied Special Technology. (2009). UDL guidelines, version 1.0. Retrieved from http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines

Reflecting on my game plan

Using the GAME plan to develop an entire unit proved to be challenging, but it helped me to stay focused throughout the process. I became more aware that if I am to teach an entire unit using digital technology particularly for collaborative research and the production of a digital project, I had to get many facets in place. I am truly hoping that I can develop a unit that can be applied during the spring semester. There were quite a bit of challenges specific to my school that did not allow for complete implementation of a web-based unit, nevertheless I believe that it can be done even when given the limited resources and support presently available. Cennanamo, Ross and Ertmer (2009) explained the importance of teachers not organize instructional strategies relying on technology as simply another source of information for students to draw upon, but more importantly, that teachers should: “organize instructional strategies that leverage digital technologies as developmental tools to be used by students as a resource stimulus for inquiry, perspective taking, and meaning making…” (p.289).
I believe that the most important new knowledge I have gained from following my game plan it to properly investigate the availability of resources for use in the digital classroom. I also became more aware of how students can actually engage in inquiry using digital technology and learn essential content at the same time. The new knowledge I have gained will certainly impact my instructional practice in many ways. Firstly, I must look ahead to plan for any possible roadblocks where the availability of technology is concerned. I see that if I am to influence any change at all in my school I must get the attention of those who have access to technology and are willing to take it a step further. My classes must have access to working computers with Internet access in order to fully experience digital inquiry and collaboration. As it stands we are struggling to get working plug outlets in some rooms.
Immediate adjustments I will make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration in Social Studies as a result of my learning from this course include using technology everyday for information and inquiry. I want to implement digital storyboards as an immediate goal and then a long term goal of problem-based projects. I have seen the benefits of using other technology resources to differentiate instruction and I realize that students enjoy learning by using podcasts, film, and PowerPoint presentations.
To sum up, I am now even more aware of the huge responsibility I bear to turnkey this new knowledge about digital teaching and learning. To be quite honest, it is quite scary. With so many veteran teachers not wanting to embrace 21st century teaching and many newer teachers who prefer not to it truly seems like an uphill battle. Much of the infrastructure of older school buildings, especially in big cities does not support full incorporation of Internet use. I will continue to find new ways to use digital technology for teaching, learning, and evaluating student work in my classroom.


Reference:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (1 ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.

Rvising my GAME plan!

Wow! What a difference a week can make. I realize now that many of my lofty expectations have to be demoted a notch or two. I was able to have a brief word with our journalism teacher who happens to have her finger on the pulse of technology-based instruction. She often has hes students using the prized laptop collection. She mentioned that because of the inconsistencies with the availability of internet access, it might be difficult to really launch such an ambitious project, nevertheless, she was willing to consider it next year.

Evaluating Your GAME Plan Progress

It has been five weeks now since I have set my goals using the GAME plan. It is becoming more apparent that I will have to implement my original plans for the film later. It will require a tremendous amount of organizing and logistics in order to make it happen. Even though I could easily use my computer and webcam to film, it will take a little longer to organize this for the entire class. I am not giving up on it though, but I may have to table it until the next semester which will start in February.
I am sure that I will be able to set up the podcast assignment this semester.

How effective were my actions in helping me meet my goals?
Since our focus in the AVID program is more geared to traditional paper-based reading and writing activities, I have not moved forward yet with the technology aspect yet.
What have I learned so far that I can apply in my instructional practice?
I have learned that designing lessons that engage students in authentic situations and provide them the opportunity to conduct meaningful research helps them to learn content with greater depth.
What do I still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?
How to properly evaluate student work that is web0based research.
How will I adjust my plan to fit my current needs?
I can clearly see that my school's current focus for its goals is not in the direction of new technology methodology for teaching and learning. We have just implemented our first online grade book which teachers are just getting used to. In addition to that, teachers and administrators have just started collaborating via Wikis.

Diane

Enriching Content Area Instruction by Using Technology

I am very excited about using technology in its entire spectrum to teach and reinforce content in the classroom and beyond. While the use of technology is gradually gaining acceptance in my teaching environment, there is still much to be done in terms of funding, maintenance, and facilitating of technology resources that would allow for the full pedagogical experience. After reviewing the indicators set by the National Education Standards for Teacher (NETS-T), I have decided on these focal points. My GAME plan (Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer, 2009) will aim to accomplish the following:

•My Goals are to:
o(Performance Indicator #1): Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity and
o(Performance Indicator # #): Model Digital-Age Work and Learning.
•Design lesson plans that use some aspect of digital technology (possibly by making short videos or podcasts)to address various learning styles of students and that will promote content learning.
•Research the availability of technology available in my school that will facilitate such learning activities and reach out to support staff and administrators for help.
•Evaluate student performance by having them keep learning logs and conduct small frequent assessments to determine students’ grasp of content.
•Incorporate new technologies for extended learning activities beyond the immediate classroom to collaborate with and include a broader learning community.

RSA Animate - 21st century enlightenment

A look at Integrating new Technologies and Inquiry into Content Instruction

When I first entered a classroom to teach my very first lesson independently, I brought with me only foundations skills I learned from my cooperating teacher. He had been teaching for close to thirty years and was well grounded in his craft and highly respected. As a matter-of-fact, he was the most senior teacher in the department. We spent many hours reworking my lesson plans until they received his approval. Then, it was important to engage the students with a gripping “do-now” and “motivation” move on to a mini lesson which was basically lecture-based, present them with some bit of text with which to engage either individually, in pairs or small groups then more lecturing and board notes. I came to learn that for most lessons, “chalk and talk” was the order of the day.
Learning about the teaching of new literacy skills has revealed a great deal about how students are learning, what they are learning, and the sources of their information. I now realize that teaching 21st century learners in the method I had been taught was outmoded then, and is even more so now. Because of the tremendous changes that students face in terms of their access to information, it behooves the teaching community to become prepared to instruct, and facilitate these new literacies to incorporate the use of the Internet and other ICTs along with traditional literacy skills. Students still need to be grounded in the foundations of traditional literacy skills, but they also cannot be left alone to navigate the vast network of information technology without proper guidance. November (2008), wrote: “Now it is essential that we teach our children the discipline of making meaning from a very complex and constantly shifting global warehouse of information and communication.” I strongly believe that the chasm in pedagogy which often is as a result of some educator’s resistance to learn and incorporate the new literacies for 21st century teaching and learning, can contribute to student’s lack of desire towards inquiry.
What resonates most clearly in my mind is the structuring and delivery of content as presented using information technology. I am now aware that every of the lesson or unit must be scaffolded for content and use of technology, and that literacy standards must by adhered to throughout the differentiation of instruction, from the motivational “hook” to the assessment/s. It is no longer sound pedagogy to deliver content to students and provide a single summative assessment based on recall. The process of learning content needs now more than ever to be inquiry based and students need to be taught to ask effective questions. Thornburg (2004) explained the importance of students moving away from rote learning, and the importance of deep inquiry. He cites the outcomes that content will be retained indefinitely, and that students will develop the desire to be life-long learners.
My approach to teaching has already changed because what I have learned about the new literacies and the inquiry-based instruction. As I prepare for the upcoming fall semester and the commencement of a new school year, I am very excited about the new lesson plans I will develop to include the new information literacy instruction I have learned. I will certainly model every aspect of what I expect students to perform and now I can arm them with the correct tools and approaches to truly make web research sound and effective (AASL, 1998) in their learning process.
My desire for future professional development lies in serious curriculum development of the integration of web 2.0 technologies with content area into the state curriculum. I am quite appalled that the state standards have not been amended to include the new literacies for 21st century teaching and learning. I especially would like to become involved in group projects, whether within the school at an inter district level, or on global collaborative efforts such as the flatclassroom projects. I believe my approach should be to research professional development opportunities and then present them to colleagues and administrators for feedback about the possibility of facilitation. Another approach is to simply explore and participate independently in professional development; I now have a vast number of resources available to me that I did not have before taking this course - Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Remembering my own personal commitment to remain a life-long learner will always be foremost in my mind, ever being aware that the end of learning will result in stagnation and discontent with my chosen profession. I can’t wait to see where the information technology and web 2.0 will take us. One thing is certain, that it will be exciting, intriguing, and life changing.

References
Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.
Kuhlthau, C. C., Maniotes, L. K., & Caspari, A. K. (2007). Guided inquiry: Learning in the 21st century. Westport: Libraries Unlimited. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4252866&Survey=1&47=6207531&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
November, A. (2008). Web literacy for educators. Thousands Oaks: Corwin Press.Gardner, H. (2004).
Thornburg, D. (2004). Inquiry: The art of helping students ask good questions. (Executive
Briefing No. 402). Retrieved from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/inquiry.pdf